It often seems like some non-profits are just lucky. They run their first giving day and raise $1 million. They have a superstar major gifts officer who is always bringing in new donors. They receive a new big grant every few months.
You can hear the griping from other fundraisers… we could do that, if we had a better grant writer! We tried a giving day, but we don’t have enough donors who like to give online. Our major gifts officer doesn’t have any “connections,” so how can she bring in new donors every month?
The truth is that most big fundraising “wins” don’t come from luck; they come from persistence and consistency. You may have heard the old adage, “It takes 20 years to make an overnight success.” While it may not take two decades, the sentiment is true: big fundraising wins and big overnight successes take time and planning to come to fruition.
Every Fundraising Success Has a Story
Behind most big fundraising successes lies a tale of hard work, dedication, and persistence.
That non-profit that raised $1 million on its first giving day likely spent years building up its email list, months putting together a giving day committee, and weeks sending out pre-campaign emails and letters.
The superstar major gifts officer who consistently attracts new donors, likely dedicates hours each day to attending networking meetings, sending meeting requests to mid-level donors to encourage upgrades, and cold calling well-researched prospects with a strong affinity for his employer’s mission.
The organization that is constantly receiving new grants is almost certainly running a systemized grant fundraising program, sending out dozens of LOIs per month, making hundreds of follow-up calls to foundations, and researching new grant sources every week.
In other words, big fundraising wins may seem like they happen overnight, but in reality, they take lots of hard work and the ability to keep going even when it seems like all you are hearing is “no.”
How to Set Your Non-Profit Up for Big Wins
The best way to set your non-profit up for big fundraising wins is to develop a smart strategy, then systemize it and stick to it. You need to be persistent and consistent. You can’t give up.
If you want to bring in new donors, you need to put a strategy in place (like direct mail prospecting or online direct response). Then you need to systemize it (who will do the work, what is the timeline, what are the goals and metrics?). Then you need to stick to it (for example, committing to the prospecting program for two years, rather than just one mailing).
Remember, it takes time and patience to become an overnight fundraising success!
Photo Credit: Jill Wellington on Pexels
