At Rhyme and Reason, we’re always looking for new ways to help your organization reach fundraising goals both creatively and effectively. Whether you’re looking to refresh existing strategies or want to rebuild from the ground up, check out these tips on ways to increase donations in your next capital campaign.

Show real life impact

If you want people to give their hard-earned money, you need to show them where it’s going and the impact it will have. Relatable stories allow members and friends to feel a personal connection to your cause. Plus, people are far more likely to open their hearts and wallets if there is some visual that tugs at their heartstrings. Anyone can ask for money, but what is your organization doing to drive your message and mission home?

Social Media is your friend

Social media allows you to leverage the “everyone is doing it, so I should too” mentality. When people see the impact of others, they feel compelled to take action. As the adage goes “you eat with your eyes first,” and believe it or not the same could be said for fundraising. Members won’t take action just because something says “Donate Now,” just like you won’t immediately make a reservation at a restaurant someone off-handedly suggested to you. But once you see a Facebook post of excited customers lined up around the block, or an Instagram story of one of your favorite celebrities eating there, you’re scrambling to get your name on the list.

Make donating easy-peasy

The last thing you need is for potential donors to get frustrated while trying to give you money. Creating a clean and smooth online interface affords both you and your members a stress-free experience! Our friends at the Delta Gamma Foundation decided to depart from their existing Garden of Giving program to establish a new long-term giving program called Delta Gamma Foundation’s Regional Race. In so doing, the Foundation needed to build a donation-ready microsite in time for the 2018 Delta Gamma Convention. With the right implementation and ease of giving, they surpassed their goal by more than $100,000!

Say thank you!

It’s just polite! But if you want your members to donate again and again, it’s up to you to thank them again and again. Whether it’s sending handwritten letters, printed thank you cards or automated emails, a little “thanks” goes a long way in making donors feel like they are a part of your progress.

Whether you’re a Foundation, Fraternity or any organization looking to raise money, the overall goal is to establish a long lasting and recognizable program that increases your donor base and, in turn, leads to a boost in donations. By creating interactive programs, members can more easily see the benefits of giving and understand how big their impact truly is.