With growing economic uncertainty and rapid changes to federal funding availability underway, your nonprofit may feel like it’s scrambling to keep up. Many organizations feel pressure to raise money quickly—and not just in turbulent times like these.
There are plenty of reasons you might need to run a more fast-paced fundraiser, whether you’re sending urgent appeals to respond to a disaster or crisis, launching responsive campaigns to make up for unexpected lost revenue, or simply looking to raise a little money quickly, with minimal effort from staff or volunteers. However, even if the goal is speed, fast fundraisers still require a strategic approach grounded in stakeholder input.
In this guide, we’ll cover four tips for communicating urgency, meeting your fundraising goals quickly, and respecting everyone involved as you do so.
1. Emphasize urgency with deadlines and countdowns
For donors to be motivated to give urgently, they need more than a basic “Give Now!” message. They want to know why you need donations immediately, what impact their gifts will make and exactly how long they have to decide. Provide this information in clear, eye-catching ways to motivate potential donors and speed up the donation cycle.
Try these tactics for emphasizing urgency in email subject lines, text messages, and social media posts:
- Giving deadlines: If your campaign has a hard deadline, let donors know! Share the date and the reason for it, such as “Donate by 11/20 to help us feed as many community members as possible by Thanksgiving.”
- Countdowns: Once you have a deadline, use a countdown to remind supporters that they only have so much time left to give. This is especially effective if there’s a perk the donors can only access if they give in time. For example, you might use a message like, “There’s only 5 days left to get a free discount card with your donation!”
- Fundraising thermometers: A graphic can often communicate your fundraising needs faster than words alone. Pair thermometer or progress bar visuals with text like, “We’re 88% of the way to our goal! Give before midnight to help push us over the line!”
Be careful not to stir up any negative emotions with your messages by using fear-based language or overexagerating the consequences of not donating. Urgency can be effective, but only when it’s genuine and used to empower donors rather than guilt or scare them.
2. Target highly engaged donors
Many donors are already fatigued due to economic concerns and the never-ending news cycle, and bombarding them with urgent appeals can exacerbate the problem, increasing their risk of lapsing. To avoid this, focus on soliciting your most engaged donors first for fast-paced campaigns.
These supporters are more likely to feel excited by the opportunity to make an impact quickly. Plus, engaged donors are often willing to share the campaign, spreading the word to their personal networks to generate more donations.
To find out which donors are the most engaged and likely to give now, analyze the data in your nonprofit’s CRM. Look for donors who:
- Regularly respond to fundraising appeals
- Give more than once or twice a year
- Participate in your monthly giving program
- Are part of your legacy society
- Plan to leave you part of their estate upon their passing
- Actively engage with your communications and social media
- Have served as peer-to-peer fundraisers in the past
- Respond to volunteering and advocacy opportunities
- Frequently attend events
Ask these supporters to donate and share your campaign with friends and family. If they’re interested in doing more by becoming a peer-to-peer fundraiser, Team Butter recommends using a fundraising platform to help them set up a personal fundraising page to earn donations on your organization’s behalf. This way, they can multiply their support and feel more connected to your mission.
3. Offer donation matches—for a limited time
If donors have a limited time to increase their impact, they’ll be more inspired to give immediately. This is especially true if they can double the size of their gift without any extra effort. Start a donation-matching challenge to tap into this motivation and reach your fundraising goals quickly.
According to Double the Donation, a donation matching challenge involves asking a corporate sponsor or major donor to match gifts dollar-for-dollar for a set time period. For example, say a long-time donor commits to matching all donations at a 1:1 ratio for 24 hours. Any donations made that day would automatically be doubled, thanks to the long-time donor’s commitment.
4. Leverage influencers and corporate partners
The further you spread the word about your fundraiser, the more potential donors you can reach before your deadline. Go beyond your typical marketing channels and access brand-new audiences by partnering with influencers or businesses.
Social media influencers can help you promote your campaign to younger generations quickly through their large, active online followings. To jumpstart impactful partnerships, follow these steps:
- Identify influencers who align with your organization’s values and have followers who fit your target audience
- Reach out to them about your fast-paced campaign and why they should get involved
- Discuss campaign guidelines, posting and tagging requirements, etc.
- Consider offering incentives for influencers who reach certain goals within your timeframe (such as thank-you gifts or additional shout-outs) to inspire more immediate action
In addition to influencers, don’t underestimate the power of philanthropic corporations. Many companies want to increase their giving to boost their reputations and employee engagement, and their programs extend beyond grants and one-time sponsorships. In fact, the companies you’ve worked with before likely have additional giving programs they’d like to promote to their employees, such as matching gifts or charitable payroll deductions.
Tap into this resource by asking your corporate partners to share your fast-paced fundraiser with their employees. Your nonprofit will reach a wider audience, and the business gets a chance to promote its giving programs and increase employee participation. At the same time, you’ll both deepen your relationship, opening the door for potential sponsorships, grants, or one-off matching programs in the future.
Remember that these tips will only be successful if your campaign has a clear, compelling message, grounded in stakeholder insights. In your marketing materials, get to the heart of why you need donations quickly and what impact you can make if you reach your urgent fundraising goals. When donors understand the reason for urgency, they won’t hesitate to give what they can.
