Fundraising 101 (Part 1)
Adequate funding bridges the gap between having an idea and making an impact, which makes fundraising the cornerstone of non-profits and charities. Learning how to effectively fundraise can be daunting. The stakes are high and it can be hard to know where to start or what to do.
At Spruce, we specialize in helping organizations with their fundraising journey. Here are some of our tips on how to fundraise, whether you’re just getting started or looking to grow.
Getting Started
Leverage Existing Partnerships
The best place to start is with people who already know you and care about your work!
For example:
If your organization has an existing network of partners, lean on them to help spread the word about how people can support you.
Reach out to your existing donors and invite them to celebrate both their role as friends of your organization and the impact their support makes possible.
Approach your donors as partners, and your partners as your connection to potential donors. They want to see you succeed and will likely help you build more connections and strengthen your network.
Understand Your Donors
Why do your existing donors support you? What’s important to them about your relationship? These kinds of questions can help you understand what makes your organization stand out and how best to market yourself.
If you don’t have donors already, ask people in your network: What would make them want to donate? Or, if they already have causes they donate to, why do they donate there? Don’t be shy, but do be respectful and genuinely interested in what they have to say – people like being asked for advice and they want to see you succeed!
Understand the Landscape
In Canada, donors with higher incomes are generally giving more, with more major gift opportunities for a variety of organizations. Donations on Giving Tuesdays have increased by more than 500% between 2018 and 2024!
To get a clearer picture of how your organization fits into this funding landscape, examine other organizations in your sector to see how they compare.
It may be helpful to ask things like:
How much revenue are they securing through fundraising versus government grants?
How are they positioning themselves?
What kinds of fundraising initiatives do they have?
Building Momentum
Focus on Communicating Impact
Clearly communicating impact helps people understand your organization’s value and inspires them to take action to support your work.
A few suggestions:
Share annual impact reports or quarterly updates that proactively share progress on your organization’s goals with your existing donors.
Include calls to action that encourage their input or contribution to individual projects.
Your donors are part of your community – they want to help! Someone’s first donation can be the beginning of a long-term relationship, so send thank you notes when you receive a donation or consider holiday e-cards or mailouts. You can use these as opportunities not only to show your impact, but also to develop friendships that ensure your organization has greater long-term stability.
Develop Your Team
Fundraising isn’t just your executive director or development team’s responsibility. Recruit board members who can raise funds and talk to your other teams about the importance of fundraising.
Your staff may be intimidated – asking for donations is hard – but it’s a skill set that you can develop like any other! Consider enrolling your team in training to help build their confidence and learn how to effectively and respectfully fundraise.
Our Advice
Ultimately, our advice for every organization is to remember that small steps create momentum. Sending out feelers and talking to people you know may not feel significant in the moment, but small actions add up quickly. Doing something small each week as part of a long-term plan is always better than one large push just once a year.
How We Can Help
At Spruce, we can help you make a strong case for your organization’s mission by writing winning grant applications, helping you diversify your funding, and building a donor experience that gets you long-term financial support. If you’re interested in learning more, please reach out!
Stay tuned for Fundraising 101 Part 2! In it are our tips for improving the donor experience and how to set practical goals when it comes to fundraising.
