It’s important to study tactics that have worked in the past in order to raise more funds or engage more donors. But not at the expense of your team’s motivation. If you feel like your team’s drive to has taken a hit, it might be time to put the ‘fun’ back in fundraising! Encourage your team to come up with new ways to boost their fundraising efforts, with just a dash of creativity. How can an organisation ensure that creativity and ethical fundraising go hand-in-hand while trying to solve problems in raising donations for the NGO? These four tips lay it out:
Knowledge is King
As a fundraiser, you’re constantly talking to people and trying to get them to connect to you and your cause. What better way than to find a common area of interest between you and a prospective donor? But to ensure that you share similarities with a donor, you must be as well read as you possibly can. Read. Consume information wherever you can and learn something new every day. You might be surprised about what strikes a chord with a donor and gets them to resonate with your cause.
Ask Questions
Curiosity is a pillar of creativity. If you’re looking to add a new fundraising tactic to your list of successful (but overused) ideas, a good place to start is to ask why the old formats worked. What about them resonated with your donors and made them respond with donations for the NGO? By analysing things and asking tons of questions you can help your fundraisers spark creativity in the right area. New doesn’t need to be complicated or scary. More often than not, the most creative solution is a simple one.
Break Time!
A creative block is no joke. It can leave you staring at a blank page for hours, in such situations, staying put makes absolutely no sense! When planning a project, make sure you schedule in enough time to take a break and simply let the ideas marinate. Whether you choose to wander through your mind, talk a walk around the block or do something else entirely, ensure it gives your mind the much-needed respite. This crucial time-period can allow ideas to really develop and reveal key points that may have gone unnoticed. Once the work begins to flow and you’re on a roll, don’t walk away!
Bear Witness
You cannot expect fundraisers to raise donations for your NGO to their optimum potential if they do not connect with your organisation’s cause. Take a field trip with your fundraisers to experience the work your organisation does first-hand. Let them get up close and personal with the cause by talking to volunteers, campaigners and the people your organisation serves. Though your imagination is the birthplace of creativity, bearing witness to the work can do wonders for your team.
Help nudge your team in the right direction in order to efficiently increase public awareness and conduct ethical fundraising for your NGO.
