Seven Habits of Effective Fundraisers
Every type of fundraiser for a non-profit organization is different. We have different strengths and weaknesses, and we all have our preferred strategies and tactics for fundraising. We have different strengths and weaknesses, and we all have different strategies and tactics. We all have different strengths and weaknesses, and we all have our preferred strategies and tactics for fundraising. It’s okay – every nonprofit is different, and every organization has its own development needs, so it’s fine to have a variety of different fundraising tactics for every type of nonprofit.
Good fundraisers are those who are consistently able to reach their fundraising goals. Here are some of the characteristics that make effective fundraisers. There are many good strategies that you can share with your clients. What are some of the ways that you have successfully raised money for your clients? What are some of the things that you recommend that you share with clients who want to become successful fundraisers?
1. They pick up the phone when they need to reach potential donors or prospects.
Highly effective fundraisers constantly pick up the phone to talk to donors and prospects. When a new donor or a potential donor contacts you via phone, they first e-mail them by picking up the phone and calling them. If someone calls you, they immediately call the person you are trying to reach. If that person answers your call, they immediately follow up by e-mailing them. They first call potential donors or donors by phone before they e-mail them. If someone calls you, they ask him to refer you to a friend.
Successful fundraisers always pick up the phone to call donors and prospects. By doing that, they can easily connect with them and ask them to recommend your services to others. It is easy to reach out to people by calling them and asking them to give a personal recommendation – something that e-mail cannot do.
2. Track the numbers and report on the key metrics that your fundraising efforts.
Good fundraisers know that they don’t have a lot of time or resources to spare. They know what works and what doesn’t work – and that is important, because they know what people think will work and what people think won’t. It will never happen that way. That is why effective fundraisers put their efforts into doing what works. Because there is no way for anyone to know for sure what really works and what doesn’t. But by observing the results of your fundraising activities, you will know what really works and what doesn’t. The only way to know for sure what works and what doesn’t is by measuring the results of your fundraising activities.
3. They always ask for a referral from a satisfied donor.
It is true that every fundraiser is different, but successful fundraisers keep their minds in the right place and remind themselves of these basic things. The single best way to bring in new donors and volunteers is to ask your current donors, volunteers and friends to recommend you to their network of potential donors and volunteers. What great fundraisers do is to remind donors and board members of this fact, and to remind them to ask for referrals every year.
4. Diversify your revenue sources.
That would be miserable for someone who focuses only on one or two of his/her income streams. When one of those income streams is exhausted, the organization will have a very
busy fundraising season in which many people want to raise money very quickly, and as a result, the organization’s programs will suffer. In today’s market, businesses need different revenue sources to maintain their financial stability.
Highly effective fundraisers keep looking for ways to increase the income that their organizations can receive from their fundraising efforts. Good development professionals plan
major gift programs and give major gifts at special events for organizations that depend on grants and events to pay for their activities. Even though you are used to doing a few things that work well for you, diversifying your tactics is key. When a major donor makes a generous donation to a worthy cause, it is important that your board members are well informed about the most effective ways to reach out to new donors and increase their gift giving.
5. Building a strong board of directors can help you build a strong organization.
Fundraisers who do their jobs successfully know that their board members can and should be a major source of development support for the organization. Highly effective fundraisers are always striving to build a strong board of directors. Highly effective fundraisers train and support their directors, organize board giving campaigns,
and actively seek out new board members who will help them become more effective.
6. They give priority to what they do.
Highly successful development professionals use the 80/20 rule to decide what to do and when to do it. They keep doing what works and they will keep trying new things. They are very selective about what they do. When fundraisers are overwhelmed by the many things that they need to do, they delegate those tasks to other people and work hard to develop the fundraising strategies that will benefit them and their organizations over the long term.
7. Good fundraisers are always practiced at what they do.
Fundraisers who have great success constantly try to find better ways to accomplish what they are asked to do. It is important that fundraisers learn how to be more successful in the fundraising process. They also work with other fundraisers to learn how to ask the right questions to prospects and write better fundraising letters. When you are very good at
fundraising, you will be able to raise money for your organization.
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Source: https://thefundraisingauthority.com/strategy-and-planning/highly-effective-fundraisers/