6 tips to keep in mind as you ask for monthly donations
- Digital communications & marketing
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- Nonprofits
- Donor Engagement
Nonprofit organizations of all sizes face capacity challenges when it comes to finding new donors and developing new, creative campaigns. This is why it’s important to create the right mix of funding sources to sustain your nonprofit’s purpose.
In this guide, we’ll explore why individual giving matters and how you can leverage this funding source to your advantage.
Individual fundraising is what most of us think of when we think of fundraising at all—it is individuals making monetary gifts to a nonprofit organization. This can be as simple as a person going to your website and making a donation or it can be as involved as a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign. The key point of this type of fundraising is that it focuses on individual giving.
In general, each funding source should account for no more than a third of your nonprofit’s operating budget. The idea is that should a nonprofit lose a third of its funding, it can restructure, recover, and move forward. A sustainable funding mix could look something like this:
Although some organizations don’t consider nonprofit individual fundraising a priority due to being well-funded through grants and fees-for-service, individual giving is actually essential for nonprofit organizations. Grant renewal is not guaranteed, so having a base of individual donors provides much-needed security in the event that other funding sources become restricted.
In 2021, individuals represented 67% of total giving and were the largest source of giving that year. That’s why it’s important to focus on nonprofit individual giving—appealing to individual donors will help you greatly increase your funding revenue.
Here are three more reasons why your nonprofit should prioritize individual giving:
With a steady stream of individual gifts, your nonprofit will be well-equipped to fund campaigns, develop programs, and pursue your purpose.
You should be using different techniques for encouraging nonprofit individual giving versus creating corporate partnerships or applying for grants. Whether you’re new to individual giving or need a refresher, there are a few key considerations to keep in mind:
The important idea to keep in mind is that individual donors want to feel valued by your nonprofit. In order to increase individual giving, you’ll need to make personalized appeals and freely show your gratitude.
Leverage the power of nonprofit individual giving when you consider your fundraising efforts. While it’s important to appeal to corporations for partnerships and foundations for grants, ensure that you properly center individuals in your fundraising strategy. They can make a huge difference for your nonprofit!
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