Donors today are inundated with thousands of causes. They get on Facebook and they see ads for charities. They answer the phone and they're being called by charities. It's hard for them to know which charities are worth donating to, but it isn't impossible to get your donors to notice your organization. To get donors to really care about your cause and donate, you simply need to connect with them on a more personal level.
Encourage Sharing
First: People are far more likely to donate to a cause that is promoted by someone they know. When people donate, encourage them to share their donation with others — it makes them feel proud of their actions, and helps them reach out to other people. If people can't donate, encourage them to share the information to ask for donations from friends and family instead. Sharing can be just as valuable as donating, if not more valuable, depending on someone's follower list.
Tell Personal Stories
Avoid just asking for donations. Instead, tell stories about how donations have helped other people. People are less likely to respond to a link that says "Donate to the ASPCA" as they are to respond to a link that says "Learn about how we helped this foster kitten." They want to know exactly what their money is going to, because it gives them a real connection to the charity. Otherwise, they may worry that their money is just going to overhead.
Target the Right Donors
Take a look at your existing donor list. Target donors who are similar. It could be that you're just reaching out to the wrong demographics. It isn't always easy to determine which people are going to be most receptive to your charity. But the easiest way to get donors to really care about your cause is to target the right ones. At the same time, you also want to reach out to as many donors as possible — if you aren't successful with your current lists, start building them.
Build Your Social Media
Social media is an excellent way to reach out to donors on a personal level. Interact with people through social media, share information that they are likely to find useful, and encourage them to interact more with your brand. The more they interact with you, the more likely they are to think of you when they're thinking about donating to charity.
It's hard to get donations, especially during economic strife. But if you can get people to care about your cause, you'll be one step closer. There are many people out there looking to make a difference — but they need to know that they'll actually be making a difference. By empowering them, you can get them more involved in your own cause.
