guest post // Top 4 Strategies for Staying Connected With Your Supporters
By Brad Dowhaniuk, 99Pledges
It can be challenging for nonprofits to find a balance when communicating with their supporters. On one hand, you might be afraid to bother them with too many appeals and updates. On the other hand, you might worry that you’ll lose their interest and attention if you go radio silent for too long.
The key to successful engagement lies not in discovering the perfect outreach frequency, but in providing plenty of opportunities for supporters to connect with your organization. Let’s explore four strategies you can implement to pave the way for lasting, meaningful relationships with supporters.
1. Create dedicated online spaces to interact.
Digital platforms, from websites to social media, have made connecting with prospective and existing supporters more instantaneous and convenient than ever before. Nowadays, people can share news, photos, and ideas with someone across the globe, all from the comfort of their own homes.
Take advantage of this accessibility and low barrier to participation by creating special online groups for supporters to join. After all, 74% of Americans feel a sense of non-belonging in their local community. By uniting like-minded individuals under a common purpose—your nonprofit’s mission—you allow them to find fellowship, friendship, and fulfillment with both your organization and other supporters.
To start:
Decide where you’ll create your online group, whether that’s Facebook or LinkedIn.
Create a catchy name related to your cause, such as “Wildlife Warriors” or “Helping Hands for Hunger.”
Invite members to join and engage with the group by sharing their experiences, providing ideas, and participating in polls.
For example, a hunger relief nonprofit might ask its group members to compile their best tips for reducing food waste and vote on a name for the community garden that it’s building. You can even create separate groups for volunteers, recurring donors, and other supporter groups for more focused discussions.
However, remember that not all supporters are active on social media. Think about the various segments of your audience and use a multichannel communication strategy to meet them where they are.
2. Launch peer-to-peer fundraisers.
Rather than repeatedly asking supporters to reach into their pockets for more donations, give them the chance to play a more active role in your fundraising efforts. By hosting a peer-to-peer fundraiser such as a walk-a-thon or read-a-thon, you can expand your nonprofit’s reach by tapping into your supporters’ networks and deepen their investment in your mission.
According to 99Pledges, any organization, from nonprofits to schools to sports teams, can plan a successful peer-to-peer fundraising campaign with the right software. Search your database for supporters who will likely be interested in participating in your campaign, such as long-time volunteers, event attendees, or repeat donors.
These individuals will then set up and share personal fundraising pages, collecting donations from their friends and families on your organization’s behalf. Follow these best practices to set your peer-to-peer fundraising participants up for success:
Provide clear instructions and resources, such as a step-by-step walkthrough on designing their donation pages, pre-written messaging templates, and branded graphics.
Assign a point of contact to answer questions or help troubleshoot technical issues with supporters.
Encourage supporters to share their stories to help their friends and family understand why your cause is so important to them.
Consider using leaderboards and creating incentives to incorporate a little friendly competition in your peer-to-peer fundraiser. This way, supporters will feel proud of reaching their fundraising goals and excited to receive a t-shirt or other small reward in return for their efforts.
3. Plan engaging, interactive events.
Nonprofit events are more than fundraising opportunities. By regularly bringing your community together in creative, fun ways, you can keep supporters engaged and bring more awareness to your cause.
There are plenty of ideas that can fit your budget and audience’s interests. A school might host a family field day and picnic out on its lawn, while an environmental conservation nonprofit might organize a clean-up at its local park.
Vary your events calendar by incorporating different formats:
In person, such as facility tours, galas, talent shows, and cook-offs.
Hybrid, such as auctions, movie nights, educational workshops, and concerts.
Virtual, such as scavenger hunts, livestreamed Q&A sessions, book clubs, and trivia nights.
Look for ways to leverage modern technology to engage both younger and older generations of supporters. For example, you could level up a scavenger hunt by incorporating augmented reality (AR).
Once you have your event planned out, use the information you have in your donor database to reach out to supporters who may be interested in attending. Tatango provides an easy text message template you can send out: “Hi [Donor’s Name]! We’re hosting our annual fundraising gala on [date] to support [describe your mission]. 🗓️ We’d love you to join us for a wonderful evening of music, entertainment, and impact. RSVP at: [link], or if you won’t be able to attend, consider donating instead: [link]!”
4. Express appreciation throughout the year.
You likely already know how important it is to follow up promptly with donors and volunteers to thank them for their support. However, your appreciation efforts don’t have to (and shouldn’t!) stop there.
Identity opportunities to express your nonprofit’s gratitude throughout the year. Some common ways include:
Birthday wishes
Holiday greetings
Event follow-ups
Donation anniversaries
Annual reports
End-of-year appreciation events
Avoid making a fundraising ask in these thank-you messages. Instead, focus on making each supporter feel like an individually valued member of your community.
Personalize your communications with their names and reference their engagement history to demonstrate that you’re paying attention to their impact on your mission. Specificity is key—if you recently held a Read-a-thon, for instance, recap all the minutes or pages read and explain everything you’ll be able to accomplish with the funds raised, such as providing new literacy workbooks to students.
If you’re ever unsure how to engage your supporters, don’t be afraid to simply ask them. Send out a short survey with questions such as, “How often would you prefer to hear from our organization?” and “What types of updates do you want to receive most?” Continually seek feedback and refine your strategy to build strong supporter relationships you can rely on for years.
This guest post was written by Brad Dowhaniuk.
Brad Dowhaniuk is the co-founder of 99Pledges, which provides schools and teams with an easy-to-use, web-based fundraising solution to manage and drive success in Fun Runs, jog-a-thons, baseball hit-a-thons, and much more.
Ready for more? Here are two ways Erin can help you make your mission irresistible to donors:
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It’s where I talk about donor strategy ideas like these. Join the convo!
2. Work with me.
Over 12 months, I guide NP teams to fund their mission with effective, frenzy-free donor engagement strategies. ✴️ Donors fund irresistible missions… is yours? Let’s get started! Schedule your 15-minute Change Chat here and share about your nonprofit and how you’d like to improve your donor strategy.