From a culture of asking, to a culture of giving: unlocking donor potential at your non-profit.
Fundraising doesn’t have to be a cringe money grab - thoughtfully structuring your campaign makes all the difference.
By Alex Teece
I recently ran a two week, back-to-school giving campaign at my sons’ Montessori pre-school. 100 families, Bay Area, California. We set the goal at $10,000. The school had only raised $18,000 the entire year before.
The first I got from a few folks: What? Why so much? Won’t parents not want to get “asked” right when they get back from summer break?
And then, we launched the campaign. Day 1: $250. Day 2: $100. Day 3: $300. What were we thinking? We were going to strike out big, and then no one would take us seriously for the rest of the year, we worried.
But then, on day 4, something changed. We put a few signs up with QR codes, Quick Give Apple Pay options, thank you notes to families who had already contributed, listed their names at the entrance, and began visually counting down the days until the end of the campaign. On day 4 we broke through: $3,000. Days 5-10: another $5,000. By the end of the two weeks, our final resting place: $12,100 raised.
What happened on those key middle of the road days? What changed in the minds of the parents who saw our campaign each day at drop off and pick up? And what lessons can we take away from this short sprint of a fundraising campaign?
The following principles may not the end all, be all golden rules of fundraising. However, they worked for us, and perhaps they can work for you.
(I) In sight, but just out of reach — set an ambitious, nearly un-attainable stretch goal
Having a clear goal in sight that is just out of reach puts your campaign in strategic position.
As a former teacher, I used to build lessons to engage my students in their “zone of proximal development” (see Vygotsky’s ZPD).” This space in between what you can do, and what you can’t, allows for your ability to be stretched to the limit. In teaching terms, that meant learning. In donor terms, it means giving. What I can do: not give; what I won’t do: give a ton of money; however, there is a space between. What if we thoughtfully, tactfully brought donors into their own zone of proximal development and gave them an opportunity, placed them in a moment to give, and encouraged them to do so in their own, unique, generous, and ambitious way?
Some platforms use advanced analytics to put donors in this place. Qgiv has a setting called “smart donate,” which will change the auto-populated donate amounts based on data analytics and A.I. to maximize the possible donation range someone might consider. A bit of math, a bit of psychology, and a strategy that seeks to ensure no donation is left on the table. You can’t get if you don’t ask, right?
A bit of math, a bit of psychology, and a strategy that seeks to ensure no donation is left on the table.
Just out of reach at the start keeps the question alive: “can we make it?” That curiosity can be turned into urgency and focus throughout the dog days of a campaign, and as for us, spark a giving wave that you can ride to the finish line.
(II) Don’t move the goal posts — keep the finish line where people can find it
Book-ending your campaign offers a sense of urgency and finality to the ‘moment of giving.’ Open-ended, drawn out giving periods are typically uninspiring and require little attention and accountability - they contribute to ‘donor fatigue.’ There are certainly exceptions to this; however, the more crisp and concise a campaign, the better chance you would hold someone’s attention and engage them in the moment.
Consider the free music on the lawn event that happens every weekend at the park - maybe you go, maybe you don’t, but either way, nothing is really at stake and there is not a sense of urgency or commitment. Now, consider the Eras Tour tickets you have dialed in for two Saturdays from now. You’re going, right?
A sense of urgency and importance integrates the Eisenhower Matrix into our giving philosophy. High Priority and urgent opportunities need to be handled now; not delegated or deleted. Let’s not lose our donors to an open-ended or moving calendar that allows for us to be de-prioritized in their busy lives.
The main point is this: if you create a campaign, with certain dates (which you should), keep to them, drive towards them, and ensure people know what is at stake, and when, there is a higher likelihood they feel a sense of urgency, prioritize giving, and complete the donation.
Let’s not lose our donors to an open ended or moving calendar that allows for us to be de-prioritized in their busy lives.
(III) Hype early donors: giving begets giving
Have you ever been to a live auction and bid on things that you had no intention of ever wanting, but you got swept up in the moment, saw friends going after it, and thought, “I don’t want to miss out on the fun.”
This is the auction mentality that can positively influence your fundraising campaign. Real-time gifts, seeing your friends engage, even knowing what they are offering - there is real power in showing momentum and progress. Hype these people. Thank them. Name them (so long as they don’t request anonymity). Ensure that people actually want to join them in your collective effort.
People want to bet on winners and be part of a successful campaign. You don’t see anyone posting on their website, “I just supported a campaign that didn’t meet its goal, had low participation, and now has just rolled into an ongoing giving link - please donate!”
On the final day of my sons’ school’s giving campaign, an anonymous donor pledged $50,000 - this is 1/2 our overall goal for the year! They said it was in response to the positive turnout and response from parents during this initial campaign, and that they wanted to help with the next leg of our work. Imagine that? We had just turned our hard-earned $12,000 into nearly 60% of our overall fundraising goal for the year, and it was because of the positive momentum and success of our early efforts.
People want to bet on winners and be part of a successful campaign.
Giving begets giving. Trust the wind will fill your sails. You just have to push off first.
At the end of the day, people are open to giving. They will say yes to a gift. But, the culture of giving has to be optimized to welcome, encourage, and thank people in smooth, authentic way. No one likes a clunky campaign or a cringey ask. And for small, scrappy, non-profit operations that do not have big advancement machines, this is all possible.
Here are a few final thoughts to help you make immediate and last adjustments to your fundraising efforts and culture:
Don’t get hung up on A.I. and the next best thing in fundraising. Stick to what works which is a clean, clear opportunity to give and impact the mission, program, or campaign.
Check the lingo - consider small adjustments just as “join us” vs. "give today" - make it something cool that people want to be a part of (good campaigns will inspire the donor to thank YOU for welcoming them to the opportunity)
Minimize snags on the donor journey. I chose QR codes and Apple Pay. I am sure there are better examples of how to increase efficiency and decrease pain points, but you get the point.
Immediate, personal thank you and acknowledgement. For me, this was a quick reply to the donation confirmation e-mail that said, “Hey! Saw you just donated - this means so much!” Don’t wait for a big, end of month newsletter with size 4 font names - they won’t read it, and chances are they have already moved on.
Give people a breather and point to the future - ask fatigue is real… thank people, button up the campaign, move on, point to an adjacent opportunity on the horizon (for us, grandparents).
You can take the strategies above and implement them in your fundraising operations today with little to no changes - they can be easily integrated, and have a high return on invested time and resources.
Give it a try. Test it out. Make adjustments, and keep going. Like our recent slow start of a two-week giving campaign, new gifts are just around the corner. It is the culture that unlocks them, and you can create the culture.
If you would like to explore ways to unlock donor energy and supercharge your fundraising campaigns, please don’t hesitate to reach out - more opportunities are likely right around the corner.
