It’s no secret. Donors want to know the real impact of every donation. We’re talking about specific, tangible ways to help donors understand the difference they make through their support.
In fact, 80 percent of donors feel it is important to know the real outcomes of their charitable giving or volunteer work, according to this study.
Your donors don’t have the same inside perspective as someone who is involved with your work daily. And the most successful fundraisers know they need to show donors the impact of every donation to connect with their base and raise more money.
According to the same study, 60 percent of donors said that they would donate up to 10 percent more if nonprofits better communicated how their fundraising dollars further the mission!
The following strategies can help your donors see the difference they make:
Use a picture worth 1,000 words.
Images are a great way to tell your story.
For example, let’s say your organization helps provide and serve dinner at a food pantry. You can use photos of people smiling as they receive their meals to help show the impact of every donation.
Or use images that produce a negative response to show your donors why their support is so important! A picture of someone digging through the trash, looking for something to eat for their child shows your donors there is a lot of work to do.
So, have someone take pictures and document the impact of every donation the next time you’re out in the field, putting those fundraising dollars to work. Try to build a diverse library of images to use in different communications.
READ MORE: The four principles of visual storytelling.
Compare dollars to impact.
Using impact per dollar measurements in ask strings isn’t a new concept for nonprofits. But you can make them feel more real by tying the comparison into your stories.
So, you should try to go beyond “A gift of $50 pays for 5 meals” if you’re using the food shelter example from earlier.
Think about what those five meals are really doing in relation to your mission.
Something like “Your gift of $50 provides dinner every night this week for Jane and her child” is much more powerful!
After all, in this example, the nonprofit’s mission isn’t to give out food. It’s to make sure those in need don’t go hungry!
READ MORE: The right way to compare dollars to impact.
Let someone else tell the story.
Put yourself in a donor’s shoes.
They receive communications from you throughout the year. Many of these will feature the voice of someone within your organization. On your next appeal, try varying your message by having it come from someone who benefits from your work directly.
Let’s go back to our food pantry example.
While you’re out working and serving those meals, ask your benefactors if they would be interested in answering a few questions or providing a quote about your organization.
Their responses are powerful testimonials that can help show the impact of every donation. Consider how a donor would feel after reading this:
“Things have been especially rough this year, and it’s amazing to know there are people out there making sure my children and I know we don’t have to worry about our next meal.”
READ MORE: How you can tell a more donor-centric story.
Invite them to put their dollars to work.
There’s no better way to show your donors exactly how their gifts are used than by inviting them to your next volunteer opportunity.
This allows donors to interact with the people they have been generously supporting. They can help distribute those meals themselves and see the difference they make.
READ MORE: What do at-risk donors want to hear?
Use a powerful CTA.
Which of the above would you be most likely to click?
Only one of these choices reminds a donor what their gift actually does to help.
Remember, you’re not the only organization sending appeals. But many other nonprofits forget this simple strategy and opt for a “Give” or “Donate” button as their call-to-action.
So, stand out from the crowd while giving a subtle reminder about what a donor’s gift will do by putting a little more thought into your calls-to-action!
READ MORE: Making your nonprofit’s call-to-action more attractive.
Make it real.
The most important thing to remember when highlighting the impact of giving is to disconnect and stop thinking like someone inside your nonprofit. It can be challenging, but it is critical to think in a donor’s shoes!
You are involved with your organization’s work every day. You see exactly how each fundraising dollar is used to further your mission.
Your donors don’t have this perspective unless you provide it for them! Using the strategies above will bring your donors closer to your work, so they can really understand how their support makes a difference.
