There is a pressure in the nonprofit charity fundraising world to show the “needs.”
The question that nonprofits try to answer for donors is simple – “Why is my donation needed?”
While it is true that a nonprofit needs donations, and while it is true that a nonprofit usually has a great need in its cause, we recommend that there is another way to go about things during this Holiday season.
That way is this: Why not focus on the good rather than the bad?
This question is answered by two facts:
Fact #1 Giving is an emotional decision
Giving is something that comes from the heart.
There are two old sayings that make this clear:
- Where you invest your time is where you invest your life.
- Time is money
Every day, we all make choices with how we will spend our time and our money, and those two things aren’t as divorced as we think. Money is not as impersonal as we like to pretend it is.
This fact is important to answering the question “Why not focus on the good rather than the bad?” for this reason: most people don’t want to make every monetary decision out of necessity, specifically when it comes to giving.
So why do we give? What prompts us to spend our time and our money in ways to help others?
Fact #2 Giving comes from gratitude
Generosity comes when we are grateful. People are more outward focused when they are grateful.
Why?
Because a lot of us are grateful because of things outside of us – grateful for a loving family, supportive friends, a stable job, a roof over our heads.. the list goes on and on.
Thanksgiving is a special time of remembering. We take time to remember the things we are grateful for.
#GivingTuesday is evidence for how much generosity comes during this time of the year.
So what does this all mean to you? Encouraging gratitude and celebrating with your donors is actually a strong strategy for nonprofit procurement!
Traditionally, most contact with donors are focused on need-based asks. It is naturally that most communication with donors would be geared towards the lack and the needs of the organization and cause.
Instead, during this season, it’s important to also share genuine joy and encouragement. Your donors care about your cause and your mission – that’s why they’ve donated before!
Here are some ways to add joy and gratitude for your donors:
1 ) Begin the prompts of gratitude early this seasons by asking your donors what they’re grateful for. Social media is a great platform for this kind of dialogue.
2) Remind your donors what your organization has to be grateful for this past year. This is a time to share victories, to recognize your donors, and celebrate milestones you’ve reached!
3) Share specific stories from the work your organization has done in the last year – It is good to celebrate the overall project through recognizing donors and celebrating milestones. But it is also vital to share what impact has come to an individual through your organization’s work. Putting faces to statistics makes a world of difference. When grateful people are others-focused, they want to see the other’s face and hear his or her story.
4) Couple these conversations of joy and gratitude with a charity fundraiser! Hosting a charity fundraising auction during this time is a perfect avenue to engage your donors in this season. Gift-giving is others focused and our autographed auction items and vacation packages are the perfect Holiday gifts.
There are many ways to engage your donors. Don’t forget to be encouraging and share gratitude with them in this coming season of Thanksgiving and joy! Whatever your cause may be, your donors see the need in your cause. Odds are that your organization has not reached its goal yet. The world can be dark and feel hopeless at times. Cancer still hasn’t been cured. Children still go through today hungry. But there is some room to celebrate our victories and the difference your organization has made. Share those victories! These stories and this positivity won’t detract from your donations, they will likely increase them because you are interacting with your donors!
Share the joy and the love this season.
It’s worth it!
