If you haven’t yet, check out Roger Craver’s “Starting Over” blog posts on fundraising in The Agitator. In them, he imagines a world without direct mail, a world where you start an individual giving program from scratch by building relationships person-to-person rather than through the media of mass mail.
There are some great reminders in this series about retaining the donors you have and building stronger (albeit slower) relationships with individual donors.
But missing in this series are some ideas about how to get donors in the first place. As Roger says, “What does a young, small organization do to build a donor base in the absence any realistic ability to mount a direct mail acquisition campaign?”
Great question! This is the #1 question we are asked as we work with start-up and grassroots groups of all kinds.
Our answer: To build a donor base, you need to find people who might be interested in your cause due to their interests, affiliations, or demography - and then open the door and invite them in.
Tried and true ideas to build your donor list:
House Parties: These small gatherings where a host brings their friends, family, and network together to introduce them to an organization and its work, have been very effective for causes of all types. (Note: if you want more specifics on a house party, consult our House Party Guidelines in our Toolbox)
Why do it? House parties allow the organization to get up close and personal with its prospects and because the host normally asks the attendees to make a donation, the response rate and average gift are high compared to direct marketing methods of acquisition like mail.
What does it take? The most important thing is to recruit a host that is enthusiastic and willing to ask. A great 7-10 minute presentation is also a must, along with a way to collect names and contact information.
What’s the downside? Donors to a house party often give out of obligation to the host and can be challenging to convert to longer-term donors.
Board Prospecting: Your board members can serve as connectors to their family members, friends, and professional networks, bringing in new names and contact information for mailings, events, and other forms of communication.
Why do it? Collecting names this way allows you to have close, personal discussions with your prospects with the help of a personal connector. You might try this exercise to prime the pump.
What does it take? This method requires Board members who are enthusiastic and willing to open up access to their networks. It also requires trust between the organization and the board member about intentions. Good materials and communications pieces that are easy for Board members to use are a must.
What’s the downside? This method can produce high quality prospects, but not a lot of volume. After a while, your Board members get tapped out.
Tabling: Whether at your local farmers’ market, music festival, or sports arena, you can set up a table to hand out information, sign up volunteers, and collect contact information. Depending on the venue, you may even be able to take donations.
Why do it? If you pick your venue strategically, you can meet your target donor audience in a cost effective way.
What does it take? This method requires trained volunteers to man the tables, a good display to draw attention, and a solid system for collecting and storing names and contact information.
What’s the downside? Collecting names and donations in these venues can be challenging so your response rate is much lower than that of a house party. You might get a fair amount of “junk” contact information and some very small donations.
E-newsletters: Not as sexy as social media, but more effective by far, e-newsletters still raise significant amounts of money for organizations who invest in online fundraising and they give you a vehicle to reach prospects.
Why do it? This is a low cost way to collect names and contact information of people that may be interested in your issue and organization.
What does it take? It takes a sign-up button, a simple standard template, and a “forward to a friend” function that is easy to use. Put “subscribe” ticklers on the front page of your website, e-mail signatures, and all other communications. You don’t have to be awash in funds to do this strategy, you just have to know what kind of information and engagement your donors and prospects want (hint: it’s not all about you).
What’s the downside? Unless you plan to further invest in online fundraising for your organization, this method could have limited results as you’ll have to continue to engage these folks online in some way to convert them to donors.
Special Events: From a local 5K walk to a scotch tasting party, special events can be tailored to bring in new donors particularly if done with care and attention to follow through!
Why do it? Everyone likes a party! A special event can attract donors who would never come in contact with the organization any other way.
What does it take? The key to a really good special event is being clear about your objectives. If your goal is to get new donors, every part of the event has to be tailored to that goal. A good acquisition event is also well-aligned with the organization’s mission and ethos. Volunteer help is a must-have.
What’s the downside? Events can be expensive and time consuming for staff with comparatively little return. Results are often hard to determine without strong systems in place for gathering information about attendance and giving.
For any acquisition effort, the most important thing is to have a plan and track your progress to see what works. Even the most basic database should be able to generate reports to help you determine return on investment from these types of acquisition efforts.
Be sure to include time in your calculations. While these methods may not require big bucks to implement, they do require staff and volunteer time.
Hey grassroots groups, what other methods have you been using to get new donors? And are they working? Please share!
