Or, how to pull off a successful, last minute campaign.
Despite your Executive Director’s helpful advice to “just start a TikTok,” it’s incredibly tough to build out a successful end of year campaign. Especially with little time, even fewer resources, and likely 5 other jobs to do simultaneously because, hello, you work at a nonprofit. Sure, if you had a huge budget you could outsource this problem or throw money at it with sponsored content…but then what are you doing here, reading this?
So let’s cut to the chase. How can you set up a successful fundraising campaign on a shoestring budget with limited resources and time?
First, a disclaimer: you won’t have a ready-made campaign after reading this post. What we hope you will have is some inspiration and the beginning of a road map for how to get started on building the right campaign for your org and needs. Because there is no such thing as a one size fits all campaign.
Start here:
Set expectations: scale it back and be realistic about what you can achieve. E.g. Better to execute one great idea quickly than spend the next month building something super complex with no plan for how to use or distribute it.
Define success: yes, money is best. But it’s not everything: strengthening relationships and building awareness of your org/mission can be just as valuable, and put you in a better position to raise more funds later.
Start with your strengths, don’t build from scratch: no matter how small a team or org, map out what resources and connections you DO have that can help you grow. It doesn’t have to be splashy to be successful, start local and small.
Don’t freak out about Giving Tuesday: every Board member and their mother might be asking “what’s our plan??” But this day has become so competitive and crowded with appeals, it’s very hard to break through. And good luck getting that Facebook matching money.
Ask, ask and ask again. This should be obvious, right? But you can’t be shy and you might even have to be a little annoying: be human, personal and nice, but keep asking for what you need. And push your ED and Board to do the same. Almost no one gives on the first ask.
Great, got it: but what does all that add up to, what kind of campaign can you actually drum up and get out ASAP?
There’s no one answer here: it depends on your org, resources, connections and community.
But here’s one scenario.
Maybe you’re a development + comms team of one.
No time to go out and get the info, photos, videos about your work you’d need to tell a new, compelling story about your org’s impact. No budget to outsource that work to someone else.
What do you have?
Maybe a small but very motivated Board? A passionate Executive Director? Rope them in and get them invested. Outline what you need to raise, and why people should care: where will that money go, how will it make a difference? Ask Board members to email, text, call their networks with a personal appeal explaining why they’re proud to support your org. (Make it easy for them, draft talking points! Include links and email/social templates!)
Consider corporate matching: does a Board member or their contact work at a large corporation that matches employee giving? Easy - ask them to put in a plug for your holiday giving in a company blast, or simply send out an appeal to their team/department, explaining how much of a difference they can make.
Think outside the box:
Do you need in-kind donations of some kind (books, food, clothes)?
Does your Board chair also host a holiday party at their office? Ask if they can include a gift/coat/food drive as part of the event, encouraging employees to bring an item to donate.
Maybe your ED/Board member runs a local Turkey Trot race every year. How can you build on that event and network to raise funds and awareness?
Are there local businesses or vendors that you use all the time?
Maybe it’s a local cafe. They’re small, but they have loyal customers, and maybe even a larger following on IG than you. Partner with them to put up your campaign appeal at the checkout or on tables. You could negotiate a % of their sales that will go to your cause during December, e.g., or a special dish that supports your org.
Note: This helps you raise funds and build awareness but you can likely also provide real value to the cafe, this isn’t purely charity. Do you have a significant email list? A large local network? Run a big annual event? You can provide valuable advertising for them by highlighting their support. Make sure they know what benefits you can provide them when you pitch your plan.
Okay, what about the content of the campaign itself?
First of all, success breeds success. So if you manage to get a bunch of corporate matching funds, or get in-kind donations from a holiday event, or have a team running in support of your org: document & share that success! Get photos, videos, quotes: now you have content to share that builds momentum for more of that type of support. And encourages those people who participated to come look for their photos/stories, stay engaged, and support again.
But let’s get back to the core of your “ask” and campaign. And assume again you don’t have splashy campaign assets. But surely, you have at least one great story to showcase your work and impact, right? Maybe you’ve used something similar before, that’s ok. Think about how you can reframe it and make it fresh and compelling. You might add to it with impact stats. Or find a new angle - call up a family member and get a quote. Or repackage it in a visually interesting way: maybe you published a story in your annual report, turn the photos into a video montage and add music and a voice over to tell the story.
Whatever it is, package it to share in a variety of ways on multiple platforms.
Even if it’s just one story: you have many angles to mine. Break it up and release it in parts - sharing the problem, the solution, and the successful outcome - with connected graphics. Too short, you say? Not possible. Here’s what we mean.
1) Sally found herself out of a job, taking care of 3 small children with no family or support. Her heat was about to be cut off.
This holiday season, you can help us ensure that 100’s of families like Sally’s can stay safe.
2) Because of your generous support, Sally was able to keep her electricity on and children fed as she applied for work.
“I’m so thankful, without help in that moment I’m afraid we would have ended up on the street.”
Please help keep families like Sally’s safe this holiday season.
3) Today Sally and her children are thriving. They’re in a new apartment, Sally is working as a paralegal, and all 3 kids are getting the tutoring they need here at __ to stay on track at school.
Every dollar counts: donate today to help struggling families get back on their feet.
Alright, we could go on, but we have actual campaigns to get to...!
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Happy campaigning!
p.s. asking is important, but make sure you're providing value for your audience, too! Build out a content calendar to keep your supporters engaged year-round with our #ConsciousContentCalendar tool, free to download *and* add to your Google Cal: get it here!
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