Author: Rinku Ramchandani

For nonprofit fundraisers, building genuine relationships with donors is the key to success, according to James Barnard, Associate Vice President of Development at the University of Cincinnati Foundation.

“People give to people. This is something that a friend told me when I was interviewing for my first professional fundraising job and I’ve never forgotten it,” Barnard said. “I really see how true this is every single day.”

While marketing campaigns and branding have their place, donors are motivated by personal connections, not flashy designs. Fundraisers need to show how gifts impact real people.

“We have to make these personal connections and build value driven relationships,” Barnard explained. “We really have to show how philanthropy impacts real people.”

At the University of Cincinnati Foundation, Barnard’s team uses an engagement platform called VanillaSoft to facilitate personalized outreach at scale. The software provides tools for creating donor journeys, generating new leads, and prioritizing key relationships.

“If personalized hour, just scale is something that you’re trying to do, then you really need a tool like this in your technology,” Barnard said.

For Barnard, working in advancement is about facilitating public investment in higher education and helping students achieve their dreams.

“Students are the next leaders, the innovators, the change agents, the teachers, doctors, nurses, scientists, the people who are really gonna make our world a better place,” Barnard said. “And what if the answers to some of these problems lie in a student who never gets the opportunity to go to college?”

Barnard’s key advice for fundraisers is to focus on crafting a compelling narrative for donors. “We have to keep working on our message, make sure that it’s relevant, and show that our donuts understand what we stand for and they see the value of investing in our mission,” he said. By building personal connections and sharing stories of impact, fundraisers can inspire more giving.

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The AARP Foundation works tirelessly to improve the lives of seniors living in poverty across the U.S. Through income assistance programs, benefit access initiatives, and efforts to reduce costs of living, the nonprofit helps vulnerable older Americans achieve stability and dignity.

Franklin Guerrero, Vice President of Major Gifts, explains that “we are there for them. We are here to fight and defend the rights of all older adults in the United States to help them live more meaningful lives and to work toward the end or eradication of senior poverty.” By providing practical support and advocating for policy changes, the organization aims to “rejuvenate the entire American economy” and enable seniors to age with prosperity and purpose.

For fundraisers seeking to drive change, Guerrero reveals several keys to success.

First, he emphasizes that “fundraising development philanthropy is a numbers game.” Building a robust pipeline of donors and consistently engaging them through one-on-one outreach is essential. Secondly, the most effective fundraisers act as “a bridge between what the donor wants to do in the world with their philanthropy and the message and mission of your organization.” Finding this intersection and helping donors direct their gifts to meaningful impact attracts lasting partnerships.

Guerrero credits a mentor for this valuable advice to see fundraising as both “a numbers game” and an “opportunity to work with philanthropists on what they want to do in the world.” For AARP Foundation, building personal relationships with donors who care deeply about empowering seniors has enabled the nonprofit to thrive. Their persistence and commitment to aligning donor desires with organizational goals has transformed lives.

Every contribution to AARP Foundation goes toward creating a future of possibility for vulnerable older Americans. By supporting their efforts to combat senior poverty, donors can help uplift and rejuvenate lives at a time when people need it most. Through partnerships built on trust and a shared vision of prosperity, transformative change is possible.

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The Southside Mission has been serving the poor and vulnerable in Peoria, Illinois for 96 years. Rich Drager, the nonprofit’s development manager, says the mission has been “homegrown” in Peoria since 1925.

Drager says the mission is “in a season of change,” exploring new opportunities to reach and serve their neighborhood.

Recently, they have focused on diversity, including people of diverse backgrounds on their staff, board, and among those they serve.

The mission serves one of the poorest ZIP codes in the nation. Drager says people should support the mission “merely because they want to.” Donations allow the mission to connect donors to the inspiring stories of people they serve. Support comes as financial gifts but also through volunteering and prayer. Volunteers serve as mentors, and local teens are hired for summer programs.

Fundraisers like Drager see opportunities in challenges.

Drager’s favorite quote is from Winston Churchill: “The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” Despite the challenges of their work, the mission seeks innovative ways to help.

Drager has advice for fellow fundraisers: listen more than you speak.

“Be a great listener and observer, especially when you’re working with donors,” he says. “Hear what is on their hearts, what their passion is. Then work as a connector…to connect them to your mission.”

For nearly 100 years, the Southside Mission has worked to uplift their community’s most vulnerable with compassion and opportunity. By listening to donors and embracing diversity, this “homegrown” nonprofit continues finding new ways to spread optimism and transform lives. Their story is an inspiring example of nonprofit impact and longevity. Overall, their development manager has wisdom all nonprofit fundraisers can appreciate.

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Norwescap is a New Jersey nonprofit that has been serving low-income families for over 56 years. According to Heather Thompson, chief development officer, Norwescap provides “a wide array of services that help people with their immediate needs like food and housing security, and sets them up for future success through education, employment, financial empowerment, and better health.”

Last year alone, Norwescap reached over 30,000 people through programs like their food bank, which provided over 2.1 million meals. While some of their work is supported by government funding, private donations allow Norwescap to help even more people in need and pilot new supportive programs. For example, private funding enabled Norwescap to launch an initiative last year to connect participants across multiple programs to better support them.

As Thompson explained, “regardless of what program brought someone to us, we can get them connected to every one of our programs that might benefit them.”

Donations also allow Norwescap to provide assistance for those struggling but ineligible for government aid. As Thompson noted, “There are so many people who are not technically living below the poverty line, but they are living paycheck to paycheck. And all it takes is one unpaid sick leave to send that person spiraling into crisis. Private dollars allow us to serve those people and those families.”

For nonprofit fundraising professionals, Norwescap provides an inspiring example of how private donations can enable an organization to transform how they serve communities. By providing flexible funding, donors empowered Norwescap to adopt a holistic, participant-centered approach and reach more people, even those ineligible for other aid programs. With a goal of helping people become self-sufficient, Norwescap shows how nonprofits can use philanthropic support to create sustainable solutions for long-term impact. Overall, Norwescap highlights why giving to nonprofits like them matters—because together, they are creating opportunity and lasting change.

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For nonprofits, building a strong brand is key to success. A brand is essentially a promise to deliver value, and for nonprofits that value is the mission. To build a strong brand, nonprofits must engage their community by sharing their story and promoting a culture of action and passion.

1. Share your nonprofit’s story and mission in a cohesive, authentic way. Collect stories of impact from individuals you serve and the journey your organization took to help them. Share these stories across communication channels like social media, email newsletters, blog posts, and in-person events. Help stakeholders understand your beginning, goals, and vision for the future. These stories demonstrate your values in action and build trust in your organization.
2. Build a culture where all staff are passionate advocates for your cause. Enthusiasm for the mission should permeate all areas of operation. When staff live and breathe a nonprofit’s values, it shines through to stakeholders and those you serve. People will feel genuinely cared for and compelled to support the organization both financially and otherwise. Culture always trumps strategy, so an authentic culture must come before any fundraising or marketing tactic.
3. Finally, promote a call to action in all of your messaging. Highlight ways for people to engage with and contribute to your nonprofit whether through donating, volunteering, or sharing on social media. Make your nonprofit “action central” where people want to participate in meaningful ways. Follow a content calendar to communicate calls-to-action frequently via fresh and high-quality messaging.

By sharing your authentic story, building a mission-driven culture, and promoting action and engagement, nonprofits can build a brand that resonates. Strong brands inspire trust, passion, and lifelong relationships with stakeholders. For nonprofits, this can mean the difference between surviving and thriving. Focusing efforts on community engagement and showcasing your impact in a genuine, compelling way will allow your nonprofit to gain momentum and advance its mission.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has created tremendous challenges for nonprofit fundraisers. With economic uncertainty and market volatility, donors may be more reluctant to give or unable to give at the same level as before. However, nonprofit missions remain as important as ever during this crisis. Fundraisers must adapt to continue serving their organizations and communities.

According to fundraisers on a recent podcast, transitioning donors from annual fund to major gifts and diversifying donor portfolios are more critical now to mitigate risk. Some donors who usually give smaller annual fund gifts may step up to major gifts as their passion for the mission intensifies during difficult times. Fundraisers should not make assumptions based on past giving but have genuine conversations with donors about what they care about and how they want to help.

Engaging lapsed and “lukewarm” donors also presents an opportunity.

These donors gave previously and likely still believe in the mission. Fundraisers should reach out, thank them for their past support, and start a dialogue about their favorite memories of the organization or what initially inspired them to give. Solving any past problems or complaints can rekindle their support. With a revived relationship, they may give again or even become brand advocates.

Partnerships

Larger nonprofits may struggle with “silos” that prevent collaboration, but partnership opportunities abound. Some fundraisers discussed connecting centers or departments that never worked together, as well as developing interdisciplinary partnerships across schools or units. These new alliances can open up funding from new sources.

Development teams

During this crisis, nonprofit leaders must provide support and understanding to their development teams. Some fundraisers expressed frustration with leadership that cared more about metrics than relationships or did not grasp the challenges of the current environment. With decreased donor engagement and giving, fundraisers need leaders who will defend them to their boards and give them space to rebuild their pipelines.

Overall, nonprofit fundraisers must remain flexible, creative, and focused on relationships to overcome today’s obstacles. By trying new approaches, forging internal partnerships, and re-engaging lapsed donors, they can continue their missions despite the chaos around them. With time and work, fundraising success will return. But for now, adaptation and resilience are key.

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Strong internal relationships and strategic engagement are the foundation for fundraising success, according to Adam Platzer, Assistant Vice President of College Advancement at the Rochester Institute of Technology. In a recent podcast, Platzer emphasized that “internal relationships are everything” for fundraisers. Without trust and collaboration across departments, fundraisers can’t gain access to key prospects or close major gifts.

Platzer recommends several strategies for building internal partnerships:

• Report back to faculty and staff when alumni or donors mention them. Send a quick email to say the donor spoke highly of them. This shows you value their relationships and role.

• Ask faculty, staff and leadership for prospect referrals and advice. Have regular meetings to ask who they’ve been in contact with lately and who shows potential.

• Invite faculty, staff and leadership to participate in stewardship. Have them sign thank you letters or meet with donors. This gives them visibility into the fundraising process and the impact of gifts.

• Attend departmental and university meetings to update colleagues on fundraising priorities and events. Remind them how advancement can support their goals.

• Get to know faculty, staff and leadership on a personal level. Walk around, grab coffee and learn about their lives outside of work. Personal connections build trust.

Strategic engagement, tailored to your organization’s strengths and donors’ interests, is also key. Platzer developed a “tiered engagement system” with five levels, from volunteer opportunities up to serving on the board of trustees. As donors move up the tiers, they build greater affinity and make larger gifts.

Fundraisers should work with their marketing and alumni relations teams to create targeted engagement pathways. Meet regularly to discuss top donor prospects and how to plug them into existing events and volunteer roles. Explain that highly engaged donors often become the best donors.

Building internal relationships and strategic engagement requires work, but the rewards of increased trust, bigger donations, and more faithful donors make the effort worthwhile. Strong partnerships and meaningful involvement are a winning combination.

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Nonprofits can automate personalized email outreach to donors using tools like Zapier and Google Sheets. By connecting your donor database to an email service like Gmail, you can automatically send customized emails to new donors, recent donors, and more.

• To get started, export your donor data from your CRM into a Google Sheet. Include key details like first name, last name, email address, gift amount, and gift date. This will serve as the basis for your email personalization.

• Next, connect Google Sheets and Gmail using the automation tool Zapier. Set up a “zap” that detects when new rows are added to your Google Sheet. When a new donor’s information is added, it will automatically generate an email draft in Gmail with content you customize.

• In the Gmail draft, include variable fields that pull from the Google Sheet data. For example, use your donor’s first name in the greeting and email body. You can also reference gift amounts and dates to personalize the message. Choose a subject line and email signature to complete the draft.

• Review the drafts before sending or choose to have them go out automatically. Either way, your donors will receive prompt, customized outreach from your nonprofit.

With this basic setup, you can reach new donors, send annual renewal notices, say thank you for recent gifts, and more—all on autopilot. The possibilities for automated, data-driven email marketing for nonprofits are endless.

Start with a simple but impactful project like onboarding new donors or stewarding mid-level donors. Review open and click rates to optimize your content and timing. Then scale up to more advanced segmentation and personalization.

Automated email is a donor-centric way to scale your fundraising and build lasting relationships. Let marketing automation handle the details so you can focus on the human connections that matter most. With a little setup, you’ll gain efficiencies and improve your donor experience through more thoughtful outreach.

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An engagement path maps how your organization guides donors from initial awareness to deep, long-term engagement. Creating this path requires collaboration across teams to understand the donor experience holistically.

According to engagement strategist Emily Taylor, “Your donor just sees it all together. They see you as your organization.”

Engagement

To build an engagement path, start by identifying how donors engage at each stage, from observing to following to endorsing to contributing and beyond. Look for gaps between stages and opportunities to lead donors to higher engagement. Your social media, events, and fundraising teams each play a role in moving donors along the path.

“The idea is that once you can get all this in place and see how you’re moving people up that ladder, your team can work together to do that,” said Taylor.

Motivation

Next, determine what motivates donors at each stage. Their needs are not just functional, like receiving an incentive or discount. Donors also have emotional needs, like feeling a sense of belonging or purpose. They have cultural needs based on their backgrounds and life experiences. By understanding donors’ multifaceted motivations, you can tailor your engagement approaches to their specific needs.

Approach

Finally, take a scientific approach to engagement. Develop hypotheses about what will motivate donors to progress to the next stage, then test different options to determine what works. Look at metrics like open rates, event attendance, and gift amounts to see which strategies are most effective.

“The more we can think like scientists—that we can see things not as set in stone and that they require some experimentation—the better,” said Taylor.

With a coordinated effort across teams and by understanding what motivates your donors, you can build an engagement path that transforms observers and followers into ardent supporters. Donors will appreciate your organization all the more for recognizing and meeting their diverse needs. A scientific mindset helps ensure you guide donors in the right direction.

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For nonprofit fundraisers adopting new technologies, building partnerships and maintaining open communication are crucial to success. This was the key insight from a recent discussion by experts in the field.

With limited budgets and resources, nonprofit teams must ensure new tools are fully utilized and deliver value. But according to Julie, director of annual giving at Carnegie Mellon University, the process from identifying a need to adopting a technology can take 3-12 months for higher education institutions.

The key to navigating this timeline and implementing tools successfully is forging strategic partnerships, both internally and with vendors.

• Internally, fundraisers should partner with IT and advancement services teams early on.

While fundraisers best understand fundraising needs, these teams provide technical and integration expertise to help evaluate options and ensure a smooth rollout. Engaging them early builds buy-in and avoids delayed implementation.

• Externally, fundraisers should ask vendors about opportunities to join beta testing or pilot cohorts.

This allows hands-on experience with tools and surfaces key questions about functionality, integration, and reporting. With open communication, vendors can refine tools to better suit nonprofit needs.

• During implementation, coordination and communication are also critical.

For example, with a texting platform, nonprofits need guidelines on who can send what and when. Without this, donors may receive too many or inappropriate messages, damaging experiences and trust.

• While the integration and training phases are important, the final and most critical step is adoption.

Regular use of a technology solution, whether through a core group of “power users” or institution-wide, demonstrates its value. Adoption also relies on managing expectations about what new tools can achieve. Overpromising risks frustration and reduced buy-in if promises are not met.

The bottom line

With strategic partnerships, open communication, and realistic expectations, nonprofits can successfully navigate technology selection and implementation to choose tools that streamline and strengthen their fundraising. But adoption and regular use are the only true measures of success. Continuous feedback and coordination help maximize the impact of technology on fundraising goals.

View the full recording of this session in our Resource Library.