This summer, I suggest taking a step back and looking holistically at how you and your organization “prospect” or, in other words, what is your process for identifying new potential donors? It’s a critical component of fundraising success but it’s also easy to repeat the same methods. Below are 10 suggestions for boosting your prospecting outcomes:
1) Review your website from a prospect’s eye: Within 30 seconds of looking at your homepage, a prospect should know your organization’s name, mission, and how to support you. The donation button should be on the top half of the website. Create a pop up box so visitors to your site can sign up to receive your newsletter. Make sure that every page on your site has a signup option, and embed the link into website copy when appropriate. Every new visitor to your site and new signup for your newsletter is a prospect.
2) Lapsed donors are prospects: Review every single donor who has ever given to your organization, even if they gave 15 years ago. Move all those names onto your prospect lists and begin to reach out: thank them for their past support, ask what initially brought them to your organization, and develop a plan to re-engage them.
3) Check out your local business journal: There are many types of lists that note high net worth individuals in your community. Comb those lists to identify individuals who have an affinity for your organization’s mission, then develop an outreach strategy.
4) Survey your competitors: Donors often give to multiple organizations in the same space. Review the board lists of organizations whose work is similar to yours. Ask staff and board members to identify anyone they know and cross reference all with your database. You will likely find past interaction, engagement, or even giving. Add those names to the top of your prospect list.
5) Review RSVP and attendee lists: Look at people who RSVP’d to your events and those who actually showed up. Both groups are prospects and it is worth spending time reviewing names, running a wealth screening, and doing some relationship mapping.
6) Ask your board, again: Yes, you have likely asked them. But ask them again. People may be open to supporting new organizations given the state of the world and it can be an opportune time to engage new prospects in your work.
7) Ask your supporters: One of the easiest ways for a donor to help the organization, in addition to giving, is to identify others who may be interested in supporting the organization. This can be an easy lift but sometimes we don’t think to ask.
8) Run a wealth screening: I’m always surprised that many organizations I work with don’t have recent screenings on file. This means that data may be outdated and names may not have been screened at all.
9) Leverage your volunteer pipeline: Read my post for tips on engaging volunteers as donors.
10) Create a strong social media presence: Create a content calendar using all digital platforms to push out information that shares what your organization does and what impact it has. Offer opportunities to engage with content and sign up to learn more. Treat all of those names as potential prospects.
What other ideas do you have to increase your prospects? I’d love to hear from you.