Future Fundraising Now

Sexy fundraising

—

by

Jeff Brooks
in

Unless you’re raising funds for babies or puppies, you’re sunk. Right?

I have weird news for you: For every organization wishing it could talk about hungry babies, there’s another one that’s grown so sick of talking about hungry babies that they’re searching high and low for some other way to raise funds. They’re tired of it. They think it’s cheap, old-school, and not a full picture of their work.

If you’re fortunate enough to be able to talk about emotionally powerful topics like babies or puppies, count your blessings.

If you’re not, it’s up to you to make your cause sexy. The offer you don’t have is the one you desire.

    Comments

    4 responses to “Sexy fundraising”

    1. J Brown Avatar
      J Brown

      Ah yes. The “always searching for a new angle” effect.
      I think many fundraisers forget why donors gave in the first place . . . because they like the ‘main’ angle. They like supporting your puppies, babies, college, research, overseas aid program, homeless shelter, hospice, hospital, arts foundation, food bank, etc…
      These things are already ‘sexy’ to the people who have chosen to give to support them. Fundraisers might be looking for the new black. But your donors like you for what you already do, and they want to hear about more of the same.
      The trick is doing so in the most effective way.

    2. J Brown Avatar
      J Brown

      Ah yes. The “always searching for a new angle” effect.
      I think many fundraisers forget why donors gave in the first place . . . because they like the ‘main’ angle. They like supporting your puppies, babies, college, research, overseas aid program, homeless shelter, hospice, hospital, arts foundation, food bank, etc…
      These things are already ‘sexy’ to the people who have chosen to give to support them. Fundraisers might be looking for the new black. But your donors like you for what you already do, and they want to hear about more of the same.
      The trick is doing so in the most effective way.

    3. Rich Foss Avatar
      Rich Foss

      I think there is one reason for donors to give and that’s that your nonprofit transforms lives. Tell a powerful story of how your nonprofit transformed a life and then ask for funds. That’s sexy.

    4. Rich Foss Avatar
      Rich Foss

      I think there is one reason for donors to give and that’s that your nonprofit transforms lives. Tell a powerful story of how your nonprofit transformed a life and then ask for funds. That’s sexy.

    Leave a Reply

    What this blog is about

    The future of fundraising is not about social media, online video, or SEM. It’s not about any technology, medium, or technique. It’s about donors. If you need to raise funds from donors, you need to study them, respect them, and build everything you do around them. And the future? It’s already here. More.

    Blog policies

    Subscribe

    Get new posts by email:

    About the blogger

    Jeff BrooksJeff Brooks has been serving the nonprofit community for more than 35 years and blogging about it since 2005. He considers fundraising the most noble of pursuits and hopes you’ll join him in that opinion. You can reach him at jeff [at] jeff-brooks [dot] com. More.

    Archives

    Blogroll

    Categories

    Search the blog

    The future of fundraising is not about social media, online video, or SEM. It’s not about any technology, medium, or technique. It’s about donors. If you need to raise funds from donors, you need to study them, respect them, and build everything you do around them. And the future? It’s already here. More.

    Recent Comments

    About the blogger

    Jeff Brooks has been serving the nonprofit community for more than 30 years and blogging about it since 2005. He considers fundraising the most noble of pursuits and hopes you’ll join him in that opinion. You can reach him at jeff [at] jeff-brooks [dot] com.