4 Innovative Non-Dues Revenue Ideas for Associations

For most associations, membership dues keep the organization up and running. Because members must renew their memberships each year to remain active and retain access to benefits, this is a fairly reliable stream of revenue for associations. Since strong, consistent membership is key to growing your association, it’s important to satisfy and engage members to motivate them to renew.

However, relying too heavily on dues to fuel your association can put pressure on staff to retain and recruit as many new members as possible. While staff should strive to retain and grow your membership base, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the demand to constantly reach new members to remain profitable. To relieve some of this pressure, consider further diversifying your revenue beyond membership dues.

While associations have relied primarily on dues, times are changing and revenue diversification is essential. In a 2016 study by ASAE, the organization found that on average, dues only make up 30% of total revenue for professional associations. In this guide, we’ll explore the following types of non-dues revenue streams and how you can implement them:

Remember that while your organization’s finances are important, members’ experiences should take first priority. To smoothly integrate these new revenue opportunities, consider combining your new revenue opportunities with members’ experiences through meaningful storytelling to promote the revenue streams. For example, you might feature a testimonial from a member who completed a course offered by your association and subsequently got a promotion using the new skills she learned.

To get started, let’s explore how conferences and special events can become valuable additional revenue streams.

Conferences and Special Events

For many associations, an annual conference or event is what their members look forward to each year. These events provide many benefits to members, such as networking opportunities, educational sessions and keynote presentations, and interactive workshops where they can learn new skills. They even have non-financial benefits for your association like assisting with new member outreach and supporting relationships with influential exhibitors and sponsors in your field.

Conferences also have clear financial benefits because attendees typically have to purchase tickets to enter—they might even purchase merchandise or food while at the conference. Additionally, any exhibitors at the conference will need to pay for their booth.

If your association doesn’t currently host a yearly conference (or is looking for ways to improve its events), follow these tips:

  • Use event planning software. Choose association management software (AMS) that offers helpful event management features. For instance, your software should automate conference communications, offer an eCommerce platform where members can purchase tickets, and have a mobile app that will help attendees navigate the event. Fonteva’s guide to Salesforce for associations recommends choosing a solution that integrates with your existing tech stack so all event data will flow seamlessly into your existing reports.
  • Market the event in advance. The key to profiting from a conference is attracting enough attendees and exhibitors. To reach these organizations and individuals, you’ll need to promote the event via association meetings, emails, newsletters, social media, and more. Make sure to reach out to your audience through the communication channels they prefer and use often.
  • Choose a flexible event format. If you run a large, multi-chapter association or your conference is well-known in your field, it’s possible that not every interested individual will be able to attend in person. To accommodate potential attendees who may not be able to travel and attend physically, offer a hybrid event. This way, those who wish to attend in person can, and other registrants have the option to tune in from their homes or offices.

While an event does require some upfront costs and planning, it can be a large source of revenue for your association. To make sure your organization profits from the conference, carefully budget during the planning process, place effort into event promotion, and implement constructive feedback and suggestions into future events.

Continued Learning Courses

One reason many members join associations is to learn new skills and information. While covering new topics during meetings or hosting monthly educational sessions is a good starting point, offer members the chance to go deeper with educational courses.

Host these courses on your association website or learning management system and sell access to them on your eCommerce site. Morweb’s membership website guide recommends keeping these resources behind a paywall that members have to log into to access.

Some common ways to structure these learning opportunities include creating:

  • A series of video lectures or presentations
  • Interactive microcredential courses
  • Written guides in a PDF or eBook format
  • Mentorships or coaching sessions
  • Discussion-based courses (e.g., members enrolled in the course read an article each week and meet to discuss it)

If your organization is smaller or doesn’t currently have the resources to build a full course, don’t shy away from offering other educational resources. For example, you might record and compile a series of webinars given about a specific topic and sell access to the series to members.

Merchandise

Selling merchandise is an easy way to passively generate revenue. Once you complete the initial preparation steps, your staff won’t need to put in much additional time or effort into this revenue stream. All your association will need to do is:

  1. Design the merchandise. Make sure it includes your association’s name and branding.
  2. Stock up on inventory for members to purchase.
  3. List each item on the eCommerce website powered by your association management platform.

To boost your sales, take advantage of opportunities to promote your merchandise. Conferences are a great time to sell special t-shirts, hats, or bags that attendees can take home as a souvenir. Additionally, you might offer sales around special occasions such as Black Friday or offer discount codes to new members to motivate them to browse your e-store.

Fundraisers

Fundraisers are exceptional for generating additional funding for specific programs, events, or valuable member perks. For example, maybe you need to fundraise in order to support your mentorship program that connects members with college students looking for guidance. Or, maybe your association wants to partner with a local nonprofit to raise money for both causes.

While often necessary, it can be difficult to motivate members to participate in fundraisers when they are already paying membership fees. Try out these strategies to inspire their support:

  • Be clear about the fundraiser’s purpose. Address any confusion about why you are fundraising at the beginning of the campaign. Because members already pay membership fees, they might feel more comfortable donating if they know there is a specific reason for the fundraiser. Be as detailed as you can to paint a picture of how their support will benefit the association (e.g., “With your support, we can book an industry celebrity to speak at our yearly banquet.”).
  • Tailor your fundraising asks. When you reach out to members for donations, make sure to personalize your messages. Start by greeting them by name and explicitly naming any support they’ve given in the past. If they are a long-term member, acknowledge their years of membership. Create email segments that group donors by their level of involvement or the relationship with your association to ensure you ask for appropriate amounts.
  • Have a stewardship plan ready. When a member decides to make a generous gift to your association, be ready to recognize this generosity. You might send donation eCards to members who donate to thank them for their support or even offer exclusive perks. When members see that you value their support (and that donating is rewarded with prizes and recognition), they’ll be more likely to donate again in the future.

When planning your fundraiser, utilize fundraising features in your AMS. These features will help you track fundraising progress, send donation receipts, and identify top donors. If your current solution lacks these capabilities, consider upgrading to a more comprehensive solution.

As you introduce these new revenue streams, remember to remain cognizant of things like donor or consumer fatigue. To avoid turning members off to these opportunities, make sure any new revenue stream you introduce will directly benefit members—and make sure those benefits are clearly communicated. Then, by the time renewal letters go out, members will be excited to renew and enjoy your organization’s new offerings.

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How to Guide Donors from Emails to Your Donation Page

On average, working adults receive 120 emails a day. That means that each time your nonprofit sends an email, it’s competing with over a hundred other messages vying for each supporter’s attention.

In these crowded inboxes, how do you make your emails stand out? Once they do catch your recipients’ attention, how do you lead supporters from email to your website to take action?

Optimizing the donor journey from email to your donation page will increase conversion rates and build stronger supporter relationships in the process. When you make it easy for supporters to donate, you’ll give donors a better online experience and increase the chances they’ll give again. We’ll discuss these four tips for how to do just that:

  1. Make every email actionable.
  2. Design landing pages that hold donors’ attention.
  3. Simplify your donation page.
  4. Ensure consistency throughout the donor journey.

Soliciting donations from email isn’t just about having the right marketing strategy. Every step a donor takes, from clicking a link and arriving on your nonprofit’s website to filling out your donation form, needs to be cohesive and well thought out. Let’s start with the email itself.

1. Make every email actionable.

When crafting emails, focus on what will compel supporters to visit your website and take the next step. Not every email needs to be a donation appeal to lead donors to your giving page. Simply guide readers toward your website, then let your website do the rest of the work.

Optimize the following aspects of your emails to gently nudge donors toward your website:

  • Subject lines: 64% of people decide whether to open or delete an email based solely on the subject line. Make your subject lines more compelling by personalizing them with donors’ names and conveying urgency. For example, the subject line “Jim, you still have 24 hours left to give the gift of sight” is more actionable than “Join Our Eyeglass Gifting Campaign.”
  • Content: Supporters shouldn’t have to spend a long time reading your emails. Craft short but engaging messages that use storytelling techniques to inspire readers to dive deeper by visiting your website.
  • Links: Depending on the content of an email, you could link to blog posts, campaign pages, volunteer signups, or directly to your donation page. Any link that leads readers to your website helps, but make sure the text clearly tells supporters where the link will take them. Linking your donation page over the text “Breanna’s story,” for example, could be confusing and misleading.
  • CTAs: Calls to action, or CTAs, are vital for nonprofit emails. These are the buttons, text, or images that ask readers to click to donate, sign a petition, or take another next step. Improve your CTAs by keeping them short, straightforward, and clearly actionable.

To check the effectiveness of these strategies, analyze your emails’ click-through rate (CTR). Determine which types of content and CTAs drive the most engagement from your audience, and use similar content for future emails.

2. Design landing pages that hold donors’ attention.

Once a donor clicks a link in your email and arrives on your website, you need to encourage them to stay on the site and explore your content.

For example, let’s say you sent an email about an upcoming fundraising gala and linked to an event registration page. There are plenty of aspects of this page you can optimize to not only get users to sign up for the gala, but also stay on your website.

When designing landing pages using your organization’s website builder, make sure they include:

  • Compelling visuals: Images, graphics, and videos often hold users’ attention better than text alone. Plus, photos of your beneficiaries, volunteers, or staff help build an emotional connection with supporters. On your gala landing page, you might include a photo of last year’s attendees or an infographic showing how much the previous gala raised for your cause.
  • Relevant content: The information, images, and links on a landing page should all be relevant to your audience and their interests. If you know your supporters will be most excited about the auction portion of your gala, for example, your landing page could provide a sneak peek of a few high-profile auction items.
  • Optimized UX: User experience (UX) refers to how easily visitors can navigate your website. Negative UX, such as a long page loading time or buttons that aren’t clickable, can cause supporters to leave your website quickly. Avoid this by testing each landing page to ensure everything appears and works properly on desktop and mobile versions.

Every landing page should also have a clear pathway to your donation page. This is commonly done by creating a universal banner that lives at the top of every page of your website and features a large “Donate” button.

One way to make this design process easier is to use a website template that was created with nonprofits in mind. Morweb lists the top nonprofit website templates you should consider, many of which include built-in donation buttons or embedded donation forms. Using templates like these can help you streamline the donor journey without spending too much staff time on technical details.

3. Simplify your donation page.

Imagine that a supporter visited your event registration page and can’t attend the gala, but wants to donate. They click the prominent “Donate” button at the top of the signup page and arrive on your donation page. This is the moment you’ve been waiting for, but your work isn’t done yet.

Plenty of roadblocks can stop someone from completing an online donation. If the page doesn’t load fast enough, if there are too many prompts, or if anything on the page is confusing, donors might exit the page. Simplifying your donation page and only asking for necessary information gives donors a better experience and increases the likelihood of completed gifts.

Use these tips to simplify your donation page:

  • Limit form fields to include only straightforward, necessary questions.
  • Ensure your donation form is accessible on mobile devices.
  • Include suggested donation amounts so donors can quickly choose a popular donation size.
  • Test load times using Google Lighthouse and follow the recommended steps to improve your page’s speed.

Be sure to monitor your donation form’s bounce rate to see how many supporters aren’t completing their donations, then analyze why that may be happening. Make adjustments as needed, or send out a survey to donors asking for their opinions on the page.

4. Ensure visual consistency throughout the donor journey.

NXUnite’s biggest nonprofit web design tip is to ensure brand consistency across every page on your site. But don’t stop at your website — this brand consistency should extend to your emails, social media graphics, and every communication you send to supporters.

To ensure donors have a cohesive experience of your nonprofit throughout the entire journey from email to website to donation page, visual consistency is key. Specifically, the following branding and design elements should stay consistent across all website pages and messages:

  • Logo
  • Color scheme
  • Typography
  • Image style
  • Tone and messaging

Your website builder should allow you to easily customize branding elements across your entire site. There are plenty of email tools and templates that allow for quick brand customization, as well. Just remember to update all of your website pages and marketing collateral when you make any branding changes.

These tips will help you provide donors with a better overall online experience, leading to higher conversion rates and improved retention. Focus on reducing the number of steps donors need to take and making it easy for them to take action. Update your email and web design strategy as you identify areas of improvement, and don’t be afraid to ask for input from your internal and external stakeholders.

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Designing Your Nonprofit Auction Catalog: 5 Strategies

When it comes to auctions, the items your nonprofit procures can make or break your fundraising success. To maximize your event’s potential, your items need to be unique, high-value, and appealing to your specific supporter base.

One effective way to showcase your nonprofit’s auction items is to design a catalog. By listing all of the available prizes in a single booklet, along with additional information about your fundraiser and organization, your auction catalog can serve as both a marketing tool and a guide to the auction event itself.

To design an auction catalog for your nonprofit’s next event, try the following five strategies:

  1. Understand When to Create an Auction Catalog
  2. Incorporate Your Nonprofit’s Branding
  3. Write Item Descriptions With Your Audience in Mind
  4. Acknowledge Your Event Sponsors
  5. Develop Digital and Print Versions of Your Catalog

While some nonprofits pay professional graphic designers to produce their auction catalogs, it’s possible to make one yourself with the right tools and a little creativity. There are plenty of templates available online which you can customize to meet your organization’s needs, no matter your level of design experience. Let’s dive in!

1. Understand When to Create an Auction Catalog

Although creating a high-quality auction catalog isn’t as difficult as it might seem, it still requires an investment of time and effort. So, it isn’t necessary to make one for every auction your nonprofit might host.

According to the fundraising experts at Winspire, auction catalogs are best suited to in-person live auctions. These auctions tend to feature fewer items than silent or virtual auctions, and the list is finalized further in advance, giving you the time to create a catalog that include all of the items you’ll feature.

Attendees at an in-person silent auction are most engaged when they’re actively browsing the tables instead of reading a booklet, and it’s easier for virtual auction participants to view items directly in your event software rather than going back and forth between the platform and a catalog. For an in-person live auction, however, it’s helpful for participants to read through a guide to the event and choose the items they’re interested in before the intense bidding process begins.

The silent and virtual auction alternative to a live auction catalog is well-designed bid sheets. Above the space where participants write their bids and contact information, include a creative title, description, and photo of each silent auction item on the corresponding sheet to catch supporters’ attention.

2. Incorporate Your Nonprofit’s Branding

Branding makes your nonprofit recognizable and memorable for supporters, and it helps maintain consistency across various marketing materials. Your auction catalog is no exception. As you design the booklet, make sure it accurately reflects your nonprofit’s brand.

Kwala’s guide to nonprofit branding lists several essential brand aspects to incorporate into your auction catalog, including:

  • Your organization’s name and logo. Especially for newer supporters, these elements provide a first impression of who your nonprofit is and what you stand for, so they should appear on the cover page of your auction catalog.
  • A consistent color scheme. Make sure the text colors in the booklet contrast adequately with their background colors to improve readability.
  • Interesting but legible typography. Add visual variety to your catalog by choosing two fonts—one for headings and one for body text—that complement each other. However, to avoid a cluttered look, it’s best not to use more than three different typefaces. Also, make sure to choose typefaces that are easy to read, even for titles and other aspects of your catalog where you might want to add a visual flair.

Additionally, consider writing a few sentences in the booklet detailing your organization’s mission and how you plan to use the funding you bring in from the auction. This way, supporters can feel confident that their event contributions will further a good cause.

3. Write Item Descriptions With Your Audience in Mind

Your auction catalog should contain enough information to be a useful resource for event participants, but not so much that it could become overwhelming. In most cases, a total of 12-15 live auction items allows you to keep both the catalog and the event itself to a reasonable length.

As you describe each item in the catalog, consider your supporters’ perspective by following these tips:

  • Group the items into relevant categories. To appeal to different supporters’ interests, organize the catalog so they can easily find what they want to bid on. You might include categories such as travel, food and beverages, arts and entertainment, and family-friendly prizes.
  • Keep your descriptions concise. You’ll want to fit a maximum of two to three item descriptions on each page. Make them easy to skim by keeping paragraphs short and using bullet points when possible.
  • Mention any item restrictions. If concert tickets are only valid for certain dates or a vacation package limits the winner’s choice of airline, let supporters know in the catalog so they can make an informed decision about whether to bid on the item.

Next to each item description, include a related image—either a photo of the physical item or something related to the experience you’re auctioning off, like a picture of the destination the winner of a vacation package would travel to. This not only makes your catalog design more aesthetically pleasing but also gets supporters excited about bidding on each item.

4. Acknowledge Your Event Sponsors

Many fundraising events, including auctions, can benefit from corporate sponsorships. Some businesses may be willing to support your event through financial contributions, while others will provide auction items at a reduced cost or as in-kind donations.

However, for a partnership between a business and a nonprofit to succeed, it needs to be mutually beneficial. Your sponsorship requests should clearly state that in return for your corporate partner’s contributions, they’ll receive free publicity from your organization. The easiest way to do this is to include your sponsors’ names and logos in your event marketing materials—including your auction catalog.

If a business donated a specific auction item, include a brief acknowledgment under its description, such as “This item was contributed by [sponsor name]” accompanied by the business’s logo. Then, add a page listing all of your financial sponsors with a title like “Thank You to Our Event Sponsors” to show your gratitude and honor your agreement.

5. Develop Digital and Print Versions of Your Catalog

Make sure your auction catalog is finalized well in advance of your event, so you can both convert it to a PDF and send it to a print shop to make physical copies. There are two main reasons for this, and the first is convenience. During your auction, participants can choose whether they’d prefer to look through the print booklet or download the digital version on their smartphones.

The other reason is to improve your event marketing strategy, as aligning your online and offline efforts allows you to reach more supporters. Include a print catalog with any event invitations you send by mail, and link to the PDF on your nonprofit’s website and in emails to give supporters a sneak peek of your auction items.

An auction catalog is an essential tool for the success of any in-person live auction events your nonprofit may host. Well-written item descriptions convince supporters to bid on your high-value items, and incorporating your nonprofit’s branding into both the print and digital versions of your booklet helps align your catalog with your other marketing efforts. Plus, it’s a great place to thank the sponsors who made your event possible.

After your auction, revisit your catalog to evaluate its strengths and areas for improvement. As with any marketing strategy, time and practice will help each auction catalog you make turn out better than the last.

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6 Fundraising Ideas to Strengthen Donor Relationships

The importance of donor relationships is no mystery to nonprofit leaders. A strong connection between donors and nonprofits often leads to increased engagement and a greater sense of community among supporters.

But how can your nonprofit focus on cultivating these connections while raising money for its cause? In this guide, we’ll review four fundraising ideas that can simultaneously strengthen donor relationships and fund your work.

Peer-to-peer campaigns

One of the most important parts of relationship building is understanding another perspective. This is why your nonprofit should work to learn more about each supporter and the motivations behind their involvement. Donors who feel recognized and considered will ultimately be more engaged in your organization.

Peer-to-peer campaigns are an effective way to have direct interactions with your supporters in order to learn more about what they love about your organization. These campaigns raise money through the advocacy of supporters, who recruit their friends and family members to donate to your organization. Donors share a unique campaign page, typically on social media, through which their peers can donate to your nonprofit.

There are two types of peer-to-peer campaigns your nonprofit might host:

  • Rolling campaign: This is a peer-to-peer campaign with no time limit. Since it doesn’t have a deadline, these campaigns can operate alongside other fundraising events and initiatives (think Facebook birthday campaigns).
  • TIme-based campaign. These campaigns raise money by a predetermined deadline and are often tied to events.

In either campaign format, nonprofits can see how donors are talking about them and advocating for them. But, to build strong relationships, communication must go both ways. When your nonprofit explains its cause and how donors should advocate for it, you’re able to explain your perspective to donors and help them learn more about your organization and deepen their connection to your cause.

Product fundraisers

Most people enjoy receiving a little something in return for their donations. Not only does this incentivize giving, but nonprofits can also connect with donors in a memorable way when they offer a tangible gift in return for contributions.

Product fundraisers allow nonprofits to do just that. By selling various products to supporters, your nonprofit will not only raise money for its cause but also offer a gift to donors. Nonprofits can sell a wide variety of products for this fundraiser, including:

  • Branded merchandise. T-shirts, water bottles, or other products with your nonprofit’s branding elements can be worn and used by donors for years after the fundraiser is actually complete.
  • Food. Food items can be a conversation starter or an opportunity to learn more about your donors’ favorite snacks. ABC Fundraising recommends selling cookie dough, especially since there are multiple cookie flavors available to sell.
  • Seasonal items. Christmas decorations or Thanksgiving dishes can help nonprofits connect with donors by spreading holiday cheer.

Selling products to raise money for your nonprofit also allows you to learn more about your donors and their unique preferences. For example, you might survey your supporters to ask which item they’d be most interested in purchasing. You could also ask for their input on merchandise designs or seasonal item styles to get to know them better.

A-Thon event

Campaigns and sales are classic ways to raise money for your organization, but events place the focus solely on connection and socialization. A-Thon events are challenge-based activities that raise money for your nonprofit while also building relationships with your supporters through healthy competition. There are numerous types of A-Thon events, including:

  • Walk-a-thons
  • Dog walk-a-thons
  • Run-a-thons
  • Bike-a-thons
  • Dance-a-thons
  • Hula hoop-a-thons
  • Swim-a-thons

An A-Thon event simply collects donations by establishing a challenge and having donors collect pledges from family and friends dependent on their performance in the challenge. Because of this, nonprofits can make almost any activity an A-Thon event.

Since these events are highly customizable, they’re a creative opportunity for nonprofits to learn more about their donors’ interests and hobbies. For example, a survey might reveal that many of your supporters enjoy baseball. You could host a bat-a-thon, where donors collect pledges based on the number of baseballs they can hit in a row.

Effective nonprofit event planning takes donors’ preferences into consideration. When donors are engaged in an event that caters to their interests, they’ll be more likely to get involved with your nonprofit.

Gala

Challenging activities engage supporters because of the excitement of participating in the activity. In contrast, high-end fundraising events are a calmer opportunity for your nonprofit to build relationships with its donors without the distraction of a high-energy activity.

Galas can raise money for your nonprofit’s cause while also allowing your organization’s leaders to speak with donors one-on-one and learn more about them and their families. For light entertainment, your gala could include:

  • Keynote speakers. Recruit one of your organization’s leaders or hire a professional speaker to give a speech related to your nonprofit’s work and the significance of its cause.
  • Raffles. Consider selling raffle tickets to win special prizes, like a gift basket or discounts at local establishments.
  • Local bands. Invite a local band to provide live music.
  • Unique performances. Find unique entertainment, like a comedian or magician, to give a special performance as part of your event.

While attendees eat and enjoy the entertainment, your nonprofit’s leaders can focus on mingling and getting to know each supporter. This event type also allows donors to socialize with each other, which can further strengthen the community within your nonprofit.

Donor-Driven Campaigns

This twist on peer-to-peer fundraising allows your donors to bring their campaign visions to life. And, with the right training and resources from your nonprofit, their passion for your cause can greatly boost your funds. Here’s how a donor-driven campaign works:

  1. Open your donor-driven campaign program to your supporter base and collect signups.
  2. Once the signup window has closed, gather your participants for a fundraising training session. During this session, the donor will pick what they want their campaign to look like, set goals, and start crafting outreach materials.
  3. Give your participants resources to succeed. This varies based on the participant’s fundraising idea, but you can provide them a profile on your peer-to-peer fundraising website to start. Also, offer them templates for emails and social media posts so participants can market their personal campaigns more effectively.
  4. Offer coaching throughout the campaign. Set short meetings with your participants to answer questions and provide advice so they can hit their fundraising goals.

This empowering fundraising idea works because you give donors complete control over how they want to collect gifts and conduct outreach. This allows them to play to their strengths and builds their personal investment in your cause.

Your nonprofit can also leverage this program to demonstrate donor appreciation. Giving donors control over how they run their campaign shows them how much you value their passion for your mission. You can also formally show appreciation by hosting a thank-you banquet for all participants after the campaign ends, no matter how successful their personal campaign was.

Wrapping Up

Nonprofits are always looking for creative ways to raise money, but the most important part of fundraising is cultivating strong relationships with donors. After all, donors are the lifeblood of your organization’s operations. Your nonprofit shouldn’t leverage these relationships for its own benefit, but should also genuinely pursue deeper connections with supporters because of all they do for your organization.

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Recognizing Your Org’s Supporters Using Your Website: 4 Tips

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As a nonprofit professional, you know how easy it is to get caught up in fundraising numbers, whether you’ve spent hours working to secure one major gift or months trying to reach a campaign goal. Of course, the financial well-being of your organization is critically important, but sometimes, well-intentioned nonprofits can fall into the trap of focusing so much on dollars and cents that they neglect important relationship-building opportunities.

The good news is that there are many simple ways to strengthen relationships with your supporters, including using your website. Use your website to recognize your organization’s supporters and thank them for how they’ve contributed to your cause. Doing so will not only make your donors, volunteers, and sponsors feel great about their contributions so far, but will also help transform them into lifelong supporters as your recognition efforts encourage further involvement.

If you’re not sure where to start, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered with these four quick tips for recognizing your supporters on your website:

  1. Create a virtual donor wall.
  2. Spotlight volunteer contributions on your blog.
  3. Include sponsor information on your site.
  4. Embed your social media feeds on your website.

Even organizations with the best websites can struggle to know where to begin when it comes to using their sites as a recognition tool. But with a little guidance, you’ll soon be well on your way to fostering long-lasting relationships with the people who want to see your mission succeed. Let’s dive in!

1. Create a virtual donor wall.

You’ve likely heard of a physical donor wall being used as a recognition tool (or your organization may have constructed its own!), but virtual donor walls are a little different. These donor “walls” are available to view on your nonprofit’s website and feature the names of your organization’s donors. And, with the virtual format, it comes with the following benefits:

  • Affordable for organizations of all sizes to create
  • Easy to update
  • Can be used for online marketing efforts
  • Can easily feature your nonprofit’s branding

To create a virtual donor wall, set up a new page on your website that includes a short introduction thanking donors for their contributions and links to your donation page to encourage additional gifts. Below this introduction, list your donors’ names. This page could be live in a Support or Ways to Give section on your website or be a floating page.

You may be wondering, “Who should I feature on my virtual donor wall?” Traditionally, donor walls are used to honor donors who give major contributions, such as loyal board members or donors who give to a capital campaign. However, with the flexibility and affordability of a virtual donor wall, you can feature anyone you’d like on your wall. You could even divide your donor wall page into sections based on different tiers or donation size ranges.

However, some donors may not want to be recognized for their contributions in such a public and visible way. Make sure that you ask permission before including an individual’s name on the virtual donor wall!

2. Spotlight volunteer contributions on your blog.

Your blog can be a powerful tool for giving shout-outs to your supporters, especially your volunteers! You can spotlight individual volunteers or your entire program, whatever you feel would resonate most with your audience.

Here are some content ideas you can include in volunteer recognition blog posts that will really help them pop:

  • Interviews: Make your volunteers’ voices heard through your blog posts by interviewing them. For example, you might interview the volunteer who’s been working with your organization the longest. Not only would their story send a great message to the volunteer about how much you appreciate their efforts, but it would also inspire other volunteers to keep up their great work.
  • Quick Metrics: You may want to report to your community on the effectiveness of your volunteer program using numbers, like the number of volunteer hours that have been logged over the last six months, the number of students your volunteers have tutored, or the weight of the clothing they collected at your recent clothing drive. Go the extra mile in sharing these metrics by communicating them visually through infographics or graphs.
  • Event Recaps: If you have an event that is powered by your volunteers, consider recapping it on your blog. Detail the types of roles and responsibilities they took on and explain how their work made your event possible.

You can bring any of these types of blog posts to life by incorporating high-quality photos of your volunteer(s). Pictures are a great way to show what your volunteers look like in action and can be a useful tool for capturing the memories made in your volunteer program. You can incorporate images into the body of your blog posts or post entire galleries. Whatever your vision is, remember to ask your volunteers for permission to take and share photos before doing so.

3. Include sponsor information on your site.

Your nonprofit likely thanks its corporate sponsors in a variety of ways, whether you include their logos on your volunteer t-shirts or thank them by name during your events. But you can also take your sponsor appreciation strategy up a notch by including your sponsors’ information on your website.

For example, you might create a dedicated “Sponsors” or “Community Partners” page on your site that includes information like:

  • Brand names
  • Logos
  • Website links
  • Sponsorship tier

You might also write a paragraph or two about how each sponsor has contributed to your cause and what makes your partnership with them unique and valuable.

Additionally, a little extra free advertising can go a long way in showing sponsors your gratitude. Consider incorporating advertisements for your sponsors into your written content or creating pop-ups on certain pages that lead to your sponsors’ websites.

4. Add social media sharing buttons on your website.

According to Cornershop Creative’s nonprofit web design guide, it’s best practice to incorporate social sharing buttons onto your organization’s website. By doing so, you can encourage your supporters—whether they’re donors, volunteers, or sponsors—to share the recognition they receive on your website with their personal networks.

When your supporters share your virtual donor wall, volunteer-focused blog posts, or sponsor-specific content, they’ll get a boost from their family, friends, and colleagues that like and comment on the post, further reinforcing the value of their contributions to your nonprofit. They may even inspire others to join them in their work to support your nonprofit’s cause!

Your nonprofit’s website can be a great place to recognize your supporters and support the work you’re already doing to strengthen relationships with them. Use these tips to get started with turning your website into a recognition tool, but to take things to the next level, consider working with a nonprofit web design company like Cornershop Creative to give your efforts an edge. You’ve got this!

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A Guide to Creating Effective Golf Fundraiser Invitations

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You’ve set a date and booked a golf facility—now it’s time to get people on the green! A well-crafted, personalized invitation is a great way to rally your donors, constituents, volunteers, and partners to attend. Personalizing your invitations is a great marketing tactic that not only garners the recipient’s attention but makes them feel valued. After all, wouldn’t you rather open a letter addressed to you rather than something vague, like “valued supporter”?

According to GolfStatus, the average golfer’s annual income is near twice that of the average American, which makes them prime candidates for donors. Because the golfer donor is such a valuable audience segment, inviting them in the most personal way possible makes them more inclined to participate or donate to your event. Here are seven tips to effective golf fundraiser invitations.

1. Segment your audience.

Your organization likely has a great base of contacts to invite to your charity golf tournament. Start by segmenting your recipients by your chosen criteria to tailor your messaging to appeal to each audience segment. You can segment by:

  • Age or gender
  • Past event participation
  • Giving history
  • Volunteer history
  • Interest in a particular program or outreach effort
  • Geographic location
  • Job title or organization

It’s important to note that to create these segments for targeted messaging, it’s important to collect as much information about your contacts as possible. If you haven’t done this in the past, now’s the time to start! You can better understand your audience by conducting surveys, hosting focus groups, tracking email opens and clicks, or using social media to gather insights.

2. Determine how you’ll reach supporters.

A mix of approaches is likely to yield the best results in inviting people to play in, sponsor, or donate to your golf fundraiser. Email, direct mail, in-app messaging, social media, are all possibilities to include in your marketing mix.

According to Double the Donation, email fundraising has the highest ROI of any fundraising communication method. It’s effective in reaching a wide audience with less time and expense, and it can be scheduled to send at certain dates or times with calls-to-action specific to an audience segment. Craft clickable and compelling subject lines that capture the recipients attention so they open and act on the invitation. Use humor, wit, or creative wordplay to increase open rates, such as:

  • Swing into Action: Join Us for Our Annual Golf Fundraiser
  • Fore! Get Ready for a Hole-in-One Experience
  • Hit the Green and Support Our Cause
  • Tee Up for a Great Cause: You’re Invited to Our Golf Fundraiser

Relevant emojis can also be used sparingly as well as personalized greetings by using merge tags to make the email stand out in your recipient’s inbox.

Don’t underestimate the power of direct mail invitations. Make these printed pieces attractive, personal, branded, and compel the recipient to open it instead of tossing it straight into the recycle bin. Think about creating a custom envelope that bears your email subject line to create a cohesive campaign and pique the recipient’s interest. Or send a simple save-the-date postcard ahead of the formal invitation to get it on golfer and sponsor radars as soon as possible.

3. Personalize the invitation’s message.

Adding a layer of personalization to your invitation makes your donors feel even more seen by your nonprofit. This can be as simple as customizing the email or letter for each audience segment or any of the following creative approaches:

  • Send a personalized video via email or text. Record a video from event organizers, nonprofit beneficiaries, or volunteers thanking the recipient for their past support and inviting them to attend the golf event. Add a personal touch by mentioning something specific to the recipient, such as their favorite golf course or a recent accomplishment.
  • Include a small personalized gift. Show the recipient how much you value their support and involvement with a gift that plays to their interests or the type of event, such as a golf ball, can cooler, or set of tees bearing your organization or tournament’s logo along with a handwritten note. Tap your planning team, board of directors, or volunteers to help write these notes.
  • Create a custom invitation package for major donors. Because this is more time and cost-intensive, it’s best to save this approach for major supporters. Design a special invitation that’s customized to the recipient, such as their name or photo, as well as event details and program highlights. You might also hand-deliver the package to the recipient’s home or office for an extra touch.
  • Combine printed and digital formats. Use QR codes in printed pieces to link folks directly to the event registration website or to a personalized video that invites them to support the event.

However you choose to personalize your invitations, your message should resonate with the recipient in some way. Whether you cater to their specific interests or past involvement with the organization, a personalized ask is more likely to get a response.

4. Keep it clear and concise.

No one wants to read a wall of text in an email or letter and will fast-track your invitation right to the trash. Keep your copy brief, concise, and to the point. Use bullet points to break up text and complement text with graphics, photos, or infographics.

For example, instead of detailing everything about your event in the invitation, write a brief description and supplement it with photos from last year’s golf fundraiser. Link out to a photo album or the event website where folks can find out more about the event, what you’re raising money for, and the itinerary for the day.

5. Make them want to get involved.

Above all, your invitation should make recipients want to play in the golf event or support it in some way. Highlight elements that make it fun and exciting, specifics about the program or effort the tournament will raise funds for, and components that make it special. If you’re hosting a hole-in-one contest, raffle, or silent auction, talk up the prizes they could win. If you’re live-scoring the tournament, you could also invite people to follow along with the live leaderboards and follow certain teams (these are also a great chance to ask folks to donate to the event). If you have other games, entertainment, or demonstrations on the course, be sure to feature these in your invitations. Another idea is to create videos of your unique golf tournament fundraising ideas in action.

6. Include a call-to-action.

However you invite people to your golf fundraiser, it should be actionable. Email invitations should include a direct link to where they can register, purchase add-ons, make a donation, or purchase a sponsorship as soon as they hear about the event. Printed and mailed invitations should include a QR code that links to the same event website. Forcing people to fill out a paper form, write a check, find a stamp, and drop it in the mail creates barriers to participating. Make it simple!

Create urgency by offering early bird registration rates, offering an exclusive offer for a certain number of golfers or teams (such as a free t-shirt, gift certificate from a sponsor, or sleeve of golf balls), or limiting your tournament’s field.

7. Follow up after the tournament.

Keep the conversation going after the tournament. At a bare minimum, send recognition letters to all attendees. For major donors and sponsors, send handwritten thank you notes that help build and strengthen the relationship. Think creatively about how to keep these folks engaged with your organization, such as making check-in phone calls, inviting them for coffee or lunch, a round of golf, or a tour of your offices.

Wrapping up

You can adapt this road map for golf tournament invitations to your nonprofit’s needs and capabilities. The goal is to create invitations that compel people to play in, sponsor, or donate to your charity golf tournament, so use these tips and best practices to make your next golf event a success.

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Charity eCards: 3 Ways To Sell Greeting Cards Online

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Charity eCards offer a unique take on fundraising and marketing. By sending an eCard, a donor can send well wishes to a loved one for a special occasion while also supporting a charitable cause. Not to mention, directly expressing their appreciation for your cause can help spread the word about your mission, making an even stronger impact as their loved ones explore your work.

With a strong digital greeting card collection, any nonprofit can take the online space by storm and make a name for itself. From celebrating holidays to thanking someone, donors can send cards every day, so your team can offer them year-round. Between selling them and letting donors give any amount they want, you have plenty of options for how you offer digital cards to supporters.

While there are plenty of effective tools out there, not every eCard creation platform is created equally, though. As our preferred tool, eCardWidget offers everything you need to design and sell greeting cards online. they make it incredibly simple to understand how to sell greeting cards online. We’ll specifically look at the options this platform offers, so you can get a good sense of how charity eCards can fit into your existing marketing and fundraising strategies. Here’s what we’ll cover:

At Fundraising Letters, we’re fanatics of effective supporter engagement and recognition. We believe that with charity eCards, you can bring an interactive element to your online presence that deepens audience engagement and takes brand loyalty to new heights. Whether you want to sell greeting cards as individual products or let donors choose any donation amount, you’ll be ready to go by the end of this article!
Create and sell charity eCards online with our recommended platform, eCardWidget.

Learn the fundamentals of charity eCards before creating yours.

The Basics of Selling Greeting Cards Online

If you’re new to the idea of selling cards for charity, it doesn’t hurt to go over the basics! Let’s walk through a few common questions that your team might have as you get up and running. In no time, you’ll fully understand the fundamentals of how to sell greeting cards online for your cause.

Is selling greeting cards online profitable?

Yes, selling cards for charity can be a valid revenue stream for your cause. So long as you’re backed by a strong array of charity eCards, you can sell plenty to make up for eCard platform fees.

Compared to printed cards, offering cards digitally is much more cost-effective since it eliminates the need for printing and shipping. Plus, the immediate delivery makes them an easy sell for donors looking to celebrate an occasion or send well wishes to someone.

When you offer them for all sorts of occasions, your donors can conveniently support you throughout the year. Donors can even give to your cause in someone’s name as a way to celebrate a birthday or other gift-giving occasion. Then, they can send an eCard branded to the charity letting the honoree know.

What is the best way to sell greeting cards online?

The exact method you use to sell eCards for charity is entirely up to your organization, but you have a few options. To start, we recommend choosing an eCard platform that’s tailored to nonprofits. For example, eCardWidget offers out-of-the-box donation features and also integrates with several popular fundraising tools like DonorPerfect and Shopify.

With these options, you might:

  • Add the cards directly to your nonprofit’s website, where donors can give in exchange for charity eCards.
  • Sell them as fundraising products in your Shopify store.

We’ll explore the technical side of these approaches later on. For now, just know you should choose the sales channel that works best for your organization. If you already have a highly-visited eStore, sell the cards as products in your fundraising store. If you want to use them to optimize the donation experience, offer them on your website.

No matter your approach, maximize your sales potential by promoting them across different channels, like email and social media. In no time, you’ll start selling greeting cards to supporters!

How do I price charity eCards?

Charity eCards typically have low overhead costs, so you can really offer them for any price and still make a profit. Your pricing can vary depending on factors such as the cost of producing each eCard and the demand for each one. Here are a few approaches you can take to price your cards:

  • Set a fixed price. You can set the same price for all of them, regardless of the design. We recommend somewhere between $1-$25 so that they’re affordable yet still able to make a difference.
  • Use a tiered pricing model. Offer different designs for different prices. More intricate designs or more popular cards can go for higher prices.
  • Offer them in exchange for any donation amount. This approach relies on donors to choose their own prices. If you use this method, add suggested donation amounts to give donors a frame of reference for how much to give.

Use these pricing strategies when selling cards for charity.

No matter how much you charge, remember that the primary goal of charity eCards is to raise awareness. Raising some extra funds is just a bonus! Therefore, your pricing strategy should strike a balance between generating revenue and making the eCards accessible to a wider audience.


Sell charity eCards by integrating them into the donation process.

Charity eCard Flow 1) Integrated Donation Forms

As fundraisers, we’re always searching for new ways to optimize the giving experience. What better way is there to do that than by offering incentives for donating?

With your eCard platform, you might be able to integrate eCards into your online giving experience. As explained in our donation eCards guide, here’s how the process works:

  1. The donor selects their preferred eCard, adds the recipient’s contact information, chooses a donation amount, and fills out their payment details.
  2. Upon submission, the donation goes to the nonprofit.
  3. The donor’s loved one receives the eCard with a personalized message.

Some platforms even allow senders to select different platforms to send an eCard. Donors can send the cards via email, social media, or text message, depending on the options you enable. Requesting donations will be much simpler when you provide unique incentives and flexible sending options.

An Example of This Approach in Action

Curious how selling greeting cards for your charity would fold into your donation process? Here’s a real-world example from The Humane Society of Tacoma & Pierce County.

When determining how to sell greeting cards online, consider integrating charity eCards into the donation process.

As part of their Valentine’s Day campaign, they offered a collection of charity eCards stylized with furry pets and witty animal puns. They hosted the cards on an individual page on their site. Upon selecting their preferred card, donors were met with a pop-up screen where they could fill out contact information, add a personal message, select a donation amount, and provide their payment details.

Notice how The Humane Society included suggested donation amounts. The widget preselected the $10 amount, but donors could change it to give $25, $50, $100, or a custom amount that fit their budget.


You can offer charity eCards to donors on your donation confirmation page.

Charity eCard Flow 2) Post-Donation

Offering charity eCards post-donation is another popular strategy. Embed the widget into your donation completion page. Then, whenever donors give, the widget will appear on the donation confirmation page.

While you can promote the reward before someone donates, it can be a fun surprise for donors if they don’t know they’ll receive an eCard until it pops up on the confirmation page.

From here, donors can choose their favorite options, fill out each recipient’s contact information, add personalized messages, and click “send.”

When using this method, offer a few different card designs. For instance, you might create some centered around the cause. Then donors can send them to as many loved ones as they want, challenging others also to give.

An Example of This Approach in Action

Offering eCards post-donation is likely the easiest option. All you really have to do is embed the widget into your existing donation confirmation page.

Offer charity eCards on your donation confirmation page like this example.

As shown above, Maryland Food Bank took this approach for tribute donations. Notice how they offered a collection of cards alongside some instructions for sending one.

The options included:

  • An in-honor-of donation eCard
  • A sympathy charity eCard to express condolences
  • A birthday card
  • A wedding congratulatory card

Each card design lends itself well to tribute donations. Donors can give in the honoree’s name and send a personalized eCard letting them know.

No matter how much someone donates, they can choose one of these options. Remember, allowing donors to pay any amount makes charity eCards much more accessible, allowing you to capitalize on the marketing power of digital cards.


To sell greeting cards online, we recommend adding your charity eCards as products in your online store.

Charity eCard Flow 3) Fundraising Products

If your nonprofit runs an eStore, charity eCards are the perfect addition to your branded merchandise. When selling cards as products in your online store, there are two options to choose from, including:

  • Customize the eCard before purchasing. Enable donors to personalize their eCard and add it to their cart before checkout. That way, they’ll know exactly what they’re buying.
  • Customize the eCard post-purchase. Someone will add the card to their cart and complete the buying process. Then, after purchase, the widget appear on the confirmation page, enabling customers to send eCards with personalized messages.

Our recommended provider eCardWidget offers integrations with tools like Shopify. That way, you can add your cards directly to your store. As soon as you finalize your designs, you’ll be able to sell greeting cards online and choose whichever selling option works best for your cause.

An Example of This Approach in Action

Let’s take a look at how you can sell cards for charity as fundraising products. The example below depicts an order confirmation page with a Father’s Day card.

When debating how to sell greeting cards online, consider adding them to your Shopify store.

After purchasing an eCard, a donor would be met with the widget on the order confirmation page. From here, they could personalize and send it to their loved ones.

For this approach, we recommend offering an array of cards to cover all sorts of holidays and special occasions like birthdays. That way, you can continue selling them as fundraising products year-round for an affordable price.


Beyond selling cards for charity, you have a few options for using charity eCards.

Other Ways to Use Charity eCards

One of the best parts of charity eCards is their versatility. While learning how to sell greeting cards online is a smart strategy, you can also take other approaches to increase donor engagement.

When you get creative with your approach, you can use charity eCards to:

  • Spread awareness. Cause awareness is one of the leading benefits of charity eCards. Double the Donation’s guide to charity eCards explains to use eCards to amplify your mission during cause awareness days, weeks, and months. For example, environmental organizations can encourage donors to send cards for Earth Day, while mental health organizations can boost awareness during Suicide Prevention Week and World Mental Health Day.
  • Recognize supporters. Just as much as they enjoy sending charity eCards, donors and volunteers will love receiving a thank-you card from your team. Recognize your committed supporters by crafting a visually-engaging eCard alongside a short personalized thank-you letter.
  • Challenge others to give. Create challenge cards that donors can send directly to their friends or post on social media, encouraging others to give and acting as a form of peer-to-peer fundraising. They can personalize a message to explain why the cause is important and why their loved ones should donate.

Here are a few use cases for charity eCards, including selling them and using them for donor recognition.

From showing volunteer recognition to sharing your cause, you’re not limited to selling cards to supporters. In fact, there are plenty of ways you can use personalized greeting cards to grow donor engagement. It’s up to your team to figure out how! These options are just our top recommendations.

Check out these additional resources to create effective charity eCards.

Wrapping Up

With some creative thinking, your options for your charity eCards are limitless! Whether you want to sell them or integrate them into the donation process, figure out which flow works best for your team.

Remember, not every eCard platform offers these options. That’s why we recommend eCardWidget. Not only will you gain access to intuitive eCard design tools, but you can also sell your cards through the different methods we covered in this post.

Now that you know how to sell greeting cards online, it’s time to get started. Start designing cards for every occasion, from celebrating birthdays and holidays to expressing get-well-soon wishes.

As you get started, check out some of these resources:

Use eCardWidget to create and sell your charity eCards.

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6 Best Outreach Methods for Your Next Capital Campaign

Capital campaigns can be absolutely critical to take your nonprofit’s work to the next level. These campaigns are concentrated fundraising efforts meant to raise a significant amount of money to advance your mission. 

Your nonprofit might decide to launch a capital campaign to construct a new building, create a new program, or purchase a necessary but expensive piece of equipment. No matter what level of experience your organization has with capital campaigns, an outreach refresher will help you make the most of your campaign communications. 

Your capital campaign will involve two outreach phases: the quiet phase, where you reach out to your existing network of major donors, and the public phase, where you introduce your campaign to the general public and solicit final donations to your cause. 

In this guide, we’ll review six outreach best practices to help raise donations for your campaign and build long-lasting supporter relationships during both phases. Here’s what to expect: 

  • Quiet phase outreach best practices
  • Public phase outreach best practices

Bloomerang’s donor management guide recommends striking a communication balance “to ensure you’re engaging with donors regularly without overwhelming them.” These outreach methods will allow you to create a multichannel communication strategy that appeals to donors while still driving you toward your goal. 

Quiet phase outreach best practices

The first stage of your capital campaign is the quiet phase. In this phase, you’ll set up meetings with your major donors to see if they’re interested in supporting your current campaign. 

At this time, you’ll receive the largest donations to your campaign, so it’s important to optimize your outreach efforts to make significant strides toward your goal.

One of your greatest outreach assets in the quiet phase of your capital campaign is your nonprofit’s donor management software. You can use the information stored in this system to identify past major donors to connect with and supporters who have the potential to become major donors. For instance, your regular mid-tier donors who have the capacity to give more might be willing to do so because it’s a one-time campaign designed to accomplish a single specific goal. 

Look for these opportunities in your donor database by analyzing the potential generosity of your existing supporters as well as their engagement metrics. Supporters with a high giving capacity who are regularly engaged with your organization are the most likely to contribute during the quiet phase of your campaign. 

Use these strategies to reach donors: 

1. Send fundraising letters.

Even though it may seem old school, a well-crafted fundraising letter can make all the difference in boosting capital campaign donations. 

Use fundraising letters to reach out and inform supporters about your campaign before setting up a meeting, or send a letter after a meeting to put the information you’ve discussed in writing and make a final appeal. 

When you’re ready to write your letters, you can use a donation request template to speed up the process. Use these tips to customize these templates to your capital campaign: 

  • Describe the goal of your capital campaign and how it fits into supporting your organization’s overarching mission.
  • Tell a compelling story of how the fundraising from your capital campaign will enhance your organization’s ability to help people in the community. Focus on telling the stories of individual community members to connect your campaign to real impacts. 
  • To personalize your letters, greet your recipients with their preferred names and ensure that the fundraising request amounts you pose are tailored to their capacity and willingness to give.
  • Customize the templates to match your organization’s tone and brand. Include your unique brand logo, colors, and typography. 
  • Sign the letters with your name and contact information so supporters can reach out with any questions. 

In the quiet phase, you’re asking for a significant level of support from your major donors. Ensure the tone of your outreach letters reflects the seriousness of your request and the depth of your gratitude to donors. 

2. Call potential and existing donors.

Some major donors may prefer personalized phone calls over letters or email communications. Specifically, you might want to use your outreach phone calls to see if donors might be willing to be a sponsor of your capital campaign kickoff event or contribute a general campaign donation. 

These tips will help you have successful phone conversations:

  • Make your calls during the evenings from 6-9 p.m. when people are generally at home and done working for the day. 
  • Use donor data from your CRM to reference the donor’s specific history of engagement with your organization and explain how grateful you are to have their continued support.
  • Use a script for reference to keep the conversation on track and include a personalized ask amount for each donor.

According to a Bloomerang study, well-timed phone calls after donors give to your campaign can boost your organization’s retention rate. Calling donors more than once after they donate boosted donor retention to 58% compared to 33% for those who didn’t receive any phone calls. Making phone calls both during and after your campaign can propel your donor stewardship efforts. 

3. Optimize your campaign website.

As the quiet phase winds down and you start preparing to introduce your campaign to the public, ensure your website’s capital campaign content is optimized for educating the public on the goal of your campaign and providing easy access to donation pages. 

Your capital campaign website can be a separate microsite linked from your main organization site or a page within your website. Be sure this optimized information is ready to be pushed live on the day when you kick off the public phase of your capital campaign.

Your capital campaign page or website should include an overview of the campaign’s goals and illustrate the ways that donations will help achieve your mission. Include prominent call-to-action buttons that encourage supporters to “Donate now!” and take them to a well-designed donation page where they can easily input their payment information. 

Consider online advertising, such as Google or Microsoft ads, to promote your capital campaign web pages to a broader audience. You can also look into applying for the Google or Microsoft Ad Grant program to earn free advertising that you can use to promote your campaign more widely on search engines. 

Public phase outreach best practices

After you’ve received the support of several major donors in the quiet phase of your capital campaign (nonprofits typically receive anywhere from 50-70% of total capital campaign donations during the quiet phase), you’re ready to launch into the public phase of your campaign. In this step, you’ll gather support from the larger community for your cause. 

This phase aims to reach out to as many potential donors as possible using public-facing events and communications. Your outreach efforts should focus on energizing your audience to reach your fundraising goals. 

Let’s dive into some public phase outreach ideas: 

1. Incorporate giving (and fun!) into your kickoff event.

Your kickoff event will set the tone for the rest of your capital campaign, so use it to generate buzz at the start of the public phase. 

Whether you host a virtual or in-person kickoff event, make sure it’s educational and engaging. MemberClicks recommends using event engagement strategies such as: 

  • Giveaways
  • Q&As 
  • Trivia
  • Live performances

Use your kickoff event to not only make people aware of and excited about your capital campaign but also provide donation opportunities during the event itself. Encourage virtual or in-person event attendees to visit your online donation page. Keep a running log of donations received on your website to allow donors to see how their contributions are pushing you further toward your goals. Creating and refreshing a fundraising thermometer graphic is a fun way to continuously update supporters. 

2. Reach out via social media.

Social media can be an effective way to connect audience members to online giving opportunities throughout your capital campaign. Depending on the size of your social media following, your campaign posts have the potential to reach hundreds, if not thousands, of potential supporters of your cause.

Post to social media platforms like:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • TikTok

Ensure your social media posts are concise so anyone who scrolls past immediately understands the purpose of your campaign and how their donations can help achieve your goal. Also, use the unique features of each platform to better appeal to followers. For example, you might promote your campaign using a Facebook or Instagram story, a unique Twitter hashtag, or a TikTok trend. 

3. Follow up with thank you letters.

As the donations pour in during the public phase of your campaign, thank each donor with a personalized message of gratitude.

Demonstrating appreciation is a crucial part of donor retention. Boosting your donor retention rate has major payoffs because your organization won’t have to spend as much time or money on donor acquisition and donors tend to give in higher quantities over time. 

Go above and beyond to show your appreciation to donors to boost your donor retention rate. For example, in addition to an initial thank you in the donation confirmation email, you might also send a handwritten letter or host an appreciation event after the campaign ends. Donor appreciation letters help supporters feel valued, leave donors with a positive impression of your organization, and encourage them to stay engaged in your mission.

You’ve already gotten the attention of an abundance of capital campaign donors. Now, you can focus ongoing outreach and communication efforts on converting these capital campaign donors into repeat donors who are actively engaged with your organization.

With these outreach strategies in mind, your next capital campaign can thrive at any stage. By putting donor relationships at the forefront of your outreach efforts, you can gain the support of a wide range of people in your community, allowing you to build strong donor relationships that will persist even after your campaign concludes.

Jay Love

Co-Founder and current Chief Relationship Officer at Bloomerang.

Jay Love is the Co-Founder and current Chief Relationship Officer at Bloomerang.

He has served this sector for 33 years and is considered the most well-known senior statesman whose advice is sought constantly.

Prior to Bloomerang, he was the CEO and Co-Founder of eTapestry for 11 years, which at the time was the leading SaaS technology company serving the charity sector. Jay and his team grew the company to more than 10,000 nonprofit clients, charting a decade of record growth.

He is a graduate of Butler University with a B.S. in Business Administration. Over the years, he has given more than 2,500 speeches around the world for the charity sector and is often the voice of new technology for fundraisers.

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4 Types of Donations and How Nonprofits Should Budget Them

As a nonprofit professional, much of your time is likely spent defining financial goals and brainstorming fundraising ideas to meet those needs. But accepting donations requires more than just setting up a donation portal.

Just as you’d create plans for your personal budget, it’s important to evaluate your nonprofit’s income and decide how you’ll use it to reach your goals. Specific donation requests and targeted budgeting plans can help your nonprofit meet its financial goals and form strong relationships with your donors through reliable support.

Before you request donations from your supporters, consider these four donation types and how they should be budgeted.

Cash and card donations

You might not see a need to categorize donations since so many supporters give cash and card gifts. This donation type is straightforward and likely the most common way people donate to your organization.

Especially with the ever-increasing popularity of online donations, card payments likely account for most of the payments your nonprofit receives. In fact, according to fundraising statistics, donating online with a credit or debit card is the preferred method of 63% of donors. Common ways that donors might give cash or card donations include:

  • Event registration fees
  • Auction payments
  • Product fundraiser purchases
  • Cash donations
  • Payments made digitally, such as through your website’s donation portal
  • Money spent on behalf of the organization that isn’t reimbursed

Since cash and card donations are such a common donation type, your nonprofit might use them for year-round expenses such as your overhead costs.

Stock donations

Although cash and card donations are common gifts, some donors may find it hard to give out of their limited resources. According to Freewill, “donors are often more willing to give out of their wealth than out of pocket.” Instead of giving what’s in their checking accounts, supporters might choose to donate other assets to your organization.

Stock is a common asset that supporters give instead of cash donations. Supporters can donate three types of stock gifts to your nonprofit:

  • Publicly traded: This is a corporation’s stock traded on the stock exchange. It’s the most frequently donated non-cash asset.
  • Privately held: This is a stock that is held privately among a few individuals. It’s often offered exclusively to a private company’s employees or investors and is significantly higher in value.
  • Mutual fund: This is an accumulation of funds from many investors that is put into securities, such as stocks and bonds. This is a less risky stock that might be donated by everyday traders.

To accept and manage these gifts, your nonprofit needs a brokerage account, or an investment account that can be used to buy, sell, and trade investments. You’ll also need a stock-giving tool, which streamlines the donation process for your supporters.

Just like your nonprofit might be new to accepting stocks as donations, your supporters might not know they can donate these assets. When marketing your nonprofit’s giving opportunities, segment your supporters based on known wealth and deliver specific messages that explain how to contribute stock donations.

Planned gifts

Planned gifts are donations that come out of a supporter’s financial or estate plan. Because these gifts come from some of your donors’ largest assets, they can be among the largest gifts your nonprofit receives. Here are a few examples of planned gifts:

  • Bequests: A supporter leaves part of their estate in their will to your nonprofit.
  • Retirement plans: A donor gives your nonprofit their unused retirement assets.
  • Charitable gift annuities: A donor gives a large gift to your nonprofit in exchange for a fixed income payment.

Although planned gifts are larger donations, your nonprofit won’t necessarily get to budget this gift any way it wants. Some donors designate specific purposes for their gifts and your nonprofit must use those gifts to honor the donors’ wishes.

According to Foundation Group, restricted funds are set aside for specific purposes and donors can take legal action against an organization if the funds are used for any other purposes. Evaluate all your nonprofit’s income to ensure it isn’t misappropriating any funds.

In-kind gifts

Even if you have a brokerage account and an efficient website donation page, monetary donations aren’t the only way your nonprofit receives support. In-kind gifts are non-monetary donations that can significantly further your cause.

For example, if your nonprofit aims to provide your community’s homeless population with food, you might ask for canned food items instead of money. There are three general types of in-kind gifts:

  • Goods: Donations of clothes, shoes, toys, books, or any other tangible items that help your nonprofit accomplish its mission.
  • Volunteers: People who help further your work donate their time and labor when they manage events, ask for donations, enact your nonprofit’s plans to promote positive change, or do anything else you need.
  • Professional services: Professional establishments might share their resources with your nonprofit, such as letting you borrow a venue or providing discounted services. This might be a donation of their labor, assets, or expertise.

No matter what type of contribution contributes to your budget, be sure to thank every volunteer and donor whether they give money, goods, or services.

Budgeting tips

When it comes to handling your nonprofit’s resources, it’s important that you closely monitor income and expenditures.

First, note any relevant restrictions on donations. Use the money only for its designated purposes. For any unrestricted funds, categorize them and plan how they will be used or distributed throughout a certain period of time.

For example, consider these distribution plans for the gift categories we’ve discussed:

  • Cash and card donations: How much money did your nonprofit receive during the month? Determine the priorities of all your expenses and distribute the money accordingly.
  • Stock donations: Record the donation as an asset, using the amount at the date of receipt as the gift’s monetary value. Decide if your nonprofit should sell the stock or hold it.
  • Planned gifts: Categorize your planned gifts according to the type of asset. Then, determine which assets you will sell and which ones you will keep and utilize.
  • In-kind gifts: Record your inventory of tangible goods and identify any immediate needs. Create a timeline for the distribution of goods and use of services.

The consequences of poor money management are bad enough, but the penalties for misappropriation can be even more serious. If you don’t have an experienced volunteer or staff member to keep your nonprofit’s books for you, consider outsourcing this task to make sure it’s done correctly. A nonprofit bookkeeper handles an organization’s day-to-day finances, including donations, expenses, and bills.

Monetary and non-monetary donations can power your nonprofit’s mission, so it’s important to understand the different types before requesting gifts from donors. Create a detailed plan for how you will use each donation and seek professional advice for further budget management.

Author: Greg McRay

Greg is the founder and CEO of Foundation Group, one of the nation’s top providers of tax and compliance services to nonprofits. Greg and his team have worked with tens of thousands of nonprofits for over 25 years, assisting them with formation of new charities, plus tax, bookkeeping, and compliance services. He is credentialed as an Enrolled Agent, the highest designation of tax specialist recognized by the Internal Revenue Service. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Greg and company work with charities and nonprofits all across the country and worldwide.

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Donor Recognition: Best Practices & Ideas for Nonprofits

In the nonprofit world, expressing gratitude for your donors’ gifts is not only polite, but essential to your long-term success. Donor recognition is a critical piece of the donor retention puzzle that helps secure lasting support for your organization’s mission.

After marketing your campaigns and events like a pro and driving results in your fundraisers, there’s still important follow-up work to do to keep your nonprofit’s momentum going. Donor recognition solidifies your donors’ support and leaves them much more eager to get involved in your future work.

In this guide, we’ll share some best practices and ideas for donor recognition by answering some basic questions you might have:

Having a concrete strategy in place for how you thank your donors, along with an arsenal of effective recognition ideas, will go a long way to strengthen support for your mission over time. Let’s get started!

What Is Donor Recognition?

Donor recognition refers to the practice of thanking your nonprofit’s donors for contributing in support of your mission. Depending on your goals, donor contact preferences, and resources, this can take many forms, from thank-you notes to appreciation events. Regardless of how you approach it, though, an effective donor recognition strategy will ensure that you cultivate strong and reliable donor relationships in the long run.

Your nonprofit’s supporters engage with your organization because they want to contribute to the change you’re powering in the community. The more you emphasize the role they play in this change, the more invested they’ll be in contributing financially and spreading awareness of your work.

Why Is Donor Recognition Important?

Donor recognition is a key component of your nonprofit’s larger donor relations strategy. Building relationships with donors helps to create the strong support network necessary for your organization to achieve your fundraising goals and further your mission.

Here are some of the specific benefits of donor recognition:

This mind map shows four donor recognition benefits: appreciation, retention, inspiring others, and increasing transparency.

  • Showing appreciation. Probably the most obvious purpose of donor recognition is to let donors know you’re grateful for their support, no matter how much they’re able to give. This helps donors feel like your organization values them and that they’re making a difference with their contributions.
  • Boosting donor retention rates. Donors who feel appreciated are more likely to give to your nonprofit again, allowing you to bring in more reliable funding year after year. Although your organization will sometimes need to reach out to new donors to grow, focusing more heavily on donor retention is more cost effective and less time consuming for your team.
  • Inspiring others to give. Recognizing your donors publicly can motivate potential supporters who are on the fence about giving to your nonprofit to take the first step. And don’t underestimate the value of word of mouth—if donors share their positive donation experiences with their friends and family, you may gain new supporters!
  • Increasing transparency. Donor thank-you messages provide the perfect opportunity to share concrete examples of how your organization plans to use the contributions you bring in to further your mission. This accountability builds trust with donors and improves your nonprofit’s reputation as an organization that follows through on its promise to make a positive impact.

To make the most of these benefits, make sure to recognize all contributions to your nonprofit—large or small, one-time or recurring. Over time, you’ll be able to create a dedicated community of supporters that not only give regularly but also engage with your organization in other ways, such as volunteering, attending events, or advocating for your cause.

What Are Some Best Practices for Donor Recognition?

Make the most of your organization’s time and resources by employing a thoughtful donor recognition strategy tailored to your donors’ interests. Your donor management system (or CRM) should have valuable information on your supporters, such as communication preferences, giving history, demographics, and other involvement details to inform your approach.

1. Make it prompt.

Prompt recognition of your donors’ contributions is vital to making sure they feel noticed and appreciated for their support. After a donation, supporters should immediately receive a confirmation or receipt via email with details such as the:

  • Donation amount. Include the donation amount and payment method to assure the donor that their gift has been accurately processed.
  • Donation context. Be sure to include the specific context of the donation, such as the name of the fundraiser or event the donor attended. For instance, if they attended a virtual auction and won an item, specifically mention the event and the item that they bid on to let them know you’re paying attention to each and every donation you receive.

55% of U.S. donors prefer to be thanked for their gifts via email, so be sure to have automated thank-you emails set up to keep donor recognition from falling through the cracks. However, don’t forget about direct mail—a physical follow-up letter can add a thoughtful touch and show donors that you value their support. For more tips on using direct mail to communicate with your donors, Pursuant’s direct mail fundraising for nonprofits guide is a great resource.

2. Make it personal.

Take your donor recognition efforts to the next level by tailoring your communications to each individual supporter. Adjust each thank-you message by:

  • Addressing the donor by name. The more your donor feels like your communications are to them specifically from you specifically, the stronger a bond you’ll forge between them and your organization.
  • Including an individual signature. Instead of a generic signature from your nonprofit, sign the letter from a real person at your organization whose job is relevant to the donation, whether it’s your development chair, major gifts officer, board president, or other trusted staff member.
  • Adding a video with your thank-you. This is another effective way to humanize your message to donors. This could be a recorded thank-you from a member of your team, a constituent of your mission, or both.

Additionally, consider segmenting your donor base by age, gender, or location to further customize your letters and make your letters even more effective.

3. Make it powerful.

No matter what form your donor recognition takes, it’s essential to communicate the impact of your donors’ gifts. Always try to be as specific as possible about the positive change that their donation has powered. This will give the donor something concrete to feel good about and reinforces their connection to your cause.

For example, perhaps a donor’s $50 donation provided school supplies for three students for a semester of school. One way to make this statement more powerful could be naming the students (with their permission), having them sign the recognition message, or sending pictures of them along with your letter of gratitude.

As well-intentioned as another request for support may be, asking for another donation in the middle of your thank-you letter may come across as ungrateful and disingenuous. Instead, offer the donor additional ways to engage with your nonprofit, such as signing up for your email newsletter or volunteering

4. Make it public.

Donors will appreciate your recognition, but they’ll feel especially important when you promote their efforts for everyone to see. Publicly celebrating your donors bridges the gap between your gratitude and the overall impact donors had on your organization.

To do this, you might include information about your generous donors in annual reports or on your nonprofit’s website. For example, incorporate specific numbers on a page about your program. Detail the number of donors and donations, the timeline of the fundraiser’s progress, and how the money collected was spent within the program.

To further promote donor recognition, focus your resources on boosting visibility. Google’s Ad Grant program, for example, can draw more attention to your website’s landing pages. If you’re approved for the grant, you’ll receive $10,000 in ad credits, which you can use to help your webpages rank higher on the search engine results page (SERP). This leads more people to click through to your website, where they’ll learn more about your donors’ significant contributions!

What Are Popular Donor Recognition Ideas?

Once you have the essentials down, it’s time to get creative. There are all sorts of ways to recognize your donors beyond traditional thank-you letters. First, evaluate your nonprofit’s resources and capabilities.

Large organizations conducting major undertakings like capital campaigns might have the ability to construct permanent donor recognition installations on a grand scale, while smaller-scale nonprofits might opt for creating a virtual donor wall or sending thoughtful gifts.

The scale of the gift should also be considered when acknowledging donors. Establishing giving levels will ensure that smaller tiers of donations made to a crowdfunding campaign and large endowments for a building expansion are proportionately recognized. We’ll cover both ends of the spectrum with the following popular donor recognition ideas.

Popular donor recognition ideas include donor recognition walls, plaques, branded freebies, and appreciation events.

1. Donor recognition walls

A donor recognition wall is a meaningful way for you to permanently convey your appreciation for your donors. Because they can accommodate many names, donor walls are usually associated with large capital campaigns. There is plenty of room for customization, so get inspired with Eleven Fifty Seven’s donor wall ideas.

For example, the Berry Family Foundation features prominent donors’ names on a wall titled “Thank You For Building Independence” beside the facility’s welcome desk.

The Berry Family Foundation’s donor recognition wall is a stellar example of thanking donors and retaining their support over time.

At the same time, nonprofits with limited budgets can benefit from the ease and added flexibility of virtual donor walls. With this appealing option, you can acknowledge donors as traditional recognition walls allow, while also having the ability to make updates at any time and drive online traffic to your nonprofit’s site.

2. Donor recognition plaques

If a large-scale donor wall isn’t quite feasible but you still want to recognize your major donors in a meaningful way, custom plaques are another excellent choice. Donor plaques are often featured outside the doors of a new building expansion or on landscape features like benches, but get creative to find the perfect fit for your unique donors and community.

3. Branded merchandise

For smaller-tier donations your nonprofit receives, gifts of branded merchandise are a more reasonable option than plaques. Consider sending out pens, T-shirts, mugs, and other customized items featuring your organization’s name and logo as a token of your appreciation. This method has the added benefit of doing a little marketing work for you!

4. Events

Shine the spotlight on your donors by inviting them to an exclusive supporters-only occasion or finding ways to recognize them at public events. Making them a part of your community and your cause helps to ensure they’ll keep supporting your mission well into the future. Casual virtual gatherings and happy hours are particularly cost-effective yet impactful ways to show your appreciation.

Out of these options, select which best fits your organization and the giving scale. Remember to always be prompt, personal, and powerful in all of your communications with your generous supporters.

Nurturing your relationships with current donors through effective and genuine recognition is a smart long-term strategy for securing enduring support for your nonprofit. And, you can show your gratitude for them every day, with your own donor recognition methods. Even when you aren’t throwing an appreciation event, actively steward your supporters and send out regular surveys seeking their feedback.

By keeping tabs on which aspects of your work and mission resonate best with donors, you’ll be able to optimize their experience with your organization. Best of luck!

Additional Resources

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