Fiscal years 2019 and 2020 are projected to be very successful for many nonprofit organizations. Here are five of the best tips that can ensure your success as a nonprofit organization. 

  • Encourage consistency

Though it may seem annoying and invasive to maintain a reminder schedule for your donors, monthly correspondence is the most acceptable time frame to engage active donors. Regular donors are literal goldmines. If they have contributed for three consecutive months or more, there’s a high chance they are more likely to continue donating in subsequent months. They are also more likely to contribute more than first time donors since they demonstrate a personal interest in the cause(s) you stand for. 

Feature a “recurring donation” option on your Home page to enable those interested to participate. 

  • Don’t neglect emails!

Though it appears that times have changed to an age of liking and swiping, emails are most certainly still in active use. Hard data shows that emails are effective ways at asking donors to maintain their contributions, while social media is better at piquing the interest of potential first-time donors. 

This means that you should divide your focus in a balanced fashion between social media and emails. Pay attention to response rates to figure out which email structures are the most effective (use those with higher engagement levels the most).

  • People are engaging more with visual media

Over the last three years, there has been a 21% increase in how much people respond to videos on social media in comparison to text and even pictures. This figure is magnified by a much higher graphic information engagement rate – which research has shown to be almost nine times more effective than textual information. 

Therefore, find opportunities and online spaces where text can be replaced by visual digital media. 

“Not only will this directly increase your donor success and your overall campaign success, but it will also make your information much more attractive and varied. Even someone with no idea about your campaign will be more likely to want to learn more,” says Draft Beyond social worker Christopher Clark. 

  • Social media statistics

“Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are the three social media giants. This stands correct for usage overall, and of course, for the sharing of information. People use them the most for sharing campaigns that interest them,” explains Last Minute Writing philanthropist William Hines.  

However, recent massive surges in social media culture have led to concerns about its effect on mental health. This has resulted in calls to move people away from obsessive use of social media networking platforms. 

Thus, focus your efforts on other platforms as well. These can include emails, blogs, leaflets and podcasts. Utilizing a broad range of platforms will also safeguard your campaigns from algorithms aimed at reducing social media use. 

  • Look at the generational patterns

First, ensure you are well aware of the age demographics of your donors. The two consecutive generations from Generation Z and the Millennials have both been active topics of discussion among those heavily involved in fundraising. About a third of Gen Z’s have donated to organizations already, with Millennials having many nonprofit and cloud-funded projects constantly ongoing. User-friendliness is on the increase, with mobile usage being the main source of electronic communication with Gen Z. Pay attention to what you can do with this information: design pages so that they can work really well on mobile devices to grow your outreach. 

Second, to target Gen Z is to increase the amount of volunteer opportunities. Especially as they get older, many in this demographic will be looking for volunteer work to add more substance to their resumes. You can give them that. 

Treat these tips as a flexible checklist. The more of these suggestions you incorporate, the better your results are likely to be. However, each nonprofit organization has their own ways of running themselves. If a managerial style is working for your organization, maintain it. However, don’t be afraid to try something new as well. 

Harry Conley is an editor at Lucky Assignments and Gum Essays.

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