Winter is coming. That means every fundraiser’s busiest time of year is approaching quickly. How do you keep yourself sane over the giving season?
These six tips will help you keep your fundraising efforts up while maintaining your work-life balance.
1. Plan Your Fundraisers in Advance
By the time we get to the end of the year, it feels like we’ve been constantly trying to bring in more fundraising income for months. Our donors might even be suffering from donor fatigue.
Now it’s time for the “big push” to meet our annual goals. Then, we get to do it all over again next year. The best way to avoid fatigue for ourselves and our donors is to plan the entire year out in advance. Know what you’re asking and when.
Are you participating in Giving Tuesday? Then make sure you refrain from hosting other large campaigns around the same time. Plan your fundraisers. If you’re participating in Giving Tuesday, pay particular attention to planning this campaign so that you stand out.
Free
Giving Tuesday
Workbook
Get everything you need to launch your Giving Tuesday campaign for FREE.
2. Harness Your Community
It sounds straightforward to harness your community, but seriously consider how your current donor-base, volunteer list, and general community can raise money for you.
You might consider using Facebook Fundraisers, but make sure you’re contacting your Facebook donors and fundraisers to bring them into your community. Without a second level of contact, you risk losing these supporters to other causes.
It’s much better to implement peer-to-peer fundraising that allows supporters to raise money on your behalf, directly on your WordPress website. If you’re using GiveWP, this system integrates with all of your other main campaigns and you have full control over how your fundraisers raise money for you.
Available Now
Get the full GiveWP Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Suite today to allow your supporters to raise money for you.
3. Try eCards and Tributes Campaigns
Another way to make your fundraisers work for you is to allow donors to send eCards through tributes campaigns. When you add this element of a “pass-it-on” challenge, social proof compels your donors’ friends and family to give as well.
4.Use Social Challenges
Similarly, but more widely-seen, social media challenge campaigns can also give your fundraiser a boost during the giving season. However, these are common around this time of year, so consider ways to make yours stand out (without endangering the public with dangerous challenges).
Like What You're Reading? Subscribe Here!
Newsletter Opt-in
5. Consider Using AI (Automated Intelligence)
Another way to make life a little easier when we’re all busiest fundraising, is to use AI. The giving season is hectic, so automate as much as you can.
For example, you might consider implementing a chatbot on your website that not only answers questions about your organization, but also includes ways to give, like to your Giving Tuesday campaign.
6. Know When You Need a Break
Last, but certainly not least, know when you’re burnt out and you need a break. Better yet, go back to number one here and plan for burnout between fundraisers. It’s exhausting to raise money. You deserve a break.
How Are You Fundraising This Giving Season?
You might be participating in Giving Tuesday, or planning a stellar end of the year fundraiser to finish 2021 strong. Either way, we want to know what you’re planning! Comment below or submit your Give Story.
Amplify your fundraising with a GiveWP Plan
About the Author
