One of the most common questions nonprofit leaders ask is, “Where can I find new donors?” You may dream or hiring a consultant or development director that has a portfolio of donors waiting to support your organization. The likelihood of that happening is slim to none. However, you may have far better sources that you haven’t even thought about.
1. Existing volunteers are some of the best donor prospects.
According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, volunteers are twice as likely to donate to charity as non-volunteers. Nearly 80% of volunteers donated to charity, versus 40% of non-volunteers.
- Make a list of volunteers to your organization who are not yet donors.
- Begin cultivating them.
2.Visitors/Event guests often become donors.
Begin gathering contact information for everyone who encounters your organization. Request permission to add them to your mailing list and always provide an easy way for readers to opt out of your email communications.
- Create sign-in sheets for visitors, events, public speaking engagements etc.
- Gather contact information for guests of people who purchase event tickets.
- Invite website visitors to join your mailing list.
- Engage social media followers by asking them to complete a survey, sign a petition, volunteer, etc.
3. Lapsed donors often renew their support when actively re-engage them.
Dig through the archives to identify past supporters and volunteers. You’d be surprised at how many leads you can uncover by reviewing your organization’s history.
- Make a list of people that have engaged with your organization in the past but do not appear in your donor files.
- Research contact information for them. Then call/write to introduce yourself and offer an invitation to connect by phone, in person, etc.
- Prioritize outreach to donors that have not contributed in the last three years. You will need to verify current contact information as people may have moved, changed phone numbers, or have a new email address.
4. Scope out the competition.
Make a list of people and companies that donate to other nonprofit organizations with a similar mission. Then ask your senior staff and board members if they know any of these people personally.
- Scour the Internet for event programs, annual reports, donor recognition lists, and donor stories.
- Look up your competitors’ 990 forms on Guidestar. Many have to publish their major donor information as part of their annual 990 tax return.
5. Organize a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign.
Invite supporters to engage their networks to support your mission. The best projects for peer-to-peer campaigns have urgent needs, cost less than $15,000, and have quantifiable impacts (example, your gifts of $25 feeds a hurting animal for a month).
Here are a few ideas that work well with peer-to-peer fundraising:
- Donate your birthday campaign
- 5k Walk/Run
- Cycling event
Healthy nonprofits are always adding donors to replace those that don’t renew their support. Despite your best efforts to retain your donors, people pass away, move, lose jobs, and change interests. You need to find ways to grow your donor base if you want your nonprofit to become more financially sustainable.
Would you like to learn more about how you can add donors? Click here to schedule some time to connect with the team today!