Unfortunately, the world is teeming with issues, and as such, there are just as many non-profits and charities all competing for donations. As a result, it is incredibly hard for a non-profit to stand out. Beyond this, it can be particularly difficult for smaller or localized non-profits because their potential donor pool is even smaller. Luckily, there are things that you can do to try and increase your chances of catching the attention of your audience. Read on to find out more.
Foster A Connection Between Your Audience And The Cause
In order to attract more donors, thereby boosting your donations, you need to encourage a deeper personal connection with your donors. The best way to do this is to try and make your cause more relatable to them. Create an appeal using good storytelling techniques to help you to capture both the heart and minds of your audience. A well-written appeal encourages your audience to relate to the story and the cause at large, regardless of their individual circumstances. It is all about humanizing the cause.
When you begin to craft your appeal, you should bring it back to the basics. Think about why you got behind the cause in the first place. Why is the work important? What impact will the donations have on the people or the community it serves? Finally, what would happen without the donations? When potential supporters identify with your cause, they are much more likely to donate to your cause because it is more meaningful for them. So don’t be afraid to tug on their heartstrings.
Never Underestimate The Importance Of Design
The next step to boosting donations is ensuring that you first capture the attention of the donors. This is where design comes in. you need to create beautiful and eye-catching designs. People today are constantly bombarded with content in both the digital and physical world. Because of this, you have only a couple of seconds to make an impact; within that time, your potential donors will have already decided whether to learn more or to dismiss your appeal completely. Therefore, the design aesthetic of your appeals should be a priority for you.
The importance of design cannot be overstated in all aspects of your non-profit. Consistency is key; all branded materials should be in keeping with the same aesthetic. This ensures that all of your materials are instantly recognizable as coming from you, building brand awareness for your non-profit. Good design doesn’t have to be expensive either. By all means, if you don’t have the time or the capabilities, then outsourcing may be a better idea. However, if you have the time, then with a little research and access to design software, you should easily be able to create your own resources.
Showcase Your Non-Profits Personality
Another great way to help your cause stand out among the others is to try and showcase your brand’s personality. For example, demonstrating a sense of humor is a great way to attract donors. While it is true that most non-profits are raising money for serious issues, too much doom and gloom can turn off potential consumers. So try to have a personality beyond all of the seriousness. This helps create a positive association between your donors and your brand, which encourages long-term loyalty.
Think about your marketing materials. Is there a way for you to show off more of your brand’s personality? There are many ways that you could include your personality, from the language you use to the marketing materials and even the design itself. For example, you could create fun little blurbs for each member of the team on your website. Or you could film a light-hearted video which shows more about the people that you want to help beyond their situation. This, again, can be another way to create a personal connection for your supporters.
Consider Offering Incentives
When donations begin to slow and fundraising hits a slump, it can be difficult to encourage the donations to flow back in. One way to boost donations is to offer incentives for those who do donate. There are a number of ways that you can use incentives to boost donation. For example, you could implement different thresholds and offer different incentives depending on the threshold. You could offer merchandise, perks or recognition for donating. You need to ensure that the rewards you are offering don’t offset the donations; otherwise, it isn’t worth it financially.
Marketing Methods
There are a lot of different methods that you can use to market your non-profit and ask for donations. Consider your target audience; which method or methods will appeal to them the most? Ideally, you should use a variety of methods as long as it makes sense to do so. Digital methods like social media, emails and your website are great for reaching the younger generations. Traditional methods like flyers or donation request letters are great for drawing attention to and boosting donations for local causes. When you are using a variety of donation encouragement methods, it is important to think about how you are taking donations. Your methods need to be compatible with taking donations. Are you equipped to take donations digitally? If not, you should really consider changing this to maximize your donation potential. There are a lot of tools that you can use to help you to this end.
Wrapping Up
Regardless of what your cause is or who it appeals to, there are strategies that you can use to help to boost your donations. Use the tips above to bring your organization’s cause to life, to humanize it and widen its appeal. Remember to prioritize your design and get creative when it comes to marketing. Do your research and try to emulate aspects of other successful campaigns. Finally, don’t forget the importance of showing off your brand’s personality. Widening your potential donor pool may be difficult but keep your cause in mind and why you are raising money.