Acquisition

Over time, I have come to the conclusion that there are three main reasons why many nonprofits that are trying to do the right things with fundraising aren’t able to break through. Most organizations find these reasons rather surprising. Are you doing any of these at your nonprofit? 1. You're trying to do too much. 2. You're relying too heavily on your board. 3. You don't have and use a critical path.

What has nearly 4 million volunteers each year, raises more than $75 million in revenue and is NOT an event? And, more importantly, is your nonprofit doing it?

Entire books are written on the subjects of acquisition and retention for both charities and membership associations. Yet we all can benefit from a few reminders from time to time. That’s what I have for you today — a few reminders. In my opinion everything related to acquisition and retention is all part of one overarching fundamental: Everything you do is cultivation and stewardship. Everything.

Most fundraisers regularly practice the “first ask,” an ask for money. But the second ask is just as important. The second ask is an ask for referrals. It’s a conversation you have with a donor where you ask her if she would be willing to introduce you to some of her friends, co-workers, business partners or social network so they can hear about your nonprofit. It is this second ask that allows you to leverage your supporters’ contact lists and build a true fundraising network for your organization.

Last week, we had the recently uncovered, original oak living room floor that had been hidden under carpeting for a decade or two refinished. I did some online shopping for a rug to put in the room once it was completed. What I found was a great lesson in Fundraising 101 — how to convert inquiries to donors.

At Fundraising Day in New York, Clint O'Brien, vice president of business development at Care2, laid out acquisition techniques in today's fundraising landscape in the session, "Acquisition in Tough Times: Finding New Donors Without Breaking the Bank."

It’s imperative that you take online fundraising seriously. Take a look at the 15 most effective donor-acquisition and online-fundraising techniques used by top nonprofits.

1. Go Mobile, Now!
2. Grab People’s Attention
3. Make Sure It’s Branded
4. Use Compelling Imagery
5. Simplify, Simplify, Simplify
6. Reduce, Reduce, Reduce
7. Use Giving Levels
8. Encourage People to Give Monthly
9. Give People a Way to Stay in Touch
10. Add Social Proof
11. Put Security First
12. Be Transparent
13. Give Donors Something Nice
14. Take Advantage of the Moment
15. Don’t Forget About New Donors!

Where do you look for potential donors? Here are some shortcuts to help you identify the right donor prospects who can take your cause to the next level. 1. If you need funding, go to your current donors first. 2. Start with your most committed donors and move them into larger gifts. 3.  Look for people who have both wealth and affinity for your cause. 4.  Don’t expect cold calls to yield anything. 5. Focus on your top level donors. 6. Set priorities relentlessly. 7. Use your informal networks to identify prospects. 8. Pay attention to the ladies.

Does engagement at your organization begin with the "chicken," otherwise known in development parlance as the donor, or  the "egg," the prospect? Frequently, when inquiring about engagement opportunities, clients give me a broad list of annual events. However, when I ask who is invited, the list sounds pretty safe: Existing donors, past attendees, friends of attendees and the like. How about taking a different path? Let’s put the egg first and invite some new prospects.

So far I’m not aware of a webinar being used as a donor-acquisition tool (perhaps some reader will inform me otherwise?), but since I believe it has the potential to combine some of the most powerful fundraising methods currently used into one neat package, I thought it worth exploring.