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The 12 Most Important Things to Do for Success in Marketing for Fundraising

1. Describe your organization and fundraising needs using emotional and rational benefits that will be most compelling to prospective donors as well as to existing donors and fundraising volunteers. All these audiences need to be rallied around a common fundraising cause. Because of the recession and lower giving, many non-profits have changed how they position themselves with donors. Rather than talking about all the wonderful services they perform, many are now talking about the unfortunate consequences that will result if the nonprofit ceases to exist. This is called positioning in marketing. It's an important component of your fundraising.

TIP: According to Simon Sinek, author and TED conference contributor, “People don’t buy what you do. They buy why you do it.” He challenges organizations to ask why you do what you do – What’s your purpose? What’s your cause? What’s your belief? Why do you get out of bed in the morning and why should anyone care? To learn more about this...

See the MarketingZone Blog Post

2. Branding applies to fundraising. It's more than a logo. You want your fundraising to have a consistent, integrated look, tone and messaging. You need to look like and sound like a professional orchestra, not an uncoordinated group of people playing off a different musical score. Someone has to be the equivalent of an orchestra leader for your fundraising marketing and messaging.

3. Collect the names and contact information from your fundraising donors and prospective donors. Then keep it up-to-date. Be sure to get their cell phone and email address along with permission to contact them. That will then give you an ability to send them text messages, email newsletters, email updates and call them. Those are all very effective and inexpensive ways to reach donors for fundraising.

4. Get visibility online. You may, or may not, need a website to do that. A blog and/or Facebook group or page for your fundraising may work just fine.

5. Segment (cluster) your fundraising donors so your marketing will be more focused and relevant. You need to know the major donors and who gives what. That will help you set goals for how to get your existing donors to give more and better determine how to allocate your time and money on fundraising.

6. Keep your major donors very happy. They generally represent more than 80% of the total giving for any fundraising. Yes, you want everyone to participate but your really need the major donors to do so if you want to raise any significant funding.

7. Create an excellent donor experience so donors will positively and naturally recommend to others. Reward the donors and volunteers who make referrals! They're like your free fundraising sales force.

8. Set up a customer contact plan for your donors and volunteers. You need to contact donors at least six times a year to stay top-of-mind. Those contacts for fundraising should be a mix of things like personal calls, invitations to events, email newsletters, direct mail, Facebook posts, Twitter tweets, and text messages.

9. Focus on attracting new donors who are most like your major donors.

10. Get coverage from influential press and bloggers. That gives you credibility and another reason to contact donors and volunteers to tell them about the coverage.

11. Do a great job at networking (helping others) online and in person. Social media marketing is networking online.

12. Don't rush to advertise. Create the best marketing mix for your fundraising. That may not include advertising. Email marketing, yard signs, and direct mail may work more effectively than advertising, especially if they are tailored and personalized to an individual or a group of like-minded donors.

TIP: Focus your scarce time and money on the 20% of marketing and fundraising activities that are most likely to get an 80% return.

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Best Sources for Marketing Freelancers

We've compiled, and are continually updating, this list of reputable sources on where to find marketing freelancers like graphic designers, web designers, copywriters, PR experts, marketing consultants and other types of marketing freelancers. You may have volunteers with this expertise. If a talented marketing freelancer loves your cause, they may donate their services. Be sure to appreciate them for all the time they're contributing like you would any major donor.

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