Fundraising professionals everywhere have felt the immense impact of economic volatility, political uncertainty, and shifts in public perception. At a time when charities need support the most, 87% of donors claim that financial limitations prevent them from providing regular contributions, while 12% cite a lack of trust.
Amid the changes rocking the fundraising world, delivering a consistent, remarkable donor experience is more crucial than ever. Some donors might not be able to contribute monetarily or may just be looking for more meaningful ways to get involved and show their support. This guide will explore creative ways to involve donors in daily charity operations so you can provide enriching experiences and keep supporters around.
1. Behind-the-Scenes Tours
Invite donors to visit your facility. Walk them through a typical day in the life of your team so they can better understand how your organisation operates.
This type of opportunity helps donors build rapport with your staff members. Additionally, by being transparent about your charity’s real day-to-day activities and any challenges your organisation may face, you can establish a foundation of trust with supporters.
Consider incorporating behind-the-scenes tours into your supporter welcome journeys. Once a donor has contributed to your charity for the first time and expressed interest in learning more about your work, invite them to a tour followed by an informal Q&A session or coffee chat with staff. That way, they can explore your organisation early on and deepen their investment in your mission right away.
2. Program Shadowing Days
Like a behind-the-scenes tour, a program shadowing day gives donors a closer look at your charity’s work, but from the perspectives of program staff, volunteers, and beneficiaries. For example, you may have donors shadow your community mentoring program so they can see what actually happens in mentor-mentee meetings.
This immersive experience helps donors understand where their funds go, making them more compelled to give again in the future. Meeting beneficiaries face-to-face can reinvigorate their passion for your mission and strengthen their emotional connection to your organisation.
To prevent donors from disrupting program operations, create an agenda to organize the experience. For example, during one-on-one mentor-mentee sessions, you may have a program volunteer host an informational session with donors to avoid intruding on these private conversations. Then, during a group meeting between mentors and mentees, donors can sit in and observe how this portion of the program works.
3. Donor Advisory Groups
As monetary supporters of your organisation’s work, donors should have a say in how your charity runs. Let donors give their input on your organisation’s operations and activities by developing a donor advisory group.
Start by forming a small group of donors who are particularly invested in your charity. These may include:
- Major donors
- Legacy donors
- Planned giving donors
- Monthly donors
- Long-term supporters
Then, meet regularly with them to gather feedback. During these sessions, you may:
- Debrief past campaigns. Let’s say you just hosted a silent auction. Have donors reflect on the experience, pinpointing both the highlights and areas for improvement.
- Pilot upcoming initiatives. Explain forthcoming event, program, and campaign plans before they hit your full audience, so this select donor group can give their input. They may offer seemingly small insights, like a different way to structure your event email marketing cadence, that end up having a huge impact on your campaign.
- Discuss new ideas. Donors may also bring their own ideas based on their experiences with your charity. For example, a donor who didn’t know much about your cause before becoming involved may suggest holding informational sessions with new supporters to familiarize them with your mission.
Being a part of a donor committee gives supporters an additional sense of ownership over their experience and a renewed sense of purpose that goes beyond their monetary contributions. Plus, these sessions can give your team unique insight into how your donor base feels about your strategy, empowering you to make changes that reflect their wants and needs.
4. Ambassador Program
Donors can do more than just contribute monetarily. Your most dedicated, passionate supporters can act as ambassadors, representing your organisation at various local events and online.
Follow these steps to create your own ambassador program:
- Determine program goals. Common objectives for this type of initiative may include raising cause awareness, expanding your reach in the local community, and building stronger relationships with donors.
- Recruit ambassadors. Scour your donor database to find potential program participants. Strong candidates may be monthly givers, long-term supporters, or local donors.
- Provide materials. Once you’ve chosen your ambassadors, set them up for success by compiling clear brand guidelines and talking points so donors know exactly how to represent your charity.
- Enable registration. Create a registration hub where ambassadors can sign up for opportunities like tabling at local festivals or fairs. Promote these activities in advance so supporters have enough time to prepare and commit to attendance.
Ambassador programs give donors a unique opportunity to take an active role in promoting your mission. Through sharing your organisation with others, they’ll likely feel more attached to your charity and cause.
5. Social Media Takeovers
Provide donors of all giving levels the chance to take over your social media account and share their own stories. Social media takeovers amplify donors’ voices and show you’re committed to building a community around your cause.
While donors should feel free to express themselves and speak in their regular tone, provide some quick messaging guidelines for any words, phrases, or concepts to avoid. That way, you can ensure their content is appropriate to share on your social media platforms but still authentic. Alternatively, if you don’t feel comfortable with a full takeover, encourage donors to post from their personal accounts and repost their content from your organisation’s main account.
Consider combining a social media takeover with one of these other ideas, like a behind-the-scenes tour or ambassador event, so donors can document their experiences. Let them know if there’s anything specific you’d like them to promote on your page.
For example, Qgiv by Bloomerang’s mobile giving guide explains that, “Your social media posts should include direct links to your online donation page, explaining why donors’ gifts matter.” In line with this guidance, you may have donors post about how they first found your organisation, encourage social media followers who haven’t yet shown their support, and provide a link to our donation page for easy access.
After experimenting with these activities, survey donors who participated in them. Learn which opportunities resonated with them and why, and incorporate their feedback so you can improve these offerings in the future.
Are you a trusts, grants, or major donor fundraiser that’s looking for a way to define success, increase your impact, and reduce your workload? The Trusts and Major Donor conference is back for another year of shared learning, case studies, and best practice to help you focus on the areas that will help you succeed. Learn more here