With Giving Tuesday a single week away, for this week’s FUNDRAISING DOs & DON’Ts I thought it would be appropriate to suggest a couple of quick important fundraising rules that your organization should observe to ensure the success of its campaign.
DO ESTABLISH A TARGET FOR YOUR GIVING TUESDAY CAMPAIGN. Be sure to set a targeted dollar amount that you want your charity or non-profit to reach or surpass. In addition to serving as your campaign’s primary indicator of success, a financial target provides rallying point for participants.
The quest to achieve $XXXXX in proceeds instills a sense of shared purpose and focus that energizes volunteers, board and staff. Having a fundraising dollar goal provides direction for your organization and helps your team to devise the most effective strategies to attain them. The prospect of achieving a set target is something that excites everyone involved and strengthens your organization’s culture of philanthropy.
DON’T FOCUS ON YOUR ORGANIZATION’S NEEDS. FOCUS ON THE IMPACT OF ITS PROGRAMS. When asking others to support your Giving Tuesday appeals, never focus your request on your organization’s expenses. Make your message about the impact that your programs have on the communities that you serve.
Elaborate about the positive change that your charity or non-profit has made in the lives of the people and the families who have benefitted from its work. Explain how giving will make their lives happier, healthier, and enable them to reach their full potential. Donors want to support something that genuinely makes the world a better place and we must assure them that their generosity will help make that objective a reality.
