Fundraising is all about building community. Throughout the process, you might ask: How do you serve as many people as possible? How exactly do you provide a sense of community?
Setting Intention
Fundraising starts with intention. Confirm your "why" as your north star, and that will guide you to the goal. A goal is deeper than just a number on paper. How much does it cost to serve a certain number of people? What are you going to do with the $5,000 you raise? Make that your guiding star. Remember, people aren’t your piggy banks—they’re your partners! How can they come alongside you to help reach the goal? Build relationships, connect, and show them why that dollar is important and how it will go the distance. Convert them into true believers.
Sharing Your Story
Encourage sharing stories over simply asking for money. For example, Volo Kids’ mission is to "use the power of play to build communities of active, resilient, and confident kids through quality sports programs at no cost to families." Their first ever online fundraiser set a goal of $5K. On Giving Tuesday, their development director asked everyone on the team to share a photo of themselves playing sports as a child, along with a link to their donation page. The photos and stories got so many likes and shares that they raised $30,000! Surpassing their goal happened because the stories made supporters feel nostalgic about how sports can bring joy to a child’s life. It wasn’t about what one person could do—it was about what they could do together as a community. The following year they raised $60K, and the year after that, $90K. They were raising money so every child could play.
Telling a good story is about having a two-way conversation. For example, grab your audience’s attention with a photo of a smiling child and guide them to see themselves in your story. People want to know, "How can we help change the world?" So, show them how. Share your story where you feel comfortable—on Facebook or Instagram, for example—and grow from there. You don’t need to be on every platform. Start with what you have and focus your efforts on building your existing community.
Segmentation
Decide which groups you want or need to engage, and why. Curate and personalize your messaging for them. High-level donors should be treated differently than those who give under $50. For example, your $1,000 donors might get a personal phone call or handwritten letter, while your $10 donors receive a thank-you email. Regardless of the giving amount, be a good steward of your donors. Saying "thank you" often is key to keeping recurring donors. If your donors feel like they’re more than just another name on a list, they’re more likely to give again.
Pro tip: Use a high-quality and robust CRM that’s easy for your team and donors to use. You need to be able to communicate easily, run reports, and ensure smooth transitions during succession!
Fundraise for Visibility
A fundraiser can still be successful even if you don’t meet or surpass your goal. Maybe you gained more visibility, new followers, and connections, or expanded your audience for future fundraising efforts. It can take time to build a successful fundraiser—most aren’t overnight successes. Don’t be discouraged. Keep building your community, staying true to your "why," and demonstrating impact—the rest will come in time.
Mobilizing Supporters
Leverage fundraising holidays like Giving Tuesday in December. Create a marketing plan well in advance, and keep the public fundraiser going for several weeks. Livestream, share photos and stories, and engage your community. You may mobilize advocates or campaign supporters—people who will carry your "why" to the world by communicating with their networks. These supporters could be superstar volunteers, social media influencers, celebrities, or thought leaders. You can make anything happen with your dream team! Offer your supporters gifts, perks, or discounts—not as their reason for supporting, but as a way to say "thank you" and continue building community.
Best Practices
Keep your supporters, volunteers, and board informed throughout the entire process. Start with a kickoff video, event, or activity and only use one link with one clear call to action. Avoid making your fundraiser confusing by providing your fundraising team with a toolkit to keep messaging concise and consistent. Stay steady, go the distance, and bring others along with you. Need a fundraising roadmap? Contact Mighty Penguin today!
