3 of the Best Practices for Donor Acquisition

Nonprofit organizations rely on donors for the majority of their funding. This is why donor acquisition is such an important concept for all nonprofits.

Donor acquisition is more nuanced than simply appealing to strangers to donate to your cause. In order to maximize the appeal of your organization for donors, we’ve highlighted some of the best practices for donor acquisition below!

1. Use a Combination of Traditional and Modern Communication

Sure Facebook, twitter, and emails are commonly accepted modes of communication in this day and age. However, in order to really make an impact as an organization, you should be using a combination of traditional and modern communication methods.

Don’t underestimate the power a phone call or a handwritten letter can have on potential donors. While you don’t need to rewind the clock completely, we suggest a healthy balance between digital and traditional forms of communication to make the most impact.

2. Be Smart About Timing

While there’s no fixed timing to when donors are likely to donate, there can be some instances where donors are feeling particularly generous. This is usually towards the holiday season at the end of the year. By this time, most corporate businesses and individuals have a fair idea of how much money they have left over in their budget for the year so they can estimate how much they will be able to donate reasonably.

This is also the time of year you can cash out on the ‘giving spirit’ and appeal to the feel-good emotions donors chase when they give to a social cause close to their hearts.

3. Make Donors Aware of Their Impact

If you want to make donors more likely to give to your organization, you will be better off giving them a more quantifiable idea of the impact they will make. If you are a nonprofit providing food to the homeless, you can have different giving levels by showing donors how many mouths they’d be feeding with their donation.

Similarly, if you are funding the construction of a school or shelter, you can provide the potential donor relevant statistics such as how many people will be positively affected by their contribution. This will serve to make them feel like their donation has a much higher value and they’ll be more likely to give to your organization.

Even if you have a worthy, valuable cause, you will need to be smart about how you approach donors. This requires a combination of highlighting your credibility as an organization as well as showing an understanding of why donors choose to give. If you play your cards right, donors will be lining up to give to your organization.