Spring is the launch of nonprofit fundraising for the year.
That means walking alongside nonprofit leaders. Coaching them on what stories to tell, when to share them, and how to connect them to their mission and goals.
It also means pushing them outside their comfort zones, to meet the funding goals they long for but have struggled to reach in the past.
This week was no exception.
In 2021, I helped outline a campaign for a growing nonprofit. They were unsure how the campaign would do and ran it themselves. Implementation fell short, and they missed the goal by 25%. A last-minute donation, in the following week, helped put them over the goal.
For 2022 the campaign goal was 50% higher and they knew they needed help. After reviewing past successful campaigns for them, I built a marketing strategy for the campaign and began tracking engagement.
The result this year was very different. Email engagement, social reach, and video consumption all improved significantly, leading them to surpass the campaign goal.
At the end of the campaign, I sent a quick text to congratulate them on how it had gone…
Me: 109.5% of your campaign goal. That’s awesome.
NP Leader: Last week I didn’t think we were going to make it… I wasn’t sure asking this much would be too much, and we exceeded it!
But so it reviewing the plans to find lessons for the future so they can continue to grow and serve more people.
After reviewing the 2022 campaign, and comparing it to the 2021 version, some interesting lessons appeared.
Here are 4 Lessons from the Successful Campaign
Lesson 1) Sharing your impact connects hearts
Sharing information and stats about your organization and the work you do is nice. But no one was ever informed to action. Instead, use stories from people you serve to share the direct impact your nonprofit is making on people. This will connect your audience emotionally to your cause and lead them to action.
Lesson 2) Clear messaging with a direct ask wins the day
Don’t waste words or make your audience guess about how they can help you. Clearly share the need you have, connect it to your impact, and invite your audience to be part of the solution. Then give them one step they can take to partner with you in solving the problem.
Lesson 3) Repetition is a necessity
Statistically, your audience needs to have 7+ interactions with your information before they will act on it. And, they don’t see everything you send out, so the only way to do that is through strategic repetition. So, share your impact and need in many ways and multiple times. This campaign included 6 emails and 22 social posts (some videos, some images, and some stories) to get the message across and drive a response.
Lesson 4) Planning ahead sets you up for fundraising success
The winning factor between the two campaigns came down to having the time to implement Lessons #2 & #3. By beginning a few weeks earlier to discuss options, make a plan, and create intentional content, they went from squeaking by to exceeding the goal. As a result of planning, they will be able to serve more people in the coming season.
If your nonprofit, or mission-minded organization, is doing great work but struggling to raise funds, I can help. You need a proven plan for sharing your story and impact because your mission can change the world.
With my Mission Minded Messaging process I can help your organization to:
- Identify what you need to share
- Map a plan for sharing the story
- Share your message with clarity
Reach out to me to see how we can work together.