Nonprofit Fundraising: Best Practices

Nonprofit fundraising is important to maintain throughout the year to reach goals and achieve continued growth. A big part of fundraising is learning throughout the process and adapting to nonprofit fundraising rules and best practices. For some helpful tips to keep your organization’s fundraising efforts on track, take a look at our list of fundraising best practices here.

1. Set annual fundraising goals: To get started, it’s important to work with your nonprofit team to set and track your fundraising goals for the year or upcoming season. To help you get started, we have a step-by-step guide on how to set and track fundraising goals.
2. Get to know your donors and audience: Connecting with your nonprofits donors and audience is an important nonprofit fundraising rule in not only maintaining those relationships but customizing your message to better connect with them. Creating relationships with your supporters will ultimately lead to more support in the end.
3. Choose the right fundraising software for your organization: This is an important step in planning online and digital fundraisers. There are many different software options for your nonprofit to consider, so make sure you know what features are a must for you.
4. Learn from the past: Use your previous fundraisers and fundraising goals as a nonprofit fundraising best practice to help you learn for the future. This can help you with goal setting, event planning, and budgeting for the upcoming year. If you’re new and just starting out with your nonprofit fundraising, stay organized and keep notes to log best practices..
5. Track your budget: A big nonprofit fundraising goal is staying on budget to raise more money than you spend for the event. A best practice is having at least one person in charge of the budget. 
6. Create a strategy: One fundraising best practice is to  create a strategy for how you will achieve your fundraising goals. Use your past lessons and successes to help you create a new strategy. Remember, your strategy can shift over time if your fundraising goals or plans change.
7. Plan different types of fundraising events
8. Silent Auction & Fundraising Galas: Hosting large and extravagant events can be a part of your fundraising strategy, but could occur infrequently such as one time per year. Let this event be the main fundraiser of the year for your nonprofit and sprinkle in smaller fundraising events throughout to help reach your fundraising goals.  
9. Restaurant Fundraiser: Host a fundraiser at a restaurant near your organization and raise money for your nonprofit throughout the night. Restaurant fundraisers are easy to set up and host, so they require much less effort to plan. Hosting a restaurant fundraiser as one of your smaller fundraising events during the year can help keep your donors and supporters engaged and connected, while enjoying a delicious meal together. To host your nonprofit fundraiser with Chipotle and receive 25% of event sales (subject to achievement of a minimum $150 total event sales), apply here. 
10. Crowdfunding Campaign: A crowdfunding campaign can serve as a continuous fundraising event for your nonprofit. Use your fundraising software to set up your campaign, share the link with supporters and followers, and tell them what their support will help your nonprofit achieve. This is another low effort fundraising option that can have a big impact.
11. Delegate tasks: Ask for help from others. Delegate different tasks to those who work for or support your nonprofit. Different tasks can include event planner and team, accountant, donor relations, and social media/communications.
12. Communicate: Communicating with both members of the nonprofit and donors is an important fundraising rule. Having everyone on the same page is key to success and sharing your story and what your fundraising needs are for is key to reaching your fundraising goals.
13. Share your appreciation: Let your donors know you appreciate them and their support in helping you reach your nonprofit fundraising goals. Write thank you notes, send personalized emails, or simply call each supporter to show your gratitude. Sharing appreciation is important following any donation or fundraising event.