The fundraising landscape is changing rapidly and the challenges facing many of today’s nonprofit organizations have never been greater. At the same time, many nonprofit leaders are facing expectations that have never been higher. Fundraising professionals feel increasing pressure to provide results to both their boards and the individual donors who want to know that every dollar they give is being spent appropriately.
These challenges require us to think differently when it comes to how we approach fundraising. We must be smarter to ensure the time, energy, and effort that our organization spends engaging donors provides the greatest return on our investment.
While this might seem like an overwhelming task, it’s not as impossible as you might think…
The Art & Science of Fundraising
The key to overcoming these new challenges and meeting the increased demands of today’s fundraising world can be found by learning how to balance the art and science of fundraising.
The Art of Fundraising
Simply put, the art of fundraising is knowing how to engage donors through great storytelling and relationships. Nonprofit organizations are usually effective at storytelling and building relationships. These are the primary currency of fundraising. Fundraisers—at least good ones—know how to tell great stories.
The Science of Fundraising
Today, nonprofit organizations have the ability to leverage technology to gather and analyze a tremendous amount of data to know who they should engage and how they should engage them. This is the science of fundraising.
Whether we’re engaging constituents on the phone, through direct mail, online or in-person, the science of fundraising empowers us to tell the stories and build relationships with the right people and increase our return on investment.
Balancing the art that nonprofits have always known with the scientific approach of data is critical for success.
Are You Ready to Find the Balance and Improve Your Results?
Learning the art of fundraising, the science of fundraising, and how to balance the two is the only way nonprofit leaders can overcome the unique challenges we face in today’s fundraising world.
If you want to learn how your organization can ensure the time, energy, and effort that you spend engaging donors provides the greatest return on your investment, don’t miss our latest resource, Balancing the Art and Science of Fundraising.