Nothing in fundraising seems to be formulaic, and more often than not, you have to take a tailored approach to everything. An experienced fundraiser excels at tailoring their messaging and approach to each potential donor and every campaign, but just like in most things, there are a few universal guiding principles that hold true no matter what.

One of those is this: perceived value leads to more interest. It doesn’t matter if you’re in sales, marketing, or fundraising. The way you get more people on board is by getting more interest in whatever you’re doing. And without a doubt, the easiest way to generate this interest is by showing the value of your product or service.

If you’ve been trying unsuccessfully for a few weeks to raise money for a nonprofit startup, or you’ve had a new campaign launch and haven’t found the same level of support that you’ve had in the past, it doesn’t always immediately mean that the premise is bad or that you need to change donor lists. This is especially true if you have been able to actually have conversations, but those conversations haven’t converted.

Ask yourself: If someone called me asking me to support this thing in the exact same way I am asking, what would be my initial impression?

If your answer is anything other than “wow, that’s a great idea and it is worth supporting”, then you likely need to reframe how you’re presenting your value. For example, lets say you are contacting donors for a new program aimed at addressing the large number of dogs that are euthanized when their owner is unable to take care of them. On its face, we can expect dog lovers to care about this, but when coupled with an ask, the unspoken questions can loom in the potential donor’s mind.

If you haven’t already, try incorporating two things into your next conversation: context and proof of concept. Context refers to presenting some material facts or instilling a sense of urgency by actually diving into the problem with data or anecdotes. Sometimes context is as simple as relating your mission to a national story that has been in the news. Sometimes you need to relay some quick facts that paint the picture of the problem you’re addressing. If you watch the best commercials for new products, they often start with a hyperbolic representation of the problem being solved. You need to tangibly demonstrate the urgency behind your mission with context, driving someone to care within 30-60 seconds.

Then you need to apply proof of concept. using the material facts presented from your context, show the donor or the supporter how your solution actually works. This is where a story or testimonial can be very effective. Something like this is very effective:

“We have been able to save over 5,000 dogs from being euthanized in the shelter through our Paws to Parents program, with an average cost of only $8 per pet. Put another way, a generous gift of $1,000 could help us save nearly 125 dogs”

Pairing your proof of concept (the obvious solution) with the appropriate and riveting context (using emotional appeal to inspire action) can be a powerful combination that will increase the revenue you’re bringing in for your mission. While this may seem elementary for experienced fundraisers, this can be the difference maker for an early stage nonprofit founder or fundraising professional who is struggling to get started in this industry.

As always, if you find yourself wanting more help refining your development strategies, please respond to this email or shoot me a message at [email protected]

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