2016 is finally here, and with it, the chance to launch a brand new fundraising year. It’s always exciting to brainstorm new ways to engage your donors, but you want to make sure that you have the right systems in place first. We know you want to focus on building and strengthening donor relationships, so we’ve come up with a few checkpoints that you can use to make sure that your system is doing the work it should—so you can get back to doing what you love. Consider the following questions, and use your systems to make 2016 your most successful fundraising year yet.
How are you managing your donors?
Although keeping donor information on legal pads or spreadsheets might be the standard, installing a great donor management system is essential to your fundraising success. An automated system that stores donor information, tracks giving history, and links to your donors’ social media profiles can not only decrease donor drop off, but it also means that you can use the information to create strong, lasting relationships with your donors. We recommend choosing a system that allows for customization, so that you can store and manage the most relevant information for your organization (check out our custom system here!)
How are you managing volunteers?
As you review your systems, you should also consider how you register your volunteers for opportunities, and how you keep track of their information. Although it’s possible for your volunteers to sign up in person when they visit your organization, it’s worthwhile to expand your organization’s reach and use a volunteer management software to better consolidate and organize your volunteers. A great system will also allow your volunteers sign up online for opportunities, and you can send reminders about when and where they are scheduled to help.
How are you running reports?
No matter the size of your organization, it’s likely that you’ll have to prepare reports for your board and your executive director. If you have a system with advanced reporting options, you’ll be able to present information to your key staff and supporters easily and concisely. You can also use the system to customize the reports, so that you only present relevant information. Having a system that automatically generates this information not only improves your efficiency, but also allows you to focus more on the face-to-face aspect of your job.
As you’re creating your organization’s goals for this year, you should be able to focus on the important task of donor cultivation, and not have to worry about whether your donor and volunteer information is being stored correctly. By doing a check of your systems, you’ll be able to determine whether or not your organization is ready to make 2016 successful.
One of our goals this year is to make your job easier. That’s why we’re always here to answer questions or explain how we can transform your organization. Get in touch with our team today!