How to Maximize Your Event’s ROI with Strategic Sponsorships

Guest post by Bloomerang

Event planning can be one of the most engaging and exciting parts of your nonprofit’s year, or it can be a source of worry and stress. There’s an element of unpredictability and uncertainty to events. Will you have enough attendees? Will it improve member retention? Will it inspire people to donate, or will it raise the awareness your cause needs? 

Your nonprofit can take steps to mitigate some of this stress and maximize your event’s potential return on investment (ROI) through pursuing sponsorships. A strategic sponsorship can be one of the most rewarding and supportive partnerships that your nonprofit has. These guidelines will help you make the most of your connection with your sponsor and strengthen the impact of your event.

Identify and clarify your event plans and the value proposition

Corporate sponsorships are a valuable addition to any nonprofit’s toolbox because they offer wide-ranging benefits for your organization, your sponsor’s business goals, and your community. In order to make the most of this opportunity, it’s important to identify your event’s needs and the value proposition for the sponsor ahead of time. 

Your Event Plans

You don’t need to finalize every detail of your event before you start reaching out to sponsors, but your team should aim to have a broad outline in place. Sketching out a general plan will help you identify the right sponsors to approach and ensure you ask for the specific support or resources you need.

Some questions that you should answer before you start talking to potential sponsors are: 

• What is our timeline for this event?

• What are the largest expenses we anticipate during this process?

• What role will volunteers play in our event?

• What in-kind donations would be most helpful for this event?

• Do we have the right event management tools in place?

• What is the focus of this event, and what businesses would be most interested in our cause?

Having a basic idea of the event as a whole will allow you to target your outreach to the right potential sponsors with a clear ask.

Your Value Proposition

Before you reach out to a potential sponsor, you need to put yourself in their shoes and understand what partnering with you will mean for them. Though more and more businesses are interested in doing good work for the sake of doing good, they still need to consider the costs and benefits of their decisions before making any commitments. 

Build a compelling case for supporting your nonprofit by thinking through how their sponsorship of your event will help their business thrive. Selling points may include advertising opportunities on any merchandise or swag, the opportunity for face-to-face time with potential customers at the event, or even the tax benefits of a donation. 

Sponsors will appreciate that you’ve done your homework about their business and that you’re considerate of their needs.

Keep everything in writing

The process of acquiring corporate sponsorships can and should include face-to-face, personalized meetings. However, your team should also track every touchpoint with the sponsor in a centralized location, like your CRM, and follow up in writing after each interaction.

This attention to detail has two important benefits: 

• Everyone on your team knows where the relationship with the sponsor is. If someone is on vacation or takes a sick day, another team member can make sure that you don’t miss any follow-ups or accidentally make a repeat ask of the sponsor. This will help keep the relationship stress-free and make sure the sponsor feels like their efforts are important to your nonprofit.

• By completing all follow-ups in writing, your nonprofit and the sponsor are always on the same page regarding expectations and agreements. While it may feel overly formal, it’s vital to your long-term relationship to manage expectations on both sides so that the event goes off without a hitch and no one feels as though promises were broken or results were not delivered. 

When you know exactly what forms of support your sponsors are willing and able to provide, you can direct your nonprofit’s existing resources to other areas. 

Apply donor stewardship best practices to your sponsors

Your strategic sponsors are a critical part of ensuring that your event provides as much value for your nonprofit as possible. By repurposing your donor stewardship practices for your sponsors, you’ll ensure they feel appreciated and included through the event planning process. 

The following tips can help you keep your sponsors engaged and potentially deepen their involvement with your event: 

• Start with a positive first impression by showing sponsors you’ve done your background research and making them feel welcome at your organization’s offices or headquarters. 

• Maintain a structured communication cadence, with regular check-in calls and emails. 

• Prove that you’re using their support as promised by delivering ongoing updates before, during, and after your event. 

• Use software to keep track of touchpoints and responses to maintain continuity in sponsor interactions. 

• Ask for feedback and incorporate your partners’ insights into your next event planning process. 

• Create personalized moments for sponsors, such as special shout-outs during your event or a handwritten letter from a beneficiary after your event wraps up. 

Bloomerang’s donor stewardship guide also recommends incorporating corporate partners into your nonprofit’s overarching community. Show them that you value their partnership long after your event wraps up by sharing ongoing mission updates or reaching out during special times of the year, like the anniversary of their business’s founding.  

By integrating stewardship through the event planning process rather than leaving it for the end, you can deepen sponsors’ engagement and keep the relationship healthy.

Plan for a long-term partnership

Corporate sponsorships are amazing for improving event ROI because they take some of the burden of planning and funding off of your nonprofit, but their impact can be much farther-reaching than just one day. When you create a relationship with a sponsor, consider how you can turn that relationship into a long-term partnership that benefits you both.

Though your nonprofit’s immediate need is support with the event, include your sponsor in discussions about the future and see if you can find other common areas for collaboration. They could become a recurring donor in exchange for visibility on your website or other public outlets. Their staff could become part of your nonprofit’s volunteer strategy. Their CEO might even consider joining your board, if you have an opening!

This is an opportunity for your nonprofit to ask for feedback from the sponsor as well. How would they like to remain involved? How do they envision the future of the relationship with your nonprofit? Keeping open lines of communication will help you maintain the relationship and drive value for you both in the future. 

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With corporate sponsorships, your nonprofit can maximize the ROI of your events and focus more on what matters: your mission. Use Bloomerang’s free ROI calculator to keep tabs on your event results and find new ways to adjust your approach for better outcomes. Stay curious and creative, and you might find new avenues of support in the most unlikely of places. 

Engaging Your Board Members in Your Capital Campaign: 7 Tips

Guest post by Capital Campaign Pro

When you’re heading into a capital campaign, it’s natural to focus on donor strategy, naming opportunities, and goal setting. But there’s one group of stakeholders who can make or break your campaign long before you go public: your board.

The good news is that you don’t need a board packed with millionaires to be successful. The 2024–2025 Capital Campaign Benchmark Study from Capital Campaign Pro found that board giving only makes up an average of 15% of total campaign goals. 

But what this stat doesn’t show is how powerful your board can be in shaping momentum, credibility, and access to other major donors.

So, how do you truly engage your board in a way that goes beyond lip service or check-writing? Here are seven tips that can move your campaign forward by getting your board aligned, activated, and excited.

1. Keep your board in the loop from the start.

If you want your board to be strong campaign partners, they need to be looped in from the beginning, not at the point when you’re asking for approval or feedback on materials. “Starting early” means the board understands that a capital campaign is coming, is aligned with its goals, and is committed to supporting the staff who will be doing the heavy lifting.

This support can show up in a few critical ways:

• Approving a realistic budget that allows for campaign staffing and outside support

• Backing the decision to bring on consultants, even before gifts come in

• Encouraging participation on campaign committees

• Giving staff the time and flexibility to focus on campaign planning and execution

• Understanding that campaigns are marathons, not sprints, and that the board’s role is to champion the staff along the way

The sooner your board embraces its role as supporters (not just funders or overseers), the smoother your campaign will go.

2. Set expectations and be clear.

Most boards want to be helpful. What they don’t want is confusion. The more direct you are about what support from them should look like, the better.

Define your board’s role within the campaign, and put it in writing. This might include giving a personally meaningful gift, helping identify major donor prospects, hosting a cultivation event, or participating in thank-you calls. It could also include attending campaign briefings, offering feedback on communications, or joining a campaign committee.

Once you’ve clarified what you need from your board, communicate often. Review expectations at board meetings, include them in campaign updates, and make it easy for board members to follow through with specific steps and deadlines.

Avoid vague asks like “help spread the word” or “get involved.” Make it real and actionable.

3. Play to your board’s strengths.

Not every board member has deep pockets. And that’s completely fine. Financial gifts are just one of many contributions your board can make and are arguably the least important.

The most successful campaigns lean into board members' individual strengths. One person might be a master networker. Another might be a persuasive speaker. Someone else might be organized and willing to help with campaign logistics.

Here are a few practical ways your board can support the campaign beyond giving:

• Host a donor briefing in their home or office

• Make personal thank-you calls to early campaign donors

• Invite a potential lead donor to lunch with the campaign chair

• Offer industry expertise if the campaign involves construction or programming

• Participate in feasibility study interviews

If you’re not sure where to start, try a quick self-assessment. Ask each board member what roles they feel most comfortable in. Use that feedback to tailor your requests.

4. Provide the right tools and training.

Your board probably includes people with very different levels of fundraising experience. Some may have served on development committees, while others have never made a fundraising ask in their life.

Level the playing field by offering just-in-time support. Many consultancies that you might hire to help with your campaign will likely provide training for your staff, volunteers, and board. In fact, this should be a requirement of your agency search. 

Be on the lookout for trainings geared around board member roles and responsibilities, solicitation trainings, and other board-specific topics.

Trainings don’t have to just be formal exercises. Informal exercises like role-plays during regularly-scheduled board meetings can, for example, can help build confidence. Keep the tone light and encouraging. These sessions can be short; even 20 minutes at the start of a board meeting can go a long way.

The goal isn’t perfection. It’s familiarity. And familiarity builds consistency.

5. Involve your board in donor strategy.

When you’re thinking about donor cultivation, don't overlook the role your board can play in building relationships.

Some board members may be able to make introductions to major prospects. Others might be willing to join you on or lead feasibility study interviews with longtime supporters, for example.

You don’t need the whole board involved in every donor conversation. But a few strategically selected members can be incredibly helpful in deepening relationships and lending weight to your campaign.

6. Make your campaign personal and celebrate involvement.

Acknowledgment fuels engagement. If a board member hosts an event, brings in a new donor, or volunteers for a campaign-related task, take time to recognize them. Publicly and privately.

This doesn’t require fancy awards or plaques. A handwritten note, a shoutout at a board meeting, or a thank-you email from your executive director goes a long way.

When you hit a campaign milestone, bring the board together to celebrate. Show them how their involvement contributed to progress. Share stories, photos, and numbers that demonstrate traction.

The more people feel like their effort matters, the more they’ll give.

7. Keep the communication flowing.

Campaigns aren’t quick. They unfold over 2-3 years in most cases. Without clear and consistent communication, board members may feel out of the loop or unsure about what’s happening.

Don’t rely on quarterly meetings alone to keep people engaged. Instead, build a rhythm of updates that keeps everyone informed and energized.

Here are a few options:

• Include a campaign report at every board meeting

• Send a monthly update email with campaign progress and next steps

• Highlight a board member in each newsletter

• Create a simple dashboard or infographic to track gifts secured, pending asks, and the percentage left toward your goal

Clear communication builds confidence. And confidence leads to more active participation.

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Board engagement is not about pushing everyone into the same mold. It's about understanding your board members as individuals and creating opportunities that feel right for them. When board members are given clear expectations, meaningful roles, and consistent encouragement, they tend to show up and stay engaged.

You don’t need a wealthy board to succeed. What you need is a board that’s informed, connected to the mission, and ready to do its part.

If that foundation is strong, the rest of your campaign can grow from there.

4 Smart Strategies to Prevent School Fundraising Fatigue

Guest post by Read-a-Thon

Your school is constantly looking for new ways to improve student education. Whether you’re upgrading classroom technology or expanding your library, it’s easy to get excited about all of the new benefits your students will be able to enjoy. However, to secure the necessary funding to carry out these improvements, you need to spread this excitement to the rest of your school community.

Students, their families, and teachers may care deeply about your school’s success, but over time, they may become overwhelmed or burned out by all of your fundraising activities.

Fortunately, school fundraising fatigue is only a possibility—not an eventuality.

By adjusting your approach and taking proactive steps to engage your community, your school can maintain enthusiasm from one fundraiser to the next. Let’s explore four strategies that will set you up for success.

1. Vary and space out your fundraisers

Imagine this: A family member invites you and several other guests to an escape room to celebrate their birthday. You all have a blast finding clues and solving the puzzles together, raving about the experience long after it ends. However, next year’s birthday celebration is at the same escape room. The year after that? The same escape room. While you’re happy to spend time with your family, you’re tired of completing the same puzzles over and over again.

Fundraising is no different. If you host an identical event every year, the novelty will wear off, and engagement will decline.

Instead, stay on the lookout for interesting new ideas to incorporate into your calendar, such as:

• Auctions

• Talent shows

• Trivia nights

• Costume contests

• Sports tournaments

• Petting zoos

If your school organizes a highly popular fundraising event every year, this doesn’t mean you have to put an end to it. Let’s say that you host a Read-A-Thon every March to celebrate Read Across America, and your community loves rallying to support student literacy. Simply add an engaging theme to bring something new to each event. For example, one year, you could choose a “Time Travel” theme and challenge students to read stories set in the past or future.

2. Incorporate easy, passive fundraising

Your students, teachers, donors, and volunteers likely don’t live and breathe school fundraising—and that’s perfectly understandable! Sometimes, busy schedules and other priorities make it challenging for them to fully engage in your fundraising efforts.

Through low-pressure, passive fundraising options, you make it easy for your community to show their support without sacrificing a bunch of time and energy. Some easy and popular ideas to consider include:

• Online shopping fundraisers. Students and their families already shop for groceries, household items, and more. An online shopping fundraiser provides an effortless way for them to support your school while doing so. Sign up with an online shopping platform and encourage families to download the browser extension or app. Whenever they purchase from a participating retailer, you’ll automatically receive a portion of the sales.

• eCards. Find an eCard platform and create various designs for birthday greetings, holiday wishes, thank-you messages, and graduation celebrations. You can then embed them on your school website for community members to purchase and send to one another throughout the year. 

• Matching gifts. According to Double the Donation, companies donate $2-3 billion to nonprofits and schools annually through matching gift programs. When eligible employees donate to your school, their company will match that donation at a 1:1 ratio or higher. These programs double the impact of donations without asking donors to give more.

• Online merchandise sales. Boost school spirit by designing branded t-shirts, hoodies, hats, and more to sell online. This way, community members can support your school and receive a high-quality product in return! You can even engage students in the design process by having them submit and vote on artwork that you can print on your merchandise.

Plus, you can keep all of these fundraisers open year-round to build consistent, low-effort revenue streams for your school’s initiatives and projects.

3. Use stories to illustrate the impact of donations

Whether you’re setting up an online crowdfunding campaign or planning a field day, it takes more than an interesting fundraising concept to keep donors engaged and convince those who are on the fence to get involved.

When you purchase something for yourself, you expect to receive a product in exchange for your money. Your school’s donors may not expect to gain anything in return, but they do expect something. Rather than watching their donation simply disappear, they want to see it make an actual difference to students. With this in mind, remember to focus on the impact of donations in your marketing materials and post-fundraiser follow-ups.

For example, if you’re hosting a library fundraiser to expand your book collection, you might share the story of a student who struggled with low self-esteem and academic performance after switching schools. Through spending more time in the library, they discovered a love for reading that inspired them to study harder and helped them bond with fellow book lovers. You could point out that as donors help you update your library collection, you can appeal to more diverse reading interests and help more students find a sense of belonging at school.

Obtain permission from students and their guardians before sharing specific names, images, or details to respect their comfort and privacy.

4. Motivate students with fundraising prizes

Sometimes, students need an extra incentive to actively participate in your fundraiser and rally support from their friends and family. To add a sense of excitement and friendly competition to your next fundraiser, award prizes to students or classes that raise the most money.

Read-A-Thon’s list of school fundraiser prizes covers some of the most popular ideas for students, including:

• School supplies

• Homework passes

• Extended recess

• Class parties

• School spirit items

• Pie a teacher

When you first announce your school’s fundraiser, explain how you’ll award prizes to the top-performing students or classes that participate. Then, in marketing messages and social media posts, gradually reveal prizes to build anticipation and shout out the students or classes that are closest to winning them. By incorporating a variety of prizes into each fundraiser you organize, you ensure that there is always something new that excites your students!

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Whenever you wrap up a fundraiser, remember to thank everyone who contributed—from students to donors to volunteers. Taking the time to express your sincere appreciation can go a long way toward reinforcing and maintaining the support your school receives.
And, if you suspect that people are succumbing to fundraising fatigue, don’t be afraid to ask for their input. Send out a survey to learn how you can better align your fundraising strategy with your community’s needs, expectations, preferences, and interests. By staying tuned into how engagement rises and falls, you can continually make adjustments so that each fundraiser is better than the last!

4Creative Fundraising Strategies for Animal Shelters

Guest post by Gingr

The ASPCA estimates that roughly 6.3 million dogs and cats enter animal shelters annually in the U.S. As an animal shelter manager yourself, you know how overwhelming it can be to keep up with the intake of new animals, offer them quality care, and adopt them out to loving forever families. Your shelter may be overcrowded, understaffed, and underfunded more often than not. 

However, fundraising can alleviate some of these challenges by providing your shelter with much-needed resources from animal lovers willing to help. As Gingr’s guide to pet industry trends highlights, Americans spent more than $147 billion on their pets in 2023—and that number is expected to grow. What can your shelter do to carve out a place in their budgets?

Take advantage of this growing industry with these creative fundraising strategies that will help you reach potential donors and inspire them to give.

Organize fun, relaxing events

A survey conducted by the American Heart Association found that 95% of pet owners rely on their animals for stress relief. Help your supporters soothe away the stress from upcoming exams, a rough week at work, or a hectic move across town by organizing calm events with your shelter’s animals!

Have supporters pay to attend events such as:

• Puppy or cat yoga: Hire or partner with a yoga instructor to lead the class and let the cats or dogs roam freely. Pets may curl up on the yoga mats for a nap or perch on attendees as they flow through a cat-cow sequence or push up into a downward-facing dog. Not only will your supporters get some relaxing movement, but they’ll also be surrounded by adorable, adoptable animals.

• Cat cafe: Convert a room in your facilities into a cat cafe for an afternoon (or long-term if you have the space) and allow attendees to book time slots. Offer drinks and snacks and allow people to work, study, or just hang out with the adoptable cats in the cafe.

• Kitten and puppy cuddle sessions: These sessions allow you to socialize your kittens and puppies, secure funding, and relieve stress all in one. They are the perfect event for worn-out college students, frazzled new parents, and anyone else who needs a quiet moment with a fuzzy baby animal.

If you can, consider holding these events weekly or monthly. In addition to helping you raise money, they’ll serve as informal adoption events that allow supporters to bond one-on-one with your animals.

Start a Pet of the Month subscription program

Recurring or monthly giving programs are an excellent way to secure reliable revenue and foster deeper relationships with supporters. Supporters simply agree to donate a fixed amount each month, meaning your shelter doesn’t have to put in hours of work for each donation.

Get creative with your recurring giving program to keep supporters engaged. Frame it as a monthly subscription through which they sponsor a specific pet or pets in need. Depending on the size of your program, you might:

• Select one high-needs animal per month for your recurring donors to support. For example, perhaps you take in an injured dog in need of extensive veterinary care. If you pick that dog as the pet of the month, all of your monthly donors’ contributions will go toward that dog’s surgery, medication, and rehabilitation.

• Select multiple “pets of the month” and allow members to sign up for a specific pet they’d like to sponsor. Each pet might have two to three spots donors can claim. This keeps donors looking forward to each new month and eager to know about their animal’s progress.

Provide regular updates to your monthly donors to show them the impact of their contributions. Highlight the specific medications, care, toys, or bedding that their support provided, and share photos and videos of the animal’s progress.

Additionally, strive to attract new recurring donors by marketing these services across digital marketing channels. During the busy spring season, for instance, you might post photos of new mother cats and their litter of kittens on social media, urging followers to sign up for the program and sponsor them.

Work with local businesses

Local businesses and corporations in your area may be interested in partnering with your shelter for  corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. CSR is the concept that companies should consider their social, economic, and environmental impacts and strive to better their communities.

By forming relationships with these companies or simply spreading awareness of corporate philanthropy, your shelter could enjoy the benefits of CSR programs like:

• Matching gifts: When an employee donates to a charitable cause, like your shelter, their employer will match their donation. Matches are typically offered at a 1:1 ratio, meaning that a $50 donation could become $100 without any added expense for the donor.

• Volunteer grants: Companies may also make financial contributions to the organizations employees volunteer with frequently. Spread awareness of these programs to your volunteers, help them track their hours, and encourage them to seek volunteer grants from their employers.

• Corporate sponsorships: The company partners with your nonprofit to support specific campaigns or events. For instance, a local running store may sponsor your charity 5K in exchange for featuring their logo on event signage.

• In-kind donations: These non-financial contributions may include items, equipment, or pro bono services (e.g., a dog groomer providing free baths, haircuts, and nail trims to your shelter’s dogs).

Additionally, CSR programs may incentivize volunteering by offering volunteer time off (VTO). Similar to paid time off (PTO), VTO is time off reserved specifically for volunteering—in other words, employees can spend the time they would normally be working volunteering at your shelter. As Double the Donation’s guide to VTO explains, taking advantage of these programs provides a larger pool of support, opens the door to long-term partnerships, and allows you to devote more time and resources toward mission-critical work.

Hold percentage-of-sales donation day fundraisers at pet businesses

Speaking of local businesses, consider pairing up with a pet business like a dog daycare or kennel, pet groomer, dog training, or pet store to hold a percentage-day (or week, month, etc.) fundraiser. These businesses share a core value with your shelter—a deep passion for animals and their well-being. 

During the fundraiser, a portion of the store's proceeds will be donated to your shelter. For the best results, your shelter and the pet business should jointly promote the campaign in advance, encouraging supporters to patronize the business while the campaign is in effect. When pitching this idea to local businesses, let them know what is in it for them—increased foot traffic, higher sales, and maybe even new customers!

To maximize these campaigns’ impact, you could also incorporate a donation drive. Put out a bin at the business to collect in-kind donations, adding a sign with your logo. Ask staff at the pet business to encourage customers to donate. Ensure you get the items you need most by auditing your nonprofit’s current inventory and creating a wish list.

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It’s no secret that people are passionate about animals. These fundraisers could attract first-time donors to your shelter who are primed to become long-term, loyal supporters—as long as you cultivate relationships with them. Be sure to thank them for their support with personalized, donor-centric thank-you messages, share regular updates about your shelter, and recommend other ways to support your cause.

7 Simple Steps to Running a Successful TapKat Sweepstakes Fundraiser

Guest post by TapKat, a DonationMatch Partner

As a nonprofit leader, you know how important it is to keep your initiatives funded so your organization can continue doing the good work that you do. Running a TapKat sweepstakes is one of the most effective ways to keep money flowing into your organization on an ongoing basis throughout the year, and fortunately, it’s not rocket science!

**A quick note on the legal classification of sweepstakes fundraisers for nonprofits: Unlike raffles, sweepstakes are not classified as "gaming” or gambling because there is an "alternate method of entry" (AMoE), i.e., someone can enter your sweepstakes for free, and TapKat takes care of this process for you. Typically, the vast majority of entrants make a donation to enter and AMoE entries amount to a very small percentage of the total sweepstakes entries. Since sweepstakes fundraisers are not classified as gaming there are no requirements for a state gaming license or quarterly reporting, making this a simpler, more straightforward fundraising experience.

Check out these seven steps to running a successful fundraising sweepstakes for your nonprofit.

Step 1: Set Your TapKat Sweepstakes Goal

Every fundraising effort should be created with a specific goal in mind, and sweepstakes fundraisers are no different. The best goals are realistic and take into account the size of your nonprofit, how active your donor base is, and how long you will run your sweepstakes.

Here are some examples of great goals to set: 

Set a goal for how much money you want to raise. The key to setting an attainable fundraising goal is to consider the size of your nonprofit, the duration of your sweepstakes, and how active your donors are currently.

If your nonprofit is just getting started, consider setting an attainable yet meaningful goal. On the other hand, if you have an active and large base, and are planning on running your sweepstakes for 3-5 months, maybe $100,000 is a good goal, like the Colorado Music Festival, which just raised $116,800 with a Taylor Swift Eras Tour experience as a prize.

Set a goal for how many donors you want to add to your database. 99% of TapKat sweepstakes bring in new donors — it would be difficult not to add new donors to your database!  Sweepstakes are naturally so exciting that people love to share them through word of mouth, intentional promotion on social media, advertisements, and email channels. However, if you know that your primary objective in running a sweepstakes is to attract new donors to your list, make it specific: How many new donors do you want to add to your list? Who are these people? Through which promotional channels will you reach them? 

One of our nonprofits, The Shelby American Collection, started their first sweepstakes with around 800 donors on their mailing list. Nine years and ten sweepstakes later, their list now exceeds 65,000 names! That list is gold, and it’s a major reason why they have continued to be so successful at raising money every year with their TapKat sweepstakes.

Set a goal for re-engaging lapsed donors, or energizing members. Some nonprofits, like The New Jersey Audubon, are membership organizations that advertise their sweepstakes strictly to their members. Their goals are more about invigorating the current membership base, and less about adding new people to their list. That’s great, too! A sweepstakes is a very effective tool for energizing a membership base. 

Your goals will inform much of the decision-making around your TapKat sweepstakes. Which prize you choose, where and how you promote the sweepstakes, the duration of your sweepstakes, and more.

Step 2: Understand Your TapKat Sweepstakes Audience

Who, exactly, are you trying to reach with your sweepstakes, and where do they hang out? It’s fun to think about the types of people who you want to add to your donor database!

This step is important because it will help you select the right prize for the audience you want to build. For example…

Maybe you run an outdoor motorsport adventure nonprofit and your donors love rugged offroad vehicles. It might make sense to offer a prize like a dirtbike, teardrop trailer, or 4x4 that's geared toward outdoorsy types.

• The Desert Roads and Trails Society recently raised $29,600 with a Rock Buggy — perfect for their demographic of outdoor motorsport enthusiasts!

Suppose your nonprofit focuses on supporting communities in a certain area of the world, and your donors are passionate about revitalizing specific regions. How about something travel-related, like a bucket-list trip to Bali, Africa, or historic Europe? 

• The Good Work Foundation recently raised $30,450 with a luxury African escape for 2, including a safari experience. The prize specifically appealed to donors who care deeply about education efforts in South Africa. 

Say your nonprofit is a car museum that gets a lot of foot traffic and has a large base. You might decide to go big with a hot new sports car, or a classic vehicle.

• The Cobra Experience recently raised $961,275 with Carroll Shelby's personal Daytona Coupe. 

When you know your audience — and know the audience you want to attract — you can make good decisions about choosing a prize that your audience will find irresistible and raise significant funds for your organization.

Step 3: Select Your TapKat Sweepstakes Prize

Here comes the fun part! Successful TapKat sweepstakes prizes come in all shapes and sizes, but there are two main things to consider when selecting your prize: 

1. Your prize must be highly desirable, 

2. And it must appeal to the base you want to attract.

When we say a prize must be “highly desirable,” that doesn’t necessarily mean hugely expensive, although it can be. In the world of sweepstakes prizes, we’ve seen nonprofits give away camper vans (like the Robin's Home Veteran Services), hot new Corvettes (like the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum), concert experiences (like the Dear Jack Foundation), and even Taylor Swift-themed racing helmets (like Women in Motor Sports North America). 

All of these prizes were perfect for the nonprofits because they met the needs of the organization and appealed to their donor base.

We’ve written extensively on choosing the right prize for your TapKat sweepstakes. Read more about it here.

Step 4: Use Consignment to Get Your Sweepstakes Prize

Chances are, the perfect prize for your nonprofit sweepstakes won’t be one that is conveniently donated (but if it is, perfect – go with it!) 

The whole point of a sweepstakes fundraiser is to raise money, so buying an expensive prize up front makes no sense — that puts you in the hole before the fundraiser even begins. Instead, we recommend sourcing your sweepstakes prize on consignment, which eliminates any kind of risk from your fundraiser.

When a prize is on consignment, it means that your nonprofit isn’t obligated to purchase the prize until you have raised the money to pay for it. If you don’t raise enough money to cover the cost of the prize, your TapKat sweepstakes will award a cash prize instead. The winner gets a big fat check at the end (no one has ever complained about that!)

Curious about how to get a prize on consignment? Check out this blog post for more insight.

Step 5: Launch Your TapKat Sweepstakes!

Once you’ve secured your prize, it’s time to launch your sweepstakes site. This is easy to do on the TapKat platform. Once you’ve applied for an account and been approved, you’ll be walked through a series of steps to create your TapKat sweepstakes website. It will include: 

1. Uploading photos of your prize, 

2. Entering descriptive text of your prize, 

3. Uploading photos and text about your nonprofit so people can see where their donations are going.

In all, the process should take under an hour. When you’ve uploaded everything and feel happy with it, it’s go time! 

Step 6: Promote Your TapKat Sweepstakes Fundraiser

Once your site is live, it’s time to share it with the world! We recommend focusing on a few important promotional outlets to get started, though once you start marketing, you are likely to find other channels through which you can share your sweepstakes: 

1. Add your sweepstakes to the homepage of your nonprofit website. 

2. Share your sweepstakes fundraiser with your donor base on a regular basis through email marketing. 

3. Post regularly on social media channels, inviting your followers to enter. 

4. If you have any live events coming up, look for ways to encourage attendees to enter the sweepstakes. 

5. Ask your sponsors and corporate partners to spread the news, as well!

The more people that know about your sweepstakes, the more money you will raise — so do everything you can to get the word out. You’ll be building your donor list along the way, as well! 

Step 7: Draw Your TapKat Sweepstakes Winner

Seven days after your sweepstakes closes, it’s time to draw your winner. This is easy to do on the TapKat platform: We have created a built-in random number generator that will select the winning number for you. Plus TapKat automatically creates a fun “draw the winner presentation” video that you can share on social media on the big day. 

So, there you have it! Seven simple steps to running a successful fundraising sweepstakes. Throughout the process, remember to have fun! The more fun you have with your sweepstakes, the more fun your donors will have!

If you’d like to learn more about TapKat sweepstakes, please click here. If you’re ready to schedule a demo with one of our team members, click here.

Consignment Items: A Smart Solution for Nonprofit Auctions

Planning a nonprofit auction can be exhilarating, but it often comes with a common challenge: securing high-value, exciting items to attract bidders and maximize revenue. This is where consignment items come in. But what exactly are consignment items, and how can they help your fundraising efforts? Let’s break it down.

What Are Consignment Items?

Consignment items--sometimes also called No-Risk items, are auction packages provided by companies or vendors that nonprofits can offer at their events without upfront costs. Instead of purchasing the items outright, your organization agrees to pay a pre-determined cost only if the item sells. Any amount raised above that cost goes directly to your nonprofit, making consignment a low-risk way to include desirable items in your auction lineup.

Common consignment items include:

• Luxury vacation packages

• Exclusive experiences (e.g., hard-to-get reservations or tickets, meet-and-greets, or behind-the-scenes tours)

• Sports tickets and memorabilia

• Concert or theatre tickets and memorabilia

• Fine art or high-end jewelry

How to Use Consignment Items in Your Event

• Silent Auctions: Consignment items can create buzz and increase participation in silent auctions. Featuring unique and aspirational packages encourages guests to bid competitively, driving up the final sale price.

• Live Auctions: High-value items such as exotic trips or exclusive experiences are perfect for live auctions, where the energy and excitement can push bids higher.

• Raffles or Opportunity Drawings: Use consignment packages as grand prizes for raffles. This can be especially effective for smaller events where an auction might not be feasible or the prize is highly desirable, has a fixed value, and is likely to raise more through drawing ticket sales than a high bid.

• Online Auctions: If your organization hosts virtual or hybrid events, consignment items can attract a broader audience of bidders, ensuring engagement even beyond your immediate community.

Benefits of Partnering With Consignment Companies

• Access to Exclusive Items: Many consignment companies offer access to one-of-a-kind experiences and packages that would be difficult to secure through donations alone.

• Low Financial Risk: Since you only pay for the item if it sells, your organization avoids upfront costs and unsold inventory.

• Saves Time and Effort: Procuring auction items can be time-consuming. Consignment companies simplify this process by providing ready-to-use packages.

• Increased Event Appeal: Unique and high-value items draw more attention to your event, increase bidder participation, and can ultimately raise more funds for your cause.

IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS

It is important to note that companies offering consignment items may operate differently and have unique policies regarding what is included or not. It is always encouraged to review contracts carefully before committing to a specific supplier. Common questions to ask include:

• Is shipping & handling included, both to you and from you if items need to be returned?

• Is insurance included or offered at additional cost if anything is lost, damaged, or stolen or if experiences are interrupted?

• Are travel agency/concierge services included?

• What are all possible fees and costs to the nonprofit?

• Are there additional purchases, costs, or fees required by winners to fulfill this prize?

Maximize Your Fundraising Potential

Consignment items are a valuable tool to elevate your auction and ensure its success. By leveraging the expertise of consignment companies, you can offer standout packages that captivate your audience, all while keeping your financial risk low.

If you’re looking for ways to enhance your next fundraising auction, explore the many options consignment companies provide. With the right strategy, these unique items can help you achieve—and exceed—your fundraising goals.

4 Expert Tips for Securing More Major Gifts This Year

Guest post by Donorly

It’s hard to overstate the importance of major gifts for nonprofits. These gifts are not only the largest contributions your organization receives, but they’re also opportunities to develop lasting, positive relationships with your most impactful supporters. 

Because of their size and importance, however, cultivating major donor relationships and ultimately securing their gifts requires patience, planning, and time. To improve your major gift fundraising efforts and earn more for your organization this year, follow these best practices:

1. Leverage prospect research to get to know potential donors.

2. Design individualized cultivation plans.

3. Hire the right major gifts officer.

4. Partner with a fundraising consultant. 

Remember that major gift fundraising isn’t just about solicitation—it’s about engaging influential community members effectively enough that they become lifelong ambassadors for your cause. Approach your plans with this goal in mind, and these strategies will enable you to build relationships that support your organization for years to come.

1. Leverage prospect research to get to know potential donors.

Before approaching a prospective major donor, gain a deeper understanding of their values and potential for giving by conducting prospect research. Prospect research is the process of identifying potential major donors who are likely to stick with your cause long-term.
According to Donorly’s prospect research guide, the process involves leveraging your donor database and external sources to look for three types of markers:

• Capacity: Wealth indicators such as stock ownership, real estate holdings, or a C-suite position within a major corporation indicate that an individual likely has the capacity to contribute a larger amount to your cause.

• Affinity: Warmth, or affinity, indicators demonstrate that an individual is more inclined to connect with your cause on a personal level. These markers include a history of supporting your nonprofit or similar organizations, contributions to political campaigns, and connections with existing major donors or board members.

• Propensity: Propensity markers indicate that a prospect has an established habit of donating to nonprofits and a high likelihood that they’ll continue giving. Look for their donations to other nonprofits, fundraising event attendance, and any board service.

Start by looking for these markers within your nonprofit’s CRM, then explore public resources like SEC and FEC filings, real estate records, and other nonprofit annual reports to supplement your data. If you don’t have the time or resources to conduct thorough donor research on your own, expert prospect research consultants are also available to guide you through the process.

This information will not only help you narrow down your list of prospects and zero in on those most likely to give a major gift, but it will also help you tune in to donors’ motivations and interests. With this insight, you can strategically communicate and connect them with opportunities that resonate with them. 

2. Design individualized cultivation plans.

Prospective major donors are much more likely to give to your cause if you dedicate time and energy to building relationships with them. It’s your organization’s job to introduce prospects to your mission, demonstrate the good work you do in your community or cause area, and explain how donations allow you to continue that work. 

To build goodwill and trust between your organization and each prospect, develop personalized cultivation plans designed to engage them. For instance, a cultivation plan for a mid-level donor with a history of giving to your animal welfare campaigns might look like this:

1. Send a heartfelt thank-you letter to acknowledge their past donations and remind them of the positive, tangible impacts they’ve made to your cause.

2. Give them a call to thank them again and invite them to lunch with your major gifts officer to discuss upcoming animal welfare campaigns.

3. At the lunch, provide them with more information about your organization’s work helping animals, your current initiatives, and how they can get more involved.

4. Invite them to attend your upcoming Save the Turtles Gala and join your VIP table to speak with other major donors about their experiences.

5. Give them a behind-the-scenes tour of the turtle sanctuary your organization is in the process of building and emphasize how it will improve the welfare of local wildlife.

Getting Attention’s donor engagement guide emphasizes the importance of using powerful storytelling throughout this process. Genuine, inspiring stories of major donors’ impact will help prospects understand how their gifts will be used and visualize the lasting impact they can make to your cause.

3. Hire the right major gifts officer.

Hiring an in-house expert to lead the prospect research and major gift solicitation process can give your fundraising efforts a major boost. This team member will lead the charge in all major giving initiatives, allowing you to take a more focused, dedicated approach to major gift solicitation. Before you hire a dedicated major gifts officer, however, ensure you understand their responsibilities and the best qualities to look for.

The main objective of a major gifts officer is to move prospective donors through the major gift fundraising process from start to finish. They’ll take on tasks like:

• Updating major donor prospect information.

• Coordinating with your marketing team to create effective promotional materials.

• Meeting with potential donors and sharing educational materials. 

• Presenting the major gift ask to prospective donors.

• Following up with donors to foster stronger relationships. 

Because of the importance of major gifts and the delicate process of soliciting these contributions, your major gifts officer needs to be comfortable with reaching out to prospects, requesting large donations, and soliciting feedback. They should possess excellent communication and problem-solving skills and have experience with nonprofit fundraising.

When looking for a candidate who exhibits these characteristics and can handle the responsibilities of the role, don’t forget to evaluate their fit with your organization’s culture, as well. This ensures that they’ll be able to transition onto your team seamlessly and hit the ground running right away.

4. Partner with a fundraising consultant. 

If you’re looking to scale up your fundraising efforts but don’t have the time or resources to bring on new full-time team members, partnering with an expert consultant might be the right solution for your organization. These professionals offer the expertise and background knowledge growing organizations need to advance their fundraising capabilities. 

In addition to services like campaign strategizing, staff training, and development team support, certain fundraising consultants offer specialized prospect research and major gift fundraising support. These consultants have access to the best donor research tools and know the ins and outs of building successful major donor relationships. They can help you identify the best prospects, design cultivation strategies, and even factor major donors into your capital campaign plans.

By hiring a fundraising consultant with experience in prospect research and other aspects of major gift solicitation, you can access a wealth of experience and tried-and-true strategies to expand your fundraising long-term.

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Securing major gifts requires time and effort, but the payoff can be extremely influential for your organization. Keep these strategies in mind and find partners who mesh well with your organization, and you’ll be on the right track to securing the major gifts your nonprofit needs to thrive.

The preceding post was provided by a guest author unaffiliated with DonationMatch. The views expressed within do not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of DonationMatch.

Top Concurrent Fundraising Ideas to Maximize Revenue

Guest post by SchoolAuction.net

When it comes to raising money for your group, why settle for just one fundraiser when you can run several at the same time? By planning multiple events at once, you can welcome a larger fundraising impact and make the most of your donor engagement.

Combining different fundraising ideas allows you to tap into the power of giving people more options to support your cause, which not only helps raise more money but also engages several donor interests at once. In this quick guide, we’ll explore concurrent fundraising ideas that can save your organization time and money while maximizing your donor engagement opportunities. Let’s get started!

Live Auction and Raffle

Live auctions and raffles are a winning fundraising combination because live auctions cater to the thrill of bidding while raffles still appeal to those who’d like to win without the high risk. At a live auction, participants are kept on the edge of their seats by an auctioneer’s quick pace of selling prized items. Some supporters thrive in a live auction environment, while others might be intimidated or prefer to watch.

On the other hand, raffles are popular because they’re accessible to everyone. Unlike auctions, where the highest bidder wins, raffles give everyone who buys a ticket an equal chance to win, regardless of how much they can afford to spend. When deciding which item to raffle off, choose an auction item you’d normally sell at a silent auction and see if you can use a raffle to exceed the item’s fair market value.

Here are a few types of raffles organizations can run:

• Standard raffle: Participants buy low-cost tickets for a chance to win a prize, with winners chosen at random from the pool of entries. 

• Golden ticket: This type of raffle offers a limited number of higher-priced tickets for a chance to win a high-value prize, typically the choice of any live auction item.  

• Tricky tray: Also known as a basket raffle, this involves participants buying tickets to place bids on baskets of items or services that are displayed on trays or tables. Each basket has its own mini raffle, with participants placing their tickets in containers next to the baskets they want to win.

Combining live auctions with raffles creates a dynamic fundraising duo that caters to a broad audience, blending the excitement of live bidding wars with the accessible, low-risk appeal of raffles. 

Live Auction and Online Auction

Sometimes a live auction will leave you with more items than you originally planned. That’s okay, in this case, you can use it to your advantage by running an online auction afterward. SchoolAuction.net explains how this works—combine live and online auctions to maximize revenue. First, host an engaging live auction gala. Then once the event is over, host an online auction for the remaining items that were not bid on.

Here are the benefits of combining these two:

• Maximized revenue: Combining the two auction types expands your bidder pool, allowing participants from different locations to bid. More bidders equals more revenue. 

• Less item waste: Items that didn’t sell at your in-person auction now get another chance to be sold during your online auction. Since online auctions allow for a broader audience to view and bid on items, this increases the likelihood of each item being sold.  

• Re-engaging donors: Combining a live auction with an online auction offers a dynamic and flexible participation experience, accommodating those who cannot attend in person but wish to contribute online. This can renew interest among previous donors by providing them with a convenient way to engage.

• No need to plan a separate event: An organization can maximize fundraising efforts with this combination since it removes the need to plan and execute separate events, which reduces both logistical complexities and costs.    

Combining live and online auctions is a strategic and efficient approach to enhance your fundraising. By leveraging both formats, you can capitalize on unsold items and expand the reach to a wider audience, in turn maximizing revenue.    

Silent Auction and Entertainment Night

Planning an entertainment night alongside your silent auction is a great way to keep attendees engaged while they browse items. Silent auctions pair well with planned entertainment to boost funds and liven up the quieter atmosphere. Main entertainment ideas include music, a talent showcase, or a cause-related speaker or presentation.

However, you aren’t limited to solely relying on raising money through the silent auction. With the right software, you can also execute the following:

• Online merchandise stores offer an additional revenue stream by giving supporters an option to purchase branded merchandise at their convenience. Merchandise from online stores also increases your organization’s visibility.

• Text-to-Give allows supporters to contribute instantly with just a few taps on their cell phones. 

• Crowdfunding enables your organization to tap into the power of community fundraising and social sharing, reaching beyond your auction attendees to a wider audience.

By diversifying how funds are raised, nonprofits can capitalize on the enthusiasm of a live event to drive donations, while also capturing additional revenue opportunities from supporters at home. 

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising and Matching Gifts

For nonprofits especially, matching gifts provide a game-changing opportunity to double the impact of donations. You can take advantage of them by partnering with a corporate sponsor or other philanthropic entity to run a matching gift donation challenge. 

Then, you can launch your matching gift challenge with peer-to-peer fundraising to effectively combine the power of a community-driven platform with the financial leverage provided by corporate matching. 360MatchPro explains how you can get started in four steps:

1. Identify potential donors. Start by locating a generous corporate sponsor who will back your cause in exchange for public recognition. Look for a partner with a robust CSR program that shares the same values as your nonprofit.

2. Define the challenge’s terms and match ratio. Set the match ratio to define how much the corporate sponsor will give for every dollar individual donors contribute. For example, a 1:1 match ratio means the sponsor will match donations dollar for dollar, doubling every gift. Then, list out your challenge’s total fundraising goal and time frame.

3. Promote the challenge to your network using a dedicated website landing page. Use SMS messaging, email marketing, and social media outreach to link to your matching gift landing page. By using a multichannel marketing strategy, you’ll reach more donors and get your donations matched more quickly.

4. Track progress toward your fundraising goal. Update your supporters as more matches roll in to encourage them to reach your fundraising goal before the time runs out. You can do this with dedicated tracking tools to monitor real-time progress. 

After your donation challenge comes to a close, don’t forget to follow up with the results and acknowledge the supporters who made it happen. Craft thoughtful emails, hand-written thank you cards, or social media shoutouts to recognize your donors’ generosity. 

Running concurrent fundraisers significantly amplifies a nonprofit’s ability to engage different segments of its audience and maximize revenue. Be sure to assess your audience's preferences beforehand to tailor your fundraising strategy effectively.

The preceding post was provided by a guest author unaffiliated with DonationMatch. The views expressed within do not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of DonationMatch.

4 Survey Strategies for Soliciting Donors’ Feedback

Guest post by Mogli

Donating to a nonprofit or school is a highly personal experience. It’s not just about giving some money and walking away. Donors want to make an impact with their funding, but they also want to be a part of your community. By donating, they’re saying “I want to take an active part in furthering your cause.” But if you don’t invest in finding out how they want to take part, you risk losing their involvement and future donations.

That’s why asking donors for feedback is so important. Whether you want to engage parents in school fundraising or learn more about your nonprofit’s new donors, sending out a survey is the perfect answer. We’ll cover four strategies you can use to craft effective, engaging surveys for your donors:

1. Write questions based on your goals

2. Use a variety of survey formats

3. Leverage automation tools

4. Segment donors to ensure surveys are relevant

As we explore these strategies, we’ll also discuss technologies like your donor database and SMS marketing apps that can help you make the most of them. Let’s get started!

1. Write questions based on your goals

The first step in creating surveys that resonate with donors and provide actionable feedback is to set clear goals. Before you start designing a survey, think about what you want it to accomplish for your organization. Common survey goals include:

• Boosting donor retention. Double the Donation’s donor retention guide explains that asking donors for feedback shows that you value their opinions and helps you build lasting relationships. If your goal is to retain donors, ask them if they enjoyed recent fundraising events, how you could better meet their needs, or what types of programs or campaigns they’d like to see in the future.

• Learning donor preferences. Surveys are an easy and efficient way to collect data about your supporters’ personal interests and preferences. Ask how they’d prefer to be contacted, what their charitable interests are, and why they joined your community in the first place. This information helps you segment donors and tailor your fundraising appeals to their interests.

• Improving your fundraisers or programs. If you want to host better fundraisers or launch more impactful programs, who better to gather ideas from than the donors who participate? To improve your school fundraisers, for example, you might ask what type of event parents want to attend or if they’d prefer selling products (like cookie dough) with their children to raise money. Or, ask recurring donors for feedback on your monthly giving program to improve its appeal.

These goals aren’t mutually exclusive—you may be able to accomplish all three with one great survey. However, determining your top priority upfront will help you narrow down your questions and ensure you get the answers that are most important to your goals.

2. Use a variety of survey formats

Remember when you used to fill out surveys on paper? Now, you can send donors virtual surveys via email, social media, and even text message. Different survey formats have distinct benefits and drawbacks, so it’s best to use a variety to make the most of all of them. Plus, this will differentiate your surveys enough to keep donors engaged even if they complete multiple surveys within a short period of time.

For instance, throughout the year you might use a mix of:

• Text surveys: According to Mogli’s text marketing guide, text surveys engage recipients while providing immediate feedback for your organization or school. With the right tools, you can create interactive surveys that take place entirely within donors’ messaging apps. These surveys are quick and easy for donors to complete.

• Email surveys: Your donors are likely used to filling out surveys from businesses via email, so receiving a survey from your organization in their inbox will feel natural. You can use free online tools like SurveyMonkey or Google Forms to create basic surveys and distribute them to donors’ emails. 

• In-person interviews: Surveying individual donors in person takes more time and effort, but it’s one of the best ways to get authentic feedback and strengthen your organization’s relationships. While conducting interviews, be sure to record video or audio or take extensive notes on the donor’s responses. 

Along with varying the format of your surveys, it’s also crucial to vary the type of questions you ask. Include a mix of open-ended, multiple-choice, and short-answer questions so that donors stay engaged throughout the survey and have the opportunity to share more extensive thoughts.

3. Leverage automation tools

There are plenty of technologies out there that you can use to streamline survey creation and management, but one of the most impactful features is automation. Automation tools can save your team time, seamlessly collect and organize answers, and simplify the process for donors. 

You can leverage standalone survey automation tools or automation features within comprehensive text or email marketing software. For example, if you use text marketing software with automated survey capabilities, you can:

• Create simple and complex surveys. With the right tools, you can design surveys that branch off in different directions based on donors’ answers. For example, after asking if a donor enjoyed participating in your school’s latest fundraiser, you could set up different lines of questions for those who say yes and those who say no. This type of automation enhances your surveys’ personalization and can inspire better responses. 

• Automatically send data to your CRM. If you use a text marketing app that integrates with your CRM (such as a Salesforce-native app if you use Salesforce for Nonprofits), donors’ survey responses will automatically flow into the correct profiles in your database. From here, you can easily use this data to guide future communication strategies and fundraising appeals.

• Add surveys to other automated journeys. Say that you set up a string of automated thank-you messages that gets triggered when a supporter donates. With the right tools, a survey can fit seamlessly into that cadence! For example, you might send an initial thank-you text immediately, then a survey about the donation experience the next day.

As you explore your options for survey automation tools, pay attention to features like branched logic surveys and CRM integrations. Look for a tool with an intuitive survey builder that easily allows you to design complex surveys without needing to be a tech expert.

4. Segment donors to ensure surveys are relevant

Finally, all of the strategies we discussed so far can be improved just by segmenting your donors. You know how important it is to send relevant, personalized donor communications to show donors you value them as individuals. 

The same is true for surveys. If a survey is relevant and appealing to the donor who receives it, they’re likely to ignore the request for feedback, or worse—opt out of future messages completely. 

To avoid this, create a variety of donor segments to send different surveys to. This might include sending a survey about volunteer opportunities to all donors who have volunteered in the past, or sending first-time donors a welcome survey designed to learn more about their interests. Use any existing segments in your donor database as a starting point, then don’t be afraid to create new groups as needed.

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These strategies can make a big impact on your relationships with donors, but sending the survey is just the beginning. After receiving responses, make sure to thank every donor who took the survey and act on the feedback you receive. If one donor gave you a particularly good idea for your next fundraiser, let them know with a personal thank-you email. Show donors that you take their feedback seriously, and they’re bound to feel closer to your organization.

The preceding post was provided by a guest author unaffiliated with DonationMatch. The views expressed within do not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of DonationMatch.

Leveraging Technology For Meaningful Donor Acknowledgment

Guest post by eCardWidget

Amidst the hustle and bustle of nonprofit operations, a silent challenge looms and makes it difficult to achieve fundraising goals: a decline in donor retention. The 2022 M+R Benchmarks Study shows that a whopping 71% of one-time donors in 2021 didn’t make another donation in 2022. Could the way nonprofits acknowledge donors be the missing link?

The donor engagement landscape is constantly evolving, and in recent years, traditional acknowledgment methods have shifted to digital ones — for good reason! As you’ll discover in this guide, going digital means you can connect with your donors anytime, anywhere. You can ensure they know your nonprofit cares about their continued support.

From email to social media, leveraging technology to connect with donors is a must these days, but you need a careful strategy to cash in on the benefits of digital acknowledgment. To help, we’ll share key insights for getting started, including: 

• The Benefits of Technology in Donor Acknowledgment

• Innovative Methods for Digital Donor Recognition

• How to Level Up Your Digital Donor Acknowledgment

With a thoughtful approach, you’ll design an effective recognition plan. If you’re ready to make donors feel instrumental to your mission, let’s dive in!

The Benefits of Technology in Donor Acknowledgment

In the digital age, a simple thank-you note doesn’t cut it. Donors today expect and deserve instant, personalized acknowledgment. If you’re not meeting these expectations, technology can help.

Using technology to fuel your post-donation outreach means you’ll experience benefits such as:

• Lower overhead. Especially when fundraising on a budget, technology can reduce costs associated with traditional outreach methods. For example, you won’t need to pay printing or postage costs for digital thank-you letters.

• Personalization. Your CRM stores personal information and giving history for each supporter. You can easily pull these details to craft more personalized acknowledgments, making your outreach more meaningful to donors. This process becomes even simpler when your CRM integrates with your marketing tools.

• Immediate recognition. With the ability to automate thank-you emails, you’ll provide instant gratification and timely recognition for donors. No need to wait on snail mail unless your donors prefer a handwritten letter!

• Eco-friendliness. Going digital means reducing paper use, vehicle carbon emissions, and waste from non-recyclable materials. In turn, you’ll resonate with contemporary values.

Digital acknowledgments are much more scalable than traditional methods due to their cost-efficiency and overall impact. Knowing how to thank donors digitally will help you leverage these benefits, enhance the donor experience, and inspire supporters to stick around.

Innovative Methods for Digital Donor Recognition

As you can imagine, technology adds a modern twist to traditional strategies. Bring your thank-you letters to the virtual space, send newsletters via email rather than direct mail, and send a newsletter instead of mailing postcards.

No matter your approach, digital acknowledgment is crucial. It doesn’t matter if you’re just starting your nonprofit or if your organization has operated for several decades. Donors and stakeholders alike will enjoy a more engaging and interactive experience. Let’s explore three easy ways to recognize supporters online.

1. Donor Recognition eCards

Also known as digital greeting cards, eCards are a wonderful, personalized way to recognize donors and provide a memorable keepsake. This idea combines timeliness with authenticity. As eCardWidget’s donor thank you letter guide explains, you can format thank you emails as eCards for more unique, visually engaging, and memorable acknowledgment.

Here’s how it works:

1. Design your eCards. You’ll need an online eCard design platform to design your thank-you cards. Add subtle moving elements like falling confetti or animated text for more eye-catching designs. Be sure to include your nonprofit’s colors and fonts. Any graphics, photos, and phrasing should align with your brand and mission, too. That way, you’ll reinforce your brand image with each eCard you send.

2. Choose the eCard you want to send. When someone donates, choose one of your thank-you cards. You’ll enter their email address and add a custom note of appreciation. 

3. Send your eCards. Immediately deliver the eCard to their inbox or schedule it to be sent at a more optimal time. Either way, make sure they receive the card within a couple of days. If your fundraising software automatically sends a tax receipt when someone donates, that buys you some extra time to follow up with a custom eCard, so the donor isn’t left wondering if you got their contribution.

It’s that simple! You’re not limited to generic thank-you cards either. Design eCards for holidays, donation anniversaries, and special recognition days. By infusing this approach into your regular communication methods, your nonprofit will become known for its personalized, thoughtful eCards.

2. Mentions in Marketing Outreach

Recognizing donors in marketing collateral not only serves as a form of donor recognition but also inspires others to contribute. A few channels your nonprofit can use to thank donors publicly include:

• Your newsletter. If your nonprofit sends out newsletters, that provides the perfect opportunity to fold donor recognition into your regular communications. Create a “Donor Spotlight” section where you can call out passionate supporters who are making a difference.

• Event collateral. When promoting an event, mention major donors and corporate donors who contributed significantly to the campaign. You can acknowledge monetary and in-kind donations alike, calling out specific ways they’ve helped.

• Social media. Create dedicated posts acknowledging committed donors who go above and beyond. Supporters can easily share them with their followers, making this a smart marketing tool. You can even shout out corporate sponsors. After all, many companies launch CSR initiatives for positive publicity. Whether they contributed an in-kind or monetary gift, tell your followers how the company helped your nonprofit.

As with any form of public recognition, always seek permission, especially if sharing detailed stories. Some donors appreciate public acknowledgment while others prefer to remain anonymous. By balancing gratitude and discretion, your nonprofit can foster trust and encourage ongoing contributions.

3. Personalized Video Messages

Due to the work that goes into video production, tailored thank-you videos are best reserved for acknowledging major donors and corporate sponsors.

The simplest way to leverage this idea is to record your organization’s leaders sharing a heartfelt thank you. Re:Charity’s donor gifts guide explains that you can involve your beneficiaries to make each video extra meaningful. The article shares an example of thanking a donor who endowed a scholarship. Your team could record the scholarship recipient personally thanking the donor for their generosity. Doing this would forge a deeper connection between the supporter and your cause, making them likely to stay involved.

Once your video is finalized, publish it on social media or send it directly to the donor. You might film a generic video for low and mid-level donors to acknowledge your entire donor base’s impact. That way, smaller donors won’t miss out on this form of recognition.

How to Level Up Your Digital Donor Acknowledgment

You have ideas for your digital recognition. Now, you need to tailor them to your nonprofit’s supporters. Take a careful look at how your donors prefer to be engaged. Your goal should be to personalize digital interactions without making them feel generic or automated. With some help from your technology, you can customize each donor acknowledgment and ensure everyone feels appreciated in ways that resonate.

As you define your strategies, keep these tips in mind:

• Give donors the option for public or private acknowledgments. The idea of maintaining privacy can’t be overemphasized. Check with your donors to see which type of recognition they prefer. You don’t want to compromise their trust by posting about their recent donation on Instagram when they would have preferred a phone call!

• Choose technology that simplifies donor acknowledgment. Choose tools that offer customizable templates for acknowledgment emails and eCards. Some fundraising platforms can even automate acknowledgment. You’ll also want to select platforms that integrate, so you can easily pull supporters’ donation history and incorporate important details into your follow-up.

• Share relevant updates. For example, let’s say an individual donor or a company donates an item to your fundraising auction. Just about anyone would appreciate updates on the event! If they donated to a specific program, share updates on that.

With thoughtful strategies tailored to your donors, you can create memorable acknowledgments that touch donors. Soon enough, the word will get around that your nonprofit goes above and beyond to thank its supporters, which may inspire others to start contributing.

Wrapping Up: Redefining Donor Acknowledgment With Technology

Harnessing the power of technology isn't just for improving operations or marketing — it's fundamentally reshaping how we acknowledge and celebrate our donors. Your approach to donor recognition plays a critical role in improving retention, so continuously adapt to the latest trends and donors’ preferences.

From here, start experimenting with your recognition and see what resonates with donors. Your supporters will feel valued and know they’re vital to your mission in no time.

The preceding post was provided by a guest author unaffiliated with DonationMatch. The views expressed within do not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of DonationMatch.

Member Event Planning: 4 Events Your Members Look Forward To

Guest post by Wild Apricot

For associations and nonprofits with membership programs, your members are at the heart of everything you do. And nothing brings your membership community together quite like events do. They are the perfect opportunity for your members to meet face-to-face, network with other industry professionals, and gain more expertise in their field. 

Whether they are networking nights or annual galas, events are essential for keeping members engaged and raising revenue to ensure your organization’s long-term success. However, different events will appeal to different members. That means you’ll need to determine what types of events will resonate with your members and then plan these experiences for the rest of the year. 

To get your member event planning started, let's explore the four most popular events and how to make them memorable. 

Most Popular Member Event Types

Member events come in all shapes and sizes, from an hour of virtual networking all the way to entire multi-day conferences. The events you schedule will depend on your specific goals, resources, and member preferences. 

Here’s what you need to know about each of the four most popular event types. 

1. Conferences

Conferences bring a large group of people together to explore a specific topic or theme. People attend conferences to learn from industry experts and engage in networking opportunities. 

Typically, conferences can be as little as one day or as long as an entire week.

When planning your conference, keep these tips in mind:

1. Choose the right event management software. Ensure that you select a virtual event solution that fits your needs, such as one that offers attendee registration, highlights sponsors, and tools for promoting your event. 

2. Plan your theme and subtopics. Based on your member’s interests, pick the theme for your conference and its events, such as the topics for panels and roundtable discussions. 

3. Look for event sponsors. Find potential sponsors for your conference who can offer support in exchange for benefits such as exposure to your audience.

4. Determine how you’ll engage attendees. Decide how you’ll keep participants captivated throughout the conference with interactive elements, such as live polls, break-out discussion rooms, and gamification elements.

5. Test-run virtual and hybrid conferences. As hiccups can always happen, conduct a test run of your event to pinpoint and eliminate any issues. 

Let’s take a look at the world’s largest library event, the ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition. This conference unites thousands of librarians, authors, educators, students, and other literary professionals to learn about and discuss the future of the industry. Attendees can enjoy free educational programming, hear from inspiring speakers, and connect with peers. 

Thanks to virtual event technology, hybrid and fully virtual conferences have risen in popularity. Many conferences, like the ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition, offer digital experiences where attendees can virtually attend the event no matter where they are in the world. 

By leveraging technology, organizations can use mobile apps to enhance the conference experience or choose to host a virtual conference. With the right tools, you can set up event registration, create an app for attendees, integrate with a live-streaming platform, and do so much more to streamline your conference. 

2. Networking Activities

Networking events are incredibly valuable for people who are at pivotal moments in their careers. For instance, many college students or recent graduates use networking events to find internships or their first job. Furthermore, people who are more established in their field can use these opportunities to grow their business connections or find new professional roles. 

Here are some ideas for creating engaging networking activities: 

• Set up mentorship groups. Match your experienced members with people who are starting their careers so they can develop their skill set. 

• Host happy hours. Let your members enjoy refreshments at a local brewery or restaurant as they get to know each other.

• Organize speed networking. This twist on speed dating has your members quickly meeting with each other to efficiently make many professional connections. 

• Schedule workshops or classes. Help your members continue their career development by organizing workshops or classes led by industry experts. 

• Create virtual events. Allow your members to connect with people across your network at virtual events such as conference breakout rooms or online trivia games. 

Consider your members’ schedules while planning your networking events. For instance, if your association or nonprofit is local, then you may want to host an event at a nearby restaurant to facilitate face-to-face meetings. Conversely, virtual events are a great option for organizations with members in different locations. 

3. Fundraising Events

Fundraising events are an opportunity for your members to gather together and raise funds to support your organization. These events give members the chance to operate as a team or have some friendly peer-to-peer fundraising competition with each other. 

To plan a memorable and successful fundraising event, associations and nonprofits should follow these essential steps:

• Find a charitable partner. If your organization decides to partner with a charitable partner, you may want to consider finding a local nonprofit, school, or other charitable cause that aligns with your mission. For example, a professional association for educators could partner with a local school. To help find your right partner, consider asking members for suggestions for those that may be open to  mutually beneficial partnerships.

• Determine your fundraising goal. Your fundraising goal should be aligned with the outcome you want to achieve. A journalism nonprofit, for instance, might need to collect $5,000 in fundraising for grants they award to outstanding journalism students every year. 

• Decide on the event type and location. Your members’ preferences and location will influence the type of fundraising event you’ll hold and where it will be. For example, an international organization could hold a virtual event that invites all members or plan multiple smaller in-person events in major cities. 

• Promote your upcoming fundraising event. Share your fundraiser on social media, email, and your website to drum up excitement and inspire involvement. Consider creating a kit with information about the fundraiser that your members can share with others. 

Be sure to thank your members for all their work after the fundraiser. Also, share the amount raised and where the funds will be allocated. This lets your community see their impact and feel proud about what they’ve accomplished.

4. Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteering is a wonderful way for members to expand their networks and improve important skills such as leadership, communication, and teamwork. With volunteer opportunities, your members can give back to the community in a way that aligns with your organization’s mission.

Let’s say that you manage a professional association for working artists. You can engage your members in artistic volunteer experiences like creating a mural for a local elementary school or leading a painting class for senior citizens. This allows members to put their skills to good use while providing a valuable service to the community.

According to a VolunteerMatch survey report, 71% of volunteers prefer to commit their time regularly to an organization. With the right volunteer program, you can give your members the experience they’re looking for while helping them forge stronger bonds within the group. 

Just like other events we covered, virtual volunteer events have risen in popularity. Virtual volunteer opportunities allow participants to participate from the comfort of their homes while still making a major contribution to causes they care about. 

Popular in-person and virtual volunteer options include:

• Setting up and cleaning up at events 

• Redesigning your website or specific web pages

• Reaching out to donors via email or phone

• Transcribing or subtitling videos

Keep in mind that the more flexible your volunteer events are, the more members you’ll be able to get involved. 

Bonus Member Event Planning Tips

No matter the type of event you’ll host, it needs careful preparation to become a success that will keep members engaged for years to come. 

Follow these three practices when kicking off your event planning:

1. Send out pre-event member surveys to guide your planning. Send your members several survey questions to help shape the event you’ll host. For example, you can ask your community about the industry topics they’re interested in, what they’re hoping to experience at your events, and what you can improve upon from your previous events. Collecting this information lets you create events members will be eager to attend. 

2. Create a marketing plan. Every type of event needs a marketing plan so members can learn about the event, see how to register, and know what to expect, especially if you’re hosting a virtual or hybrid event. Your marketing plan should include how you’ll spread the word across your communication platforms such as social media pages, email newsletters, websites, and direct mail messages. 

3. Track engagement metrics and gather member feedback after the event. Once your event ends, collecting feedback is essential. With a post-event survey, you can learn what members enjoyed and where you can improve. Be sure to also review your event’s metrics like attendance rate vs. RSVPs and live poll engagement. 

By following these tips, you can offer members a well-run experience that will motivate them to stay involved in your organization and attend future events. 

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Your members are looking to you to provide a variety of opportunities that will help them succeed personally and professionally. By implementing membership events, your members can network with fellow industry professionals, discuss the latest trends, and propel their development. 
For the most accurate data, be sure to lean into your membership software. This allows you to confidently review metrics and determine improvements moving forward for creating events that will exceed members’ expectations.

The preceding post was provided by a guest author unaffiliated with DonationMatch. The views expressed within do not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of DonationMatch.

Raising More with Less: Fundraising Efficiency Essentials

Guest post by Kristin Fehrenbach, Senior Consultant at Graham-Pelton

Does your nonprofit fundraise efficiently? At the end of a campaign, do you come away feeling that you generated the most possible revenue for the resources and time that you put into it?

You might not have a confident answer one way or the other. Few organizations do. It’s always possible to find new and more efficient ways to generate revenue by streamlining processes and better prioritizing the allocation of resources. 

We see the concept of efficiency crop up time and again in the nonprofit overhead debate. A blind focus on reducing overhead costs, and therefore operating more efficiently on paper, can bring negative outcomes for nonprofits, their partners, and the sector as a whole. 

But there’s a big difference between cutting costs to the point of harming your mission and adapting your strategic plans to raise more with the resources already available to you. Making the most of your opportunities simply makes you a better steward of your organization’s mission and good work. 

What are the foundational strategies and practices that organizations (of all sizes) should adopt in order to maximize their fundraising returns on investment? Let’s take a look.

Robust Development Strategies

Nonprofit development consists of all fundraising activities, but it often refers specifically to forms of revenue generation that involve strategic relationship-building, like major gift fundraising and grant seeking. 

This area of development is an important place to focus your efforts because it can be particularly efficient—the work of one team member to secure a major gift can result in more revenue than you might raise from a short organization-wide campaign. It’s labor intensive but often results in bigger returns than broad campaigns that target larger segments of donors. 

Even if your nonprofit doesn’t have a dedicated development department or major gift officers, understanding and adapting development fundamentals will help you raise more, and more efficiently. Here are the essential concepts to keep in mind:

• Segmentation. The process of grouping your donors into discrete segments based on shared characteristics (e.g., average donation amount, length of relationship, age, location, etc.) allows you to easily focus your outreach to particular audiences. This then leads to reduced costs and an increased likelihood of success, as you’ll only be targeting those who are most likely to respond to your ask. Segmentation also gives you a valuable framework for learning more and continually improving. By measuring success among particular segments, you can better understand your performance and refine your strategies over time.

• Qualification. Prospect qualification involves frequently reexamining what you know about major gift prospects to ensure they’re still top candidates for outreach. This helps you avoid wasting both their time and yours, and it ultimately leads to better experiences. You’ll need to determine the criteria for qualification or disqualification, like active engagement over the past X months or an explicit “no, thanks.” Then, set up a process for regularly requalifying your prospects to keep your outreach lists effective.

• Stewardship. You already express appreciation for all your donors, but stewardship goes a step further. By intentionally fostering and growing your relationships with your most impactful donors, you can drive increased engagement and retention. Securing gifts from retained donors is much easier than depending on constant outreach and acquisition, making stewardship an important part of fundraising efficiently. A portfolio-based prospect management system can help keep the stewardship process as organized as possible.

Development comes in all shapes and sizes. You might have a large team dedicated solely to finding and building relationships with high-impact donors, or you could be a small shop that finds the time to stay in touch with its biggest supporters. 

Either way, infusing your efforts with these fundamentals (and backing it all up with proper data collection and hygiene) will help you secure larger, higher-ROI gifts.

Forging and Strengthening Partnerships

Nonprofits rely on all kinds of external partners, including corporate sponsors, foundations, peer organizations, government offices, and major donors, to engage the community and make progress toward achieving their missions.

If you’re looking for ways to fundraise more efficiently, remember that you don’t have to go it alone. 

Partnerships can unlock new ways to generate revenue while sharing the work or lowering the costs of rolling them out. Your community is probably full of individuals and other organizations that want you to succeed or that would benefit from collaborating on a program or campaign. Here are a few common examples of revenue-generating partnerships:

• Corporate sponsorships, either as structured ongoing agreements or one-time campaign or event arrangements

• In-kind gifts of supplies, equipment, services, food, entertainment, and event space

• Fundraising match challenges in which a sponsor or major donor matches all gifts made to a campaign within a particular timeframe

• Co-hosted events with partner organizations, lowering upfront costs

• Workplace giving programs, like ongoing matching gift programs or special campaigns

• Cause marketing or commercial co-ventures with businesses

Take stock of your nonprofit’s current partnership roster. How are you sourcing potential partners? Can you go further or be more intentional about identifying and stewarding your relationships with partners? Even a small amount of extra work to build your partnership program can result in beneficial connections that help you raise more and reach larger audiences.

On a related note, remember to look to your internal partners, as well! Your staff members keep your organization running and growing. Retaining them and developing their skills over time can significantly reduce what can be a major drag on nonprofits’ growth—employee churn and training costs.

Diversified Revenue Sources

Generating revenue from a variety of diverse sources is always important for nonprofits. This is especially true amid today’s turbulent economy and as the philanthropic landscape recalibrates from the drastic impacts of the pandemic.

Specifically, nonprofits should stay on the lookout for new revenue streams or forms of fundraising that can deliver high ROI. The benefits or returns of these activities should outweigh the new inputs they require, at least once you get your new strategies established and running smoothly.

Major gift fundraising is an excellent example, but what else? Consider these examples:

• Peer-to-peer fundraising. Although they still require careful management and input, well-targeted P2P campaigns can help you reach much broader audiences organically. Do-it-yourself peer-to-peer fundraising, in which supporters can launch their own giving pages at any time, can also become a reliable passive revenue stream when effectively promoted.

• Planned giving. Bequests and other forms of planned gifts are often larger than cash donations that donors would otherwise consider. They usually require individualized attention and cultivation, but they bring the benefit of being accessible to more of your donors because planned gifts are given from assets rather than cash on hand. Once established, a planned giving pipeline can provide stable, predictable future income.

• Grant seeking. Grants often make up a sizable portion of nonprofits’ revenue. If your nonprofit hasn’t devoted much time or strategy to grant seeking, this should be an area to examine. Putting in the work to identify ideal opportunities, prioritize them, build relationships with funders, and hone your proposal skills can result in steady future support that becomes more efficient over time.

• Online merchandise sales, particularly through platforms that facilitate the process for you. For instance, platforms that allow you to design merchandise that is then printed and shipped as needed (and that charge you a percentage of the sale) can create a helpful revenue stream without requiring you to cover upfront costs, keep an inventory, or invest in eCommerce capabilities.

Of course, all new revenue-generating activities require some amount of upfront and continued investment. But practice and dedication (even if only a couple of hours a week) can go a long way to set your nonprofit up for success with grant seeking and planned gifts, for instance.

If you want to diversify your revenue streams, start exploring your options! Understand the gaps in your current strategies and what the necessary investments will be, then use those insights to determine your best opportunities.

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Remember, operating efficiently and generating healthy returns don’t always mean cutting expenses. 

The most sustainable way to strengthen your nonprofit’s bottom line will actually be to start fundraising in smarter ways with a focus on the long term. Implement development best practices, ensure your data collection processes are up to par, rely on your partners, and look for new, high-ROI fundraising opportunities.