Every nonprofit leader wants to reach more donors and raise more money so that his or her organization can continue to make the world a better place. For many, that desire to make a lasting impact is what gets us out of bed in the morning.
The truth is, a healthy and long-lasting fundraising model is built day-by-day, brick-by-brick.
How to Build a Sustainable Fundraising Model with Mid-Level Giving
What are the keys to ensuring your organization’s healthy future? Here are seven ways to maximize the middle of your donor pyramid to create a healthy balance for sustainable giving:
- Know the capacity and interest level of your mid-level donors. Just because a mid-level prospect has capacity to give at a higher level doesn’t mean they’re interested in doing so. This is why the intelligence you can gather from behavioral & engagement data is so valuable. It allows you to identify prospects who are more likely to give, because they have a strong interest in your cause.
- Don’t overlook your non-donors. There are some people in your database that might have never given before, but have the potential to make a meaningful first donation. In fact, they may be your biggest prospect pool. Look for ways to leverage third-party data to identify potential mid-level donors that might be hiding in plain sight.
- Equip your development team with the right insights to cultivate mid-level donors. Securing commitments on the first ask requires the right conversation with the right prospect, even for a mid-level gift. Providing your development staff with the same kind of information you collect for major donors is essential for truly maximizing the conversations you have with potential mid-level donors.
- Give mid-level prospects unique options to make a difference. Mid-level donors are unique, which gives you the opportunity to provide giving options that are different from major and general fund contributions. Asking for multiyear commitments fulfilled in monthly payments is an effective way to upgrade low-level donors because it makes contributing a mid-level gift an easier and more comfortable financial decision.
- Show prospects you need and value their support. Make sure your mid-level donors know the impact they’re making with each gift. Direct, personalized attention in a cost-efficient manner will help propel your organization into your mid-level donor’s top three organizations—which is where you need to be.
- Don’t minimize the relationship between your organization and mid-level donors. Be sincere about developing a relationship from the starting point through mid-level gifts. Building strong relationships with your mid-level donors is the best way to cultivate a future base of major donors.
How are you currently reaching out to donors? Do you find building relationships to be a challenge?