What You Don’t Want to Hear About Nonprofit Donations

It is tempting to imagine that nonprofit fundraising is always sunshine and rainbows. But to really have success in bringing in nonprofit donations, you have to be open to hearing the less pleasant news, too.

By listening to the not-so-happy information, you can make the necessary adjustments to improve your side of the fence.

You’re Getting Left Behind

Times have changed. Nonprofit donations no longer revolve around writing checks and filling out pledge cards. In fact, many of your supporters no longer carry cash or checks at all. New methods are quickly gaining popularity, and it’s important for your organization to keep up.

Even some modern methods, like text-to-give, are giving way to more convenient options like donation apps. Remember when the text-to-give trend took off after the successful 2010 Haiti Earthquake relief efforts? Despite bringing in over $30 million for Haiti, the American Red Cross only raised $4.5 million for a similar disaster relief effort in Japan.

Team Building Problems Are Common

Building a great team at your nonprofit organization is a major factor in your fundraising potential. Unfortunately, a large percentage of organizations have trouble maintaining a quality team. According to a study by CompassPoint:

79% of nonprofit executives agree that it is “very important” for executives to be skilled at fundraising.

26% of those executives confessed that they are not skilled at securing nonprofit donations.

50% of development directors plan to leave their current jobs in two years or less.

75% of nonprofit executives report that board members are not engaged enough in fundraising.

This high turnover and lack of expertise is particularly problematic at organizations with a budget of under $1 million. More successful nonprofits tend to have more stable and knowledgeable staff. If you want to see your organization succeed, focus on building a solid and experienced team.

No Fundraising Plan Equals Fewer Nonprofit Donations

Does your organization have a well constructed fundraising plan? If not, you are likely losing nonprofit donations as a result. High performing organizations tend to have specific plans in place.

In fact, only 7% of the most successful nonprofits do not have a fundraising plan, compared with 31% of low performing organizations.

In order to see your nonprofit donations increase rather than flounder, it is imperative that you 1) build a strong team, 2) create and follow a sound fundraising strategy, and 3) accept donations using modern methods like nonprofit apps. The extra work will pay off in the end.