Does your organization run primarily on donations? Whether you’re managing a nonprofit or starting a GoFundMe for a loved one, it’s important to use the right strategy when asking for donations. Learning how to get people to donate money to you is necessary if you want your fundraising efforts to be successful.
Fundraising isn’t exciting, but it’s often a necessary part of supporting your cause. A few proven strategies will bring in the funds you need, giving you access to the cash that will keep you moving forward.
7 strategies to get donations
The following tips take the stress out of fundraising, making it easy to create a streamlined system that encourages more people to donate.
1. Use storytelling to share your cause
People love stories, which is why the right narrative can draw donors to your cause. Storytelling shows the potential impact of donations. Good fundraising stories engage people’s emotions and encourage them to act. As a result, donors feel more emotionally invested and want to offer assistance in helping you move forward and continue your work.
2. Include images to paint a picture
Make your content relatable, and look for ways to tell your story through different media. Including emotionally compelling pictures not only boosts views on social media, but it also makes it easier for people to identify with your cause and participate in it.
Remember that people act from the heart — not the head — so pictures can be an effective way to tug at the heartstrings and encourage donations.
3. Make things easier for people
Eliminate any barriers people might encounter when sending donations. If you have a complicated or difficult donation process, this decreases the likelihood of a potential donor completing the transaction. You can make donating easier by using online forms like the ones from Jotform.
4. Ask for specific amounts
A generic donation request causes people to stop and think about their level of contribution. Donors often don’t know how much to give or are unsure what kind of impact their donation might make. Instead of requesting an open-ended contribution, offer suggested levels of donation and associate these donation amounts with benefits for the cause.
5. Offer gratitude for the donation
Showing your appreciation for each donation means there’s a better chance donors will come back to donate again in the future. Send thank-you messages through emails and letters. A personalized touch can go a long way toward building strong and lasting relationships with donors.
6. Share updates about the campaign
Provide updates on the campaign frequently to share current news about its progress. These messages help donors feel like they’re part of a team, which increases the connection they have with the cause.
7. Use multiple communication platforms
What’s the most efficient way to connect with your target donor demographic? Consider where people spend their time online, then publish information on those platforms. For the best results, use multiple forms of communication — such as email, text, social media, phone calls, and mailers.
How do I get people to donate monthly?
Setting up recurring payments can be one of the most powerful ways to bring in regular donations that help support your organization. When people agree to a recurring monthly donation, you only need to request funds once. After that, their credit card is charged regularly, eliminating the need for you to continue asking for donations.
Recurring payments result in more donations and reliable cash flow for your organization. It’s a “set it and forget it” system. Simply create the right platform where people can set up recurring donations, and the payments automatically occur at the frequency donors specify.
Jotform facilitates recurring payments with a streamlined system that makes it easy to ask for recurring donations. Check out this guide to learn how to set up a recurring payment option.
The right tools are essential to reduce the burden on your fundraising team. Once you create good online donation forms, it’s easy to collect the funds when donors are ready to contribute. Visit the Jotform blog to learn more about creating and managing nonprofit organizations.
This article is originally published on Jul 09, 2020, and updated on Jan 21, 2022.
