What Do Donors Want?

The psychology of fundraising will be more thoroughly covered in another blog post, but while we are thinking about donors and how to appeal to them, it makes sense to say a few words about what is going through the minds of those who are willing to give money for your nonprofit. 

Many non-profits assume that people give money for specific causes for “nothing,” but this is rarely the case.  Studies have shown that people who are likely to give money to non-profits generally do so because they feel they get some “value” from giving.  

Where to Find Donors

Now that you know what the sources of money are likely to be for your non-profit, you will want to figure out how to contact the largest amount of them most effectively. You will of course want to know where to find the donors that can help your group succeed. There are several ways to get in touch with the groups and people who can help you: 

The library: Well before you start your fundraising efforts, you will want to frequent your local library. Your local library, as part of your community and a great information resource, is indispensable for your non-profit.

Who Gives Money? Figuring Out Who You are Fundraising From

If you want to make money for your organization or charity, you need to know where you will be getting your money from. Of course, you will want to be able to appeal to a wide range of donors, but in fact you will get the most money by targeting donors. 

You have seen this in action already in fundraising efforts you have likely observed: Cancer societies often appeal for donations from people who have lost someone to cancer; Girl Scouts target customers leaving grocery stores as these are likely candidates to buy a box of cookies.

Why do I need to learn about Fundraising?

Plenty of people assume that fundraising is as simple as holding bake sales or some other organizational activity until enough money is raised.  If you only want to raise a small amount of money, this may be fine, but for many groups this approach is too uncertain and too limited to be very effective.   

If your group will be around for a while, then you will want to raise money consistently in order to keep your group going.  You will need to learn many things in order to keep enough money coming consistently:

Why is Fundraising Important?

Since non-profit groups are by their definition groups that do not wish to profit many people wonder why they must raise money at all. In fact, fundraising is often the only way that nonprofits have of gaining the money needed to rent the space and organize the programs needed to fulfill the group’s mandate.

Fundraising can help raise awareness through newspapers or newsletters, it can help a group establish an Internet site, and it can help people that the group is hoping to help. For example, a women’s shelter will need money for a shelter space, money for food and board for abused women, and money for programs such as education and job training for the women who visit the center.

What is Fundraising?

Fundraising is just what it appears to be - the raising of funds or money. For a non-profit, fund raising is often the only way to get the money to pay for the facilities and programs that the group wishes to organize. Fundraising can take many forms, from sales to direct asking for money to organizing events or lotteries for which people will pay.

What is a Non-Profit?

Many people who first begin fundraising do not always know what a non-profit is, and many groups assume that it does not matter whether their organization is a non-profit or not. 

However, how much money you make and how you are able to use that money is determined largely by the way you are classified. A non-profit group is simply a group that is designed for a charitable purpose; no money that the group makes is used for the gain of individuals. 

Fundraising Basics: How To Get All The Money You Need For Your Non-Profit

Today there are more non-profit groups than ever.  On the one hand, this is a great development - it means that as a society we are becoming more aware of a need to give to others and are even taking the necessary steps to ensure that we help others.  On the other hand, though, the presence of so many non-profits creates a unique problem - “giver burnout.” 

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