On the eve of the most celebrated philanthropic occasion on the calendar, millions of people across North America are pondering which aspects of their favourite charity’s work they wish to support in 2024. Some will direct their funds towards cancer research. Others will want to send children to summer camp. Some will specify that their gifts feed the homeless. Others will want their donations to be used to purchase learning supplies for students in developing countries.
Another option for donors on Giving Tuesday is to designate their contributions towards strengthening various facets of their preferred charity’s functionality such as volunteer recruiting and screening, board development and community outreach. A frequently overlooked functional area that should be a priority for all nonprofits is fundraising.
One can argue that no expenditure historically has been less appealing to the donor public than fundraising-related costs. In reality, one can also argue that no budgetary items are more important to an organization’s future viability than those associated with raising money.
Directing funds towards fund development increases a charity’s ability to procure the tools and resources it needs to deliver programs and services. It enables nonprofits to raise money with greater ease and achieve higher levels of income certainty.
Investing in fundraising strengthens an organization’s capacity to attract and forge relations with new donors, advance the affinity of current supporters, and gradually cultivate a passionate and vibrant philanthropic base of individual and institutional stakeholders.
Rather than discourage donors from directing their support towards fundraising, we must champion such efforts. Fundraising is not a nefarious activity. It is the lifeblood of nonprofit programming.
Empowering your charity to generate larger sums of revenue reduces its dependency on core funding sources and bestows it with more discretionary income that your board and staff may allocate where they feel the need is most urgent. Ultimately, larger investments in fundraising ensures your organization’s long-term sustainability and positions it to create meaningful change that enhances the vitality of your community.
Thus, when you are deciding how you want your Giving Tuesday gifts to be used, I strongly encourage you to consider supporting your charity’s fundraising strategies. In fact, convince your friends and family to follow your example. In the long-run, I promise that your beneficiaries and your community will be happy with the results.
