6 Tips for Effective Home-Based Fundraising

pexels-photo-269129Some things have been put on pause due to the coronavirus pandemic. Events, sports, eating out, travel, etc. All of these aspects of normal life are on hold as the world works to try and flatten the coronavirus curve. However, fundraisers are finding ways to keep raising money for the causes they support. Through innovation, technology and plenty of creativity, they are continuing to nurture relationships with donors, educate themselves and others, raise funds and set their nonprofit up for success down the road.

Here are some ways that your fundraising team can continue to do amazing work from home:

  1. Check in with donors: This is a difficult time for everyone, and your donors will appreciate a check-in email or phone call. This isn’t necessarily a time to ask them for a donation, but to continue to nurture relationships with your donors. Checking in may encourage them to donate now, or keep you top-of-mind when their lives begin to normalize again.
  2. Plan your fall and winter fundraisers: Now is a great time to get into planning mode! You’ll be ahead of the game when events are able to take place again if you take the time now to plan out your fall and winter campaigns, fundraisers and events.
  3. Host a virtual event: This is a great way to connect with current donors! Videoconferencing technology makes it easy to host events virtually. By doing this, you can update donors on the current state of your organization, let them know how they can help and tell them how your team is operating. Plus, it’s a safe way to interact with people if you're going a little stir-crazy!
  4. Put together educational materials and update current materials: Whether it’s a white paper, an E-book or an employee manual, now is a great time to channel your expertise! Now more than ever folks have time to read, and putting out materials will keep your organization top-of-mind, position your organization as an industry expert, and show donors and prospects that you are still committed to your cause and active. You may also want to take this time to look over current guides and manuals and make any updates that have been neglected.
  5. Read! Increase your expertise by reading books by experts in your field. You may find some tips and tricks that you’ll want to implement into your fundraising strategy when life returns to normal.
  6. Clean up your database: We’re big fans of this one! If your ResultsPlus CRM has been a little neglected and is a bit of a mess, now is the perfect time to clean it up. We have plenty of advice on how to make sure your data is clean and organized. Update addresses, check for duplicates, segment your donors, etc. Clean data is usable data!

We may all be stuck at home, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still make a difference in our communities and in the world! How are you staying productive and continuing your fundraising efforts from home?