Engaging The Community In School Fundraising

If You Want Volunteers to Be More Helpful With Fundraising, Don't Ask Them to Fundraise Don't ask them to fundraise from their peers, ask them to share: ▫️ Service goals not "strategic pillars" ▫️ Examples of how you intend to better serve the community not what you need ▫️ Concepts and ask for candid responses not hand out your campaign brochure ▫️ Conversations with your difference makers not the same old elevator pitch They can do that interpersonally or by hosting conversational events. Let's face it; most volunteers are not comfortable asking for money. The more you try to nudge them, the more support and collateral material they will ask for. That often leads to the best professional fundraisers being taken out the field to support the most reluctant volunteers. Those who actually are willing to ask for money and are reasonably effective at it, report that the chums they raise money from turn around a few months later and ask them to the same for their favorite organization. So if one of your volunteers raises 10 gifts of 10,000, he or she is asked by those ten donors to reciprocate. Every $100,000 raised costs that volunteer a $100,000 in quid pro quo giving. Wouldn't you rather that $100,000 be given to you? Ah, but if you ask volunteers to share the big ideas and service aspirations that most resonant with them, they become natural recruiters. They seek out kindred spirits who want to be a part of a movement and to make something happen. It won't set up a quid pro quo because those recruited will feel as if something was done for them rather than asked of them. At bare minimum the vetting of concepts by volunteers will serve as a good test marketing exercise that will help your organization see what does and doesn't resonate, allowing you to refine your key initiatives as you go. Asking for candid reactions to drafts of promising initiatives will open many more doors than fundraising requests - and build more communities of shared purpose.

Want to fail at fundraising? Do this: 🔨 Bombard contacts relentlessly. 🚫 Ask without getting permission first. 🙉 Ignore preferences and boundaries. 💔 Damage relationships with pushy tactics. 💸 Chase quick cash. Forget relationships. 🏧 Treat your database like an ATM. ⏳ Waste time on uninterested prospects. Want to succeed? Do this instead: 🎯 Take the time to build genuine connections. 🎯 Listen more. Talk less. 🎯 Tailor your approach to each person's interests. 🎯 Get permission before asking. 🎯 Share inspiring stories of impact. 🎯 Offer multiple ways to get involved. 🎯 Express sincere gratitude for every gift. 🎯 Provide regular updates, not just appeals. 🎯 Show people who give the important role they play in the mission. 🎯 Build a community, not just a donor list. Remember, great fundraising isn't about the money. It's about the mission and the people who believe in it.

Before it was about getting donors to write checks. Now it’s about involving them in your ecosystem. Here’s 5 steps to get started today: You’re not just fundraising anymore. You’re onboarding stakeholders. If you want repeatable, compounding revenue from donors, partners, and decision-makers, you need to stop treating them like check-writers… …and start treating them like collaborators in a living system. Here’s how. 1. Diagnose your “center of gravity” Most orgs center fundraising around the mission. But the real gravitational pull for donors is their identity. → Ask yourself: What is the identity we help our funders step into? Examples: Systems Disruptor. Local Hero. Climate Investor. Opportunity Builder. Build messaging, experiences, and invites around that identity, not just impact stats. 2. Turn every program into a flywheel for new capital Stop separating “program delivery” from “fundraising.” Your programs are your best sales engine → Examples: • Invite donors to shadow frontline staff for one hour • Allow funders to sponsor a real-time decision and see the outcome • Let supporters “unlock” bonus services for beneficiaries through engagement, not just cash People fund what they help shape. 3. Use feedback as a funding mechanism Most orgs treat surveys as box-checking. But used right, feedback is fundraising foreplay. → Ask donors and partners to co-define what “success” looks like before you report back. Then build dashboards, stories, and events around their metrics. You didn’t just show impact. You made them part of the operating model. 4. Make your “thank you” do heavy lifting Thanking donors isn’t the end of a transaction. It’s the first trust test for future collaboration. → Instead of a generic “thank you,” send: • A 1-minute voice memo with a specific insight you gained from their gift • A sneak peek at a challenge you’re tackling and ask for their perspective • A micro-invite: “Can I get your eyes on something next week?” You’re not closing a loop. You’re opening a door. 5. Build a “Donor OS” (Operating System) Every funder should have a journey, not just a transaction history. → Track things like: • What insight made them first say “I’m in”? • Who do they influence (and who influences them)? • What kind of risk are they comfortable taking? • What internal narrative did your mission fulfill for them? Then tailor comms, invitations, and roles accordingly. Not everyone needs another newsletter but someone does want a seat at the strategy table. With purpose and impact, Mario