Tactics for Non-Profit Organizations in 2022
Soliciting donations for your non-profit can be a challenge. This is especially true if your organization is not well-established yet. But regardless of whether you are a large national organization or a small local charity, your fundraising campaigns should be captivating enough to inspire people to make a contribution. To do this, you should be effectively showcasing your mission and goals. Once you have your foot in the door, you can continue building a loyal relationship with the community and grow your organization. If you haven’t yet mastered marketing strategies for fundraising events, let’s explore how your organization can build a plan that will make your cause more sustainable.
Photo by Ibrahim Boran on Unsplash, showing a special gala event venue.
What Can I Expect Out of Non-Profit Fundraising?
Non-profit organizations and mission-driven groups need money to fuel their causes. The majority of a non-profit’s revenue comes from fundraising efforts. In 2020 alone, Americans had given $471 billion to charitable causes. This number has been on the rise for over a decade. The majority of a non-profit’s revenue comes from fundraising efforts, so a strong connection with prospects and donors is essential.
As a marketing leader for your organization, you need to approach donors for funding, but not in a sales-heavy way that turns them off. You probably don’t wish to come across as desperate for funds. Instead, aim to offer them a partnership for an impressive opportunity. Show them why they should care about you by caring about them. (If you want to take it further, you can use a data management system to keep up with your contributors and audience segmentation to tailor your messages.)
A person who commits to donating to a certain cause needs to feel an emotional, personal connection to the cause in some way. They want to feel like their contribution is making a meaningful impact. When you tackle marketing strategies for fundraising events, make sure to actively be building trust. 60% of American households give to charity. You want your organization to stand out in the sea of the 1.5 million non-profits around today.
Pictured: Awesome 3D Card model showcasing the ”Pink Bus,” which thanked supporters for raising vehicle maintenance funds to provide mammograms to women in Austin. This unique and colorful card served as a surprising keepsake.
In What Ways Will I Benefit from Direct Mail?
Today, many fundraising organizations lean into social media for promoting various things that they are doing. This includes conferences, volunteer opportunities, and holiday activities. Of course, social media is a great option in your overall marketing and spreads the message beyond just your followers. The same goes for email, where you can easily send out regular reminders of what is to come.
Despite that, direct mail should be integral to your marketing strategies for fundraising events. Direct mail is often much more impactful than social media and email alone.
For example, you can send out formal announcements for all of the upcoming fundraising events. This will make the recipient feel more special (receiving something by mail) than they would from just seeing a post about it online. It will be clear that the message is intended for them, rather than part of an Internet-wide announcement. 3D popup cards are incredibly cost-effective tools that will earn you a solid open rate, making your return-on-investment strong.
You should also send out appreciation cards to your supporters to keep them on as part of your team. (Custom 3D appreciation cards are an excellent choice!) Remember, donors want to feel that they are making an impact. A follow-up reminder thanking them for their contribution can build on the meaning. You can make tie the message to what kind of impact their dollars made in the community.
Are There Other Tactics I Should Use?
Besides compelling direct mail, you do need to consider your other marketing resources and make sure your efforts are cohesive.
Don’t underestimate the power of having a well-designed website. Once people have heard about you, there are going to want to learn more. If they don’t have the opportunity to do that, you will most likely miss out on their aid. A website is crucial to your campaign because it lays out the context of your organization and what someone can do to help, and it can be referred to any time of day. Make your case compelling and concise. And don’t forget to include multimedia elements so that it isn’t just text on a page! The digital presence should align with the same delightful experience donors received through the mail.
How Do I Begin Strategizing My Direct Mail?
Of course, you cannot just hop straight into your direct mail marketing strategies for fundraising events. There is a lot of planning required to ensure that everything runs smoothly from beginning to end. Below are points to guide your process.
Setting the Fundraising and Event Goals
What is your reasoning behind hosting this event? Is there a specific amount of money you are hoping to earn? What will that money be going toward? Will this event happen every quarter or annually? In a research series about goal setting, Kath Kyle finds that those who set actionable tasks for their goals and keep up on them are able to achieve 40% more than those who don’t. Therefore, goal setting isn’t a step you can skip in any sincere growth effort. And you won’t be able to efficiently measure your successes if you don’t know what you were aiming for.
Defining Your Audience and Engaging Them Before the Event
Develop a prospect list to have a clear picture of who you are targeting with this event. To really make an impact, spark their interest with a 3D popup card in the mail before the event happens.
Keep in mind that there are two ways to reach out to potential donors with these cards: housefile mail and prospecting mail. Every non-profit should participate in housefile mail, which is sending messages to donors who have previously given to your cause. Nurturing your existing connections is key to maintaining that relationship. Prospecting mail is a cold outreach strategy to new contacts or people you haven’t heard from in a long time. This will give them a nudge in your direction and grow brand visibility.
Leverage Clear Calls to Action to Reach Supporters
Your marketing strategies for fundraising events should always highlight the change you wish to see in the world. When you communicate using 3D popup cards, the message should establish both your mission and the desired action to convert a recipient. A personalized call to action (CTA) actually boosts conversion rates by 21%. This CTA could be made with either financial or non-financial support in mind. The non-financial support you are interested in receiving may include the recipient simply attending your fundraising event. In which case, you would still be gaining recognition for the cause, which could translate into donations for your campaign.
How Do I Show Appreciation to Supporters?
Saying “thank you” to your contributors is absolutely necessary. The best way to do this is through a direct mail strategy, because it makes your message feel more personal and authentic. A 3D popup card will be an excellent way to grab their attention. On the card, you can include their name, highlight what they have done for you, and express what a difference they have made. But the supporter will also see the beautiful custom art surprise them as the card opens. During that moment, a positive memory will be created that ties their good act to yours. They are receiving an appreciation gift from you that truly acknowledges their involvement in your cause.
Don’t get bogged down in the language. Keep your wording simple as you cast your donors as the heroes. Donor loyalty is important, so make sure that you are properly recognizing them. This will make your next event outreach even easier.
Do you have a special event coming up? Learn more about how your non-profit organization or special interest group can stand out from the rest and make your events successful. Reach out to Awesome 3D Cards to discuss how we can improve your marketing strategies for fundraising events through the use of 3D cards.