How to Raise Your First $10,000 As A Nonprofit
You've started your nonprofit! Now what? Guest authors Evan Cox and Jon DeLange walk you through 10 steps to hit that first $10,000.
Guest Author
You've started your nonprofit! Now what? Guest authors Evan Cox and Jon DeLange walk you through 10 steps to hit that first $10,000.
There’s tangible excitement in the air when you’ve launched a new nonprofit organization. It’s meaningful, and the goal is to do good work that meets a need and furthers the cause you care about.
But the minute a nonprofit founder or executive director has to begin thinking about raising money, the excitement often gets replaced with panic.
Real talk for a moment. The first $10,0000 often feels the hardest. Here’s the good news: You don’t have to start with a huge donor list or massive budget to raise your first $10,000.
All you need is a smart, strategic approach to get started. We’ve got you covered!
If you’re looking to raise your nonprofit’s first $10,000, follow these 10 steps to build momentum, attract donors, and fund your mission.
Your website is your fundraising headquarters. If it’s not clear and compelling, donors won’t stick around. Make sure your homepage communicates your mission quickly, and include a clear donate button – don’t make people hunt for it.
Donorbox’s Sticky Donate Button anchors to the side of the screen while donors visit your site, meaning your donation form is always one click away. This converts more website visitors to donors, getting you closer to your fundraising goal.
Reminder: Your website doesn’t need to be perfect, but it does need to be clear and compelling. Start simple by including the basics like your mission, vision, and any engaging images or video you have on hand.
Your donation page should have a simple donation form that is intuitive, mobile-friendly, and includes suggested giving levels.
Donorbox is a great platform to help you set up and customize your form. Add up to four recurring donation intervals and accept popular payment methods like Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Plus, match your branding with two color options, rounded corners, and images on your donation form, the way Wilsonhaus Rescue and Sanctuary did. We love how they used their colors and logo to align their form with their brand, which can bring in up to 38% larger gifts.
Once your form is ready to go live, choose to embed it on your website or host it on Donorbox.
Tip: The goal here is to reduce friction for the reader. After setting up your donation page, give a small test gift to audit your experience. If it didn’t feel personal, timely, or on brand, adjust to optimize and reduce the friction for potential donors.
The reality is that your mission does depend on your network. Tap into your personal and professional circles.
Your first donors are likely people who already know, like, and trust you as a person. Make personal asks, schedule coffee meetings, and share your story to spread awareness and begin to grow your giving to that first essential five figures.
Idea: Start with 1:1 conversations, and then as you get comfortable with your approach, extend to gatherings with multiple people in the room. Your board of directors can help you here, too! Consider asking each member to make one personal introduction for you each quarter.
The last step was all about using your existing audience. Now it’s time to broaden your reach!
Crowdfunding is a great way to raise funds and reach new supporters quickly. Set a specific goal (like $10,000) and tell a compelling story of how your organization effectively meets the needs of the cause you care about.
Crowdfunding is all about connecting with your audience. With Donorbox Crowdfunding, your supporters can sign up to receive updates about your campaign, leave a note on the donor wall, and give through your streamlined donation form.
Create Your Crowdfunding Campaign
Resource: New to Crowdfunding? Read through the Donorbox comprehensive crowdfunding guide.
While you can’t control who sees your social media posts, use Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to share impact stories, donor shout-outs, and progress updates.
Engage your audience and ask them to share your first campaign with their networks, too. Interact with your followers to create relationships that will keep donors coming back to you again and again.
Idea: Find out where your donors are likely to hang out – and which platforms you have the most influence on – and start there. I (Jon DeLange) have invested in LinkedIn and routinely connect it back to my work with Summit Ministries, for example. Because I have an audience there, I know my posts have a good chance of getting traction.
Donors don’t just give to causes – they give to people and impact. Share real stories about the lives you’re changing.
If you’re struggling to put together a clear message, harness the power of a the Storybrand Framework to shortcut your path to a clear message. Whether it’s a blog post, video, or social media post, always make your stories personal.
The good news? Storytelling is easier than ever thanks to the trend of personal, intimate video content. Take a compelling video on your phone where you share why you’re passionate about your mission and share it with your network.
Many foundations offer small grants ($500-$5,000) for emerging nonprofits.
Do some research and apply to at least five relevant grants in your first year. You may not be accepted by all of them, but getting practice matters and should be a viable part of your strategic fundraising plan.
Reminder: While large grants are available from sizeable foundations and government entities, there is also more competition, and they may not be the best place to start your grant writing journey. Starting small can help you build momentum – and get you closer to that $10,000!
You don’t need a gala to raise money. Keep it simple!
Try a small gathering, virtual fundraiser, or community event where you can make a direct ask to your growing audience of people who are interested in your mission. Give this group a specific financial goal to rally around that matches the next step in your organization’s growth. You can also sell tickets to your event for added income.
Idea: If you have limited capacity for an in-person event, consider making it hybrid with a virtual component that happens live or at a subsequent time to maximize the opportunity.
One-time gifts are great, but recurring donors sustain your nonprofit long-term. In fact, a recurring donor gives 42% more on average than a one-time donor.
Encourage supporters to commit to a monthly gift via your donation form, even if it’s just $10 a month. That can add up big time! For a hands-off approach, Donorbox’s Recurring Upsell feature automatically (and gently) prompts one-time donors to upgrade their gift to a monthly donation at 50% of their original donation amount.
Don’t Forget: Your one-time donors need to be stewarded, too! The more they hear relevant updates from you, the more likely they are to commit to a recurring gift in the future. Show them how valuable recurring giving is to your mission through regular education and impact stories.
A donor who gives once is a win – a donor who gives again and again is gold.
Send personal thank-you notes, keep donors updated, and invite them into your mission. Make it your goal every day to help one person see how they made a difference with your organization.
Try This Approach: Begin with a timely thank you (not just an automated receipt!) and a relevant report informing them of the good you’ve accomplished together. Then, you have initiated an ongoing relationship that enables you to offer an appropriate “ask” in the future.
While these 10 parts of your strategic plan might feel simple, expect to hit a few roadblocks along the way.
In anticipation of those moments, consider these tips to avoid the common pitfalls of fundraising:
Raising your first $10,000 might be the beginning, but it’s an important first step in building your strategic fundraising plan.
If you’re looking to amplify your cause and simplify your fundraising efforts, follow the 10 steps outlined above, and you’ll be well on your way to furthering the work you believe in.
Looking for the right partners to reach that milestone? Donorbox is here to help with the tools you need to raise more, from sleek donation forms to in-person fundraising with Donorbox Live™ Kiosk. Learn more about all of their features and sign up today!
If you need support creating your strategic fundraising plan, visit our website to schedule your consultation.
Authors: Jon DeLange (recently named to the list of America’s Top Fundraising Experts) and Evan Cox (a Storybrand Certified Guide) help nonprofit leaders create and implement their first strategic fundraising plan. You can find them both on LinkedIn and over at strategicfundraisingplan.com.
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