Donor Participation Project

Nonprofit fundraisers spend significant time and resources crafting messaging to appeal to donors and encourage their support. However, the language we use in these communications often focuses too much on “us”—the organization—rather than “you”—the donor. To truly engage donors and inspire them to give generously, we must adopt an outward focus in our writing.

When writing for donors, avoid starting sentences with “I,” “we,” or “our.” Instead, address the donor directly using “you.” For example, rather than saying “We awarded 10 new scholarships this year thanks to your support,” try “You made it possible for 10 deserving students to receive scholarships this year.” This subtle shift places the donor at the center of the impact and helps them feel personally connected to your mission.

Ask open-ended questions to engage the reader

Such as “How can we work together to help even more students access higher education?” However, be sure to provide context for your questions. Donors want to understand the challenges and opportunities, not guess at them. Follow up your questions with compelling stories and data that inspire them to act.

Show how donors are part of the solution, not just funders of your organization.

Highlight the change they are making possible in people’s lives. For example, say “You gave John hope for a brighter future” rather than “Your gift supported our youth programs.” Capture the human impact and emotions to forge a deeper connection between the donor and your cause.

Conversational, authentic language also helps to focus outward.

Use an active voice, contractions, and vary your sentence structure. Write the way you would talk to a friend. While a formal tone may seem respectful, it creates distance rather than fostering intimacy with the donor.

An outward focus requires empathy, listening to understand what motivates your donors to give and framing communications around their interests and impact. When donors recognize how they can transform lives through your organization, they will become loyal champions of your mission. So, keep “you” at the heart of your messages—it’s the key to donor participation.

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

Nonprofits often struggle with creating and managing content across channels with limited resources. According to nonprofit marketing expert Julia Campbell, effective content creation and curation should be one of the four pillars of a nonprofit’s social media strategy.

To start, nonprofits need to create original content to share their mission and stories. This could include blog posts, videos, photos, or podcasts highlighting program successes and the people they serve. Nonprofits should tap into their annual reports, grant materials, and other resources they already have to repurpose content. They don’t need to create content from scratch for every social media post or communication.

However, nonprofits also need to curate content from other sources to demonstrate their expertise and share industry news. Nonprofits can follow reputable news outlets, thought leaders, influencers and curate content from them to re-share with their audiences. When curating, add context or opinions to make the content more relevant for your followers.

With limited resources, nonprofits will need to prioritize and focus their efforts.

Campbell suggests using the “four pillars” as a guide, choosing one area to focus on for just 20 minutes a day.

For example, spend Mondays focused on community engagement by responding to comments and messages. Tuesdays on content creation, writing one blog post. Wednesdays on research and curation, finding and re-sharing two industry articles. And Thursdays on measurement, analyzing Google Analytics and social media insights.

No matter the content, nonprofits must have a plan and schedule to organize their efforts. Using a project management tool like Asana or Basecamp, map out content plans for the next month or quarter. Log types of content, topics, and a content calendar for social media and email newsletters. Share access with marketing and program teams so everyone can see the schedule, add to it, and help achieve your goals.

With a strategic approach, limited resources don’t have to limit a nonprofit’s ability to create and manage effective content. By focusing their efforts and working together, nonprofits can build a sustainable content creation plan to engage audiences and further their mission.

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

Gaming and gamification are popular new tools that nonprofits are leveraging for fundraising and engagement. But for these strategies to be successful, building an active community is essential. According to fundraising experts Diego Sherefker and Dan Long, community is the “meat on the bones” that allows nonprofits to connect gaming partnerships and sponsorships to real impact.

Sherefker, former corporate development officer for the USO, and Long, community manager for the St. Baldwin Foundation, shared insights from their experience building the USO’s gaming program and the Foundation’s partnership with content creators. They emphasized that buy-in from leadership is important but means little without community support.

“Cash is king, but you can really leverage in-kind support to help build that community,” said Sherefker. In-kind donations of gaming equipment or experiences can motivate community members to fundraise or participate in events.

Long also highlighted the importance of a dedicated community manager to cultivate relationships. “Have a community manager that is gonna engage in a very professional and positive but yet intimate way with the community,” he advised. For the St. Baldwin Foundation, Long monitors their Discord server daily, organizes casual community meetups, and designs an ambassador program to strengthen ties with key influencers.

While big names may attract sponsorship, a loyal community base is key to fundraising success. “We’ve gotten some outside help…But it didn’t translate to community members that interact regularly,” Long noted. In contrast, smaller influencers with a genuine connection to the cause tend to motivate their audiences to donate more. For the USO, military veteran streamers sharing personal stories raised significantly more than prominent influencers.

In the end, gaming partnerships and events are a means to an end: strengthening community. By focusing on community building, nonprofits can develop a fundraising strategy with real longevity and impact. Community members that interact regularly become the best ambassadors to spread your mission to new audiences in an authentic way.

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

Live streaming and platforms like Discord are powerful ways for nonprofits to engage their communities in real time. By broadcasting live gameplay or hosting discussions on Discord, you can connect directly with your supporters and raise funds through an interactive experience.

Discord is a free chat app that allows you to create different text and voice channels for your community. Nonprofits like Make-A-Wish International use Discord to bring their supporters together, answer questions, and share updates.

You can set up moderators, security groups, and automated bots to keep the conversation productive. Discord works on both desktop and mobile, so your community can connect from anywhere.

Streaming live video on Twitch, YouTube, and other platforms is an exciting way to engage donors and raise money. Streamers play games while their viewers comment, vote on incentives, and make donations. Viewers feel personally invested in the experience and motivated to give generously to meet fundraising goals or unlock rewards and challenges.

Before you get started, spend time learning the gaming culture and platforms. Watch other charity streams to see creative ideas in action. Then pick a live streaming tool like Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) or Streamlabs to manage your webcam, overlays, transitions and more. You’ll want to register your nonprofit for tools like Tiltify and DonorDrive, which offer extensions and integrations to help streamers fundraise for you.

An example helps illustrate this concept.

The charity Child’s Play held an auction where viewers could bid on incentives for the streamer, like changing games or switching levels. Bidding took place live while viewers watched and chatted on the charity’s Discord channel. This fun, social experience led to over $42,000 raised in one year.

With the right tools and strategy, Discord and live streaming can be game-changing for your fundraising. Connecting directly with donors in real time leads to meaningful interactions, inspires more giving, and helps build a loyal community of supporters. Give these platforms a try and see how engaging your community through an exciting live experience can benefit your mission.

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

The video game industry generates over $200 billion in revenue annually and engages billions of players worldwide. Now nonprofits are tapping into the passions and communities of gamers to raise funds and awareness for important causes.

April Stallings, who leads gaming and esports fundraising at Make-A-Wish International, says “gaming philanthropy” is an ideal channel for nonprofits to build community and mobilize donors. In 2020 alone, more than $83 million was donated through Twitch, a major game streaming platform. The good news is any nonprofit can participate, regardless of size or budget. “This space is highly scalable,” notes Stallings.

The first step is getting buy-in from leadership and developing a long-term plan. Stallings advises creating a dedicated multi-year strategy and assigning staff to build relationships with gamers, also known as “content creators.” Do research to find streamers and YouTubers aligned with your mission. When recruiting, be authentic and understand gaming culture.

Content creators are passionate, creative entrepreneurs who spend years building their online communities. “When someone is charity streaming for you, they’re literally giving up money that they could have taken in their pocket,” says Stallings. “They’re giving up the subs that could have happened…They are basically letting you take their income for the day.” Nonprofits should actively support streamers during charity campaigns by participating in livestreams, engaging with audiences in chat, and promoting events across social media.

Other keys to success include choosing fundraising software tailored to gaming like Tiltify, DonorDrive or Streamlabs Charity, and creating toolkits with graphics, videos, logos and more for streamers. Build a Discord community to stay connected with creators and their audiences. Attending gaming conferences is also valuable for networking and education.

While gaming philanthropy requires an investment of time and resources, it allows nonprofits to tap into a highly engaged community and raises funds through an activity people are passionate about. By understanding gaming culture and building authentic relationships, nonprofits can level up their fundraising in a whole new way. The opportunity to impact millions of donors and achieve significant ROI makes this strategy well worth exploring.

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

For small nonprofits, especially those in start-up mode, focusing on scalability can be counterproductive. When resources and capacity are limited, organizations should do what works for them rather than trying to emulate larger institutions.

Ali Evans, Executive Director of Foodnet Meals on Wheels, advises not getting caught up in “shoulds” and prescribed best practices.

Instead, rely on instinct and do what feels right for your organization and supporters. For Foodnet, that meant sending emails and handwritten cards to donors outside of their usual schedule during the pandemic. These personal touches built trust and helped to retain donors despite canceling in-person events.

For recruiting, Foodnet skips job boards in favor of networking. According to Evans, “You’re going to get like-minded people” through connecting with local organizations and at community events. They also get creative by partnering with nearby colleges to provide work-study roles. These internships provide needed support at low cost while giving students valuable experience.

Investing in basic systems and infrastructure is still important for efficiency and retaining knowledge, especially with high turnover common in nonprofits. However, organizations don’t need “all the bells and whistles” and should choose tools that meet their current needs. For Foodnet, that’s a simple donor database to track gifts and communications. They also worked to formalize policies and procedures to ensure consistency even when staff members leave.

Partnerships can also help build capacity. Foodnet was able to establish a planned giving program by working with their local community foundation. The foundation acts as a fiscal sponsor, accepting and managing complex donations on Foodnet’s behalf.

Overall, the key is not to get caught up in unrealistic expectations of how a nonprofit “should” operate. Focus on building trust, meeting your supporters’ needs in authentic ways, and embracing creative solutions. What works for large organizations may not suit your unique situation. Forget scalability and do what is right for your organization.

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

Join us for a special DPP session to meet with arts leader, entrepreneur, and advisor Aubrey Bergauer.

Her book “Run it Like a Business” reveals how to run a successful arts business in the post-pandemic era, adapting for-profit methods for not-for-profit goals.

In the US alone, the arts are a $763 billion sector whose 100,000+ organizations serve almost every community in the nation. There’s no reason arts organizations should struggle to make ends meet.

​Aubrey will join DPP for an honest conversation about:

• ​Grow audiences and keep them coming back again
• ​Make our organizations more inclusive
• ​Get younger attendees in the seats and on the donor rolls
• ​Generate millions more dollars in revenue
• ​Continue to create the art we love—without the stress of figuring out how to afford it

​Learn more about her new book here.

Did you “fall into” fundraising? Join this DPP Lunch Analysis session to share your story!

​Dave Delozier, CDO of Helping Harvest, is deeply committed to studying and improving the pipeline for future fundraisers.

​He will share his personal story of discovering advancement careers, introduce us to his research, and interview McQuillin Murphy, program administrator of Penn State University’s Development and Alumni Relations Internship program.

About: The Donor Participation Project (DPP) is a community of fundraisers who co-create solutions to reverse the nationwide decline in donor participation (20 million US households lost between 2000-2016).

Welcome to the #4 episode of “Friday Research Findings.”

Whether you’re a seasoned fundraising professional or new to the field, Friday Research Findings offers something for everyone.

Each session explores research findings, best practices, actionable insights, and real-life use cases that will help you elevate your fundraising strategies.

In this episode, our host, Louis Diez, and our speaker, Samir Khan, will discuss ‘Understanding Diverse Donor Mindsets.’

💡 So, come join us for this insightful discussion on the 8th of December at 1 p.m. EST.

🎁 You’ll also receive exclusive access to resources from Almabase and DPP.

About Samir Khan:

Samir oversees GivingTuesday’s research, data, and academic partnership initiatives, supporting the work of the team in creating new initiatives, developing approaches for understanding problems and research approaches, and interpreting findings for actionable insights. He is passionate about helping the social sector better tackle the pressing challenges and navigate social, economic, and technological change. Before joining GivingTuesday, Samir had a long career in program evaluation and policy analysis. organizational learning, and strategy, having worked in the fields of workforce development, education, and civil society strengthening.

About Louis Diez:

Louis Diez is the founder of the Donor Participation Project and Annual Fund Toolkit. He advises nonprofits in annual fund development, digital fundraising, and engagement strategies. Previously, he was Executive Director of Annual Giving at Muhlenberg College, Director of the Annual Fund and Development Business Operations at the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and Associate Director of Development at Johns Hopkins SAIS.

Of varied interests, Louis holds an MBA from CUNEF, a Ph.D. in Business Administration from Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (both in Spain), and an MM in Music Performance from the University of

This Donor Participation Project session has passed. You can still get the recording in our Resource Library.

Renowned economist and author Uri Gneezy shares his expertise on the profound impact of incentives on human behavior.

​Drawing from his book, “Mixed Signals: How Incentives Really Work,” Gneezy discussed the importance of aligning incentives within organizations and avoiding common pitfalls.

​Join us to learn from his research and how it might apply to your fundraising shop!

​About: The Donor Participation Project (DPP) is a community of 3,300+ fundraisers who co-create solutions to reverse the nationwide decline in donor participation (20 million US households lost between 2000-2016).