Introduction

If you have a cause, cause-driven business, or foundation, you are likely considering fundraising as one of the key ways to reach your goals. Naturally, you might feel like a fish out of water when it comes to fundraising.

Ten fundraising strategies

1. Give your donors something they value
   Offer your donors something they’ll treasure in exchange for a small donation.
2. Research and contact major donors
   Target the big players if you have an annual budget or a specific goal for raising funds. If you’re spending time cold calling, use your time efficiently: make short calls to learn about the prospect, save yourself time and make a better impression by doing research beforehand.

3. Get your board involved
   Find out who on your board knows a lot of people and can introduce the organization to their contacts.
4. Organize a special event
   A gala, dinner, golf tournament, or sporting event can be a fun way to bring in funds and get people involved in your organization’s mission.
5. Advertise your event to a large group of people
   Run an ad in the local newspaper to let your community know about your fundraising effort and invite them to participate by becoming sponsors or purchasing tickets for your event.
6. Save money on printing by publishing your event information online
   Write a press release so that your program gets picked up by news outlets and print a hard copy of the release for distribution to local newspapers.
7. Get a discount on your fundraising event by bringing in sponsors
   If you have many sponsors, ask them what they can do to help you raise money in exchange for the possibility of getting their company name mentioned on blogs, websites, or in media releases.
8. Target the people who know a lot of people
   Keep an ear out for who some of the community leaders are in your area, and make a call to them to ask for their help in raising money.
9. Follow up effectively
   Ensure that you follow up as promised so that your donors don’t feel forgotten. The people who give you money have a lot on their minds and aren’t always paying close attention to your follow-up.
10. Set up a recurring donation program
    Ensure that your donors are comfortable with how they get billed, say, quarterly or annually, by setting up an automated payment system to know when to expect their next donation.

Conclusion

Fundraising should be a huge part of any organization’s mission and attention. If you are looking for fundraising ideas, consider your target demographic and then carefully tailor your approach to how your donors prefer to be interacted with.