Donor relationships matter more than ever. 

Like many of your fundraising colleagues, you might be stressing over what the near future holds for revenue and new donor acquisition. With fear and uncertainty surrounding the economy, the supply chain struggle and shortages, and a rough calendar-year-end 2022 for many nonprofits, it makes sense that fundraisers are still feeling worrisome. 

So, what should fundraisers do as they plan for upcoming campaigns between now and the end of the summer and beyond?

1. Reassure your donors by continuing to focus on core mission and values.

In a world that feels a little out of control, people want to feel that they are making a difference by supporting the organizations they care about the most.

There will be many distractions, and competition for donor dollars will be high. Donors shouldn’t have to pick their way through new arguments for giving. Rather, fundraisers should harness their energy into finding new and more assertive ways to gather donors around values they already understand and believe in.

2. Get social!

In this politically charged climate, Americans are active on social media. And while there is a lot of noise, people can find the perfect respite in the comfort of mission and impact-oriented messages from causes they are passionate about. 

It’s also important to give donors an opportunity to support your organization in as many ways as possible, so open up all channels and ways of giving—whether it’s a traditional one-time gift through check or credit card, monthly giving through various methods, a Facebook fundraiser, or even supporting through gifts in-kind.

3. Stay aggressive, but minimize risk.

Too many nonprofits have suffered the consequences of cutting back on acquisition in uncertain times. This is not the time for that. You’ll be playing catch-up for years. Recruit new donors to your cause by giving them something to believe in and by demonstrating impact. Video can be a very successful channel for delivering emotional messages. Times like these also call for focusing on tried and true practices and the use of controls in campaigns.

Minimize risk by sticking with messages and tactics that are proven winners. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t test. Rather, be smart about your testing protocol and don’t fall for silver bullet fads.

Ask amounts should be appropriate for the times, too. Use modeling and data analysis to know which donors have the propensity to do more, but don’t push the mass donor audience too hard.

4. Be agile.

They say timing is everything. You should prepare ahead to always be ready to respond to donor needs and changing headlines. The more flexibility you place into your program, the better chance you have at being relevant and surviving through distracting times.

Digital channels afford you the chance to react quickly and be proactive in your donor communications. Use them to drive deeper engagement and dialogue with your audiences and to meet your donors where they are.

Monitor results closely and often and do everything you can to see the trends in real time. Focus on metrics that identify value and efficiency in your program. Retention is key to weathering the storm, so don’t let your donors slip away.

In summary: focus all your energy on maintaining and growing your donor relationships. 

Happy fundraising!