Steve Meyerson, a Washington fundraising consultant, asked a recent audience of fundraising professionals to think about how their non-profit would handle hard economic times “if [they] knew for a fact that there’d be no recovery until 2010.” That answer, he said, should dictate their non-profit’s planning now.
At this fundraising conference in Washington, Mr. Meyerson offered several fundraising tips for raising money during a recession:
- Tell donors how the non-profit changes its client’s lives. “Donors are not that interested in numbers,” he said. Donors want to know they are making a difference in the world.
- Be open. Donors will become even more cautious during a recession. The only way to handle that is by disclosing all the information to them – fundraising ratios, budgets, and other details that charities are often afraid to reveal.
- Have flexible options for donors making a gift. For example, let a donor fulfill his pledge over six years instead of five. Know that some donors will give smaller sums because they cannot afford to give as much. Offer donors other options.
- Take good care of donors. Many charities have trouble following up with donors to let them know how their donations are being used.
- Create extra warm appeals. Tell stories that will appeal to and move a broad audience. Ask the marketing department for help in constructing these human-interest stories.
The Washington conference Mr. Meyerson made his comments at was sponsored by the Direct Marketing Association of Washington and the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Washington chapter.
Information taken from: Elizabeth Schwinn. “Tips for Raising Money in a Recession.” The Chronicle of Philanthropy. http://philanthropy.com.
--Ashley High is a Research Assistant at Christian Foundation Grants (www.christianfoundationgrants.com) which is subscription database of foundations that provide grants to faith based organizations. iDonate.com is a website (www.iDonate.com) that allows ministries to receive non cash gifts online.