Fundraising Fire in 2020

What is your plan to ignite your fundraising in 2020?

As you continue to reach out to those 2019 end-of-year donors, thanking them, inviting them to your annual meeting or behind the scenes tours. As you send the annual report with a note from the board president (hint, hint), you will be well-served to prepare to set your fundraising on fire with these four essential moves in Q1.

F - Find a fantastic planning tool to keep your board, staff, and/or planning committees engaged. Outlook? Google hangouts? Basecamp? Slack? Find what works for you and offer a two-part training series for the teams (basic and advanced).

I - Identify your "mid-tier donors" and create an engagement plan just for them. Depending on your organization's size, this may be a donor who gives $250 per year or $1,000 during the year. Once you identify them (Bloomerang can help with this), create a five-point engagement plan just for this group. Personalizing invitations (include a note from someone they know in the org - volunteer, staff, or board), schedule board member coffee chats, pre-sell invitations or VIP tickets at general admission prices, etc.

R - Re-engage 5 former sponsors or supporters, just 5. Invite them to attend a (low cost) event for free, honor "founding" presidents (or supporters) at a gala or high-end cocktail party, schedule a call to introduce yourself and discuss the success of a recent initiative - no ask needed.

E - Execute and Evaluate the one thing you left out last year. That one type of stewardship activity, the one "ask" mailing, the one dedicated digital marketing campaign/Facebook fundraiser/social media takeover. Pick one and carefully plan, execute, and evaluate the impact.

The truth is, I could take each of these and speak to the why, how, and when for days. But fire needs a spark, an action that ignites a burning flame and creates bright light and warmth that we all want for our organizations. Get those fires burning!