10 Ways to Reach Your Fundraising Goals in 2017


  • April 13, 2017
  • /   CLEARGIVE
  • /   Fundraising Tips
10 Fundraising Ideas
The development world continues to evolve in 2017, as ministries and non-profits have more creative ways than ever to increase their donations. At ClearGIVE, we believe in providing our partners access to tools that help them succeed.

Here are 10 ways we’re seeing organizations increase their donations in 2017:

1) Focus on individuals …
Times are changing politically, but that has not affected overall giving. The Philanthropy Outlook 2016 & 2017 predicts increases in individual and household income could raise fundraising efforts by as much as 3.8% this year. So stay aggressive! Whether it’s planning big events or examining your retention strategy, now is the time.

2) … And don’t forget businesses
Philanthropy Outlook also forecasts a rise in corporate giving by as much as 4.7% in 2017. As the health of businesses increase, they will be more inclined to give. Stay in touch with your Chamber of Commerce to see which new businesses are coming to your area. Maintain contact with local business leaders. And always be on the lookout to gain corporate gift matches.

3) Make mobile giving a priority
In 2015, the Pew Research Center found that 86 percent of people age 18-29 have a smartphone, and 83 percent of ages 30-49 have one. Those numbers are growing every year. To neglect a mobile strategy at this point is to close off a tremendous source of donations that will continue to expand. If your organization doesn’t already, it’s time to understand all the options mobile giving provides.

4) Start a text-to-give campaign
As smartphone use rises — especially among millennials — so does text-to-give. According to Upleaf, 14 percent of all online giving in 2015 came from mobile devices. That number will only continue to grow. How do you take advantage? Give your audience a way to use text-to-give at all times, not just at specific events.

5) Keep donation forms clean and simple
Whether it’s your event collateral, website or mobile platform, always make your call for donations clear and simple. Potential donors want giving to be fast and easy, so don’t bog them down in lengthy, cluttered forms. Instead, opt for lean forms that contain as few fields as possible. In addition, ensure that forms are easy to navigate and use selection / drop-down boxes, rather than text fields, whenever possible.

6) Ensure that your online giving campaigns are branded
From the logo to the color scheme, your organization’s visual identity and branding play a vital role in donation decision-making. Don’t leave online donation forms or donation requests impersonal, stale or boring. Be sure to think through each aspect as a possible donor would, and ensure they carry your organization’s distinct style by including the logo, color scheme and a personalized message.

7) Encourage recurring donations
While one-time gifts are nice, the real goal is to convert sporadic donors into long-term, regular supporters. Network for Good’s reports that the average recurring donor gives 42 percent more in one year than those giving one-time gifts. Offer donors the option to easily opt into to monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly giving schedules.

8) Don’t fear merchandising 
While it may seem too complicated to tackle, today’s mobile, online and kiosk technology allow organizations to easily create new donation streams. The upside of merchandising extends far beyond the immediate financial benefit. Donors who purchase your merchandise immediately become brand ambassadors, carrying your message to new audiences.

9) Stay organized to stay focused 
Striving to achieve your mission and working with donors is the fun part. Often times this means the back end organization gets neglected. That can create headaches, especially around tax time! By finding ways to keep your reporting and back end organized, you can create more time to do those fun, meaningful things.

10) Let us help you! 
ClearGIVE is a complete online giving solution, providing technology and features to address all these donor engagement strategies. With mobile giving, kiosks, pledge campaigns, back-end management tools and more, we are ready to help your organization reach its 2017 goals!