Fundraising Best Practices For Schools

If You Want Volunteers to Be More Helpful With Fundraising, Don't Ask Them to Fundraise Don't ask them to fundraise from their peers, ask them to share: ▫️ Service goals not "strategic pillars" ▫️ Examples of how you intend to better serve the community not what you need ▫️ Concepts and ask for candid responses not hand out your campaign brochure ▫️ Conversations with your difference makers not the same old elevator pitch They can do that interpersonally or by hosting conversational events. Let's face it; most volunteers are not comfortable asking for money. The more you try to nudge them, the more support and collateral material they will ask for. That often leads to the best professional fundraisers being taken out the field to support the most reluctant volunteers. Those who actually are willing to ask for money and are reasonably effective at it, report that the chums they raise money from turn around a few months later and ask them to the same for their favorite organization. So if one of your volunteers raises 10 gifts of 10,000, he or she is asked by those ten donors to reciprocate. Every $100,000 raised costs that volunteer a $100,000 in quid pro quo giving. Wouldn't you rather that $100,000 be given to you? Ah, but if you ask volunteers to share the big ideas and service aspirations that most resonant with them, they become natural recruiters. They seek out kindred spirits who want to be a part of a movement and to make something happen. It won't set up a quid pro quo because those recruited will feel as if something was done for them rather than asked of them. At bare minimum the vetting of concepts by volunteers will serve as a good test marketing exercise that will help your organization see what does and doesn't resonate, allowing you to refine your key initiatives as you go. Asking for candid reactions to drafts of promising initiatives will open many more doors than fundraising requests - and build more communities of shared purpose.

Want to fail at fundraising? Do this: 🔨 Bombard contacts relentlessly. 🚫 Ask without getting permission first. 🙉 Ignore preferences and boundaries. 💔 Damage relationships with pushy tactics. 💸 Chase quick cash. Forget relationships. 🏧 Treat your database like an ATM. ⏳ Waste time on uninterested prospects. Want to succeed? Do this instead: 🎯 Take the time to build genuine connections. 🎯 Listen more. Talk less. 🎯 Tailor your approach to each person's interests. 🎯 Get permission before asking. 🎯 Share inspiring stories of impact. 🎯 Offer multiple ways to get involved. 🎯 Express sincere gratitude for every gift. 🎯 Provide regular updates, not just appeals. 🎯 Show people who give the important role they play in the mission. 🎯 Build a community, not just a donor list. Remember, great fundraising isn't about the money. It's about the mission and the people who believe in it.

Most trustees want to help with fundraising. They just don't know how. Here’s how I work with clients to make it happen. 👇 STEP 1: Identify who is a good match Not every board member will be right for this. Identify who on the board is a connector or has networks worth exploring. STEP 2: Set up a coffee meeting Short meetings with one or two or even a handful of trustees Make it personal: Offer the opportunity to meet by explaining why they are the perfect person to discuss this with, no one wants a generic invite STEP 3: Prepare all the materials Be able to articulate very succinctly: -What are the plans for this area of fundraising -What you need from them to be successful (have a few different options) -What would be the immediate next steps STEP 4: Ask insight questions Understand who they are and what role they would like to play How best could we work together to bring your networks closer to our cause? What level of involvement would you like to have? Have you done anything similar for another organisation and if yes, what did that experience look like? What hesitations do you have about being involved in this? What would you need to see or hear from us to open up your networks? STEP 5: Match the options and confirm Based on the answers to the insight questions, match an option for involvement I want to be closely involved → great, once we’ve identified some names, we would love for you to make an introduction and come along to the first meeting I know no one but I am happy to help → lovely, can you write and sign a cover letter for a proposal we are sending to x foundation TAKEAWAY Trustees need to be treated like donors. Match the right opportunity to who they are and how they would like to engage P.S. I've just found out that this week is Trustees' Week in the UK. Thanks Steve Allman for the head's up. So I'm sharing posts focused on trustee engagement in fundraising. Found this useful? Share it with a colleague or peer.

Fundraising has changed. Today, people are funding trust, leadership, vision, and meaningful impact. Many organizations are still using yesterday’s fundraising strategies in a world that has completely shifted. Modern fundraising is no longer just about asking for money. It is about building relationships, emotional connection, transparency, and community. Here’s what I have garnered today: 1. Storytelling over statistics. People connect more with human stories than reports and numbers. Stories create emotional connection and inspire action. 2. Relationship-based fundraising. People support people they trust. Strong communities and authentic leadership matter more than ever. 3. Transparency and accountability. Donors want to know where their money is going and what impact it is creating. Trust has become a fundraising currency. 4. Recurring giving models. Sustainable fundraising is shifting from one-time donations to long-term supporter communities and monthly giving ecosystems. 5. Personalized donor engagement. Generic communication is fading. People want to feel seen, valued, and connected to the mission personally. 6. Technology and AI. Organizations are using AI and digital systems to improve donor engagement, communication, and fundraising efficiency. 7. Grassroots and community-led impact. There is growing support for local, authentic, and community-rooted initiatives creating visible transformation. At it’s core, fundraising today is about human connection. The organizations that will thrive are the ones that know how to build trust, communicate impact, and create communities around purpose. #FundraisingToday

One of the simplest rules-of-thumb that still works in fundraising... and life. Why “You” Matters More Than “I” Debbie Meyers shared this wisdom in her DPP Lunch Analysis presentation. Nonprofit fundraisers spend a lot of time and effort crafting messaging to appeal to donors and encourage their support. 🌋 However, the language we use in these communications often focuses too much on “us”—the organization—rather than “you”—the donor. To truly engage donors and inspire them to give generously, we must adopt an outward focus. When writing for donors, avoid starting sentences with “I,” “we,” or “our.” 💡 Instead, address the donor directly using “you.” For example, rather than saying “We awarded 10 new scholarships this year thanks to your support,” try “You made it possible for 10 deserving students to receive scholarships this year.” This subtle shift places the donor at the center of the impact and helps them feel personally connected to your mission. 💡Ask open-ended questions to engage the reader For example, say “How can we work together to help even more students access higher education?” However, be sure to provide context for your questions. Donors want to understand the challenges and opportunities, not guess at them. Follow up your questions with compelling stories and data that inspire them to act. 💡 Show how donors are part of the solution, not just funders of your organization. Highlight the change they are making possible in people’s lives. For example, say “You gave John hope for a brighter future” rather than “Your gift supported our youth programs.” Capture the human impact and emotions to forge a deeper connection between the donor and your cause. 💡 Conversational, authentic language also helps to focus outward. Use an active voice, contractions, and vary your sentence structure. Write the way you would talk to a friend. While a formal tone may seem respectful, it creates distance rather than fostering intimacy with the donor. An outward focus requires empathy, listening to understand what motivates your donors to give and framing communications around their interests and impact. When donors recognize how they can transform lives through your organization, they will become loyal champions of your mission. So, keep “you” at the heart of your messages—it’s the key to donor participation.

Fundraising lesson from Schitt’s Creek: Stop trying to make donors fit your story. Start understanding theirs. The Rose family doesn’t succeed because they become something different overnight. They succeed because they slowly learn to meet the community where it already is—without judgment, without forcing it to change faster than it’s ready. That’s donor-centered fundraising. We lose momentum when we assume alignment instead of listening for it. The best fundraisers I’ve worked with don’t start with:“What do we need from this donor?” They start with: “What already matters to them?” And then they build from there. Because generosity doesn’t start when we convince someone to care. It starts when we recognize what they already care about.

FUNDRAISING IS EVERYONE’S BUSINESS For not-for-profits and particularly smaller organisations, fundraising is not just the responsibility of a single department or a lone fundraiser. It’s a collective effort that underpins your ability to deliver impact. Whether your organisation relies on grants, donations, community support or other kinds of fundraising, everyone in your organisation, staff, volunteers, and trustees alike, has a role to play. Whether or not you have a dedicated fundraiser on your team, here’s why a whole-organisation approach matters: 1)Visibility builds trust Frontline staff and volunteers often have the closest relationships with beneficiaries, stakeholders and local communities. Your stories, insights and passion are powerful tools in building trust with supporters and funders. 2) Fundraisers can’t do it alone Where professional fundraisers are in place, their success depends on others opening doors, sharing knowledge, and showing enthusiasm for the mission. A connected team is a stronger team. Whilst every donation helps, it’s also important that your fundraising specialists can focus their efforts on the areas that will generate the biggest impact, and trust others to help with the rest. 3) Trustees set the tone Trustees are ambassadors. When they actively support fundraising efforts, through networks, giving, or simply helping to shape a positive culture, it sends a clear message: fundraising is a strategic priority, not an optional extra. They also often bring access to valuable networks otherwise unavailable to the team. 4) Small actions make a big difference A frontline worker sharing a success story, a volunteer tagging your charity on social media, a trustee inviting a potential donor to an event, these small acts can create powerful and lasting effects. How can you embed this mindset? * Make fundraising part of team conversations * Leverage everyone’s networks to celebrate success and share impact stories regularly * Provide light-touch training or briefings so everyone feels confident and included * Recognise contributions beyond financial gifts The goal isn’t to turn everyone into fundraisers; it’s to help everyone understand the role they can play. In a time of increasing demand and shrinking resources, this joined-up approach is more important than ever. For advice on building an effective fundraising strategy to unlock the potential of your team, contact @Heaward Solutions.

I don’t think you’re the best fundraiser at your nonprofit. Your most powerful fundraisers are your supporters. Your volunteers. Your donors. When they share why they care, people listen. Because it’s real. It’s human. And it travels farther than any email blast or appeal ever could. That’s the long tail of hyper-personalized fundraising. That’s the magic of peer-to-peer fundraising. It’s not just donors raising money. It’s your community becoming your storytellers. At CauseVox, we’ve seen this again and again. Campaigns that empower “friends asking friends” raise 2x more than solo appeals. Not just because of great tools (haha pat my own back here), but because people trust people they know more than they trust organizations. When your community tells your story, it doesn’t just expand your reach. It deepens the donor connection. Peer-to-peer fundraisers don’t just fundraise. They build movements. #Nonprofits #Fundraising #Storytelling #PeerToPeer #DigitalFundraising #CauseVox

𝗜𝗳 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘀 ‘𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀,’ 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼 𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁. Here’s what actually works… 1️⃣ Craft a Compelling Story People don’t give to causes or businesses—they give to stories that move them. Your mission needs to inspire action and create an emotional connection. 2️⃣ Identify Your Ideal Supporters Not everyone is your donor or investor. Find the people who align with your vision, values, and goals—these are your true champions. 3️⃣ Build Authentic Relationships Fundraising is about trust. Engage with your audience consistently, provide value, and nurture relationships beyond the financial ask. 4️⃣ Make the Ask with Confidence Asking isn’t begging—it’s offering someone the opportunity to create impact. Be clear, direct, and passionate about what their support will accomplish. 5️⃣ Follow Up and Stay Engaged The journey doesn’t end with the first donation or investment. Show appreciation, share impact updates, and keep them engaged. For investors, provide regular insights and opportunities to contribute beyond funding. Strong follow-up fosters lasting relationships and continued support. 6️⃣ Leverage Your Network Your connections are your biggest asset. Engage influencers, collaborate with partners, and expand your reach through shared communities. 7️⃣ Work Smart AND Hard Consistency is key. Set clear goals, track progress, and stay committed to the process—it’s about persistence and strategy. Fundraising success isn’t just about asking—it’s about building lasting connections and creating opportunities for people to be part of something meaningful. Ready to take your fundraising to the next level? Drop a 🙌 in the comments, and I’ll send you my full Friendraising Formula to help you succeed! #Fundraising #NonprofitSuccess #StartupFunding #AuthenticRelationships #ImpactDriven #FriendraisingforSuccess 👋 I’m Marni, Founder and CEO of Friendraising for Success 💪 Helping everyday people become powerful fundraisers, one conversation at a time.

Your nonprofit is building relationships... and here's the surprise. The flashy campaigns? The perfect pitches? The massive donor databases? They’re not always the best choice. Here's what we're discovering: ▸ Personal touches creating lifelong supporters ▸ Massive campaigns failing to connect ▸ Same mission. Different approaches. Stunning results. Why? Because nonprofits can now: ▸ Build loyalty with simple, genuine gestures ▸ Create belonging (not just transactions) ▸ Transform supporters into community (and it's not just a dream) Look, I get it. We all want our fundraising to be groundbreaking. But here's what really works wonders: 1. Community over Campaigns ▸ Personal connections that pack a punch ▸ Genuine gratitude that everyone can feel ▸ Intentional engagement for better results 2. Belonging over Broadcasting ▸ Recognize supporters by name ▸ Celebrate milestones that matter ▸ Include them in the narrative, not just the numbers 3. Connection over Clout ▸ Donors who feel like insiders ▸ Invitations to participate, not just donate ▸ Consistent, meaningful interactions across the board The simple truth? People need to feel like they belong, not just contribute. Keep the flashy stuff for later. That's when you can: ▸ Invite them to be part of the story ▸ Show them the impact they helped create ▸ Cultivate a community of shared purpose Remember: They’re not impressed by big numbers. They’re searching for a place to belong. Make it straightforward for them to feel valued. Ensure they see the community, not just the cause. Make it about connection, not clout. Choose community. Innovate later.