There are different methods of attracting donors. Some of them do not require large investments, but are ineffective, while others involve significant expenses, but give good results.
Bulk mailings or direct mail
Many people are familiar with this method in its outdated form: a large number of identical paper letters are sent to addresses from a database. The envelope may contain an advertising booklet, an example of a payment form, etc. Today, e-mail distribution is more often used, and the list of attachments has remained the same. The only difference is that now they are all in an electronic version.
If you send out a cold mailing the usage of facebook database list, you cannot avoid a low response rate – no more than 2%. It is important to properly prepare the list, and then this figure can increase to 20% or more, especially if the recipients of the letters include philanthropists with whom you are already working.
Unaddressed appeals
Distribute booklets, leaflets and other materials in places with high traffic. For example, this fundraising method can be used on the streets, in shopping centers, etc. Usually no more than 2% respond.
Distribution of flyers
However, you have every chance of meeting a real sponsor this way, so you should not ignore this method. It is especially good in case of large-scale distribution of materials. It is recommended to print a metro map, bus schedule or other useful information on the back of the leaflet.
Personal communication
This approach is considered the most effective and assumes that a representative of the organization contacts everyone who wants to in places where there are large crowds of people. He talks about the project, the main problem that is planned to be solved, and offers to help financially in achieving the set goal.
The advantage of dialogue with the audience is the ability to immediately elicit a reaction from people, and therefore a result, that is, a donation.
However, holding such events on a regular basis is expensive and time-consuming. It is necessary to take into account the payment of working time, training for staff, and staff turnover.
In our country, this method is characterized by the spontaneity of donations and their one-time nature. Later, only 10% of the same people will agree to help. Outside of Russia, patrons usually sign up for a subscription, and a small contribution from them goes to the organization every month.
Events
The following fundraising method has proven itself well in Western countries, but so far it does not work well here. You can hold a charity evening, an exhibition, a concert, a masquerade ball to bring together many potential benefactors.
The highlight of the event is often a lottery or auction held by a famous person – this gives an opportunity to increase the audience response. True, a large sum will be spent on the organization, and no one can guarantee that you will collect more than you spend.
Industry events
But this approach allows you to create a good reputation and maintain cooperation with sponsors who are already helping you with projects.
Advertising
We are talking about videos, appeals on central television, street billboards, in transport, in hypermarkets and shopping malls. This also includes mentions in printed media, banners on the Internet. Publications can have different content, the main thing is that they introduce the audience to the organization and the problems it solves. It is necessary to awaken feelings in people and push them to invest in the project as part of fundraising.
Since the method is impersonal, it is impossible to predict in advance who and when will see your ad, and what the reaction will be. To achieve the desired result, you need to ensure a huge audience reach and release a really high-quality video or article. This will have a positive effect on recognition and trust in the organization.