8 Ideas to Jump-Start Fall Fundraising
Is the creative well a bit dry? Here are some ideas to boost your fall fundraising efforts.
1. Prime the pump
Roger Dooley, the neuro-marketing guru, says priming can be a key in fundraising. Priming is presenting a person with subtle cues or context that affect behavior. He cites a study by Greg Miller and Kathleen Vohs that shows if you get people to think about money by putting posters of currency around them, they tend to be more anti-social and less generous. They concluded that priming people with money puts them in a state of mind where they don't want to depend on others and don't want others to depend on them. He says good fundraisers prime their audiences by focusing on good works and great stories, not dollars and cents.
2. The eyes have it
Dooley also says studies show that when presented with a Web page or flier, people look first at any human face present. If the face is gazing at something, like a headline, the viewer's eyes follow the trajectory of the gaze. To get people's attention and direct it, use a person's image. Remember this in your appeals.
He also notes that people are very sensitive to their own images. When people look in the mirror or see their own images, they are more conscientious and generous in their actions. Use images of donors to create that connection.
3. Social proof
People are more likely to give when they see others giving. When donors give online, ask them for an optional few words on why they gave. Fill your homepage and future appeals with their answers, in their words.
4. More social proof
Post an online slideshow or video featuring people who have benefitted from your work or donors who have supported your work saying what gifts meant to them personally. It's guaranteed to be an emotional hit and highly motivating beyond anything you as a fundraiser could say. E-mail links to the messages to all your supporters and prospects.
5. Make giving an experience
One thing I've always wanted to see more of is the opportunity to make giving into more of an experience. For example, consider offering birthday-favor kits. Kids are more often choosing to raise money for a favorite cause for their birthdays rather than getting more stuff. Promote on your website "birthday favors" for kids who fundraise for your cause, with thank-you notes for each child attending the party and fun gifts or photos. My 7-year-old's most prized gift ever was a photo of a zoo leopard with a new ring to play with — paid for by her birthday party attendees.
6. Get inspired by wee ones
If you're having a creative fundraising block, ask your child (or a family friend's child) what your organization does. You will get a refreshing perspective that may inspire your next ask. There's no better way to get out of the metaphorical weeds than to ask advice from someone who is only a few feet high.
7. Celebrate your donors
Name a campaign after one of your most interesting volunteers or beneficiaries, and use her personal story as the fundraising pitch. For example, "Kate's campaign: Send 10 children to school in Rwanda" would feature the story of why Kate is a big supporter of your organization and her ties to a particular school far away.
8. Be brave and experiment
Here's some great advice from a new e-book called "How Grassroots Environmental Organizations Are (Or Are Not) Raising Money Online." As the Institute for Conservation Leadership puts it: "Many online strategies won't pay off for awhile, but try them anyway as time and money are available."
The final word goes to Mal Warwick, one of the godfathers of direct-mail fundraising, from his February 2010 newsletter: "Nonprofit organizations must be ready to risk some hard-earned revenue in exploring new approaches to fundraising and marketing that may not yield substantial cash returns until many years in the future." FS
