Tips
How to Attract Donors for Your Nonprofit Fundraiser
Nonprofit donors are the backbone of an organization’s mission. Many vital organizations would have to close their doors without their crucial and generous donations. While nonprofits do everything they can to gain and retain their donors, many lose a large chunk of their donors each year for various reasons.
Some donors may move to another area that the nonprofit does not service, some may become passionate about another cause, and others may have a life change that limits their ability to give. Often, these changes happen suddenly and unexpectedly, leaving nonprofits searching for new individuals and other forms of giving.
One great way to get in front of new donors and expand a nonprofit’s target market is to host a gala or fundraising event. This post will offer insight into “How to attract donors to your nonprofit fundraiser”. By utilizing the tips given, your nonprofit will be in a great position to continue raising crucial funds for the continuity of your operations and the advancement of your mission.
1. Create a Vision, Goal, and Brand for your Event
In order to get people excited about attending your event, you should first understand what the event will look like. Are you targeting families with a kid-friendly park day, targeting young professionals with a casual outdoor concert, or are you targeting high-capacity donors with a formal gala? Creating a plan, a goal, and a theme for your event is key to getting your current supporters to the event and attracting new prospects to show up and learn more.
2. Promote your Event
Once you know what your event will look like, you of course must make sure that people know it’s happening! There are a variety of ways to promote your event through paid and unpaid advertising. Whichever tactics you engage, ensure that your message about both the event and your mission is clear enough to captivate the attention of your potential donors and event sponsors.
Add event-specific information to your nonprofit’s current promotional avenues:
- Add a pop-up message and detailed landing page to your current website.
- Write a press release and submit it to your local media outlets for publication.
- Contact your local news anchors and influencers about promoting the event in their respective outlets.
- Boost your social media presence across different platforms. Use your presence on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. to push engaging content about your event directly to the people who are already engaged with your nonprofit mission. Utilizing social media to give your event’s sponsors a shout-out is another way to not only show gratitude but promote the quality of your event.
3. Engage your Network’s Network
One of the first places to look for prospective donors is within the network of your nonprofit’s board members, staff, and current supporters. Since your board members and supporters are invested in the success of your organization, they are likely to not only promote your event but engage their contacts in supporting the mission as well.
Once current or new supporters commit to attending your event, utilize this practice in encouraging them to bring guests who not only have a heart for the mission but the capacity to make a difference that day.
4. Communicate your Mission, ALWAYS
Whether you are promoting the event on social media, on a website, in writing, or in person, always communicate the critical work being done by the nonprofit organization and the impact that funds raised at the event can have. Airing testimonials that act as social proof is also key to attracting more donors to your nonprofit fundraiser.
5. Follow Up with Current and Potential Donors
An effective follow-up process is highly recommended in order to keep current donors and engage the prospective donors from the event who now know about your mission and establish them as long-term supporters. This is also a great way to begin promoting future events and grow your network of supporters.
Final Take Away
Nonprofits contribute significantly to the community’s welfare by providing essential services to fill a need. Understandably, funds raised are crucial to ensure that these important organizations remain operational and continue to serve their communities. This is where nonprofit fundraising events come in! Our post shares some of the most effective strategies and techniques that nonprofits can leverage to get more donors for their nonprofit events.
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