While you may have some personal goals for yourself in 2018, why not make some for your cause too with our fantastic New Year’s fundraising resolutions list?
It’s the beginning of a new year and that means it’s time to sit down and have a think about those all-important New Year’s resolutions. Instead of trying (and usually failing!) to overhaul your life in 2018, why not plan to take some small but practical steps to be a better volunteer or professional fundraiser? Make changing the world your goal, and add some of these fantastic ideas to your resolutions list:
Do fundraising maths. If you’re running your own fundraiser this year, don’t shy away from doing the maths to see how much you’re likely to raise. This might involve finding out how much you need to raise and also looking at how successful your previous events may have been in order to make a rough prediction. If the maths doesn’t look good, don’t fret! At least you’ll be aware of the likely outcome in advance, and you can start planning smaller fundraisers to boost your funds.
Use the resources I have more. Instead of thinking about what you haven’t got, start thinking of more ways you can use what you already have. You might not have the reputation of the Duchess of Cambridge but you will have sheer determination and your own connections that you can make use of at an upcoming fundraiser.
Make a prospects list and use it. Sit down at the beginning of the year and write a long list of everyone you know who might be able to help out with some aspect of a fundraiser. It might be a business who donated items for a raffle in the past or a local celebrity who you might be able to get to endorse an event.
Extend my fundraising capabilities. Maybe you’ve not tried using social media to help boost interest in a fundraiser or you’ve barely used face-to-face fundraising as a way to raise money for your cause? 2018 is the year to extend your pool of fundraising tools to help make it your most successful year yet. The Directory of Social Change and Institue of Fundraising offer courses - from certificates to full qualifications.
Make saying thank you more important than asking for a donation. The power of ‘thank you’ is strong, and it’s so important that you say it to your supporters! It’s the only way to show how grateful you are, and the best way to get someone to donate regularly.
Be bold and ask more people for money. Step into 2018 with confidence and don’t be afraid to approach more people to ask for donations. Most people will be more than happy to give if you explain your cause well and make them see the difference their money could make.
Find inspiration from others and read more about the fundraising sector. There’s nothing quite as good for your motivation as seeing others achieve things that you want to achieve too. Try dedicating a bit of time each week to reading articles online about fundraising in your particular niche. You could also research some inspiring people and work out how they were so successful. To make this super easy, why not set up an RSS feed on your computer or tablet that has all your favourite news pages and websites in one handy place? At Fundraising Expert we love the Blogs from American Fundraisers for their thought-provoking tactics and different view on fundraising practices. There is a handy list here.
Donate money to a cause if I don’t already. It’s easier to attract donors and keep them if you are a donor yourself. The experience of donating to another great cause will help you to understand why certain things work and others don’t.
Always keep learning. No one knows it all so it’s important to always be willing to learn new things, whether it’s through research or through your own mistakes. You’ll never know if something is going to work well until you’ve tried it!
Never try to do everything on your own. The people who raise the most do it together with others, so always try to get help from volunteers or your local community when it comes to organising a fundraiser.
Set boundaries on how much work you are going to do. Volunteer fundraising is a wonderful thing to do but it can often be frustrating and cause you to over commit in order to get something perfect. This can often backfire and be very stressful which is why, as with any task, it’s important to set yourself limits and have some time off. And if you can’t achieve everything you want to yourself, don’t be afraid to let others help!
Become part of a community. Joining a community of other volunteers and charities can be a great way to not only get some hints and tips for the future but also share your own success stories for others to get inspiration from. You could do this via your own social media pages, or even by asking questions on our Fundraising Expert Twitter or Facebook @Fundraising_Hub!
Sign up to Easyfundraising. If you’ve not already signed up your cause on easyfundraising, you’re missing a trick! It lets yourself and your supporters donate money to your cause simply by shopping online at one of over 3,000 retailers.
Keep coming back to Fundraising Expert! Last but not least, make sure you keep our site saved in your favourites and come back to it regularly to read our latest fundraising ideas and inspiration.
Whether you decide to add all of these or just a couple to your 2018 resolutions list, we’re sure they’ll help you on your way to having one of your best fundraising years yet! In the meantime, why not start planning ahead and brainstorming some ideas for new fundraisers with the help of our inspiration page?
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