The fundraising ask can be hard…especially now.
Budget cuts. Job loss. Tariffs. Debt. Inflation.
If you’re reading this article, that’s a pretty good indication you’re not living under a rock. And if you’re not living under a rock, chances are through the roof that you’ve heard these above words playing on repeat on just about every outlet you consume for more than two seconds.
Call me shy, but these realities wouldn’t exactly embolden me beyond belief to ask my struggling friends and neighbors to donate their shrinking disposable incomes to my worthy cause.
If economically challenging times are giving you the ick about asking for donations, let’s take a deep breath together and talk about what we can control:
- Nurture your donor relationships.
Identify your ride or dies – the people that have been with you through the ups and the downs. This is a time to stay extra connected to those who have your back. Don’t be afraid to be painfully honest with them. Let them know the realities of what your organization may be facing from a funding perspective. And let them know, maybe more now than ever, how much their faithful support means to you. Honesty and gratitude are foundational for any human connection, and donor relationships are no exception.
There are lots of tools out there to make the “thank you” process seamless, and this can be particularly helpful with a large donor base. For example, here at Click & Pledge, we offer a feature called Shoutout that allows you to quickly send personalized video or audio messages to donors.
- Stay true to your story.
How you execute your mission may adapt with conditions on the ground, but the fabric of who you are as an organization remains unchanged by the outside world. Own that. Your nonprofit’s identity and the needs it meets are what got you here in the first place. It’s what resonated with your current crowd of supporters, and it’s what will draw in new ones in. So be who you are in all seasons.
- Build a community of smaller donors.
Of course, we all want that million-dollar giver. I’m certainly not turning them down. But would you rather have a donor base of one person who gives $100, or 100 donors who give $1? The latter scenario provides far higher value for two reasons: more security and more networks to tap into. Never underestimate the power of many giving a little, especially when times are tough. The small donors might just see you through, one $5 recurring donation at a time.
Keep going.
At the end of the day, that’s really what it comes down to. Keep going. Keep asking.
