Ten Principles To Fundraising Success for Every Nonprofit

Seems like everyone likes “Top 10 Lists.” Here’s one that will actually help you achieve the fundraising success for your nonprofit that you’ve dreamed about! These may seem simple, but trust me they’ve been developed over many, many years of experience in this field!

Spend time and think about each one of these. Then let me know what they mean to you!

Time Management: If 80 percent of your gift revenue comes from the top 20 percent of your donors, be sure you spend a proportionate amount of time working to strengthen relations with those who can actually give those BIG MONEY gifts.
Feeling Valued: BIG MONEY donors enter their maximum giving mood when they feel they are a hugely important part of your nonprofit’s family.
Taking Ownership: The biggest key to success with BIG MONEY donors is to create BUY-IN opportunities so they feel an ownership responsibility for your nonprofit’s success.
Time Sensitivity: When you are setting out to capture BIG MONEY gifts, once in the presence of these donor prospects, you only have 16 seconds to connect with their hearts and minds.
Being Prepared: There are two strategies you can employ to buy more than this 16-second window. First, be a BRIGHT LIGHT Second, bring your case for support in a video format and make sure your CASE STATEMENT video is the FIRST thing your donor prospect sees.
Solve Problems: Your case for support must be a real problem solver. No one wants to give BIG MONEY to support a Band-Aid solution to a serious community problem.
Identify Interest: A huge element to success with BIG MONEY donors is to obtain a locked-in FIX on their specific interests in your nonprofit. Then, in all communications, ride the horse of their interests in all your work with them.
Get Involved: Even after you know the interests of your BIG MONEY donor prospects, you have to grow those interests by involving them in your organization.
Take Responsibility: means active responsibility for the successful outcome of your organization’s mission.
Make Connections: Always, when asking for BIG MONEY gifts, make sure those who do the asking have made a BIG MONEY gift themselves and that they have a strong, meaningful relationship with the person, foundation, or corporate entity that is being asked for help.