How to Bounce Back From Months of Decreased Online Fundraising

By Frank Barry

[Editor's note: This article was adapted from the original post on Blackbaud's NetWitsThinkTank.com blog.]

No matter how well an organization is doing with its online fundraising, it eventually hits plateaus and declines. Nevertheless, there are ways to put your earnings back on the map when the monetary tides turn against you.

Turning periods of low online income into more profitable times is a skill that keeps your organization afloat during both foreseen and unforeseen dips. Here are three tips to help your organization bounce back from these months of decreased fundraising.

Turn one-time donors into regulars
Blackbaud’s 2011 Online Giving Report recommends implementing a solid retention strategy to turn one-time donors into repeat donors. Create a plan for your organization that will continue or renew communication with new donors, keeping them up-to-date on your performance and letting them know how their money helped you.

Ask carefully
Consider analyzing your online ask. If your organization is new to the scene, create a messaging campaign tailored to each prospective donor with a detailed description of your organization’s goals and projections. Send your newly made online ask to prospective donors during months of lower online earnings, prompting them to give immediately. If your organization already has an online ask, review it, noting how it compares to your average gift. During slow months, increase the ask slightly to give your nonprofit a boost.

Look at other perspectives
Compare yourself to like-minded organizations, and observe their strengths. Are there similar techniques that you can adopt to bolster your organization’s best features? Adopting effective techniques around months of slow earnings is another way for your organization to increase revenue.

It is also important to make sure your website meets your audience’s needs. You might think your website is easy to navigate, but do new potential donors find it easy? Ask a friend outside of the sector to browse through as a potential donor might, and listen to his or her feedback since it might include valuable information that your organization is not yet aware of. Monitor your page views as you make changes to your site’s architecture, and make your viewers’ priorities your priorities.

While every nonprofit suffers unforeseen monetary setbacks from time to time, these strategies can help you minimize your periods of lower online income.

Frank Barry is an Internet strategy manager at Blackbaud.