To help your association grow, it’s important to constantly develop your streams of revenue. While a majority of your revenue likely stems from membership dues and events, other categories contributing to your total revenue include sponsorships, job boards, classified ads, and donations.
Out of all of the streams of revenue, donations can be most challenging to generate. Unless you have a well-established foundation or a dedicated team responsible for donation campaigns, producing a viable amount of donation dollars is tough.
Why is it so hard? It all comes down to “the ask”.
It’s not easy to ask for money. It can be uncomfortable even if you know the money is going to a good cause. To help with this process, we’re outlining a few ways you can use your website, social media and member relationships to generate donations for you.
Make it easy to donate online
Convenience seems to be a huge driving factor in donations (or any type of payment for that matter). If it’s easy to execute, it’s more likely to be done. Think about the type of donors you’re trying to attract. They’re probably busy professionals who don’t have time for an arduous process. Configure a thoughtful workflow on your website where they can easily donate online. Add a large “donate” button on your homepage and create a landing page with compelling reasons to donate.
Use your social media
Social media is an easy way to reach your audience where they’re already at. The % of folks on social media is astonishing (81% to be exact). Use this high engagement to your advantage. Display an intriguing short video on your Facebook page or link to your donation landing page in an Instagram post.
You can also use social media at an event like a campaign drive. Regularly post donation totals on your twitter feed throughout the event. Help donors visualize the impact of their dollars by displaying success stories.
Community Relationships
Draw on your influential community relationships. Partner with a local organization to do a matching contribution. Not only will this double your donation dollars, but it will also help your members and donors feel more closely tied to their own community.
If you feel your donation strategy isn’t up to par, try something creative. Lean on your community leaders and always show donors why their contribution makes a difference.
