Nonprofit and philanthropic social media channels are all atwitter with findings in the newly released 2015 Giving USA report.  It’s good news!  Now it’s time to figure out how to use this momentum to raise more money for your mission work.  According to the report, estimated overall giving is up 7.1%. And surprise, surprise, the majority of charitable donations comes from individuals.  But the real question is… what are you going to do with this information?

Based on my experience, here are 3 things I think you should do to raise more money:

1. Conduct a quick and simple assessment: if you haven’t done so lately, you need to understand how your current efforts are affecting your ability to maximize your mission. Ask questions like – what are our sources of giving now? What is the ROI of each fundraising activity? How much has our donor base grown in the past 3 years? What are our retention rate trends? And there are plenty more, but you get the idea. The goal here is to make informed decisions; you can’t wing it and be fully effective.

2. Focus on individual giving: if you don’t have a strong annual giving effort, start creating one now. Look at the numbers! It’s the foundation for your success. We saw what happened to organizations that were heavily dependent on other sources of revenue – many are still dealing with sustainability issues and others no longer exist. If you feel stuck and not sure how to acquire individual donors, start by looking at your newsletter list, your social media followers, your event attendees, your volunteers, past board members, and more.

3. Be donor centric: it’s kind of a buzz word these days, and there is a reason for that. Do you know why your donors give to your organization? Have you given them meaningful ways to get further involved? Do you know how they give to you? This isn’t about you, it’s not even about your organization – it’s about the community you serve, so pay attention. What will it take to keep them as donors, volunteers and advocates for your cause?

Every nonprofit organization needs a strategic development plan that outlines how to raise money to fund the mission. And it’s not that difficult to figure out.  Imagine what you could do if your entire team adopted a mindset that believed it’s possible to raise the dollars you need without the chaos!

If you need help jump-starting your fundraising plan, let me know and I’ll work with you to get started.

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