It is difficult to limit today’s successful TOP FUNDRAISING TIPS to under 100 tactics, techniques and best practices, but this was the outcome of a ‘stream of consciousness’ exercise after serving 40+ clients and helping organizations raise more than $720 million dollars. As these are not sorted by priority, consider if your organization should adopt these effective initaitives. 1. Have a written project plan Run your fundraiser like a small business. Have a written project plan that spells out all goals, processes, roles and responsibilities. Slot motivated individuals (committee members, staff, volunteers, vendors…) into those roles and equip them with the tools, resources they need to do a great job.
2. Build a Campaign
Donors appreciate that your team has created and polished a formal major gift CAMPAIGN (capital, endowment, annual, project or program…) surrounding your organizational needs and serving your mission. Use simple and straightforward elements in your campaign so that sophisticated philanthropists as well as grass roots donors will a) get your message; b) be inspired to give. Build your campaign with mission critical tools.
3. Use Images
77% of individuals consume/interpret information visually. You’ll raise more if people can ‘see’ and ‘relate’, so be sure to have a campaign BRAND IDENTITY and representative images. It is always a good idea to show benefitted constituents (patients, youth, students, veterans, cancer survivors, etc.) being blessed by donor charity.
4. Use Visual Renderings
While we are on the subject of tantalizing your prospective donors with visuals, go ahead and commission your designer or a knowledgeable graphic designer to create and deliver visual renderings of the project. In our opinion, these are ‘mission critical’ in a major gift campaign as prospective (and often sophisticated) donors will ask questions about space, utilization, cost per square foot, access, availability, proximity to key personnel, constituent benefits, etc. Learn more.
5. Tie it all Together
Once the Board, Staff and Committee volunteers have decided on a brand identity, logo and look&feel of your campaign, tie all elements together visually for a comprehensive, professional and seamless presentation. Your final graphics could be applied to many elements including presentations, pledge cards, business case collateral, websites, blogs, thank you cards, event invitations, event banners and signage, lapel pins and recognition pieces. See sample campaign visuals.
6. Convey the ‘Why?’
Tell your story behind the reason you’re fundraising. You’ve heard about the importance of a Business Case (or Case for Support) but if you are crowd-funding or making an annual appeal, try to get your case (cause) down to 100 words or less. Give people a reason to care and a platform to give. Learn more here.
7. Set a Target
Setting a target tends to encourage people to donate more if they recognize that your goal is within reach – but be prepared to increase it as you get closer. Use all available and strategic communication tools and share your target with the world.
8. Make a Promise
Convey to your prospective donors that their gift WILL make a difference. Whether the charitable gift drills a water well in Kenya or sponsors a youth for a development camp, be specific about quantity, quality and positive impact (outcomes) with regard to contribution. Clemons & Associates helps organizations 'humanize' the philanthropic activity at every opportunity.
9. Actively recruit and thank volunteers
Capital, Project or Endowment Campaign Fundraising: Have your Board, Staff and/or Campaign Committee consider key names in the community to participate as: Chairperson, Co-Chairperson, Committee Members, Area Captains, Alumni Captains, Corporate Captains, Foundation Captains, etc. Give each committed volunteer recognition on your campaign collateral, micro site, blogs, e-newsletters, etc. Have them stand at your special events or gala and be recognized.
Grass Roots Fundraising: If you have an event, go after great volunteers and ask them to ‘join your cause’. Don’t wait for them to come to you. Use a calling tree to root out prospects. Ask for dads, moms, siblings, sponsors and grandparents to get involved. Advertise for specific help via e-news, social media, announcements and word of mouth. Send an e-blasted communique to your dedicated volunteers and thank them for their time, talent, energy and advocacy.
10. Top Sponsors First
When collecting sponsorships, targeting year-end giving or executing a capital campaign, make sure to approach your most generous patrons, family members and/or high-capacity donors first. Having an influential donor (or several key donors) committing generous gift(s) at the beginning of your campaign is often crucial to success. This lends tremendous validity and advocacy. See a sample of Gift Range Analysis.
11. Naming Opportunities
Speaking of top donors, don’t pass up the chance to speak to Naming Opportunities with regards to five, six and seven figure gifts. While these are typically found in a Capital Campaign, we have seen creative applications in Annual Giving, Endowment Campaigns and Project-centered Fundraisers. And of course naming an activity, program or space of a donor (corporate, individual, foundation…) is simple and affordable by way of digital tools. In fact, have a Graphic Designer do some naming treatment on a special space BEFORE the ask. That way, the prospective donor can ‘see the naming treatment’ with their specific name or corporate logo being featured, honored and publicly recognized. See sample draft of Campaign Naming Opportunities.
12. Quiet vs. Public Phase
Your campaign should be nearing 75% to 85% funds raised (Lead Gifts, Corporate Gifts, Foundation Gifts, Matched Gifts…) before you launch your Public Phase. Note: Never start with the smallest gifts first and hope the larger donors are ‘inspired’ by these smaller commitments (we have never seen this work in reality). Be prepared to feature your star donors (with their permission) when you are ready to launch the Public Phase. Clemons & Associates recommends that Photos, Videos, Quotes…be shared via Blogs, Websites, e-Newsletters, PR announcements, etc.
13. Customize!
There is often no such thing as over-customization…meaning you should ‘get personal’ with your message and prospective donor solicitation. In a capital campaign, consider tweaking the Title Page to say ‘Developed for Mr. and Mrs. Johnson’. In an e-campaign solicitation, be sure to use variable data within your system (e.g. Constant Contact, MailChimp, Hubspot, Bloomerang) to specifically address your prospect by their name.
14. Keep your Supporters Up-to-Date
Let supporters know how you are doing by updating your page often. Whether you’ve smashed a micro-campaign goal or had a setback (e.g. campaign temporarily halted due to pandemic…), keeping your followers in-the-know will let them see how they are part of a difference-making cause. And of course, encourage them to donate more and tell their friends! Here’s an example of how Clemons & Associates helped a client share Campaign Update (on the web) via linear graph:
15. Encourage and Recognize Givers
Make the fundraising experience more ‘real’ by sharing a variety of inclusive constituents. Let others know that 100% of the Board of Directors have given gifts; 100% of all Staff Associates have given gifts; 100% of all Committee Volunteers have given gifts; 100% of applicable students have given gifts (even if it is a small donation…). Have fun communicating that your campaign is well-positioned, well-received and that many constituents have been inspired to give.
16. House Parties
Ask anyone who studies Clemons & Associates fundraising methodologies and professional coaching practices is familiar with two words: House Parties.
Used to successful raise the first $108M in a $300M Capital Campaign, this tool can have a 70% close rate. Amazing! Be sure to work with your host on RSVP and registration and complement this effective tactic with a donor’s personalized Testimonial Story. Learn more here.
17. Fly-Through Videos
If you are in a Capital Campaign, we HIGHLY recommend a fly-through visual of your finished facility (new or remodeling project). This gives prospective donors a professional, polished and impactful glimpse of your completed facility and exactly what they are investing in philanthropically. Add some inspiration music and keep time between two and five minutes. See fly-through example Clemons & Associates created for a $10M campaign to re-located a faith-based school in Western Oklahoma: https://www.cornbible.org/grow-cba-campaign
18. Show Smiling Examples of your Difference-making results
Whether your campaigns are annual, endowment, capital or project/program oriented, show your audience (through a variety of media) the smiles of impacted constituents. This could represent patients going through medical adversity, youth, artists, homeless individuals, tribal members celebrating new water wells in third-world countries, etc.
19. Matching Funds Ask corporate or private sponsors for matching donation as a percentage match. Many large corporations are eager to place their brand on one of their favorite causes…and a private donor will enjoy the ‘leverage’ (inspiration) that their gift will have. You might even look for grants who find this dynamic attractive. Clemons & Associates successfully leveraged a 1:1 Match resulting in a $10 million Endowment Campaign. See below and relative landing page.
20. Have a Stewardship Plan
Before you raise the first dollar, ensure all stakeholders understand the Stewardship Plan designed to successfully recognize, thank and steward your donors. Have a plan which is ‘tiered’ with regard to recognizing four, five, six and seven figure gifts.
In fact, have a staff member dedicated to this important element as it is key for a) proper donor recognition; b) positive public relations and branding for your organization; and c) helping to position the organization for the NEXT successful campaign. See website showing strong examples of Stewardship Plans https://www.clemons-associates.com/
21. Don’t Stop at the Finish Line
Almost a quarter of donations can come in after the gala, campaign or event window (and many Family Foundations wish to be ‘closers’ at the end of a campaign…) so send a final update packed full of achievements, milestone accomplishments and reminders to your target audience at each milestone including the FINISH! Donors may be inspired by the momentum and donate once you’re done!
Craig Clemons with Friend, Philanthropist and President/Founder/Board Chairman of Express Employment Professionals, Bob Funk, Sr.
Seeking expert assistance from seasoned professionals?
Contact Craig Clemons at craig@clemons-associates.com or one of our rock star associates for more details. Clemons & Associates is on standby to help you with brand identity, strategic messaging, campaigns, digital assets, programs/projects and/or development endeavors.