Page 20 – Double the Donation

This article explores the best alumni websites and what you can learn from them to boost your own site’s engagement.

9 Best Alumni Websites & How to Drive Engagement with Yours

February 1, 2024/in Fundraising Ideas, Learning Center, Donor communications /by Adam Weinger

Double Donations with These Raleigh, North Carolina Companies

February 1, 2024/in Lists and Rankings, Learning Center /by Adam Weinger

Double the Donation receives requests from nonprofits across the country asking about corporate matching gifts in their area. We decided to create a list of some of those companies in the Raleigh, NC that offer these programs. Nonprofits can double their donations from donors who work for companies offering matching gifts.

List of Companies in Raleigh with Matching Gifts

State capitals are always certain have a large Fortune 500 presence, and many of these companies offer employee giving programs. It’s essential that nonprofits take advantage of these programs, while taking the time to educate their development staff on the benefits of matching gifts.

Check out these companies with a presence in Raleigh and be sure to inform your donors about the benefits of corporate matching gifts.

Caterpillar

Caterpillar Inc. will match donations up to $2,000 for every employee. Not all institutions are eligible, however.

John Deere

John Deere & Company will match employee gifts between $50 and $1,000. At one point the company only matched donations to institutions of higher education but since 2014 rolled out an enhanced matching gift program where John Deere will now match donations to a wide range of 501(c)(3) nonprofits including but not limited to:

Higher education
K-12 schools
Arts and cultural organizations
Environmental groups
Civic and community groups
Health and human service organizations

Kellogg’s

Kellogg’s is a nationally recognized brand with employees across the country. The Kellogg company previously match donations on a .5:1 ratio up to $10,000 a year until the middle of 2013. At that time Kellogg’s ended its matching gift program and rolled out its Kellogg’s Cares program.

Through Kellogg’s Cares, the company provides volunteer grants to organizations where employees and retirees volunteer on a regular basis.

Kellogg provides a $100 donation to organizations where an employee or retiree volunteers a minimum of 10 hours during a 12-month period. Each individual is eligible to request up to $500 per year.

LexisNexis

LexisNexis will match up to $250 a year to most charitable organizations. Part-time employees are eligible.

Mastering Donor Retention: How to Build a Stewardship Matrix

January 31, 2024/in Marketing Strategies, Donor communications /by Adam Weinger

Nonprofits thrive on the generosity of committed donors, whose loyalty funds their mission-related work year after year. Not only do returning donors provide reliable support for nonprofits, but they also give 42% more than one-time donors on average.

But with retention rates hovering around 40% in recent years, your organization needs a clear plan for keeping your donors coming back. In this guide, we’ll explore how you can do just that by discussing a stewardship matrix in the following topics:

What is a stewardship matrix?
How to create a donor stewardship plan
Stewardship matrix best practices
Tools for increased donor stewardship

This means donor retention is not just a technique to raise more—it’s a necessity for fulfilling nonprofit missions! Let’s get started by defining a stewardship matrix.

What is a stewardship matrix?

A donor stewardship matrix is an outline of the method and cadence your nonprofit will use when reaching out to donors. This stewardship plan standardizes outreach by establishing a dedicated timeframe for engaging each donor.

As a nonprofit professional, you’re likely familiar with stewarding donors, or the process of building relationships with donors after they contribute to your organization. While there are plenty of tips available for nonprofit leaders about engaging donors more deeply, the only way to successfully master stewardship is with a comprehensive plan.

To prepare a donor stewardship matrix, your nonprofit will need to evaluate the following:

Donor segments: Know the different appeals donors need to hear. For example, 40% of Millennial donors are enrolled in a monthly giving program and 52% are more likely to give monthly than to make one large donation. Your nonprofit might plan to promote monthly giving to this segment to increase the chances of these donors giving.
Communication channels: 48% of donors say that regular email communications are most likely to keep them engaged and inspire repeat donations, followed by social media (18%), print (16%), handwritten notes (12%), and phone calls (6%). Leverage these channels accordingly to reach donors in a way they’re likely to respond to.
Timeline: Knowing when and how frequently donors prefer to give can guide your requests. 94% of recurring donors prefer to give monthly, 3% weekly, 2% annually, and 1% quarterly.

When taking these details into account, your nonprofit can create personalized and meaningful communications for specific audiences. Let’s take a closer look at how to develop a stewardship plan.

How to create a donor stewardship plan

Acknowledging the need to steward donors is just step one. To craft a stewardship plan that effectively engages donors and secures their long-term support, follow these steps.

Segment your donors.

Your nonprofit’s stewardship efforts are based on its donor composition, meaning you must learn about the individuals that make up your supporter base to cultivate meaningful relationships with them. Start with an overview of your supporter base by visualizing donors’ current engagement levels in a pyramid format.

Your donor pyramid will be unique to your organization, but it can generally include first-time, recurring, and major donors. Keep in mind that the goal of your donor stewardship plan is to move supporters from lower levels of the pyramid to higher levels.

Along with these categories of giving levels, identify shared characteristics among your donors and group them into donor segments accordingly. Donors’ preferences and interests can help you more accurately target your outreach to appeal to them individually. Some common determinants of donor segments include:

Demographics
Involvement history
Communication preferences

To create these segments, you’ll need thorough and accurate donor data. Collect information about your donors through surveys, donation forms, conversations at a fundraising event, or by hiring a data appending service. Then, implement a standardized process for inputting data into your nonprofit’s database. Ensure it stays up-to-date over time and free of errors or duplicate entries.

Determine communication types.

Using what you know about your donors, start developing ideas about how to best engage each group. You’ll need a well-rounded approach to successfully move donors up the pyramid. Consider including the following types of communication:

Acknowledgment: Let donors know their involvement is noticed and appreciated by your nonprofit to immediately connect with them upon engaging with your organization.
Recognition: Take acknowledgment a step further by thanking donors specifically for their contributions. Remind them that your mission would be impossible without them and make them feel like an integral part of your work.
Reporting: 41% of donors say they would give again if they received personalized outreach on the impact of their support. Show supporters what their donations have accomplished to help them feel valuable to your organization, and show them what additional donations could accomplish to inspire further support.
Ongoing engagement: Develop a plan for ongoing engagement that accounts for donor feedback. This includes direct donor engagement strategies, like inviting them to continue their involvement in a specific way, as well as opportunities for donors’ voices to be heard, like feedback surveys.

Your stewardship matrix will only be complete with several types of communication since a variety of messages are needed throughout the donor lifecycle to engage them in different phases of giving. Keep your donor segments in mind as you establish these communication types and determine which messaging each group would prefer to hear.

Brainstorm stewardship activities.

Narrow your stewardship strategy by getting specific with the actions you’ll take to send these messages. Within the above categories of communication types, create specific activities to deepen donors’ connections with your organization. Some highly engaging ideas include:

Sending eCards for any occasion
Offering other involvement opportunities
Sharing impact reports
Soliciting feedback

To make these activities even more engaging, plan messages outside of your typical donation request or follow-up. For example, a fun eCard on a donor’s birthday can show that you care about them as individuals, not just ATMs with legs.

Outline a donor stewardship matrix.

After establishing your donor segments and developing a list of activities to engage them, your nonprofit can officially create its donor stewardship matrix.

Break down your activities into the different types of communication we discussed earlier and create a timeline for when those communications will be sent out. While your donor stewardship plan will be unique to your nonprofit and its supporter base, you can use the following template and steps as a guide to organize your communications:

List out your communication types. These are the focuses of communication you outlined after donor segmentation, such as recognition or reporting.
Assign activities to each communication. Create communication activities to achieve each of the goals listed in the previous step.
Specify a timeline for each activity. Determine a deadline for each activity to be completed that ensures maximum engagement. For example, you’ll want to thank a donor within 24 hours of receiving their donation to show you value their gift and keep your organization top of mind.
Assign donor segments with activities. List out your groups of donors and mark which ones should be engaged with each activity. For example, a welcome email would help first-time donors feel welcomed into your organization, but this wouldn’t apply to recurring donors who have been part of your nonprofit for years.

Remember that this donor stewardship plan will integrate with your organization’s overall communications strategy. Be careful not to overwhelm donors by ambushing their inboxes with thank-yous, donation appeals, and other communications.

The best way to organize your communications plan is to designate a specific stewardship committee within your marketing team. This way, those in charge of your stewardship plan will have an understanding of your overall communications and the resources to coordinate with your communications team so that the timing is well-planned.

Implement your donor stewardship plan.

After explicitly laying out your stewardship matrix, it’s time to put your plan into action! Immediately begin the process with newly-acquired donors and track your communications with them.

For existing supporters, use your newly created donor segments to launch stewardship efforts with them, as well. Be careful to track each communication and add special notes about interactions where relevant. This way, you’ll get to know your supporters even better and track their engagement with your organization over time.

Stewardship matrix best practices

Consider these additional tips for making the most of your stewardship matrix.

Regularly qualify your donors.

Imagine this: Sally, a senior in college, is a new donor who contributed to your nonprofit for the first time this year. You successfully steward her, and she continues to give frequently for the next five years.

A lot can change in five years, which is why you’ll need to re-evaluate your donor segments over time to ensure each donor is properly categorized. Sally, for example, might enter an entirely new segment after graduating college, getting a new job, and potentially going through other life changes, such as moving to a new city.

Donor qualification is the process of analyzing your donor segments and allows your nonprofit to keep an eye on its changing donor base. Ultimately, you’ll be able to uncover new stewardship opportunities by keeping track of donors’ life changes, not only by properly segmenting them but also by knowing them on a personal level.

Re-evaluate your plan over time.

Stewardship is a cycle in that as you learn more about donors through your donor stewardship plan, your activities and efforts should evolve. Regularly evaluate which areas can be improved and how you can strengthen relationships with your donors.

To do this, gather feedback from donors and your stewardship team. Donors can provide insight into how your current stewardship plan makes them feel, but your team’s feedback is similarly necessary for determining how their roles impact your plan and what areas for improvement they’ve identified.

Create giving societies.

Make it easy for donors to increase their engagement with clearly defined giving societies. Establish a donation amount required for membership (or an annual membership fee) to encourage donors to give more. In exchange, they’ll receive benefits associated with the membership, such as exclusive merchandise branded to your organization or access to VIP events.

By incorporating giving societies into your stewardship strategy, you’ll add an element of prestige to donating. Plus, this helps to cultivate a stronger community of supporters when members mingle at events and get to know each other better.

Tools for increased donor stewardship

While a thoughtful stewardship plan can significantly improve donor retention, the right tools can supplement your plan by streamlining your efforts.

Donor-facing technology

Whether your stewardship communications prompt donors to take a certain action or simply information, you’ll need to ensure they can receive your message and act on it easily. Consider the following donor-facing tools for your strategy:

eCards: Make your communications more engaging with digital greeting cards branded to your organization. These cards, typically sent via email, can be sent for any purpose, including celebrating holidays, acknowledging donations, or even collecting donations when supporters send eCards to friends and family members in exchange for a small donation to your nonprofit.
Accessible website: Many of your communications will send donors back to your website since it’s a hub for all the most important information about your nonprofit. Ensure your website is easy to navigate and follows your stewardship strategies, using elements such as beneficiary testimonials to make donors feel valued and important.
Matching gift auto-submission: Matching gifts are a proven way to engage donors, with 84% of donors saying they’re more willing to donate if a match is offered. Embedding an auto-submission tool on your nonprofit’s website makes it easy for donors to check their eligibility and submit a match request, instantly doubling or tripling the impact of their gift.

In addition to making match requests a breeze, auto-submission tools can further show donors that you’re working to maximize their gifts and drive real impact with every contribution, especially when paired with background information about the significance of a matching gift program. For more information on how to leverage such a tool, watch the video below:

Data management tools

To create donor segments and ultimately plan communications for your unique supporter base, you’ll need organized data in an easily navigable platform. Consider investing in a constituent relationship management (CRM) solution to manage your donor data and details about their contributions.

Depending on the solution you choose, some CRMs even automate many of the stewardship processes for you, such as donor segmentation or sending communications. These tools can even compile reports to make it easier for your nonprofit to draw insights from your donor data.

Online giving software

Various giving tools can make online donating easier for your donors by creating donation forms, safely processing payments, and automating donation receipts. According to Getting Attention, these tools can also simplify donor data collection for your nonprofit by collecting contact information, giving preferences, and other important details.

Next steps for your donor stewardship plan

With a stewardship matrix, your nonprofit has a powerful and unique tool for donor retention. It unlocks your ability to deepen relationships with supporters and ultimately raise more, decreasing the chances of donors lapsing over time.

Be careful not to neglect this tool as your supporter base grows and evolves. To effectively steward donors, your plan must also grow and evolve. Use the right technology, leverage valuable donor data, and always look ahead to identify other opportunities for engagement.

For more ideas and expert tips on stewardship strategies, check out these additional resources:

How to Start A Donor Retention Program for Your Nonprofit. Now that you’ve learned everything you need to know about creating a stewardship plan, expand your efforts by establishing a complete retention program. Learn everything you need to know to get started in this guide.
What Is Phone Number Appending? How the Process Works. Accurate donor data is crucial to every donor stewardship plan. Explore this guide to phone number appending so you can ensure your nonprofit has access to the most up-to-date contact information for each supporter.
Matching Gift Videos | Examples and Best Practices. Donors are more willing to give (and willing to give more!) when they know their gifts will be matched. Learn how to promote matching gifts to donors and encourage them to deepen their involvement with your nonprofit!

The title of the post next to a graphic of a person surrounded by various communication icons.

What Is a Donor Experience Officer? The Ultimate Guide

January 31, 2024/in Donor communications /by Adam Weinger

If you’re a nonprofit professional, you know how important it is to retain your donors from year to year. While you’ll sometimes need to acquire new donors for growth, donor retention is more cost-effective and builds a reliable support base for your mission.

However, in the nonprofit sector, the average donor retention rate is less than 35%. To break the mold, your organization needs to provide such a good donor experience that supporters will be happy to come back year after year. One of the best ways to accomplish this is by creating a dedicated donor experience officer position at your nonprofit.

In this guide, you’ll learn all you need to know about donor experience officers, including:

What is a donor experience officer?
Benefits of Hiring a Donor Experience Officer
Responsibilities of a Donor Experience Officer
Essential Tools for Donor Experience Officers

Whether you’re considering bringing on a brand-new staff member or moving an existing employee into this position, a donor experience officer can take your engagement and retention efforts to the next level. Let’s get started by defining exactly what this role entails.

What is a donor experience officer?

A donor experience officer is a nonprofit professional whose job is to ensure supporters have a positive, meaningful experience when contributing to your organization. Their role combines donor relations with aspects of fundraising and marketing.

The most important qualities of a good donor experience officer include:

A passion for the organization’s mission. This is a key characteristic of many nonprofit professionals, including donor experience officers, and it should be evident in all of their interactions with supporters.
Strong communication skills. Donor experience officers need to be adept at both writing and holding conversations so they can effectively reach every supporter through their preferred communication channel.
Strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities. Your donor experience officer is also essentially a customer service provider for your nonprofit, meaning they’ll need to address a range of issues supporters might have as they engage in your mission.
Being an active listener. Donors bring a variety of motivations, concerns, and suggestions when they contribute to your nonprofit. Your donor experience officer should ensure they feel heard, understood, and valued.

Donor experience officers often serve as leaders at their organizations, so they should also have prior experience with nonprofit fundraising and/or communications that they can bring to the role.

Benefits of Hiring a Donor Experience Officer

Of all the nonprofits out there, the ones that are most likely to consider hiring a donor experience officer would be mid-sized organizations planning for growth in the near future. Large nonprofits often have whole teams dedicated to donor engagement, while small organizations may not yet have the budget to hire this type of professional or complex enough needs to warrant one.

If your organization is in the right place to think about hiring its first donor experience officer, here are the main advantages to doing so:

Stronger Donor Relationships

When donors have a good experience giving to your organization, they’re more likely to deepen their support over time. Their memories of your nonprofit will be favorable thanks to your donor experience officer’s engagement strategies and stewardship efforts.

Plus, your donor experience officer can get to know donors on an individual level and then make tailored recommendations to help them get more involved. For instance, if a recurring donor mentions to the officer that they enjoy running, your nonprofit could send that donor a personalized invitation to your upcoming 5K fundraising event so they can engage in a new way that matches their interests.

Increased Supporter Satisfaction

Some donors will remember their experience giving to your organization positively because everything went smoothly thanks to your donor experience officer’s efforts. However, if an issue comes up in the process, the supporter might still leave with a good impression of your organization if it’s resolved effectively.

Let’s say a supporter alerted your donor experience officer that your online donation form wasn’t loading properly. The officer quickly elevated the concern to your nonprofit’s technology specialist to fix the issue and emailed the supporter individually to notify them that the form was working again and apologize for the inconvenience. Despite the issue, the donor may still remember their experience positively because the officer took such care to solve the problem.

Expanded Fundraising Capabilities

With their nonprofit background and strong understanding of your donor base, your donor experience officer can work closely with your organization’s fundraising team to:

Brainstorm new giving opportunities that would appeal to your donors.
Figure out the root causes of issues with existing fundraisers and recommend solutions.
Gather supporter feedback to incorporate into your fundraising strategy.

For example, let’s say your fundraising team decided to add corporate matching gifts to your nonprofit’s revenue generation model, and your donor experience officer backed this idea because they knew of many donors who worked for companies with matching gift programs. However, your organization found that donation matching rates were still low after the revenue stream had been in place for six months.

To investigate the problem, the donor experience officer could send out a supporter feedback survey on matching gifts. If multiple respondents expressed that they didn’t know about the opportunity, the officer might suggest marketing matching gifts more strategically to spread awareness and boost your organization’s revenue totals.

Responsibilities of a Donor Experience Officer

Your donor experience officer’s day-to-day tasks will depend on your nonprofit’s priorities. These professionals might work on a wide variety of donor communication and fundraising tasks at some organizations, while at others, they’re much more dedicated to specific projects like building a monthly giving program or stewarding mid-level donors.

However, there are five categories of duties that donor experience officers are most commonly responsible for at nonprofits, which we’ll discuss in more detail in the following sections.

Donor Relations

The term “donor relations” refers to all of the efforts your nonprofit makes to cultivate relationships with supporters. Because the kind of donor experience your organization provides is a key factor in your ability to form lasting connections, your donor experience officer will be at the forefront of donor relations. For instance, they might:

Get to know individual donors through one-on-one meetings or by chatting with them at events.
Strategically choose and share tailored engagement opportunities with different donor segments.
Assist your major gifts team with identifying and reaching out to donor prospects.
Respond to questions and concerns raised through the contact form on your nonprofit’s website, feedback surveys, or a generic email address.

For many supporters, your donor experience officer will become the face of your organization, which is why it’s so critical for them to be passionate about your mission and demonstrate good customer service skills.

Donor Recognition & Stewardship

Sometimes grouped with donor relations, donor stewardship is specifically concerned with encouraging continued support by expressing gratitude for contributions to your nonprofit. To do this, your donor experience officer may employ a variety of recognition strategies, such as:

Sending donation thank-you letters, emails, or eCards.
Picking out gifts for more dedicated individuals like recurring donors or mid-level supporters who might upgrade.
Choosing loyal donors to feature in marketing materials like testimonial videos or social media posts.
Compiling the customary list of contributors for your nonprofit’s annual report.
Creating a donor wall, sign, or plaques to commemorate major donors.

Appreciation is a vital part of the donor experience because it shows supporters that your organization sees them as individuals, not just sources of revenue. When donors feel valued in this way, they’re more likely to remain invested in your nonprofit’s success.

Database Management

Your nonprofit likely collects a lot of data on its donors and stores it using a database or constituent relationship management (CRM) solution. However, this data is only useful for donor cultivation if it’s properly managed. To accomplish this, your donor experience officer should:

Develop a system to organize information within the database.
Update donor profiles with accurate contact details and engagement history.
Stick to a regular schedule for database cleaning and maintenance.

While some of these activities will require assistance from technical specialists (either on your team, from the software company, or through third-party providers like data append services), your donor experience officer should know their way around your database well enough to maintain it day to day.

Reporting & Analytics

From the information in your nonprofit’s database, your donor experience officer should be able to configure and analyze reports to draw actionable insights from them. For example, these reports might cover:

Demographic and engagement data on individual donors that identifies them as a potential major donor or a likely participant in your monthly giving program.
Results of specific fundraising campaigns or events so you can see what went well and where you could improve.
Holistic annual metrics for your organization, such as your donor acquisition rate, donor retention rate, and cost per dollar raised.

Not only do these reports help your donor experience officer in their supporter engagement work, but they can also inform other team members’ decision-making in their roles.

Interdepartmental Collaboration

To effectively complete all of the activities outlined above, your donor experience officer will likely work closely with the following staff members at your organization:

The fundraising team to plan and fine-tune campaigns, events, and stewardship activities.
Marketing and graphic design professionals to create high-quality donor communication materials.
Information technology specialists to resolve technical issues within the donor journey and manage your organization’s donor database.
Your nonprofit’s leadership to ensure their donor engagement efforts are in line with the organization’s strategic plan.

Although it’s useful to have one person take the lead on creating a positive donor experience at your organization, it takes a whole team to fully engage nonprofit supporters. Working collaboratively is essential to make the most of having a donor experience officer on your team.

Essential Tools for Donor Experience Officers

In addition to hiring a donor experience officer with the right qualities and providing support through collaboration, your organization should set this individual up for success with the right tools. Here are a few software platforms you should have in your tech stack:

A robust CRM with comprehensive donor profiles and integration capabilities to allow for seamless data transfer.
Automated communication tools to make sending emails and text messages to donors a breeze.
A survey design platform for easy feedback-gathering and analysis.
An online donation form with a secure payment processor so supporters can trust your donor experience officer with their data.
Specialized fundraising solutions so the officer can help plan and troubleshoot various giving opportunities like crowdfunding, peer-to-peer campaigns, and events.
Matching gifts software to help them boost revenue and improve the donor journey through employer donation matching.

To help your officer provide an even better donor experience, look for a matching gifts platform with auto-submission capabilities. This way, instead of having to fill out a separate form to get their employer to match their donation, donors can just enter their work email address to automatically submit the request. Check out the video below to learn more about auto-submission:

Wrapping Up: Additional Donor Experience Resources

Donor experience officers can improve a wide range of supporter-related processes at your organization, from outreach to stewardship to data analysis. With a dedicated individual working to make your donors’ experience as positive and fulfilling as possible, you’ll be well on your way to seeing more and more donors come back every year.

For more information on improving the donor experience at your nonprofit, check out these resources:

Donor Recognition: When & How to Acknowledge Supporters. Explore our top strategies and methods for effectively recognizing your supporters’ contributions at all levels.
How to Start a Donor Retention Program for Your Nonprofit. Discover how your nonprofit can benefit from having a dedicated donor retention program and the process for launching one.
Nonprofit Basics: Nonprofit Jobs. In addition to a donor experience officer, there are many other roles to fill at your nonprofit—learn more about these essential positions.

Learn about recurring giving programs and how your nonprofit can start and promote one.

Unlock Fundraising’s Hidden Gem: Recurring Giving Programs

January 31, 2024/in About Double the Donation /by Adam Weinger

Two of the most common challenges nonprofits faced in 2023 were operating under unfavorable economic conditions and combatting staff burnout and low retention. Funding—or a lack thereof—is one of the main culprits.

Particularly, a lack of diverse and reliable funding sources can have negative effects on nonprofit operations and burden staff with more work. If your development team is always chasing the next donation, staff members could suffer from stress and burnout.

This is why it’s so important for nonprofits to set up programs that inspire donors to give regularly. In this guide, we’ll discuss recurring giving and how your organization can set up a program to diversify your funding sources:

What is recurring giving?
What are the benefits of recurring giving?
How can your nonprofit start a recurring giving program?
Do recurring gifts qualify for company matching?
What are some examples from other nonprofits?

Consistent, monthly funding from recurring giving programs can enable you to pay for more projects and help more beneficiaries. But before you can get there, it’s key to understand what these programs are and how to set one up. Let’s get started!

What is recurring giving?

Recurring giving occurs when a donor opts to make regular donations to a nonprofit each month, making it a great way for nonprofits to fundraise. These recurring payments can be automated to make participating more convenient for the donor.

There are a variety of ways to implement recurring giving at your organization. In a basic monthly giving program, donors simply agree to donate a certain amount each month, often via automated payments. Another option is to create an exclusive club or membership program for monthly donors and offer some kind of incentive to join (e.g., branded merchandise or early access to event tickets).

What are the benefits of recurring giving?

A robust recurring giving program can be a game-changer for your organization and supporters. Specifically, these benefits include:

Reduced strain on your staff. To recruit recurring donors, staff only need to put in the legwork of securing the first donation—from there, donations are made automatically without their help. However, it’s important to keep in mind that you will need to prioritize donor retention to keep participants engaged.
Consistent donations. When you have a recurring giving program, you can count on a certain amount of funding coming in each month. This makes it easier to plan and budget on a shorter timeline, and you have more liquid cash available for emergencies and other special circumstances.
Higher retention rates. Because your nonprofit only needs to secure one donation, you’ll see fewer lapsed donors when they are involved in your recurring giving program. Additionally, donors involved in recurring giving programs tend to be more loyal than passive donors when nonprofits have proper stewardship policies in place.
More convenience for donors. Most supporters appreciate it when donating is as quick and easy as possible, which is why 63% of donors prefer giving online. Recurring giving programs allow donors to provide consistent support to their favorite cause without needing to lift a finger after the first donation.

Recurring giving programs can also be more cost-effective. Your nonprofit won’t need to spend as much time and resources on marketing initiatives to secure donations—in other words, your cost per gift will decrease.

Additionally, donors could end up contributing more to your nonprofit in the long run. For example, a donor might only remember to donate $100 twice a year, giving a total of $200. However, they may join your monthly giving program, commit to donating $25 each month, and give a total of $300 that year.

How can your nonprofit start a monthly giving program?

Starting one of these programs won’t cost your nonprofit much beyond your time and a little hard work. However, there are some preparations you’ll need to make to ensure the program runs smoothly.

Before you launch a program, make sure you have:

Your leaders’ and board members’ approval
A dedicated program manager
A functioning, accessible website and donation page that integrate with your CRM or fundraising software
Any necessary marketing tools
Merchandise, gifts, or exclusive content (if you plan to offer program incentives)

Next, you’re ready to start developing the program. Here are the basic steps to follow:

Identify your target audience.

To recruit recurring donors, you can look both internally at your current donors and externally at potential supporters. Because you already have an established relationship with them, however, current donors are more likely to participate in the program.

Whether they’re an existing or prospective donor, those willing to join your recurring giving program must have the right:

Affinity for your cause. This refers to a donor’s personal connection to your cause. For example, do they donate to similar organizations or fund political initiatives that align with your values?
Capacity to give. Capacity indicates how much a donor is able to give. Estimate this metric by tracking wealth indicators like net worth and stock and real estate holdings. Remember that the donor needs to have enough discretionary income each month to participate in the program.
Likelihood of participating. This refers to a donor’s propensity or tendency to do something. You can track a donor’s history with your nonprofit to better understand their giving habits and even look at their interactions with other organizations.

The way your supporters show their dedication to your cause depends on the involvement opportunities you offer. However, in most organizations, the ideal target audience for a recurring giving program will be made up of your most loyal, dedicated supporters. This could include those who’ve been donors for multiple years and those who donate often.

Additionally, remember to look for donors who get involved in other ways like volunteering or serving on a committee. Volunteers are 66% more likely to contribute financially and they’re showing a deep commitment to your cause by spending their time furthering your mission.

Segment your supporters.

Once you’ve identified the donors who are most likely to participate in a recurring giving program, look out for patterns and shared traits among them. While everyone in this audience may be interested in donating monthly, they won’t all resonate with the same messages.

This is why it’s important to segment your donors based on specific traits. By creating these groups, you can craft personalized, targeted appeals that speak to their interests and reach them on the right communication channels.

For example, let’s say you run an animal shelter and are ready to start your recurring giving program. Here’s how you can segment your audience and tailor communication strategies to each group’s preferences:

Interests and affinities: Your supporters have varying affinities under the umbrella of animal welfare. You decide to create three segments based on the most common distinctions: dog people, cat people, and those who like both. Communications with cat people feature images of kittens, emphasize that their funding will help your TNR program, and tell stories about specific cats you’ve rescued in the past.
Communication preferences: Each of your donors has one or two communication channels they engage with most often. You track responses to past marketing campaigns in your CRM and create segments for each major communication channel, such as email, direct mail, social media, and text.
Demographics: Your audience consists of a variety of ages, so you create generational segments. Older generations respond best to more personal communication channels like email and phone calls while your Gen Z supporters would rather receive a short text message or like your Instagram posts.
Engagement level: You create segments based on how often supporters interact with your nonprofit, such as by making a donation, visiting your website, or engaging with a social media post. You send communications with your most active supporters more frequently while less active supporters receive occasional updates.

After you get your program up and running, you may need to refine your strategies and add or remove segments. Remember to frequently check key performance indicators (KPIs) such as email open rates, click-through rates, and conversions to determine whether your messaging resonates with each group.

Promote the program.

Now, you’re ready to start promoting the program to your selected audience. To get started, you need to craft a compelling, overarching message for the campaign. In other words, why should your supporters want to become recurring donors?

This message will be different for each nonprofit, and you’ll need to tweak it for each of your audience segments. To get you started, here are some of the main reasons why donors may be inspired to donate on a regular basis:

They can make a sustained impact—for many donors, making single, large donations is not realistic.
Recurring giving programs make donating as convenient as possible.
Monthly donors may form an exclusive community, making participants feel a sense of belonging.
They may have access to perks like free merchandise, priority access to events, invitations to staff or board meetings, etc.
Providing recurring donations allows your organization to use resources (e.g., staff time) more efficiently to work toward your mission.

Once you’ve crafted a unique appeal to prospective recurring donors, you’ll need to share it across multiple channels. Consider creating educational content about the program for your website. For example, you might write a blog post announcing the program and build a dedicated landing page that lays out the process of joining, how funds are used, any incentives you offer, and an FAQ section.

Then, share your message across your donors’ preferred communication channels. Make sure to tailor the format to the channel you’re using. While emails can be as long as 400 words, Instagram graphics should only contain a few lines of text at most. Additionally, prioritize eye-catching graphics for fast-paced channels like social media to ensure donors notice and engage with the content.

For a more information about how to market opportunities to get involved, check out our dedicated guide.

Create a donor retention strategy.

Once you’ve recruited donors into your recurring giving program, you might feel like your work is over. While you won’t need to secure each donation they make, you will need to make an effort to keep them enrolled in the program.

To retain donors, make sure to implement stewardship strategies such as:

Asking donors for feedback. Send out surveys to your recurring donors asking for their honest feedback on the program. Include questions asking them to rate how satisfied they are and what they think you could do better. For example, perhaps donors are happy to support you each month but would like to hear more about the impact they are making.
Thanking them for their support. This step is essential. Frequently send donors thank-you letters or emails that acknowledge their donations and express your gratitude. Make these messages personal by greeting them by name, mentioning the amount they give each month, and highlighting the sustained impact they have. Always thank them for the commitment they’ve made to support you each month.
Offering incentives. As we’ve mentioned, you can offer gifts and exclusive experiences to donors to motivate them to join your monthly giving program. However, incentives don’t have to be tangible or cost your organization anything. Instead, you might give them a place on your donor recognition wall, mention them in your annual report, or highlight their support in your newsletter.

The donors engaged in your recurring giving program are your most passionate, dedicated supporters. Avoid taking this loyal support for granted by frequently showing your gratitude for their ongoing support.

Do recurring gifts qualify for company matching?

Although every company ultimately makes its own rules and criteria that define its program eligibility, the good news is that recurring donations generally do qualify for corporate matching. However, there are a few possible routes that recurring donors can choose from when it comes to requesting their matches.

These include the following methods:

😔 A recurring gift donor submits a match request for the expected annual total at the time of initial commitment.

😐 A recurring gift donor submits a separate matching gift request each month (or another cadence, depending on the frequency of their contribution).

😊 Donors wait and submit aggregate donations once per quarter or year, depending on their employer’s matching gift guidelines.

Of the options, the third (batching donation requests) is the most efficient for all parties involved in the process: including your fundraising team, the initial donor, and the donor’s employing company. Meanwhile, the second (separate match requests for each gift) is generally an accepted practice, though it can require a bit of additional effort to process. The first option, however, is typically not approved by matching gift companies that aim to match funds contributed rather than simply pledged.

As more recurring givers secure more matches on your organization’s behalf, your impact will continue to multiply. Just remember: whether submitting the expected yearly total, making monthly match requests, or aggregating contributions for a single request, donors play a pivotal role in facilitating matching gift requests. Make sure your audience is well aware of corporate match opportunities and how they can get involved—regardless of whether they contribute a one-time donation or pledge a generous monthly gift.

What are some examples from other nonprofits?

If your nonprofit has never had a monthly giving program before, you may not know the best ways to promote it to your supporters. Here are a few examples from top nonprofits to inspire you:

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital funds research for childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

One of the ways that St. Jude promotes its monthly giving program is by adding a “Monthly” button to their donation form. This makes joining the program extremely quick and easy for donors. Additionally, it makes anyone donating aware that St. Jude’s has a monthly giving program without requiring them to sift through their website or seek out a sign-up page.

National Wildlife Federation

The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) is an American conservation organization that fights for conservation values and seeks to give wildlife a voice.

This organization provides two excellent examples of ways to inspire donors to join a recurring giving program. First, it offers members-only benefits to those who give $15 or more each month. The page includes images of the items members will receive throughout the year and breaks down all of the perks of the program, such as discounts on merchandise.

This organization also breaks down the impact that various donation amounts will have and divides the total monthly contribution into daily gifts. This highlights how a small, daily sacrifice adds up to a significant total impact.

PAN Foundation

The PAN Foundation offers financial assistance to those with serious medical issues, helping them afford treatment.

To encourage monthly donations, the PAN Foundation created an exclusive community of recurring donors known as the PAN GEMs. GEM stands for “Give Every Month,” and these donors receive exclusive newsletters, invitations to virtual meetings, recognition in PAN publications, and opportunities to share feedback and personal stories.

To educate donors about the GEM community, the PAN Foundation created a dedicated landing page that explains what a GEM is, features calls to action, lists the benefits of being a member, features stories and testimonials, and notes that a monthly gift of just $50 covers treatment costs for an entire year.

Wrapping Up

Recurring giving programs deliver exactly what your nonprofit needs: consistent funding. Not only do these programs help lighten your staff’s workload and help you raise more money throughout the year, but they’re also more convenient and rewarding for donors who want to make a difference.

As you get more comfortable running your recurring giving program, consider branching out to other funding sources to boost your revenue. With CSR initiatives like matching gift programs, for example, donors’ employers will match donations they make to your nonprofit. This can double the donations you receive from donors without them needing to contribute each month.

For more help improving your nonprofit’s recurring giving program and maximizing revenue, check out these resources:

Donor Retention: A Comprehensive Guide + 6 Strategies. Discover more strategies for retaining both monthly and one-time donors.
Hiring a Google Grants Agency in 2024: A Guide & 5 Agencies. Considering using Google Ads to market your recurring giving program? See how working with an agency can boost your results.
How to Market Matching Gifts: The Comprehensive FAQ Guide. If you’re curious about other ways to grow your revenue, check out this guide to learn how to promote matching gifts and increase your CSR earnings.

Explore different healthcare fundraising strategies for hospitals and other facilities.

9 Proven Healthcare Fundraising Strategies For Better Care

January 31, 2024/in Healthcare fundraising /by Adam Weinger

Your healthcare facility works hard to give your patients the best care possible, so it’s only fair that you get some of that love and devotion in return — with fundraising!

Healthcare fundraising is instrumental for securing the necessary staff, equipment, and facility renovations your organization needs to function at maximum capacity. However, many hospital fundraising teams are in the dark about how best to organize their efforts, rally their supporters, and jumpstart a steady flow of donations.

We know how busy your schedule is, so we’ll make this brief: below, you’ll find everything you need to know about healthcare fundraising, including top strategies that no medical institution can do without!

First, we’ll review the basics of healthcare fundraising. Then, we’ll take a closer look at each of these strategies:

Overcome common healthcare fundraising challenges.
Maintain a clean CRM for your healthcare fundraising.
Incorporate corporate philanthropy into your healthcare fundraising.
Develop a top grateful patients program.
Host healthcare fundraising meetings about your hospital foundation.
Send targeted healthcare fundraising communications.
Create a stellar healthcare fundraising online donation form.
Teach donors about legacy giving.
Check in with donors and recognize generosity.

These essential fundraising tactics can save your healthcare facility time, energy, and money so that you can get back to doing what you do best: saving lives. Take a breather from your daily duties and follow along with us; we promise to make it worthwhile!

Healthcare & Hospital Fundraising at a Glance

Before diving into strategizing a new fundraising program or reaching out to donors or sponsors, a refresher may be in order. If you’re new to healthcare fundraising in general or have been delegated fundraising responsibilities for the first time, understanding the broader environment will be invaluable.

We recommend exploring Graham-Pelton’s complete introduction to healthcare fundraising, which answers these questions and provides valuable context for newcomers:

Why do healthcare institutions fundraise?

Graham-Pelton’s guide explains the importance of fundraising like this: “Healthcare fundraising […] enables growth, allowing institutions to expand access, fund research, secure life-saving equipment, and more.”

For context, while payment for services makes up a majority of revenue for many (but not all) healthcare institutions, it rarely covers all expenses. The operating margins of many US hospitals are quite tight, making the growth of operations, services, and programs extremely difficult without sustained increases in funding, as well. Smart healthcare fundraising strategies that deliver strong ROIs can go very far in building an institution’s capacity.

How does fundraising revenue fit into their broader revenue structures?

For hospitals and other institutions, fundraising is just one of many revenue streams. According to the guide linked above, they break down into five general categories:

Payment for medical services (by patients, insurance companies, and governments)
Sales (primarily food and goods)
Grants (from governments and foundations)
Donations (from individuals and sponsors)
Endowments and other investment income

Everything besides payment for medical services could be considered fundraising revenue. Within that category, grants, donations, and investment income are generally considered part of healthcare development, a more specific form of revenue generation. The exact structure can vary greatly based on a range of factors, for instance, if a hospital is a research institution. It’s important to note that most fundraising activities are conducted by an associated hospital foundation rather than directly by the institution itself.

This diversity and the complexity of healthcare fundraising mean that many institutions turn to experts to help develop new and improved fundraising or development strategies. Healthcare fundraising consultants are often the right (and safer and more efficient) choice for these organizations. It’s highly recommended to consider hiring external, objective, and compliance-minded partners to help your institution improve its fundraising.

With this context in mind, let’s take a look at some of the specific healthcare fundraising strategies to keep in mind as you audit your current efforts, lay out a strategy, or begin defining your consulting needs.

1. Overcome Common Healthcare Fundraising Challenges.

In the realm of healthcare fundraising, the journey to securing vital funds is often fraught with unique challenges. While the overarching goal is to gather resources for better health services and research, hurdles can impede the process. Understanding these common challenges is crucial for developing effective strategies to overcome them:

Misconceptions about services: Often, potential donors have preconceived notions or misunderstandings about the services healthcare organizations provide. For instance, a hospital specializing in pediatric care might be perceived as only serving certain age groups or conditions, thus limiting its appeal to a broader donor base. Addressing these misconceptions through clear, transparent communication is essential in aligning donor expectations with the organization’s capabilities.
Data privacy and prospect research challenges: Healthcare organizations must ensure a delicate balance between complying with data privacy laws like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and conducting detailed prospect research. Effective fundraising often relies on identifying potential donors with the capacity and affinity to give. However, regulations limit the use of patient data, making it challenging to personalize fundraising strategies and gather adequate data on potential donors. This can hinder the ability to develop targeted fundraising approaches and build meaningful donor relationships.
Ethical concerns regarding facilitated access: Donors might expect preferential treatment in healthcare services as a quid pro quo for their donations. This is known as facilitated access and raises ethical questions, as it can lead to inequities in access to care. Establishing clear policies with donors about the non-transactional nature of their contributions is vital for upholding the integrity of the healthcare system.
Donor stewardship complexities: Nurturing relationships with donors, also known as donor stewardship, is crucial but can be particularly complex in the healthcare context. Donors to healthcare causes often have personal stories or emotional connections to the issues at hand. This necessitates a more sensitive, individualized approach to communication. Balancing the emotional aspects with professional stewardship practices makes healthcare donor stewardship an intricate challenge.

In addressing these challenges, healthcare fundraising professionals must adopt a multifaceted approach, combining sensitivity, adherence to regulations, and strategic communication. Recognizing and tackling these issues is key to building a robust, ethical fundraising framework.

2. Maintain A Clean CRM For Your Healthcare Fundraising.

A customer relationship management (CRM) system is the backbone of any fundraising operation. In healthcare fundraising, where relationships and data sensitivity are paramount, the importance of a clean and well-maintained CRM cannot be overstated.

You’ll want to develop robust prospect profiles within your CRM, making it easier to get to know your donors. For each individual, you’ll want to gather data such as:

Contact details
Basic demographic information
Past philanthropic giving to your organization
Involvement in other philanthropic organizations
Political affiliations
Real estate holdings

You can affiliate each donor with a particular donor persona, too. Creating donor personas involves researching and identifying common characteristics among potential donors, such as demographics, motivations, and giving history. For instance, potential major donors may have given large donations to similar organizations or have real estate holdings. Meanwhile, a potential legacy donor may consistently give to your organization and have a high giving capacity.

By creating robust profiles and affiliating them with common donor personas, you can tailor your outreach and focus your efforts on areas likely to drive impact. After building constituents’ profiles, regularly update and clean your CRM to ensure the data is accurate, so you can engage donors with relevant fundraising appeals.

3. Incorporate Corporate Philanthropy Into Your Healthcare Fundraising.

Corporate philanthropy has been trending like crazy in recent years. Not only does it benefit organizations in the healthcare, nonprofit, and education fields, but it also generates positive publicity and employee engagement within active companies.

That’s why to get a leg up in your healthcare fundraising feats, it’s always smart to seek partnerships with corporations known for their philanthropic history and variety of giving initiatives.

For healthcare organizations, corporations can give you philanthropic support by:

Sponsoring a healthcare-related fundraising event.
Investing in a capital campaign to raise money for specific hospital needs like new MRI machines or a hiring budget for more nursing staff.
Doubling their employees’ contributions to your organization via matching gifts.

As our favorite healthcare fundraising strategy, offering matching gifts is a reliable way to tap into corporate philanthropy and diversify your revenue streams. Watch this video for some tips for elevating your approach to corporate giving:

In addition, the whole point behind cause marketing is to encourage mutually beneficial relationships between corporations and fundraising organizations. For example, the ever-popular Red Nose Day collaboration with Walgreens has raised millions of funds to support impoverished children.

When approaching a corporation with a sponsorship proposal, remember to sell its team on a specific cause connected to the business. For instance, a company could screen employees to see if a large percentage are affected by a particular health concern or take an employee poll on a medical cause they would be interested in supporting. Essentially, the more you frame your pitch to highlight the corporate benefits of your healthcare fundraising partnership, the faster you’ll have them on board and committed.

4. Develop a Top Grateful Patients Program.

Although many hospitals already solicit donations from grateful patients, organizing a program around that specific purpose can do wonders for your healthcare fundraising. Grateful patient programs allow patients to express their thanks to a physician or facility that played a meaningful role in their treatment.

Not to mention, grateful patient programs can bolster your hospital’s reputation for patient care and attention, leading to more major donations. For example, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta offers an exemplary Grateful Families program that allows patients and their families to honor caregivers with a financial gift, share their testimonials, and engage in peer-to-peer fundraising. In addition, the Boston Children’s Hospital encourages families to honor loved ones with memorials and planned giving opportunities.

While assembling your grateful patient program, answer the following questions:

How will your program be managed? Develop your program’s prospect research and solicitation pipeline and arrange frequent check-ins with your team members.
Who are your grateful patient program team members? Recruit an integrated healthcare staff including doctors, nurses, hospital administration, and a development committee with major and planned giving officers.
What are your budgetary concerns? Map out areas of your program that may require more financial support than others.
How will you screen prospects and organize donor data? Invest in top data management software and conduct daily patient screenings to analyze giving factors.
What are your recruitment strategies? Get to know individual patients and devise a personalized solicitation game plan for current and discharged prospects.

To spread the word about your program, publish the opportunity on your website and create easily accessible materials like brochures around your hospital.

Finally, remember to treat your patients as people first and donors second by respecting their healthcare information privacy. Always handle your solicitations tactfully by consulting the HIPAA guidelines for getting a patient’s written consent on using their medical data for fundraising or promotional purposes.

Keep in mind that these are uniquely complex fundraising programs. They require careful messaging, extensive data compliance, and more steps that often don’t come onto your radar in other fundraising contexts. The healthcare fundraising experts at Graham-Pelton identify these key components of effective grateful patient programs:

Compliance
Patient Experience
Case for Support
Cross-Department Coordination
Fundraising Resources
Ongoing Measurement and Maintenance

According to Graham-Pelton, institutions (not just development departments) need to master the relational, analytical, and operational domains of these programs—i.e. their programs should be holistic, cross-departmental, organized, compliant, and patient-first. It’s highly recommended that hospitals partner with fundraising experts to develop, improve, or audit their grateful patient programs.

Overall, curating a powerful grateful patient program can help your hospital efficiently manage prospects and boost healthcare donations.

5. Host Healthcare Fundraising Meetings About Your Hospital Foundation.

When it comes to healthcare fundraising, hospital foundations are your medical institution’s advocates, go-getters, and best friends all rolled into one.

For those unfamiliar with the role of a hospital foundation, these nonprofits act independently to generate support for local hospital needs. As an isolated entity, these organizations usually have their own fundraising agenda and board of directors separate from the medical facilities they assist.

Hospital foundations commonly:

Oversee healthcare donations and hospital endowments.
Organize annual or capital campaigns for general or specific projects.
Host fundraising events on behalf of a hospital.
Provide educational scholarships to up-and-coming healthcare professionals.

It’s your obligation as part of your fundraising strategy to give your hospital foundation a hand by hosting informative meetings to showcase their brilliant efforts.

With these meetings or luncheons, your hospital can clarify fundraising options and meet face-to-face with interested prospects. In return, donors learn how to channel their gratitude toward the medical programs that they’re most passionate about.

From these interactions, hospitals can also determine areas of interest for constructing effective fundraising campaigns or events like charity auctions that address specific healthcare concerns.

6. Send Targeted Healthcare Fundraising Communications.

Once your medical institution lands a generous donation, your healthcare fundraising team should prioritize donor stewardship. You can grow donor relationships by initiating personal healthcare communications.

Your fundraising team can strengthen outreach and send valuable information by segmenting donors within your donor management software.

For example, donors should receive frequent updates on how their gifts have helped staff and patients, while prospects should receive news about programs that match their areas of interest. For instance, a former breast cancer patient may be particularly interested in supporting a fundraiser for the cancer ward. Furthermore, inform former patients when their medical team is honored for fundraising contributions.

Get the most out of your donor communications by doing the following:

Share stories about your healthcare facility, physicians, or patients.
Use emotional, eye-catching visual media like photos, videos, and infographics.
Provide examples of how a donor’s support directly influenced your healthcare fundraising.
Make donors feel part of something bigger by casting a long-term healthcare fundraising vision.
Encourage donors to contact you with questions or concerns about donating.

Throughout all communications, focus on connecting donors with your fundraising efforts and, more importantly, emphasizing their value to your organization.

7. Create A Stellar Healthcare Fundraising Online Donation Form.

When was the last time your healthcare institution revamped its online donation form? If it’s been a while, it’s imperative that you understand how much this tool can make or break your healthcare fundraising.

For starters, online donation forms accomplish a variety of tasks that make your healthcare fundraising efforts outrageously easier like:

Receiving online donations and securing more matching gifts by featuring an employer search tool.
Reaching a wider audience by offering an accessible and shareable donation option.
Collecting donor data to document preferred giving methods and average gift amounts.
Tracking fundraising results to assess your virtual outreach.

In addition, your online donation form can be key to accepting annual fund gifts or capital campaign gifts via a fundraising webpage.

How to Design a Donor-Ready Online Donation Form

When crafting an outstanding online donation form, it’s best to keep the design details as simple as possible to attract and retain donors, such as:

Sticking to one page with minimal (yet effective) branding.
Limiting the number of steps it takes to complete the form.
Optimizing your online donation form for mobile or tablet use.
Providing suggested giving amounts to accelerate the process.
Allowing donors to share their gifts on social media platforms.

A cluttered or unresponsive layout can deter donors from following through with a donation. By offering an easy-to-navigate platform and more giving options to fit individual needs, your healthcare institution can make online giving a rewarding experience.

Then, embed the online donation form into foundation materials like digital brochures, e-newsletters, emails, and more with the URL link.

How to Encourage Corporate Philanthropy With Your Online Donation Form

Tap into corporate philanthropy by including a matching gift search tool on your online donation form!

If your healthcare fundraising team is unfamiliar with matching gift search tools, let’s look at our matching gift widget on Mercy Corps. Here’s how the process works:

The donor enters their employer’s name to discover whether they have a matching gift program in place.
If the company is listed, the donor reviews the company’s matching gift ratio, types of eligible organizations, and employee eligibility guidelines.
If eligible, the donor fills out a form to initiate the matching gift process.
The company confirms the donation with your healthcare organization.

Even better, you can leverage auto-submission to cut out a few of these steps. When a company uses CSR software that integrates with Double the Donation, their employees can let our software submit their match requests on their behalf.

In essence, make the most of your online donation form with a killer design and matching gift search tool to provide donors the luxury of multiple giving options to your medical institution.

8. Teach Donors About Legacy Giving.

Legacy giving, also known as planned giving, enables donors to make a lasting impact on healthcare organizations. Your organization should educate donors about the benefits and processes of legacy giving, ensuring their generosity continues to support vital healthcare services and research for future generations.

Legacy giving involves donors committing to contribute a major gift, often from their estate or financial planning. It provides long-term financial stability, enabling healthcare entities to plan and execute future projects with confidence.

Common forms of legacy gifts include bequests in a will, life insurance policies, trusts, and retirement plan assets. Each method offers different benefits and considerations, and here’s how you can educate donors on these opportunities:

Informative Sessions and Materials: Providing detailed brochures, webinars, and workshops can demystify the process of legacy giving. These resources should cover how to set up legacy gifts, tax benefits, and the impact of these gifts on healthcare services and research.
Personalized Meetings: Address individual donor’s questions and concerns, providing a personalized approach to their unique financial situation and philanthropic interests.
Success Stories and Testimonials: Share stories of how legacy gifts have contributed to significant advancements in healthcare to illustrate the impact of these donations. Whether through video or written content, these can inspire others to leave their mark.

By providing clear and inspiring guidance, healthcare organizations can communicate the profound impact each donor’s legacy can have. This not only secures long-term funding but also ensures that the donor’s philanthropic vision is honored and fulfilled.

9. Check In With Donors and Recognize Generosity.

In healthcare fundraising, actively engaging with and recognizing donors’ generosity is essential for long-lasting relationships. Regular updates on the organization’s progress, upcoming events, and how their contributions make a difference keep donors connected and engaged.

eCards, in particular, offer a flexible, cost-effective way to express gratitude and acknowledge contributions. eCardWidget’s guide to charity eCards explains that they can be easily customized to reflect your healthcare organization’s brand and the donor’s impact, and their digital nature allows for immediate and environmentally friendly recognition.

Using an eCard site, send cards when someone gives a sizeable donation or when someone is celebrating a birthday or other milestone. Recognizing milestones in donors’ lives or their history with the organization adds a personal touch to these communications. When possible, include updates on your organization’s achievements and the direct impact of their donations.

Beyond eCards, organizing appreciation events and offering public acknowledgment (with the donor’s consent) in newsletters or on social media can further celebrate and appreciate their support.

However you approach it, combining regular, personalized contact with thoughtful recognition initiatives will empower your healthcare organization to foster ongoing engagement with donors, encouraging continued support.

Additional Resources For Better Healthcare Fundraising

There’s no doubt that healthcare fundraising is a group effort that requires a lot of sweat, creativity, and grit. However, with the right fundraising strategies up your sleeve, it can also be fun and rewarding for both your hospital and donors. Have a blast with your healthcare fundraising by aiming for even bigger donation goals with these powerful tactics!

For more game-changing resources, dive into these additional resources:

Matching Gifts: The Basics + Growing Revenue with Automation — Double the healthcare donations you deserve by learning more about the magic of matching gift programs with Double the Donation!
Nonprofit CRM and Donor Management Software: A Buyer’s Guide — Get your hands on the right nonprofit CRM software to curate all your healthcare fundraising initiatives from one place.
Donor Retention: A Comprehensive Guide + 6 Strategies — You want your healthcare institution’s donors to stick around. Explore proven retention strategies in our ultimate guide.

How to Raise More: The Truth About Leadership Annual Giving

January 30, 2024/in Fundraising Ideas /by Adam Weinger

Larger donations play important roles in fundraising success, especially since major gifts of more than $1,000 account for 85% of the average nonprofit’s revenue. The challenge here, though, is that many nonprofits don’t (or can’t) consistently pursue major gifts while juggling many other day-to-day needs and goals.

But there’s a surefire way to consistently secure larger contributions: a leadership annual giving program.

Leadership annual giving unlocks fundraising security with recurring and substantial donations to your nonprofit. This guide explains everything you need to know, broken down into the following sections:

What is leadership annual giving?
Why launch a leadership annual giving program?
How to start mid-level fundraising
Leadership annual giving tactics

Before you can tap into this powerful fundraising source, you’ll need a thorough understanding of what it is. With that in mind, let’s define leadership annual giving.

What is leadership annual giving?

Leadership annual giving refers to a nonprofit’s largest repeating gifts, typically falling between $500 and $10,000. These leading annual gifts tend to fall in an organization’s mid-level range but largely depend on the giving levels of your organization’s donors. Consider the example to the left of how these donation levels might be categorized.

Leadership annual gifts not only guarantee substantial and sustained support for your organization, but they open the gateway to request larger gifts in the future when you properly steward your relationships with these loyal donors. Plus, there are numerous other benefits of incorporating these gifts into your fundraising strategy.

Why launch a leadership annual giving program?

You may already know that donor retention is more cost-effective than acquisition, but the value of strong retention goes far beyond just the cost of obtaining their support.

Around 60% of repeat donors will give again, meaning those who subsequently give to your organization may be a reliable source of support for the long term. Once you’ve already captured a donor’s attention and gained their affinity for your cause, it will be much easier to ask for increased gift amounts or consistent donation frequencies.

To communicate the need for mid-level giving, however, your nonprofit must develop an organized approach to leadership annual giving. An overwhelming majority of donors give less than $500, with the breakdown of donations falling into the following categories according to the Fundraising Effectiveness Project:

53.7% of donors give $100 or less
29.9% give $101-$500
13.8% give $501-$5,000
2.3% give $5,000-$50,000
0.3% give over $50,000

With such a low percentage of donors engaging in mid-level giving, a standardized approach to leadership annual giving is vital to moving donors into this category. Let’s explore the practical steps your organization can take to acquire mid-level gifts.

How to start mid-level fundraising

Thousands of guides exist about securing smaller gifts or chasing major donations. But this advice skips a critical middle step, which is to target leadership annual giving in your fundraising appeals for more sustainable fundraising.

Similar to gifts of other sizes, leadership annual giving requires donor cultivation. Follow these steps to engage supporters in mid-level giving.

1. Identify mid-level giving prospects.

As with many aspects of your fundraising strategy, leadership annual giving starts with your donor data. To narrow your fundraising appeals, you must first identify supporters who might be willing and able to give at this level and frequency. Some data points to guide your prospect research include:

Philanthropic indicators: These factors indicate donors’ willingness to give to your organization, including previous donations to your nonprofit, involvement with other organizations that have similar causes, or personal interests that align with your mission.
Wealth indicators: These factors indicate donors’ ability to give to your organization, including real estate ownership, business affiliations, stock ownership, and other signs of financial ability.

To streamline your data collection, organization, and analysis, consider using a data appending service. Appending data helps ensure your database is accurate and complete, giving you the best possible overview of your prospects.

2. Cultivate donor relationships.

Once you’ve identified mid-level giving prospects, it’s time to form relationships with each of them. This involves educating potential donors about your nonprofit, but also getting to know more about each supporter to build a connection between your organization and the individual.

Develop a donor engagement plan for prospective donors that includes:

Personalizing communications by including donors’ names and information about their engagement.
Being transparent about how donations are used and what your nonprofit is doing to fulfill its mission.
Offering insider benefits, such as tours of your nonprofit’s facilities or invite-only events.

Data is still important in the stewardship phase since you’ll constantly learn more about your supporters and use this information to strengthen relationships with them. By cultivating relationships with potential mid-level donors, your nonprofit will also build a trustworthy and impactful reputation in the community. This way, you’ll have a better chance of attracting donors when the leadership annual giving cycle restarts.

3. Make your mid-level fundraising appeals.

Your direct ask for donations must be specifically targeted to leadership annual giving. Whether you reach out via email, design a dedicated donation page, or make your appeal on any other channel, be sure to include the following:

Background information: On any occasion, donors want to know how their gifts will be used. But because of the popularity of smaller, one-time gifts, they may not know what leadership annual giving is or why it’s important. Along with details about your nonprofit, the reason for the fundraiser, and the impact you’re able to make with donations, provide a brief explainer about mid-level giving and why it’s important.
Giving flexibility: Remember to appeal to donors’ preferences to make giving as easy as possible for them. If you don’t have sufficient data from your donors to guide your appeals, use general statistics in the meantime. For example, 94% of recurring donors prefer giving monthly, meaning you should offer the ability to subscribe to monthly gifts to appeal to more donors.
Various involvement opportunities: Even if you’ve done all your research and crafted the perfect appeal to the ideal prospect, they may say no. And that’s okay! If the supporter can’t commit to leadership annual giving right now, you should still secure their engagement with your organization through another form of giving, such as volunteer opportunities or fundraising event attendance.

While your fundraising appeals should take a multi-channel approach, your best bet is to segment donors based on their communication preferences to reach out to each donor on the channel they prefer. Other shared characteristics, like donors’ interests or occupations, can be used to further segment donors and send messages that are as personalized as possible.

4. Steward mid-level donors.

Because a central component of leadership annual giving is recurring gifts, your nonprofit’s continual stewardship of these donor relationships is crucial to securing continued support. A few ways you can continuously engage donors, even after they give, include:

Sharing your appreciation for their support.
Sending impact reports and other updates about what your nonprofit is doing.
Telling beneficiaries’ stories.

Stewardship solidifies these relationships to ensure long-term support, but may also enable your nonprofit to upgrade these donors over time. This is how you build an organic major giving pipeline, which is extremely important for nonprofits but difficult to do. For example, you might transition a leadership annual giving donor into a major gift donor after establishing a relationship with that supporter.

Leadership annual giving tactics

If you’re ready to increase your leadership annual giving, there are a few best practices you can follow to develop the process.

1. Offer matching gifts.

A classic way to double the amount your nonprofit raises, matching gifts can increase both your mid-level revenue and the likelihood that a donor will give to your leadership annual giving campaign. Here’s how:

More revenue: Eligible donors will have their donations matched by their employers, meaning your nonprofit receives two donations instead of just one. Plus, 1 in 3 donors say they would make larger donations if they knew their gift would be matched.
More donations: When donors find their contributions could be doubled at no extra cost to them, they’ll feel they can make twice the impact and be more excited to give!

Simply let donors know about the opportunity when they donate so they can find out if they’re eligible through their employer. A tool that offers auto-submission, like Double the Donation, can further simplify the process by enabling donors to automatically submit a match request to their employer. For more information on this tool, check out the video below:

Be sure to check donors’ eligibility before reaching out to mid-level or major donors about matching gifts. After all, donors can’t donate matched gifts if their employers don’t offer the program. Even if their employers offer matching as part of their CSR initiatives, donors may be restricted to donation maximums.

2. Launch a giving society.

Providing specific giving amounts is a surefire way to simplify the donation process for any level of giving. However, it can also incentivize leadership annual giving by adding an element of prestige to the donation.

For example, establish 4-5 tiers based on giving amounts, such as one tier for $500-$1,000 gifts and another for $1,001-$2,000 gifts. Then, assign names to each tier and promote the benefits for each, such as invite-only events or tours of your nonprofit’s facilities.

This reward system incentivizes donors to give specific amounts in exchange for achieving a status and receiving the benefits.

3. Track your progress.

Analyze the efficiency of your leadership annual giving campaign by using fundraising data and setting incremental goals. For example, you might set a goal number of prospects to convert into mid-level donors or a specific amount to raise by a deadline.

Marketing key performance indicators (KPIs) are similarly important to track, such as website traffic and cost per conversion. This can help you identify your most successful marketing tactics to convert prospects into donors.

4. Offer non-cash giving options.

97% to 99% of all wealth in the United States is held in assets like stocks and real estate, meaning your donors may not have cash to contribute to your leadership annual giving program. To make this level of giving accessible to as many donors as possible, encourage donors to give non-cash gifts, such as:

Gifts of stock
Donor-advised funds (DAFs)
Planned gifts
Qualified charitable distributions (QCDs)

In addition to being more accessible to donors, non-cash gifts also encourage generosity since they aren’t part of a donor’s liquid, day-to-day funds. In other words, donors can give a significant gift to your organization and still have the spending power needed for their own expenses.

Final thoughts on leadership annual giving

Tapping into leadership annual giving can provide your nonprofit with the support it needs to achieve its goals. If you’re interested in other ways to maximize donations for your cause, check out the following resources:

Donor Recognition: When & How to Acknowledge Supporters. Cultivating relationships with donors starts with showing your gratitude for their contributions. Here is a complete guide to acknowledging supporters for increased retention and engagement.
Nonprofit Basics: Google Ad Grants for Nonprofits. To convert prospects into mid-level donors, you’ll first need to spread the word about your leadership annual giving program. Learn how your nonprofit can leverage Google Ads in this guide.
What is Corporate Social Responsibility? Guide & Examples. Looking for ways to garner support from corporate partners? Read up on corporate social responsibility to learn how!

This article is an FAQ guide for businesses interested in launching a corporate volunteer program.

Corporate Volunteer Programs: 7 Key Questions Answered

January 30, 2024/in Volunteer Grant Companies /by Adam Weinger

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a hot topic in the business world, especially when it comes to engaging employees. There’s a growing sentiment among the Millennial and Gen Z workforce that employers should provide ways for employees to give back, and the research supports this, with companies seeing a 52% reduction in turnover for new employees who participate in CSR initiatives, like corporate volunteer programs.

Among CSR programs, corporate volunteerism stands out since it enables employees to take a hands-on approach to giving back. However, volunteer initiatives fall short in number when compared to other employee giving programs, like matching gifts and donation drives.

These other initiatives are certainly helpful and often run themselves, but your business shouldn’t hesitate to offer a volunteer program. To help your business go the extra mile and provide a program your employees will love, we’ll provide a crash course on corporate volunteerism by answering seven burning questions business leaders commonly have about these programs.

Let’s get started.

1. What are corporate volunteer programs?

Part of the reason why businesses tend to have questions about corporate volunteer programs is because there are so many of them. Just like there’s a wide range of corporate philanthropy and CSR initiatives your business can invest in, there are many ways to host an employee volunteer program.

To provide a straightforward definition, corporate volunteer programs are volunteer initiatives for a business’s employees that the business arranges or supports. For instance, three popular types of volunteer programs include:

Corporate volunteer days. Partner with a nonprofit in your area to arrange a day for your team to volunteer together. This might involve planting a community garden, helping pick up trash during a beach clean-up, sorting through donations for a homeless shelter, or any other activity a team can do.
Volunteer time off. Add additional days specifically for volunteering to your employee’s paid time off plans. Volunteer time off allows employees to volunteer during work hours without worrying about missing a paycheck. This program can be especially effective for businesses that want to provide employees with flexibility in choosing what nonprofits they volunteer for.
Volunteer grants. Also known as a Dollars for Doers program, volunteer grants encourage employee volunteering by providing monetary support to the nonprofits employees donate their time to. Businesses usually base their volunteer grant contributions on a per-hour basis or after a certain number of hours have been volunteered with a nonprofit. For instance, you might donate $10 to a nonprofit every hour an employee volunteers, or you might make a flat donation of $100 after an employee volunteers for 20 hours.

When choosing what volunteer program to offer, consider your CSR and employee engagement goals. If you want to support the causes your employees care about, offer volunteer grants. To encourage more volunteering and community involvement in general, consider offering volunteer time off. Or, build teamwork and camaraderie by hosting a team volunteer day.

2. What are the benefits of a corporate volunteer program?

Employee volunteer programs are an investment, whether it’s of your employees’ time or profits spent on volunteer grants. As with any program, business leaders must weigh whether the benefits make up for the resources that will be expended.

For corporate volunteer programs, the primary two benefits are:

Engaged employees. CSR is about impacting your community, partly to prove that your business is committed to social and environmental good. Volunteer programs allow employees to be a part of your impact, making them feel like they personally are making a difference. When employees feel their work has meaning, their engagement, loyalty, and productivity all increase.
Improved reputation. Businesses with reputations for supporting their communities will likely be supported in return. Volunteer programs allow you to build connections with nonprofits, linking their work to your business and gaining access to their support base.

To access these benefits, your business needs to promote its employee volunteer program. Employees and customers alike will only appreciate your corporate volunteer program if they’re aware of it.

Feature details about your volunteer program in key places related to your CSR initiatives, like your employee handbook, CSR employee software portal, and website.

For customers and other third parties share what your volunteer efforts have accomplished on your website. For instance, you might have a CSR or “Impact” page that discusses your CSR goals and ongoing programs. Highlight how many hours employees have volunteered, how much you’ve given through volunteer grants, or even just one successful volunteer day you organized.

3. What nonprofits should my company partner with?

As part of your corporate volunteer program, you will likely work with specific nonprofits. This might be organizations you arrange formal volunteer days with or nonprofits you promote to your employees to volunteer at on their own.

There is a wide range of worthy causes out there, and no business has the capacity to support all of them. Make you choose organizations that will benefit your business and you can make an impact at by taking the following steps:

Consider your philanthropic mission. As part of establishing your CSR program, your business should form a philanthropic mission. This mission statement is usually broad— such as promoting sustainability or seeking to empower future generations—and will apply to several programs. When considering nonprofits to partner with formally, ensure their missions align with yours. For instance, if you’re committed to supporting education, partner with a nonprofit that provides free school supplies rather than one dedicated to mental health awareness.

Interview employees. Your employees are the ones who will be volunteering, so make sure you pick causes they will be motivated to give their best effort to. Ask what causes or even specific organizations they want to see your business support. Additionally, discuss what skills employees can provide nonprofits. This can create extra valuable volunteer experiences where nonprofits receive professional help, and your employees can expand their skill sets.

Research trusted organizations. When partnering with a nonprofit, you link their reputation to yours. Ensure you work with reputable organizations that produce real results you can share with employees and customers. Look at each nonprofit’s impact reports and use online tools like Candid and Charity Navigator to conduct background checks.

Outside of corporate volunteer programs, businesses should still follow these steps for other types of nonprofit partnerships, such as choosing what types of organizations are eligible for your matching gift program.

4. How widespread are corporate volunteer programs?

When launching a corporate volunteer program, know you’re not alone. Employee volunteer programs are rising in popularity among businesses of all sizes.

For a more specific breakdown of these programs’ popularity, let’s take a look at the research:

47% of U.S. companies offer volunteer programs. This includes all types of volunteer programs and companies with multiple programs, such as providing both volunteer time and volunteer grants.
92% of HR executives promote volunteering as a way to improve employees’ skills. Volunteering gives both employees and job candidates experiences working in new environments and learning new skills, including both soft skills like communication and hard skills like using bookkeeping and Google Suite expertise.
80% of companies with volunteer grant programs donate between $8-$15 per hour volunteered. If you’re not sure how to offer a budget-friendly volunteer grant program that’s still worth employees’ time, try looking at businesses similar to yours. Organizations of similar size and in similar fields can be a useful benchmark for keeping your CSR programs and benefits competitive.
60% of companies offer paid volunteer time off. This number is also only rising an additional 21% plan to implement a volunteer time off program sometime in 2024.
71% of employees rate a business supporting volunteering as imperative or very important.

This research emphasizes the importance of offering a volunteer program and ensuring your business’s culture supports employee participation. These things may seem like they go hand-in-hand, but at large corporations, it’s common for leadership to support the idea of volunteerism but middle managers to hesitate to approve volunteer time off requests and other volunteer initiatives.

If you have concerns about your business encountering problems like this, make plans to address it, such as stressing the importance of supporting your employee volunteer program at all-hands meetings or providing bonuses for participating. This might be a gift as simple as a company t-shirt, an appreciation eCard, or a more public award such as taking the department with the most accumulative volunteer hours out to lunch.

5. What tools does my company need to run an employee volunteer program?

Corporate volunteer programs are easier to manage when software does the heavy lifting for administrative tasks. To run your employee volunteer program or any other type of workplace giving initiative, you need CSR software.

Look for CSR software with features that support corporate volunteerism, such as the ability to:

Record volunteer hours. Hour tracking is relatively straightforward, but software is necessary to document each employee’s volunteer hours over multiple years. Choose a platform with a user-friendly interface that allows employees to easily report their volunteer hours and provide the nonprofits’ information.
Connect employees with nonprofits. If you want to encourage employees to volunteer on their own, choose a volunteer platform that lets you connect employees with volunteer opportunities. Some CSR software solutions will list reputable nonprofits the CSR platform vendor works with, while others allow you to promote specific organizations.
Generate reports. Reporting capabilities are essential for ensuring your volunteer program produces results. Monitor how many employees volunteer, how many hours they volunteer, and which nonprofits they volunteer with. Then, create reports you can share with relevant stakeholders to demonstrate your corporate volunteer program’s value.

When investing in a CSR platform, consider what other CSR initiatives you’re interested in launching. For example, if you also want to host a matching gift program, consider a CSR vendor that enables matching gift auto-submission, an innovative feature that massively streamlines the matching gift application process.

6. How can my business increase participation in my volunteer program?

Why should an employee volunteer through your business rather than volunteering on their own? Does your program entice employees who don’t regularly volunteer to change their minds? How can I sustain participation in my volunteer program long-term?

These are the types of questions you should ask yourself to make your program appealing to employees and increase participation. While everyone volunteers for different reasons, three ways you can get employees involved include:

Work with causes your employees care about. Employees will be more motivated to volunteer if their support goes to a cause they feel strongly about. For instance, you might limit what types of organizations are eligible for a volunteer grant to focus your philanthropic efforts. However, limiting flexibility also limits participation as employees may not volunteer if the causes they want to support won’t benefit.
Make participating easy. There’s only so much time in the week, and employees may lack the energy or time to volunteer. Help connect employees with volunteer opportunities that fit their schedule, like online positions or roles with low-hour commitments.
Promote your volunteer program regularly. After your initial program launch, maintain momentum by continually promoting it to employees. This might take the form of email reminders, recognition for those participating in all-hands meetings, or regular formally organized volunteer days.

Ultimately, the best way to get employees involved depends on your business. Talk to employees to understand how they feel about volunteering, how they want to volunteer, and what you can do to support them.

7. What are some examples of employee volunteer programs?

Corporate volunteer programs come in all shapes and sizes, so let’s explore some aspirational examples of real-world employee volunteer programs. These examples are from larger companies, but it’s possible for your business, no matter its size, to create similar initiatives at your own scale.

Salesforce

Software giant Salesforce encourages employees to volunteer by creating a milestone system. Each employee is given seven days of volunteer time off each year and is challenged to complete various goals related to volunteering, such as:

Repeated volunteering with the same organization
Organizing a team volunteer event
Joining a nonprofit board

While not every employee will hit these milestones, those who do get entered into a lottery where the winner receives a grant for the nonprofit of their choice. Since the program’s inception, over 13,000 employees have been entered into this lottery.

Focusing on volunteering has also led Salesforce to form new nonprofit partnerships. For instance, Salesforce leadership noticed many employees volunteering with The Marcy Lab School, a nonprofit that provides high school graduates with job training to become software engineers.

This connection built a relationship between Salesforce and The Marcy Lab School, resulting in a $100,000 donation to The March Lab School through Salesforce’s grant program for emerging nonprofits. The prior years of employee volunteering helped Salesforce learn about the Marcy Lab School and build trust in their organization.

Microsoft

Microsoft is an international technology company that needs little introduction. However, their generous volunteer grant program is likely less known.

Microsoft launched their volunteer grant program in 2005, promising to donate $25 per hour employees volunteered. With almost 5,000 employees volunteering 430,000+ cumulative hours, Microsoft has donated over $10 million to nonprofits through their grant program alone in just one fiscal year.

Henkel

Henkel is a parent company that owns several brands related to cleaning products and adhesive technology. Across their brands, Henkel has instituted the Make an Impact Tomorrow (MIT) program. This initiative has been running for over 20 years, funding the volunteer efforts of both current and former Henkel employees.

In 2022 alone, MIT supported 80 charitable organizations, serving over 110,000 beneficiaries. These organizations included nonprofits such as the Special Olympics, Habitat for Humanity, and Feeding America.

Corporate Volunteer Programs: More Resources

Is a corporate volunteer program right for your business? If so, your next steps are to assess your corporate philanthropic goals, talk with your team, and invest in the right tools. Explore CSR software options and how they can elevate your future program.

Of course, another important step is to continue learning about and getting inspired by corporate volunteerism. Jumpstart your research with these resources:

8 Trends in Corporate Philanthropy for 2024: How to Tap In. Discover the future of corporate philanthropy and how your volunteer program fits into it.
23+ Corporate Volunteer Ideas to Build A Better Community. Not sure what type of volunteer program to launch? Get inspired with these volunteer ideas for businesses.
Best Corporate Volunteering Platforms: Features to Look For. Jumpstart your corporate volunteer program with the right software solution! Start your research by discovering the top features you’ll need in your volunteer platform.

The title of the post on an image of a nonprofit professional working on a computer.

Diversifying Nonprofit Revenue Streams: How to Raise More

January 29, 2024/in About Double the Donation /by Adam Weinger

As a nonprofit professional, acquiring funds to power your mission is one of your biggest responsibilities. With over $300 billion in fundraising revenue donated in 2023 alone, finding reliable revenue sources might seem simple. However, individual fundraising can be a very volatile source of revenue, fluctuating due to economic trends, your donors’ financial statuses, and more.

That’s why your nonprofit should pursue several other revenue streams besides individual contributions from donors. Choosing and implementing new revenue streams can be challenging, but having the right tools and tips in mind helps your nonprofit achieve financial flexibility and freedom. We’ll help you start strong with these tips:

8 Top Nonprofit Revenue Streams
Nonprofit Revenue Stream Diversification FAQ
Nonprofit Revenue Stream Diversification: Dos and Don’ts

Diversifying your sources of support will ultimately lead to a more reliable future, empowering you to fulfill your mission. Now, let’s explore the different nonprofit revenue streams your organization can leverage.

8 Top Nonprofit Revenue Streams

Before we discuss how to diversify your nonprofit’s revenue streams, let’s review the top options for you to consider and the top strategy for each.

1. Individual Donations

Individual donations is an umbrella term for many types of fundraising that involve individuals donating to your organization. Some examples of fundraising in this revenue stream include:

Recurring Giving
Planned Giving
Major Giving
Capital Campaign Giving
Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

How to Secure Individual Donation Revenue: Prioritize Relationship-Building

“Individual donations” is an umbrella term for many types of fundraising that involve individuals donating to your organization. Some examples of fundraising in this revenue stream include:

Recurring Giving
Planned Giving
Major Giving
Capital Campaign Giving
Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

2. Matching Gifts

Matching gifts are a form of corporate giving that allows donors to get their charitable contributions matched by their employers. This valuable opportunity allows your supporters to double or even triple their financial impact on your cause. What’s more, your supporters will likely participate eagerly. According to our matching gift research, 84% of survey participants say they’re more likely to donate if a match is offered.

Top Matching Gifts Strategy: Use a Matching Gift Tool

Most donors don’t leverage their employer’s matching gift policy simply because they’re unaware of their program or how to submit a request. However, your nonprofit can empower them with matching gift software. This tool simplifies the process for donors by telling them if their employer has a matching gift program based on their company email address. Then, it provides steps for submitting a matching gift request based on each employer’s requirements.

When looking for a matching gift tool, prioritize solutions that have auto-submission capabilities. This allows your donors to submit a matching gift request straight from the donation form—no extra steps required. You can learn more about auto-submission with this educational video from our team:

3. Volunteer Grants

Volunteer grants are another form of corporate philanthropy that allows volunteers to turn their donated time into funds for your mission. Companies that provide volunteer grants donate to a nonprofit once their employees have spent a certain number of hours volunteering there. For instance, an employer’s policy might be to give $500 for 50 hours of volunteering time.

Top Volunteer Grants Strategy: Leverage a Volunteer Grants Database

Keeping track of all of your volunteers’ employers and their policies can be challenging. Using a volunteer grants database can help your nonprofit quickly determine which volunteers are eligible for grants through their employer. This allows you to provide volunteers with the information and resources they need to submit a volunteer grant request.

The best volunteer grants database will be volunteer-facing so your supporters can easily research their employer’s program. For example, Double the Donation’s nonprofit customers can make its volunteer grants database available to supporters so they can look up their companies whenever they wish.

Want to learn more about real companies that award matching gifts and volunteer grants? Access Double the Donation’s industry-leading database:

4. Corporate Sponsorships

Corporate sponsorships are when socially responsible companies support a nonprofit partner in exchange for tax benefits or being associated with a charitable cause. The most common types of corporate sponsorships include:

Cause marketing, in which the corporation uses its platform to spread awareness of the nonprofit’s cause
Monetary donations
In-kind resource donations

Our guide to corporate sponsorships shares several companies that are exemplary sponsors. Here are the top corporate sponsors it lists, ordered by the percentage of nonprofits in ZipSprout’s database they sponsor:

Wells Fargo(2.89%)
State Farm (1.07%)
PepsiCo (0.98%)
U.S. Bank (0.97%)
Bank of America (0.92%)
Anheuser-Busch (0.76%)
Clif Bar (0.74%)
The Coca-Cola Company (0.72%)
Walmart (0.68%)
McDonald’s (0.67%)

Top Corporate Sponsorship Strategy: Create a Personalized Pitch

Like any donation appeal, your nonprofit needs to convince potential sponsors why your organization is worth their support. However, unlike other donation appeals, you need to convince sponsors how they can benefit from your partnership as well. You might use insights such as:

Potential return on investment (ROI) based on the campaign. ROI can vary from campaign to campaign, so you should highlight why your campaign is valuable to their interests. For instance, let’s say you’re hosting a charity golf tournament. GolfStatus recommends highlighting that golfers have a much higher net worth than average, which makes them valuable sales prospects for sponsors.
Past results for other sponsors. If you’ve had corporate sponsorships before, present your key performance metrics to prove your program’s value. Better yet, if you’re trying to recruit past sponsors for a new campaign, pull metrics from their past engagement and estimate how the new campaign will increase revenue.

No matter which approach you use to pitch your nonprofit to potential sponsors, ensure you use hard facts to support your appeal. For example, you could mention overarching economic trends and the company’s goals to illustrate why sponsoring your nonprofit could be beneficial.

5. Member Dues

For nonprofits with a membership structure, dues are the money members pay regularly to remain part of the program. Nonprofits such as museums offer memberships to secure a reliable source of income.

Top Membership Dues Strategy: Add Unique Membership Perks

Unlike recurring gifts, membership to a nonprofit often comes with special benefits. Add unique perks to your membership package to differentiate your program from similar alternatives. For example, you could add:

Discounted or free entry. Museums that charge for admission can discount or waive these fees entirely, making membership a worthwhile investment for those who frequent the institution.
Special events. Some members might join your program to meet new people with similar interests. Host member-exclusive events, such as a monthly dinner party or mixer, to make your membership program feel like a community and incentivize attendance.
Greater input into nonprofit activities. Your members show significant dedication to your nonprofit by pledging to give regularly, so you could show them your gratitude by involving them in decision-making processes. For instance, the Toledo Museum of Art hosts the
Georgia Welles Apollo Society, an affinity group of members who pool their dues and vote on new art to add to the museum’s collection each year.

Each membership community is unique, so you should base your benefits on their preferences. To formulate ideas for perks, you could survey your most loyal donors to understand what they’d like to experience as part of a membership community. From there, you can compile a list of contending ideas and select a few that align with your budget and goals.

6. In-Kind Contributions

In-kind donations are gifts of non-financial resources to your nonprofit. You can use in-kind contributions to:

Improve your programs. For instance, an in-kind gift of 20 kennels to an animal shelter would increase capacity and empower you to help many more animals in need.
Power your auctions. In-kind gifts are popular for charity auctions. Once a donor has given your organization a desirable item, you can auction it off and keep the proceeds as fundraising revenue.
Support special projects. Your nonprofit might have ongoing projects that require specific resources. For instance, an animal shelter might need construction materials to weatherproof their shelters.

Top In-Kind Contributions Strategy: Create a Wishlist

Chances are, your existing donors have in-kind resources they could donate to your nonprofit. They just might not know that you need anything. Create a comprehensive, detailed wishlist that describes all the in-kind resources your nonprofit needs at a given time. Include information such as:

Urgency for the item
Intended use
Preferred brands or conditions
Quantity needed
Impact of the item on your mission
Delivery and drop-off instructions
Basic steps for claiming the in-kind gift on tax forms

Once you’ve drafted your list, create a landing page on your website where supporters can easily sign up to donate in-kind items. If possible, integrate your CMS with your sign-up software so the public-facing list remains up-to-date and you don’t get duplicate donations.

P.S. Looking for companies that offer in-kind donations? Utilize Double the Donation’s corporate giving database to uncover the best opportunities for donated goods and services.

7. Grants

Grants are sums of money awarded to nonprofit applicants who fit certain criteria. They are usually provided by government agencies or foundations with an endowment.

Top Grants Strategy: Use Management Software

Your nonprofit likely juggles numerous grants at a time, some with overlapping requirements and due dates. Staying organized and vigilant about your grant applications is crucial to finding the right opportunities and securing funding. Grant management software can help you:

Find grants that fit your nonprofit’s needs and niche
Track application status, from submission to review to the final decision
Stay on top of deadlines with automated reminders
Compile required documentation

When picking a grants management software solution, ensure that you consider your volume of grant applications. For instance, if your nonprofit relies on grants for 20% of your funding, investing in a comprehensive solution can help you keep track of more applications, whereas a nonprofit that only applies for a few grants a year can make do with a cheaper solution with fear features.

8. Product Sales

Consider selling products to donors and taking the profit as fundraising revenue. Your nonprofit has a unique brand identity, making it easy for your donors to support you in style. Plus, branded products can spread the word about your mission.

Top Product Sales Strategy: Sell Limited-Edition Merchandise

While selling items with your nonprofit’s logo and slogan is a good start, you can level up your product sales by creating exclusive merchandise for certain events and campaigns. For example, let’s say you’re hosting an auction. You could sell a t-shirt with unique branding for your event to attendees and discontinue it afterward. This creates a sense of urgency for your donors to get your items before they’re gone.

Nonprofit Revenue Stream Diversification FAQ

Now that you know of different nonprofit revenue streams, let’s answer some questions you might have about adding them to your financial approach.

What are the benefits of diversifying your nonprofit’s revenue streams?

There are numerous advantages to intentionally diversifying your organization’s revenue streams, such as:

Financial stability. Even if you think you have an ironclad revenue stream, anything can happen. Economic factors can impact even the most reliable sources of revenue, so having multiple prepares you for anything.
Adaptability. As technology advances and the economy shifts, it’s helpful to have multiple funding sources available so you can adapt your approach proactively.
Expanded impact. More funding sources means more revenue that your nonprofit can leverage for your cause.

There’s no set amount of revenue streams your nonprofit should have, but you should have multiple to support you through any situation.

What are some common challenges in managing multiple revenue streams?

Despite the benefits of having diverse revenue streams, numerous obstacles can dissuade nonprofits from seeking out new ones, such as:

Resource allocation. Developing a new revenue-acquisition strategy for each stream takes time and money away from your beneficiaries. You might even need to expand your team or outsource labor to specialists who can manage your new revenue streams.
Compliance with regulations. Your nonprofit needs an in-depth understanding of the legal regulations surrounding each new revenue stream. For example, special in-kind donation tax considerations can impact how you fill out your Form 990.
Donor expectations. Your seasoned donors are likely used to how your nonprofit currently collects donations, so any change requires maintenance on your part to make additions and transitions as smooth as possible.

Changes can always pose challenges to nonprofits, but as long as you have the right tools and strategy in mind, you can tackle these hurdles. We’ll cover the impact the right software can have in a later section.

What are some key performance indicators (KPIs) for evaluating revenue streams?

Not all revenue streams are feasible for every nonprofit. As you test out new revenue streams for your nonprofit, use these KPIs to decide which are worth developing:

Total revenue generated from each stream
Return on investment (ROI)
Growth rate of revenue streams
Cost-to-revenue ratios
Member or donor retention rates
Grant success rates
Donor acquisition rates per stream

The best way to collect and leverage this data is by using a CRM with complex reporting capabilities, automated workflows, and field customization. These features allow you to track multiple KPIs simultaneously and form more accurate data-driven insights.

Nonprofit Revenue Stream Diversification: Dos and Don’ts

Do:

Practice data hygiene: Practicing data hygiene fundamentals helps ensure accurate reports and decision-making. NPOInfo’s guide to data hygiene suggests creating processes for standardizing data formatting, scheduling regular data back-ups, and appending missing data.
Research thoroughly: Picking new revenue streams involves big decisions, so you should be convinced they’re worth pursuing before investing the resources. Consider consulting with a professional to get an external, unbiased opinion.
Strategically plan your diversification approach: Build time into your staff’s calendars during the strategic planning process so you have the time to chart an informed, detailed path forward. Each nonprofit has a unique timeline, but you should expect to spend a few months cementing your strategic plan.
Evolve your tech stack: You can probably manage any new revenue streams with tailored software solutions. Research options on the market and pick one that aligns with your budget, tech experience, and existing solutions.
Focus on core competencies: Prioritize expanding into revenue streams that leverage your team’s strengths. For example, if you have multiple local corporate connections, leveraging corporate social responsibility programs would be a natural addition to your strategy.

Don’t:

Overextend resources: Understand and work within your organization’s resource constraints from the outset as you decide which new revenue streams to add. For instance, if you can only afford to add three revenue streams, don’t push the limit by attempting four or five, as you might burn out your team.
Ignore feedback: Remember to collect feedback from numerous stakeholders at all phases of implementation. This might include team members, donors, and beneficiaries. They can provide well-rounded suggestions from perspectives you might not have considered.
Expect results quickly: As with any major fundraising shift, it takes a while for all the facts to come together. Be patient until you have all relevant information before proceeding or cutting out revenue streams.
Assume risk unnecessarily: While it can be tempting to jump on a hot fundraising strategy or economic trend, consider all angles before adding it to your strategic plan so you know it’s truly a good choice.
Fail to adapt: While your strategic plan should be the main guide for your revenue stream adoption, it shouldn’t be set in stone. Build flexibility into your approach so you can pivot if necessary, either to implement a new strategy or to rethink one that isn’t working.

Wrapping Up + Additional Resources

Pursuing new nonprofit revenue streams isn’t only a financially sound strategy, but it also helps your team innovate and stay relevant over time. As long as you assess each option in detail, record results, and keep your core competencies in mind, you can shake up your organization’s current fundraising approach without significant risk. Plus, your donors will love having new ways to give back to your nonprofit!

Developing a Matching Gift Program: A How-To Guide. Looking to start a matching gift program or help a corporate partner start their own? This guide will help you start strong.
Nonprofit Basics: An Overview of Feasibility Studies. Adopting a new revenue stream is a lot of work, and feasibility studies can help streamline the process. Learn more with this guide.
Matching Gift Eligibility: Which Nonprofits Qualify? This guide will help your nonprofit understand if it’s eligible for matching gifts (and, if not, how to become eligible).

The title of the article next to an illustration of three employees volunteering

4 Easy Ways to Start Embracing CSR at Your Company

January 29, 2024/in Learning Center /by Adam Weinger

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is an opportunity for companies to give back to the communities they operate in and boost their reputations at the same time. From creating matching gift programs to improving your company’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) practices, there are several ways to get involved.

Review the following strategies and consider how you can incorporate them into your company’s operations. With the right mindset and intuitive social good software, you can navigate the ever-evolving CSR landscape with ease.

1. Familiarize Yourself With the Benefits of CSR

Before you create a CSR program, familiarize yourself with the rationale behind the movement and everything it can do for your business. First, embrace the fact that businesses are adopting CSR programs because of a clear demand — employees, customers, and shareholders alike want companies to be more socially responsible.

These statistics explain the rise in CSR-related initiatives and the profound impact they can have on your company:

93% of employees believe businesses should lead with purpose. By embracing CSR at your company and letting team members participate, you can show employees that your company is driven by a worthwhile purpose that they enjoy being a part of.
55% of employees say they would take a lower salary to work for a socially responsible company. This means that public, impactful CSR efforts that resonate with employees can improve your company’s employee recruitment, engagement, and retention efforts.
77% of customers want to purchase from socially responsible companies. When you prove to the public that your company is actively engaged in CSR efforts, you can retain more customers and boost sales revenue.

As these trends show, effective CSR programs can help your company improve everything from employee motivation to your business’s reputation. Plus, if you use a CSR platform to track and measure your programs’ results, you’ll be able to easily report on and publicize your company’s impact to access these benefits faster.

If any of your company’s key stakeholders are hesitant to adopt a CSR program due to the necessary investment of time and resources, share these statistics and others like them to demonstrate CSR’s proven value.

2. Reflect on Your Company’s Values

CSR programs are more likely to be successful when they represent a company’s core values and public priorities. Value alignment helps employees feel more motivated to participate in CSR activities and ensures that your company will retain a vested interest in the program long-term.

Take time to revisit your business’s core values and think about ways you could naturally align corporate social responsibility programs with them. For example, if one of your core values is giving back to the community, you should prioritize corporate philanthropy programs and community service opportunities for employees. On the other hand, a sustainable food service company would be more suited to create internal energy conservation initiatives or a program that donates leftover food products to community shelters.

Brainstorm ideas for a variety of programs that would align with your company’s interests, then research other companies in your sector to see what type of CSR programs they have. Choose one idea to explore first, then save the rest of the list for future program development.

3. Start With a Matching Gifts Program

As you evaluate your options for potential CSR programs, consider developing a matching gifts program first. Employee giving programs are especially effective for increasing employee engagement, and matching gifts are the easiest employee giving program for businesses to facilitate.

These programs involve your company financially matching donations that your employees make to eligible nonprofit organizations, often at a 1:1 ratio. This means that if your employee donated $100, your company would donate an additional $100 to the same organization. Matching gift programs allow your company to support a multitude of causes while helping individual employees make more of a difference.

To launch a matching gift program for your company, follow these basic steps:

Set eligibility guidelines for the gifts you’ll match. Determine what types of organizations will be eligible, such as 501(c)(3) nonprofits and educational institutions. Then, set a match ratio, minimum gift amount, and maximum gift amount. For instance, you might match gifts from $20 up to $2,000 at a 1:1 ratio.
Choose a CSR platform. Corporate social responsibility platforms allow you to easily manage matching gift requests and the disbursement of donations. Additionally, they help you track and report on your company’s total philanthropic impact.
Establish a matching gift request process. Choose a deadline for when employees should submit requests, such as within six months of the donation or by the end of the fiscal year. Then determine what information employees must provide about the gift and where they should submit the request, such as via your company portal.
Let employees know about the option. Create official documentation that outlines the matching gift request process and eligibility guidelines for employees, then distribute it to team members when you announce the new program.

To encourage employees to participate in your new matching gift program, emphasize the benefits of matching gifts for both employees and the organizations they support. Focus on how they can make more of an impact on the causes they care about without spending more of their own funds.

4. Offer Incentives for Volunteering

It’s likely that some of your employees already volunteer regularly, while others would appreciate an incentive to do so. By launching a corporate volunteering program, your company can embrace CSR and boost employee job satisfaction.

Consider offering one or more of the following volunteer incentives:

Volunteer grants: Similar to matching gifts, a volunteer grant program is employee-driven. Your employees volunteer for a certain number of hours at a nonprofit of their choice and fill out a grant request form. Then, your company donates a set amount (such as $100 per 10 hours) to the same organization.
Volunteer Time Off (VTO): In addition to vacation days, some companies offer a few days of VTO so employees can easily fit volunteering into their schedule and get paid for their time.
Company-wide volunteer days: Group volunteer outings allow your company to help an organization, engage employees, and foster team-building all at once. Choose a nonprofit to work with, then bring employees out for a fun day of community service.

No matter which programs you choose, a robust CSR platform can help you manage volunteer activities and monitor the impact of both your company and individual employees. With this information, you can recognize employees who volunteered the most and encourage team members to engage with your CSR programs.

As you explore what CSR looks like for your company, take note of any charitable organizations you interact with that seem especially aligned with your values. Cultivate relationships with these nonprofits through corporate volunteering outings and conversations with their staff, and they could become long-term partners you can sponsor in the future. The more you learn about your employees’ charitable interests and organizations that align with your core values, the more easily you’ll be able to develop and maintain impactful CSR programs.