Seven Easy Ways to Increase Your Fundraising Capacity

The very best way to raise money is simple - ask! But here are a few tips you might not have thought about that can help enhance your fundraising efforts:

1. Encourage monthly donations: Make sure your donation page prominently features an option to make monthly donations, either through credit cards or bank accounts. Actively encourage your board members and donors to participate. Monthly donations provide steady, unrestricted cash flow that is particularly welcome in the current economic climate.
2. Look into employer and bank giving programs: Research and publicize corporations that match charitable donations (a few local ones include Chevron, Charles Schwab, and Agilent). This is a great way to double your money. Find out which banks and businesses in your area have charitable giving programs. Ask your board, volunteers, clients and staff to participate and/or help with a solicitation.
3. Sign up for Amazon Smile: Everyone shops at Amazon - and each purchase can generate money for your organization when it's done through Amazon Smile. Amazon will donate .5% of eligible purchases to the charitable organization of choice, with no cost to the shopper. A good return depends on volume so the more people enrolled, the better; let your board, staff, volunteers and clients all know about this simple cost-free way to support your organization. Check it out at http://smile.amazon.com.
4. Personalize your asks: One of the easiest ways to increase donations - and to get board members and volunteers to help out - is to write personal notes on solicitation letters. Doing so will increase your chances of receiving a donation as well as increase the amount donated.
5. Steal ideas: All of us receive endless fundraising appeals via email, mail, and Facebook. Don't just trash them. Take a quick look, identify the ones that work and those that don't, and steal good ideas to use in your own fundraising campaigns.
6. Make your Donate button jump out: I can't repeat this enough - make sure your Donate button is visually appealing, prominent on every page of your website, and included on every email and newsletter you send out.
7. Make online donating easy: Try being your own donor. Is it straightforward and simple to make a donation? Are all donation options clear? How many clicks are required? How long does it take? You want your busy donors to be able to make a contribution without confusion and without wasting their time.

Got any other good tips about simple fundraising strategies? Email me at cjay@horizoncable.com or leave a comment on this page.