The Most Successful Nonprofit Fundraising Strategies

Less is More: Simple Emails Can Boost Donations and Engagement

After learning in a webinar that one of Barack Obama’s most successful fundraising emails had the subject line “Hey,” I decided I was overcomplicating things trying to develop a perfect campaign.

I used Constant Contact, but didn’t design in Canva or use a template or anything. I just wrote a casual email introducing myself, giving updates on the organization, sharing information about a current appeal, and, at the end, I asked people to share a memory or their favorite show they’ve seen at our venue.

I sent the email to anyone who has bought a ticket to a show here in the last five years — over 30,000 people and made it so they could reply directly to me, which was nerve-wracking but felt authentic.

The open rate was off the charts — over 67% — and the click rate was nearly 5%. We raised money, which is of course great, but nearly all of the donors from this campaign were first-time donors, and I received stories, memories, and feedback from folks I would not have gotten any other way.

This indicated to me that they actually read the email to the end! If development is all about relationship building, which we know it is, I now have a trove of information about what kind of music individuals enjoy, how our organization has served them throughout their lives, and other information that I can use to effectively connect with them in the future based on their values and preferences.

— Molly Krichten from Carnegie of Homestead

Share the Stories of the People the Mission Serves

Our most successful fundraising strategy has been empowering the students we serve to share their personal stories and experiences, both at fundraising events and during one-on-one meetings with key stakeholders.

By allowing students to connect directly with our donors, we create a powerful and authentic narrative that resonates deeply. This approach builds trust and emotional investment, making donors feel more connected to our mission. Additionally, leveraging social media and community events amplifies these stories, reaching a wider audience.

This strategy not only raises funds and strengthens our community relationships; it also transforms our students, making them more confident and capable of showcasing their true selves, and profoundly inspiring everyone they encounter.

— Cassie Lancaster from Mission Scholars

Match Campaigns Can Doubles Donations, Boost Engagement

Last year, we had our first-ever match campaign. We became aware of a large donation that was coming in, and we asked the donor if we could structure a match campaign around it.

She was happy to be the impetus of a successful campaign. People were so excited to have their money “doubled” and the campaign was a success!

It also helped that we sent out messages featuring individuals with outlandishly mismatched outfits with headings such as “Did you match today?” and “It’s a good day to match!”

It made the campaign fun to be a part of!

— Janet Zito from Interfaith Caregivers of Greater Mercer County

Develop (and Maintain) Relationships with Donors

Relationship building! Taking the time to get to know donors on an individual basis makes them feel seen and appreciated.

Noting personal special events (“How was your trip to Scotland?”), anniversaries with the organization (e.g. their first donation), and knowing personal details (“How is your son’s new job going?”) show that you care and that you notice them.

— Alyssa Hoyt from the Mount St. Helens Institute

Create a Sense of Belonging and Shared Purpose

Finding deeper connections with our community has allowed us to fundraise effectively. Understanding the diversity of our audience and tailoring our approach to resonate with their unique experiences and values has been key.

By emphasizing personal stories, showcasing the impact of our programs, and engaging directly through networking events and education, we’ve fostered a sense of belonging and shared purpose.

This approach not only drives donations, but also builds long-term support and trust within our community.

— Indeana Underhill & Haeleigh Royall from the Cinematography for Actors Institute

Focus on Grants Over Labor-Intensive Events

A few years ago, we decided to change strategy and concentrate on grant writing. We have a wonderful grant writer and our strategy has really paid off. We no longer run small events, which:

• Always tapped the same pool of followers/donors
• Required reliable volunteers
• Was labor-intensive in some cases
• Brought a small return for the time invested
• And was time-consuming

This actually came at the right time because, when COVID struck, all events were canceled. Had we not switched strategy before that, we would not have had revenue coming in that allowed us to continue our mission of helping animals in need.

Not all grant requests are fulfilled, but even getting a couple $2,000 grants is the equivalent of running four small events.

We no longer have to worry about volunteers showing up or setting up/taking down a booth. It is less taxing on the board and on our volunteer base.

— Beatrice Bauerly from Paws In Need

Reduce Reliance on Single Sources of Funding

We implemented a well-rounded approach to fundraising by engaging various sources of support, including corporations, foundations, government funders, and individuals.

If we were to lose a funder from one of these categories, having diversified our efforts helps ensure that the impact is minimized. This strategy can provide a more stable financial base and reduce reliance on any single source of funding.

— Paul Marengo from The DC LGBTQ+ Community Center

Spread Programs and People Across Multiple Grants

The most important fundraising (and sustainability) strategy we have is to spread our programs across several grants. We don’t run any programs off of a single grant source. Nor do we run any staff positions fully funded to just one grant.

We spread our programs and people across multiple grants so if one grant ends, we do not have to lay off staff or shut down a program. It works!

We have not done any funding-related layoffs since the 2008 crash. Sometimes this means we have to educate funders who want to pay for one staff position and let them know they can pay for 50% of two staff positions instead!

And we don’t do any fundraising from individual giving for programs that we can get funded through grants. Instead, we reserve our unrestricted and individual giving funds to cover the essential costs of running programs that grants don’t fully cover — so we can stay out of the “starvation cycle” that many grants can put nonprofits into.

Our industry will continue to struggle to attract talent if we can’t organize our funders and our planning strategies to ensure job security in this field.

— Jessica Ellis from Centinela Youth Services, Inc.

Use Tech-Savvy Staff to Broaden Outreach Efforts

Meals on Wheels La Mirada has utilized a variety of strategies that have led to successful fundraising. We have used online donations platforms, contacted local businesses to sponsor fundraisers, and always accept private donations from individuals and corporations.

Because fundraising is ongoing for us, we try to reach of a variety of populations. We utilize our very tech-savvy staff and volunteers to share fundraising information online.

We’ve seen how the “ripple effect” has helped us to reach more people which has lead to more financial support, and publicity for our small nonprofit organization.

— Debbie Garza from Meals on Wheels La Mirada

Add Automatic Donations to the Checkout Process

We are a nonprofit dance company and have a ticketing platform that automatically adds a $5 donation to each ticket sale. Patrons have to manually remove the $5 or it stays with them through checkout.

Since we switched to automatically adding the $5 donation a little over a year ago, we have had over 60% of patrons keep the $5 donation — and a handful of them even increase the donation amount!

We use the same system for free events as well and allow patrons to choose if they want to donate or attend for free. Any system that automatically adds a donation would be a great way to fundraise through regular business activities of any nonprofit.

— Bethany Foran from A-WOL Dance Collective