{"id":16244,"date":"2019-05-06T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-05-06T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.causevox.com\/?p=16244"},"modified":"2024-05-08T22:07:58","modified_gmt":"2024-05-08T22:07:58","slug":"community-driven-fundraising-lessons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.causevox.com\/blog\/community-driven-fundraising-lessons\/","title":{"rendered":"11 Lessons Learned From The First-Ever Community-Driven Fundraising Summit"},"content":{"rendered":"

Wow.<\/p>\n

Did you happen to listen in on the first-ever community-driven fundraising summit? It was a jam-packed day of inspirational anecdotes, educational sessions, and expert speakers. There were literally hundreds of takeaways– so many in fact, that we had to compile a 26-page document just so sort through all of them!<\/p>\n

During the summit, we dove into community-driven fundraising and DIY fundraising with Noah, Rob, and Chris from CauseVox, learned email best practices from Brady, talked donor retention with Steven, discussed digital storytelling with Julia, and heard from four different nonprofits about their experience with community-driven fundraising.<\/p>\n

As each session progressed, it became clear: community-driven fundraising is the future of fundraising.<\/p>\n

Here are 11 direct takeaways from the first-ever community-driven fundraising summit.<\/p>\n

1. Fundraising Looks Different Today<\/h2>\n

There\u2019s no denying that fundraising today looks different than it did a decade ago, let along 50 years ago!<\/p>\n

What started as localized fundraising evolved to mass fundraising and eventually Internet-fueled fundraising. During these \u201cadvancements,\u201d nonprofits focused less on building relationships, and more just reaching out to as many prospective givers as possible. Email blasts and display ads became the norm, and they didn\u2019t help with donor retention in the least; they merely rented attention.<\/p>\n

Even with so much digital noise, each touch lacked a personal touch.<\/p>\n

But today\u2019s donor doesn\u2019t want that noise; they want to feel appreciated and part of a community. Therefore, nonprofits must build relationships with donors starting by laying a foundation of inspiration. From there, they can engage and activate those supporters, and eventually rally them to lend support in many ways, including using their influence to encourage others to get involved with the cause.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s fundraising is less about the transaction and more about the relationship.<\/p>\n

2. People Don\u2019t Engage With Brands as Much as Before<\/h2>\n

Trust in brands is decreasing, and there\u2019s an across-the-board decrease in brand engagement on social media. This shift is due to many factors, including ever-changing Facebook rules, ad blockers, hyper-personalized feeds, and limited access to messaging systems– all of which limit the ways brands communicate with followers.<\/p>\n

So, who are people engaging with? Their friends, family, coworkers, and other networks, of course.<\/p>\n

People are looking to others for information and inspiration, meaning that you can tout your organization\u2019s great work until the cows come home, but that same message means much more when it comes from your supporters.<\/p>\n

Bottom line: invest in your current relationships. These people will become your vocal advocates down the road.<\/p>\n

3. It Takes a Community to Change a Community<\/h2>\n

CauseVox co-founder Rob Wu opened up the first-ever community-driven fundraising summit with a quote: \u201cWe believe that it takes a community to change a community.\u201d<\/p>\n

This theme, which focuses on the power your supporters have in sharing and ultimately growing your mission, was built on throughout the event.<\/p>\n

Your community includes everyone your nonprofit partners with: your donors, volunteers, board members, staff, online audience, and more. Each one of these people has a voice, and that voice is helpful in retaining those partners and inspiring new ones.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re struggling to raise money and fulfill your organization\u2019s mission, refocus your efforts on building your community.<\/p>\n

4. Fundraising is a Common Struggle Amongst Nonprofits<\/h2>\n

We heard it from GLAAD\u2019s Priya Patel, MPPH\u2019s Jake Vermillion, CCAN\u2019s Danniele Fulmer, and N Street Village\u2019s Makenzie Delmotte: fundraising is difficult.<\/p>\n

Whether you struggle with getting your message across, engaging current donors, repeating the same campaigns over and over, asking the same people, and offering a fresh perspective; recognize that many are in the same boat.<\/p>\n

The difference between organizations poised to thrive in this new fundraising environment and those that may not survive is a commitment to relationship building.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome organizations will thrive from this increased chaos, some will be unprepared, and some will merely fight it and lose.\u201d – Seth Godin<\/p>\n

5. DIY Fundraising Engages Your Community Year-Round<\/h2>\n

DIY fundraising similar to peer-to-peer<\/a> in that a supporter raises money on behalf of your organization, but with DIY, it\u2019s on your supporter\u2019s own terms.<\/p>\n

This community-driven fundraising technique can happen any time, from any location. All it takes is a program (set up by you), some guidelines, and eager supporters ready to rally.<\/p>\n

You can learn the ins and outs of DIY fundraising<\/a> here.<\/p>\n

6. Focus on the Donors You Have, Not the Ones You\u2019ve Lost<\/h2>\n

Steven Shattuck of Bloomerang presented a startling fact: Only 5% of lapsed donors return to an organization. So if you\u2019re spending your fundraising dollars on donor recaptures, it\u2019s best to take a step back and consider other more effective ways to raise money.<\/p>\n

The good news is that first-time donor retention is trending upwards, meaning your money is better spent nurturing these future vocal advocates.<\/p>\n

Although it hurts to say it, your best bet is to focus on the people you already have, not the ones you\u2019ve lost.<\/p>\n

7. There are Proven Ways to Retain Donors<\/h2>\n

Steven also reminded us that 100% of donor retention is virtually impossible, but there are many proven ways to boost your numbers. These include:<\/p>\n