Donors Old and New, Pt. 1

Photo courtesy of The Dallas Branch of the International Dyslexia Association

Like volunteers, donors are extremely important to the success of a nonprofit. Donations are where a majority of funding is obtained, so cultivating relationships with individuals who are willing to support a nonprofit's cause financially should be a top priority.

Finding donors involves making use of pre- existing connections and seeking new ones.

If you have kept track of all previous donors to the nonprofit, then this first part should be easy. People who have supported a nonprofit before are likely to give support again if they are asked. Friends, colleagues, and acquaintances that you think might be interested in the nonprofit's cause are also examples of potential donors from pre-existing connections.

Kathy Parham from The Children's Playhouse recently showed me one way of using pre-existing connections to find donors. While shadowing her, I observed Kathy ask a man if he was a local. Later, she explained to me that people who have local connections with businesses or prominent individuals in the area are more successful in asking for donations since they are well-known. Finding new donors can be done several ways. Social media is the best tool for promoting a campaign or even the nonprofit in general.

Any individual who sees or follows the nonprofit on social media is a potential donor.

Though it is not too commonly done, some nonprofits find new donors by receiving other nonprofits' list of donors. Personally, I am on the fence about this method. Some donors may not appreciate being contacted for donations by an organization they have never affiliated with.

Exchanging donor lists between two nonprofits might be appropriate if they work for common mission or together. For example, F.A.R.M. Cafe allows High Country Community Supported Agriculture (HCCSA) to use the back of the cafe as a pickup location for shares of produce in the summer. Since the two nonprofits work together literally and for the same cause, donors to one would likely support the other and would see the connection. Stay tuned for my next post, where I will be discussing when donors are contacted! Warmly, Colette

#donors #community #local #socialmedia