Raising money is tough, no matter how important the cause. 

According to grantspace.org, only half of U.S. nonprofits survive past five years, and of those that survive, about one third are in financial distress.

I’ve spent several years figuring out what works and what doesn’t when it comes to raising money for a nonprofit. Through trial and error, I’ve learned that getting private funding comes down to four things: persistence, creativity, existing relationships and talking.

Be Persistent

Many people express excitement and intention to donate to the cause, but then don’t follow through. We can decrease this, somewhat, by capturing the donation while excitement is still high. For our regular donors, a recurring donation program helps get donations from those who have agreed to donate on a monthly or yearly schedule.

If someone hasn’t agreed to donate the first couple of times you asked, it doesn’t mean they won’t in the future. If they’ve expressed interest, continue following up (without annoying them). Persistence is how we got funding from Wells Fargo. After applying for several grants, we were declined every time. We maintained the relationship and were eventually funded through one of their private foundations, and they became one of our biggest supporters. Persistence pays off.

Be Creative

• Ask for…

Have you ever made an announcement at a board meeting and everyone is excited and pledges to be involved in this new plan or initiative? WOO HOO!

Then, a little time goes by and it’s like crickets.  Nobody is doing anything and you feel like you’re in it all alone. Where did everyone go?

When you work with a nonprofit board, creating an environment where participation is valued is essential. Reflect on this a minute and ask yourself, “How have I encouraged and supported the success of each volunteer?” 

You want to be sure you’ve created a true partnership where both staff and volunteers are holding each other accountable and are there to support each other.  When you do, you’ll see volunteers leaning in and following up, asking you what you need, requesting information or guidance and performing at a higher level than before! All that leads to more money, more people and more community awareness. Wouldn’t that be nice?

What can you do to keep board members engaged between board meetings?

1. Follow up right away. What we know for sure is that the magic of board engagement happens between meetings. So whether you had a great discussion, made a key decision, agreed on next steps for a project or set a new policy – get the minutes out within a few days. Better yet, when you send the email with the attachment, list a few…

Let me guess. You need your volunteers to spread the word about your good work, to connect you with their networks and generally be the amazing gatekeepers to the community you know they can be.

And, they seem willing. However,…very little is happening. What the heck? Are they trying to make you miserable? Do they not care about your mission after all? What can you do to change this?

First, check your mindset and think about how you’re thinking about your board. They have good intentions and are NOT trying to ruin your day. Nevertheless, there is a disconnect somewhere so let’s try to figure it out.

Here’s the truth about why your board members aren’t actively serving as community ambassadors:

• They don’t know what that specifically means
• They are motivated, but don’t have everything they need to start
• They don’t understand why they need to do so

It’s time to figure this out and facilitate their success so you aren’t frustrated. Here are three ways to support your volunteers so your amazing team of confident ambassadors raise awareness for your cause:

• Start with why. This will be critical for a successful team of ambassadors – they need to understand why this matters and what the desired result is. Are you trying to recruit board members? Do you need to secure more donors? Do you…

Most nonprofit leaders have complained at some point that they need their board to be more engaged in fundraising. And yet they keep doing the same things, expecting different results. You know the definition of insanity, right?  

Consider making a shift. If board members aren't fully engaged in your fundraising efforts it's because they:

• Are afraid of rejection
• Are inexperienced and insecure
• Don't understand what you need or
• Don’t know why you need to raise more money

It’s time to focus on lowering the barriers that block their success.  Let’s start here:

1. Commit to a Culture of Philanthropy. If you want to raise more money and retain more donors, start by looking at your collective mindset toward philanthropy – that’s where a culture shift begins.  

According to the report “Beyond Fundraising,” a culture of philanthropy is when everyone in the organization can serve as ambassadors for your cause and there is a focus on strong donor relationships. 

How well prepared are your volunteers to tell your story? Does everyone understand that philanthropy supports your mission work? It’s not about asking for money. 

Step1: Educate them on what a culture of philanthropy is and their role in it.  (There are some great…

"Stepping onto a brand-new path is difficult, but not more difficult than remaining in a situation which is not nourishing to the whole woman.” -Maya Angelou

Coming into Public Allies, I wasn’t sure what to expect. All I thought I would do was learn about nonprofit organizations or maybe do some volunteering. Mostly, I just wanted to get my foot in the door of the nonprofit sector. After graduating from MCC, I was confused about what I wanted to do with my degree. I knew I was supposed to have all of these new opportunities open up for me, but I didn’t even know where to start looking. When you spend all your adult life working a job you hate because it provides the income needed to support your family, you don’t really think about what you would do if you could do anything else. I came across Public Allies and it looked like a great program. It was like a paid internship where I would learn about nonprofit organizations, and receive an education award at the end. I was more than excited to apply.

“Great leaders can see the greatness in others when they can’t see it themselves and lead them to their highest potential they don’t even know.” -Roy T. Bennett

This year I have learned a lot about myself. These valuable lessons have been, in most cases, more personal than professional. Because of Public Allies, I learned my peers consider me a…