How to Motivate People to Donate Money
Charitable organizations do important work to solve serious social problems. They also provide access to the arts, cultural experiences and education for individuals who otherwise could not afford it. They depend on the donations of money by individuals, businesses and philanthropic organizations for their budgets. So, motivating people to donate money is an important aspect of every nonprofit organization's daily work.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Fund-raising budget equal to 20 percent of the organization's total budget
- Accounts on FaceBook, Twitter and LinkedIn
- Website with the ability to receive online donations
- Donor relations policies and procedures
Instructions
-
-
1
Develop a clear, concise, compelling request for donations. People donate money because they believe in the mission of your organization and also trust you to be good stewards of their gift. Your organization competes with every other good cause so you must connect with prospective donors with a clearly crafted letter, email, website or event.
-
2
Make clear what is in it for the donor. Tell them what they will get back from donating money to your organization. It could be the satisfaction of knowing that a child will be fed and clothed for a month. It could be that they will be recognized in your newsletter, with a plaque, or at an event for their gift. It could be that they will receive some item in return.
-
-
3
Explain how the donor will be able to track what happens to the money they give your organization. Donors want to make the most of their charitable dollars and need to know that your organization is transparent, accountable and honest. They especially want to make sure that the money they give goes to the purpose for which they designated it. Besides, the law safe-guards the donor's right to designate how the recipient will use their gift.
-
4
Thank the donor within 24 business hours of receiving their gift. When your organization operates its program of donor relations according to a regular set of procedures and policies, donors become more motivated to give subsequent gifts. Many donors test an organization's customer service with a very small first gift, so that they can determine how the organization treats and values its donors. Then, if they feel embraced, they may become more seriously committed and motivated to donate more money.
-
5
Become active in social network online communities like Twitter, FaceBook and LinkedIn. Younger people tend to respond better to online giving campaigns than to direct mail appeals. While the first online gift may be small---and motivated by impulse and mercy---if your organization services these smaller online donors well, thanking them genuinely, and providing them with opportunities to join your conversation, you are likely to make friends. As Hal Colston of Good News Garage in Burlington, Vermont, is fond of saying: "Friend-raise and the funds will follow."
-
1
Tips & Warnings
It takes an average of 20 cents to raise a dollar.
