Fundraising

How to Raise More Funds from Your Donors in 2024

How to Raise More Funds from Your Donors in 2024

By

Manasa & Shravan

|

December 19, 2023

Last modified: 

December 19, 2023

We can’t believe it — it’s already December. The time of the year that calls for delicious hot chocolate (or eggnog) and endless marathons of your favorite Christmas movies. After all, ‘tis the season to be jolly.

2023 has been a year full of learning for the advancement space. We wanted to combine some of our learnings of the previous year and share a list of strategies that advancement teams can use for fundraising success in 2024.

Without further ado, here are our recommendations to increase donor engagement and giving.

1. Planning for Targeted Campaigns:

Extend your planning horizon by incorporating specific, targeted campaigns for different donor segments. Identify key fundraising periods and strategically plan initiatives tailored to the interests and preferences of diverse donor groups.

2. Data-Driven Personalization for Effective Appeals:

Dive deep into your CRM data to personalize fundraising appeals. Tailor messages based on individual donor histories, preferred names, and specific areas of interest. Use data insights to create highly personalized and effective communication strategies.

Metrics that Matter

3. Segmented Strategies for Donor Engagement:

Uncover the power of donor segmentation within your holistic donor tool. Develop specific engagement strategies for major donors, recurring donors, and new donors. Showcase case studies highlighting how targeted approaches yield higher engagement and increased contributions.

4. Engage Your Donors as Early as Possible:

Cultivate success by engaging your earliest potential donors right from the start. Personally reach out, sharing your vision and inviting them to be pioneers in supporting your cause. Offer exclusive insights into upcoming projects, fostering a sense of ownership. Early engagement not only secures initial contributions but also sets the stage for broader community involvement, ensuring sustained success throughout your campaign.

Read York College of Pennsylvania’s unique way of engaging students and young alums right from the start.

5. Gamification for Donor Engagement:

Infuse a sense of fun into your donor engagement strategies. Consider incorporating gamification elements into fundraising initiatives, turning contributions into interactive experiences. Showcase success stories of organizations that successfully turned fundraising into an enjoyable and rewarding journey.

 Read Monmouth University’s annual Wine vs. Stein event, which has been engaging and connecting alumni from different segments of their community.

6. Interactive Visuals for Digital Platforms:

Embrace the interactive potential of digital platforms. Consider utilizing features like interactive infographics, videos, or virtual tours to engage donors. Ensure your visual content adapts seamlessly to various digital channels, providing an immersive and consistent brand experience.

 Read how Westminster Christian Academy offered their donors a seamless interface which allowed for a great donor experience and fundraising success!

And that about wraps it up. This is (probably) our last blog post for the year, so until next year!

Make sure to check out our advancement spotlight page for more success stories and industry insights for all your advancement and alumni related needs

We hope you have a wonderful Christmas and New Year 🤗!

We can’t believe it — it’s already December. The time of the year that calls for delicious hot chocolate (or eggnog) and endless marathons of your favorite Christmas movies. After all, ‘tis the season to be jolly.

2023 has been a year full of learning for the advancement space. We wanted to combine some of our learnings of the previous year and share a list of strategies that advancement teams can use for fundraising success in 2024.

Without further ado, here are our recommendations to increase donor engagement and giving.

1. Planning for Targeted Campaigns:

Extend your planning horizon by incorporating specific, targeted campaigns for different donor segments. Identify key fundraising periods and strategically plan initiatives tailored to the interests and preferences of diverse donor groups.

2. Data-Driven Personalization for Effective Appeals:

Dive deep into your CRM data to personalize fundraising appeals. Tailor messages based on individual donor histories, preferred names, and specific areas of interest. Use data insights to create highly personalized and effective communication strategies.

Metrics that Matter

3. Segmented Strategies for Donor Engagement:

Uncover the power of donor segmentation within your holistic donor tool. Develop specific engagement strategies for major donors, recurring donors, and new donors. Showcase case studies highlighting how targeted approaches yield higher engagement and increased contributions.

4. Engage Your Donors as Early as Possible:

Cultivate success by engaging your earliest potential donors right from the start. Personally reach out, sharing your vision and inviting them to be pioneers in supporting your cause. Offer exclusive insights into upcoming projects, fostering a sense of ownership. Early engagement not only secures initial contributions but also sets the stage for broader community involvement, ensuring sustained success throughout your campaign.

Read York College of Pennsylvania’s unique way of engaging students and young alums right from the start.

5. Gamification for Donor Engagement:

Infuse a sense of fun into your donor engagement strategies. Consider incorporating gamification elements into fundraising initiatives, turning contributions into interactive experiences. Showcase success stories of organizations that successfully turned fundraising into an enjoyable and rewarding journey.

 Read Monmouth University’s annual Wine vs. Stein event, which has been engaging and connecting alumni from different segments of their community.

6. Interactive Visuals for Digital Platforms:

Embrace the interactive potential of digital platforms. Consider utilizing features like interactive infographics, videos, or virtual tours to engage donors. Ensure your visual content adapts seamlessly to various digital channels, providing an immersive and consistent brand experience.

 Read how Westminster Christian Academy offered their donors a seamless interface which allowed for a great donor experience and fundraising success!

And that about wraps it up. This is (probably) our last blog post for the year, so until next year!

Make sure to check out our advancement spotlight page for more success stories and industry insights for all your advancement and alumni related needs

We hope you have a wonderful Christmas and New Year 🤗!

Blackbaud, the leading provider of software for powering social impact, and Almabase, the digital-first alumni engagement solution, have announced the expansion of their partnership to the education sectors of Canada and the United Kingdom. The partnership will provide institutions with a modern, digital-first solution to improve constituent data, drive self-serve engagement, and boost event participation.

A Unified Vision

The partnership aligns with Blackbaud’s commitment to customer-centric innovation across digital engagement, Advancement CRM, and financials.

“Partners bring integrated capabilities that extend capabilities and outcomes for Blackbaud customers. We are thrilled that Almabase’s offering, integrated with Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT® and leveraging Blackbaud’s best-in-class payment solution, Blackbaud Merchant Services™, is now available to even more of our customers around the world.”

- Liz Price, Sr. Director of Global Partners at Blackbaud

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