Most nonprofits focus on two areas to meet fundraising goals: giving at the general, broad-based fund level and major giving. But over the past few years, many organizations have turned their attention to mid-level giving strategies that simultaneously upgrade donors to your general fund while cultivating the next generation of major donors.
5 Proven Tips for Upgrading Mid-Level Donors
Here are five things every nonprofit leader needs to keep in mind when trying to reach and upgrade mid-level donors:
- Securing commitments on the first ask requires the right conversation with the right prospect. The intelligence you get from observing how mid-level donors engage with your communication is invaluable because it allows us to identify prospects with a higher likelihood of giving.
- Direct, personalized communication will help propel your organization into their top three philanthropic priorities. You must take an active stance to drive low-level donors to the middle of the pyramid—and engage them with the right message.
- Have a system in place to process automatic monthly credit card transactions. Monthly giving commitments can be extremely valuable when it comes to asking mid-level donors to commit.
- Be sincere about developing a relationship from the starting point and you will cultivate a future base of major donors. 70 percent of mid-level gifts secured through the face-to-face strategy were from non-donors.
- With every point of contact, you have to keep this in mind: It’s all about the relationship. Reaching mid-level donors does not have to be the weak spot of your fundraising strategy. You need to know who they are, what is important to them, and how to approach them.
Are You Ready to Upgrade More Mid-Level Donors?
Mid-level giving isn’t just a source of giving for today; it is a cultivation strategy for the major donors of tomorrow.
What are you doing to reach mid-level donors? !