How to Fundraise for a Nonprofit Organization

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By younite17
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Fundraise for a Nonprofit Organization

Fundraising for a Nonprofit organization can be overwhelming at times. Here are a few suggestions and tools to help you fundraise for your favorite Nonprofit organization.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Internet
Time
Network of support

Step 1

When you fundraise for a Nonprofit you want to start by creating a list of current and potential donors ranking them by their previous giving or ability to give the highest amount of money. Determine a primary contact person for initial contact with every donor. Prioritize based on top donors.
Step 2

Come up with an ongoing thank you system for your current donors. Many Nonprofits fail to retain donors from the previous year because they forget to ask them again. Make sure you don't make this mistake.
Step 3

Create a system for introducing people to your organization. It could be a letter, monthly emails, newsletter, tour, or get acquainted gathering. This is not an ask, but rather a way to educate people about your organization so that when you do ask people give willingly and generously.
Step 4

Thank people for attending your event, for their encouragement, and support. Continue to get to know these potential donors, and ask lots of questions. Get to know them on a personal level, simply for the sake of knowing them. You gain friendship, and may eventually get a life-long supporter.
Step 5

Once you sense that people like either you, or your organization ask them for permission to ask them for money. This sounds weird, but no one wants to get blindsided. Don't ask someone if they want to have lunch and then bring up donations out of the blue. Ask if you can sit down sometime and talk to them about becoming a financial supporter of your organization.
Step 6

Some organizations throw an annual Ask Event. This is great for cutting down on the amount of time it takes for the personal face-to-face meeting, but is less effective than the personal ask.
Step 7

Make sure you Thank people for giving. I like to send a thank you note regardless of the amount. I also like to call all of our major donors and ideally every donor if time allows.
Step 8

Consider applying for a federal grant or approaching a family foundation. This requires some research and the application process can be tedious but the rewards can be well worth it in the end.