Embracing "Mini Moments" to engage donors and stimulate fundraising
"Mini moments." It's my fundraising resolution, and I'm realizing that it's a bit more controversial in a lot of people's minds than I anticipated. So I decided to capture my thoughts in a post...
The more I think about it, the more I think "status quo bias" is driving these emotional reactions. The fact is that the need for NPOs, NGOs, and human services agencies has never been greater, but the external environment is rapidly changing. So it stands to reason that our approach to fundraising needs to change with it!
As pandemic restrictions ease and we begin adapting to a "new normal," many organizations are eager to reinvigorate in-person fundraising activities. I've already been invited to attend and/or sponsor numerous in-person fundraising events in the spring from a wide variety of charitable foundations, human services agencies, and nonprofit organizations.
But if we take a step back, is the annual in-person fundraiser the most effective initiative to engage donors and reinforce your brand story? Keep in mind...we're all tired - not just us, but our donor networks too! According to the Nonprofit Source, the average person is supporting 4.5 charities at any given time. Asking people to attend multiple in-person events throughout the year is becoming a big "ask," when perhaps the donor experience can be more personalized and engaging.
Don't get me wrong; the annual event has its place. It works for some organizations (the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting & Dinner is a great example), and for some donors (think of the annual golf tournament that your Board chair champions), but others might just be investing a lot of human and financial capital into a single night because...well...that's how they've always done it! (In fact, when researching this concept I came across arguments that are the complete opposite of my own - that you should put all your eggs in one signature event.)
Sometimes when looking at a program budget and financials we take for granted the hundreds of hours of staff time that goes into planning the annual event, from the venue logistics to sourcing silent auction items to promoting the event itself. If you take an honest look at the numbers you might be surprised to see the "net" dollars raised aren't anything close to "transformational," and the opportunity cost of those staff hours add up!
With that in mind, this year I'm embracing a new concept..."mini moments." At the end of the day, if you broke up the milestones associated with a big annual event, and turned each of those into its own fundraising initiative, you'd be surprised at the impact. Not only that, by taking a step back and focusing your ask, you'll be able to deepen your bench of donors because you're focusing on treasure - and not their time!
Mini-fundraising opportunities
Host a virtual "Day of Giving" using Facebook Live
Open an online "pop-up shop" and bundle a donation with something of value
Create a peer-to-peer crowdfunding platform, with tools like MobileCause
Customize campaigns for supporters who haven't donated - ask for $10 this year, and $15 next year
Create a Facebook fundraiser by applying for eligibility as a nonprofit and turn the social media platform into a fundraising portal
Build an automated marketing communications within your CRM that shares stories on your organization throughout the year and ask for funds in December when nearly 1/3 of all donations are received
Host a virtual trivia night - SquareOne is an organization who has embraced this event with great success
Ask annual donors to make a recurring monthly pledge in lieu of asking them to spend three hours with you one evening!
Be specific with a campaign pledge - what will $25 provide in terms of impact with a single individual or family?
Host a "vendor" donor day, where your business partners can collaborate to donate to your organization with a prize for the biggest gift!
Anchor a fundraising campaign to an event on the calendar (i.e. Super Bowl LVI, #GivingTuesday, Halloween)
Ask donors to increase their gift by 10%
Mini outreach opportunities
Partner with local companies to host service days and expose new people in the community to your work
Network with people outside of your core industry and look for opportunities to collaborate - joining your local BNI chapter is a great way to start plus they have free memberships available for nonprofit members!
Profile donors and supporters more broadly - commission a plaque for your largest fundraiser (not donor - fundraiser!) and share that recognition on social media!
Donate and support to other organizations (reciprocity is real!)
Solicit donations from charitable foundations (everything from a local community foundation to the charitable arm of a Fortune 500 like the Tesla Foundation or Fidelity Charitable Foundation)
Mini engagement opportunities
Celebrate donations as they come in through social media and tag those donors - Instagram stories with the "donation" sticker are a perfect medium for this!
Arm members of your Board with the fundraising tools they need to meet fundraising goals
Attend fundraising events in your community to meet donors and add them to your network
Ask donors for names of five people in their network who they think will give
Recruit local influencers to share your "ask" with their networks
Arm donors with the fundraising tools they need to share news of their gift
The takeaway?
Obviously none of this replaces relentlessly sharing stories of your impact with your community throughout the year - where they are! That might mean you need a TikTok channel or an on-site brand activation, but when marketing works in tandem with fundraising to diversify revenue as part of an organizational strategic plan, everyone wins!
There is no "one-size-fits-all" approach to fundraising. Is your organization pursuing an annual fundraising event? Do you agree that "mini moments" might be a pivot worth considering for you and your team? What would you add to the list? Drop a note in the comments - I'd love to hear from you!
