Four Tips to Generate a Successful Giving Campaign

Annual giving across the board suffered in 2020 unless you were a nonprofit serving communities in need. Nonprofits like museums and other organizations not considered “necessary” or “vital for survival” were hit especially hard and suffered significant drops in donations.

Last year, Taylor West and The Briscoe Museum of Western Art developed a campaign that connected with donors to raise $535,736, surpassing the goal by more than $35,700 a 300% increase from their 2019 goal of $130,000.

So, it is possible! Especially with things shifting in a more positive direction with the vaccine rollout and cases shifting downward. However, that doesn’t mean it will be easy. To successfully fundraise in today’s environment, organizations must get creative and plug into their brand to connect with donors and successfully implement a fundraising campaign.

Check out our four tips for a successful fundraising campaign in 2021 and beyond.

Identify an inclusive and unifying theme – For the Briscoe campaign, we started with concept of a cattle drive, which tied the donor campaign directly into the organization’s mission by equating a fundraising drive with a cattle drive. This theme reinforced the idea of working together for a common goal, as well as demonstrates what the Briscoe is all about – western art and history.
Scan the current environment to identify any possible tie-ins – While the pandemic disrupted the way we interact, there was an undeniable sentiment of “being in this together” a perfect tie-in to the team-driven cattle drive concept. No one can move a herd alone, but together, we can make the journey, overcome obstacles and reach the destination/fundraising goal.
Make sure the creative tells the story – A fundraising campaign is a rallying cry for monetary support. Compelling creative is imperative for success in today’s environment. For the Briscoe campaign’s main visual, we visually showcased the cattle drive with an accurately placed and labeled crew. The visuals drove home the concept and visually told the story that “together we can reach our goal.”
Combat disruption with a plan – Every campaign is going to confront challenges. Proactively combat those obstacles by addressing them strategically beforehand. This last year COVID disrupted usual giving; next year it might be market complacency or lack of awareness of your cause. Success lies in planning for the challenges and identifying ways to overcome them when developing the campaign.