I was reading an article today about fundraising strategies for tough times. The piece had some interesting ideas, and I think they are just as important during good economical times as bad ones. In fact, if you don’t practice good fundraising during the good times, your bad times are going to be really bad.
Here are some things you need to always do, no matter the economic picture:
- Avoid fundraising cuts. Don’t fire your fundraising staff. It’s like cutting off your nose to spite your face. If your fundraising program isn’t meeting its goals, maybe it’s time to re-evaluate them or get some training.
- Hold your donors close. Remember that fundraising is all about relationships. You must do everything you can to strengthen those relationships and draw your donors closer to you. Work toward becoming their favorite charity.
- Don’t stop asking for a gift. Keep mailing your direct mail appeals and holding your events. You must keep giving your donors the opportunity to give to you. Never assume that they can’t or won’t give to you. Let them make that decision.
Remember to mind your fundraising manners (be polite, thank donors for their gifts) and you’ll be raising money anytime.
Sandy a great piece of advice for fund raising or anything else – it’s only hard economic times if we agree that it is! People can only rise as high as our expectations of them! Why not go o n creating the world we want to live in?
- Megan
Great advice Sandy. Your last point especially. I was fundraising after September 11, and the instinct universally was to alter fundraising plans, go a different route, not bother people during this tough time. In retrospect, every thing that we did that was according to the plan we had made worked….everything we did to divert from it wasn’t successful. Work the plan!
Love your point about not cutting fundraising staff, too. I think it’s also important to reach out to them, too…involve them like never before to help generate ideas in tough times…it might just make a difference!
You have done a great job ! Congratulation Sandy.