by Firefly Partners • 01.25.2018
The 2017 end-of-year fundraising hustle and bustle is behind us and, as the calendar flips to 2018, a common series of meetings are happening in nonprofit organizations across the country: Strategic Planning for 2018.
How do you keep the fundraising and donor momentum going in the coming months? How do you to increase donor dollars and meet your new fundraising goals? Since most organizations use January (and, yes, some of February too) to identify annual goals and set plans in motion, Firefly has identified five steps that, when implemented in early annual planning, can help you achieve your fundraising objectives by December 2018.
- Refresh your impact stories: The start of the year is the best time to review your organization’s impact stories and refresh or replace them to ensure you’re showing the impact your work has on individuals and families. It’s a great way to showcase how donor dollars change lives and communities.
- Illustrate the success of 2017: Updating the visual elements of fundraising success on your site keeps your website fresh and can accurately show how your organization has been successful in donor stewardship. Revise infographics, stats, and pull quotes that appear throughout your website and email marketing campaigns for maximum impact.
- Thank your donors: You likely thanked your donors when they completed a donation transaction, but now would be a great time to personalize a thank you message. Encourage board members or executive team members to reach out or have your CEO record a thank you message you can share via social channels.
- Database cleanup: It’s not going to top anyone’s list of fun activities, but if your organization makes an annual goal to spend a few weeks at the start of the year on database cleanup, you can ensure your marketing and communication outreach efforts are reaching the right constituents and potential donors.
- UX audit: Each year, take a few weeks to complete a user experience (UX) audit of your website to ensure your donor experience matches the organizations expectations. Is it clear what your mission is, why you do the important work you do, and how supporters can contribute financially? Can individuals easily locate volunteer opportunities? And most importantly, is your donation form simple and easy to use?
Spending time on the steps outlined above can lay the foundation you need to implement a successful 12-month fundraising strategy. Planning for these items on an annual basis will ensure your team is starting with confidence as they execute fundraising efforts and communication messages throughout the year.
Want to learn more about how a few upgrades to your donation form can have big results? Get in touch.
