{"id":29885,"date":"2022-03-15T13:35:29","date_gmt":"2022-03-15T17:35:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.qgiv.com\/blog\/?p=29885"},"modified":"2022-04-13T14:57:54","modified_gmt":"2022-04-13T18:57:54","slug":"how-to-create-and-grow-your-donor-base-from-scratch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.qgiv.com\/blog\/how-to-create-and-grow-your-donor-base-from-scratch\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Create and Grow Your Donor Base from Scratch"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Are you a fundraising professional at a new nonprofit? Then you\u2019re likely working on growing your donor base. How do you attract donors to your nonprofit when you don\u2019t already have a strong base to draw from? If you need tips on where to begin, read on for our advice for creating and growing your donor base from scratch.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Messaging<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To start off on the right foot, you\u2019ll want to make sure your messaging is in order. Start with clarifying your nonprofit\u2019s mission and getting everyone on the same page about what you do, how you do it, and why. If you\u2019re just starting out, you probably won\u2019t have impact statements to provide. In that case, you must clearly state the problem you\u2019re trying to solve and share how you\u2019ll approach solving it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your nonprofit is similar to other nonprofits in your service area, differentiate your nonprofit. How are you different? Why is your approach to solving the problem better? Knowing the answers to these questions will set you apart from your competitors and make you stand out among them.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Developing your messaging will come in handy in the future as you train volunteers, staff, and advocates. Having a defined mission statement and clearly communicating your values and work on your website<\/a> can help endear potential donors to your nonprofit as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Start close to home<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With your messaging ready, next it\u2019s time to start forming your donor base. But who do you ask to contribute<\/a> to your cause? It helps to start close to home. Ask coworkers (if company policy allows you to ask for donations), family, and friends to donate to your nonprofit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to asking coworkers at your nonprofit, prepare a fact sheet explaining the nonprofit\u2019s mission and how their donations will help. When asking them to contribute, be sure to communicate that it\u2019s optional and not expected. No one should feel obligated to give, but they should have the option to donate in support of the cause. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your fledgling nonprofit isn\u2019t your full-time job, ask coworkers at your day job to support you as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for friends and family, these are people who want you and your cause to succeed most. They\u2019ll likely make up the foundation of your donor base early on. When it comes to asking for donations, be sure to explain how their donations will help and be sure to provide them with updates when you have them, just like you would with any other donor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do you get family and friends interested in supporting you? Consider going old school with a parlor meeting fundraiser. Parlor meetings, which date back to biblical times, involve getting a group of about 10-20 people together so you can educate them about what you\u2019re doing. You can get them together for dessert and coffee, during which someone from your organization\u2014a board member or someone who works in the field\u2014tells everyone about their experience with your organization. You can even host a virtual version! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the presentation, you can field questions or tell stories of people from the area you serve. At that point, you have an opportunity to say that you need help in supporting the work people have just seen on the screen: here\u2019s the problem, we\u2019re part of the solution, and we need your help! It\u2019s incredibly effective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Engage your advocates<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Once you have a group of supporters giving to you on a regular basis, turn them into your advocates. Your early supporters are going to be the most passionate about your mission and want to see you succeed. Activate your supporters and ask them to reach out to people in their network on behalf of your nonprofit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Provide your advocates with resources like fact sheets, letters of introduction, and more items they need to tell other people about your organization and then ask them to set up meetings and talk about your nonprofit on social media<\/a> to get the word out about your cause. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Advertise on social media<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It can be difficult to get grant funding without a track record of success, so building a donor base through contacts and social media will be key. You can only reach so many people with word of mouth alone. While your advocates are soliciting people in their network to support your nonprofit, you can reach new people by advertising on social media. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be fair, you should be on social media<\/a> anyway since it\u2019s a leading source of information about your nonprofit organization. Use social media to your advantage and post regularly so people interested in your nonprofit can learn more about you. Pin a post directing social media visitors to your website so they can learn more and hopefully make a donation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When your social media profiles are developed, consider paid social media advertising to further your reach. You can promote posts or even create ads directing people to support your cause by giving to you on your website, signing up for your newsletter, or becoming a volunteer. The beauty of social ads is you can use them to get what you need from local people who are also passionate about your cause. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conduct prospect research<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Need to find more people who are similar to your now-growing donor base? A great way to accomplish this is with prospect research<\/a>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, assess what you know about your current donors.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n