At this point in the year, your nonprofit is taking the time to review 2016, and gain valuable lessons from experiences had, as well as deliver sharp critique to ideas that did not pan out. DonorLynk has a keen eye for nonprofit strategy, and how we can deliver the best advice to YOUR nonprofit for reaching more people and raising more money.
Evaluating 2016
I’d like to focus on two major areas your nonprofit is evaluating: method and approach. The approach refers to how you reach your donors and volunteers, while method refers to the ways you provide your constituents to get involved. In a recently published Salesforce.org report, Salesforce found, from a survey of over 2,000 individuals in the United States, that most nonprofits still engage with supporters by traditional methods: in person and by mail. Perhaps many of your donors still appreciate the traditional methods, but many more seek a fresh take on engaging with them. Here at DonorLynk, we know the importance of having a method in place that appeals to your constituents. Providing easy and fun ways to learn more about your organization, give online, and register for events is of great value when giving a good first impression to a supporter. In this same Salesforce report, results came back that stated nearly 25% were looking for a nonprofit to approach and appeal to them by identifying opportunities that are related to the causes they identified that they are interested in. Think back on this year, and how your nonprofit reached out to constituents. Did you tailor your efforts to certain groups? Were you intentional in the cultivation of the relationship once they expressed interest in being involved? Your supporters can guide you to the right methods and approaches to take with them, you need only listen.
Looking to 2017
As you plan your methods and approaches for 2017, take the time to review feedback from donors and volunteers across the year. Incorporate their suggestions and their likes/dislikes into how you appeal to them moving forward. A big result from the Salesforce report on donor and volunteer engagement with nonprofits showed that generational differences determined a lot for how donors and volunteers looked to be involved. 48% of millennials would rather get involved through the website of an organization, while 48% of Gen Xer’s and 48% of Baby Boomers would like to be approached in person and by mail, respectively. What YOU know works for your nonprofit and its target audience can still work well. When putting together the methods and approaches you’ll take next year, acknowledge that your constituent base is ever changing, therefore the many ways you interact with them should be refreshed as well.
DonorLynk is comprised of a team of individuals that all have experience in the nonprofit space. We develop solutions and strategies for nonprofits so that your work can be furthered and your efforts maximized. Contact us at 615-988-4600 today to get started on the right solution for your nonprofit!
Marianna Woodruff is a Business Development Executive at DonorLynk, LLC. DonorLynk is focused on helping nonprofits increase effectiveness and efficiency.