Have you ever studied your best donors and wished you could
clone them all? Maybe you can, with a bit of creative thinking.
1. Friends of current supporters The
first place to look is friends, family and colleagues of your
current supporters. The odds are good that your most generous
and faithful donors have friends or co-workers or family members
who will want to support your cause as well.
One of the most popular ways of acquiring new donors like this
is through a Friend-Get-a-Friend program. At the best times
during the year (which you discover through testing), you invite
your current donors to refer a friend to your organization. This
is usually done with a buckslip or liftnote that goes out with
your regular fundraising appeal letter. But you can also include
a tear-out coupon in your newsletter and a sign-up form on your
website.
2. Clients Another source of new donors
is your clients, the people that your organization serves.
Naturally, if your clients are homeless or poor, they are not
prospects for donor appeal letters. But if your clients are
former hospital patients, or university alumni, or retired
folks, then you have a valuable source of potential supporters.
These people already know your mission, who you serve and how
you help them.
3. Volunteers Another group of
individuals that knows all about your organization is your
volunteers. They not only know you, they believe in you. That's
why they give you their time and talents. Now you can ask them
to give their treasure as well.
4. Staff One advantage of asking your
staff for donations is that you know two things about them. You
know that they know your case for support. And you know that
they have money. So send them an appeal letter. Or better yet,
ask them to join your monthly giving program, with their gift
coming right out of their pay each payday.
5. Peer groups One organization I have
written fundraising letters for is Doctors Without Borders. They
are a group of volunteer doctors and nurses who deliver
emergency medical care in places where no medical infrastructure
exists, usually because of war or natural disasters. In one
acquisition campaign that I worked on, Doctors Without Borders
sent acquisition letters to two peer groups--doctors and
pharmacists. They reasoned that these two groups of medical
practitioners would identify closely with the mission of Doctors
Without Borders, even if they were not able or inclined to
volunteer overseas.
Does your organization have a professional peer group that is a
natural source of donors? Send them a well-crafted appeal letter
that speaks to them as peers and is signed by a peer, and see
what happens.
6. Affinity groups Is your not-for-profit
affiliated with a particular religious group, ethnic group or
service organization? Then you have a ready-made source of new
supporters, provided that they also meet your other criteria for
suitable donors. If you are an evangelical Christian, for
example, as I am, then you can look to fellow evangelicals for
donations. If you are Italian-American and you live in Little
Italy (in New York City), then you have a large group of folks
whom you can approach for funds. If you are a member of Rotary
International, your fellow members are a source of new support.
© 2005 Sharpe Copy Inc. You may reprint this
article online and in print provided the links remain live and
the content remains unaltered (including the "About the author"
message).
More Information:Alan Sharpe is a professional fundraising letter writer, instructor, coach, author and newsletter publisher who helps non-profit organizations to raise funds, build relationships and retain loyal donors using cost-effective, compelling, creative fundraising letters. Sign up for free weekly tips like this at
http://www.RaiserSharpe.com/ 
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