GO BIG, go small

When you’re planning your fundraising strategy you need to think big and be ambitious with your goals, but you mustn’t forget the amazing potential there is in procuring a large number of small donations as well.

Ensure you are approaching fundraising from both ends of the scale for a simplistic way to be thorough in your approach.

This exercise will help you to do that; and you never know what the results might be!

GO BIG by taking the time to think BIG

With a large fundraising target and a limited amount of time or resources, sometimes it can be effective to do something profound that could have huge results.

Take some time out to study your database in detail, trying to identify one or two large, long-term donors. If you manage to secure a major gift, it could be less work than following up small grant applications.

Here are some tips to help you out.

• Research your database

You are seeking the passionate, person or organisation that has really shown an interest in your work.

Ask yourself who has made a point of talking to you after an event, and is there anyone who has been referring others to you or really singing your praises? Was your grant mentioned in collateral for a grants agency for example?

You are looking for someone who connects well with your projects – someone who attends all your shows or has bought a lot of your work.

Once you have identified one or two prospects, start to build upon an emotional connection, as they might be in a financial position to donate seriously to you in the future.

• Create a cultivation strategy

Remembering at all times to act respectfully, consider what means of communication might be the best way to open up a further conversation with your identified prospect. Think about why they might like your work, what is it about the work that could be used as a means to engage with the potential donor? Do some research on them and what other charities or organisations they support. They might have an interest in youth development or education for example.

Once their interests are identified, you are in a position to open a conversation about how you service that particular area. If you can’t find a match of interests but you know they still like you, remember they are human and could still respond to an approach that’s made with genuine charm and integrity.

• Do things differently

Be outstanding in your approach and try to imagine what might capture their attention. Being part of the creative sector gives you the opportunity to really stand out from the crowd. Think outside the square with your next steps, knowing there are ways to creatively engage people so that their own visions are also acknowledged, for example commissions or naming rights. Be consistent, effective and regular with your communication – but don’t over do it, a long-term major donor relationship is one where both parties make positive gains.

It is worth noting that since the cap was lifted on donation rebates (up to the level of annual income) in 2008, the culture of philanthropy has been slowly changing in NZ. Private donors are becoming accustomed to receiving a refund every year from the donations they have made. With this positive reinforcement, they are becoming more prolific, and willing to contribute increasing amounts of money over time.

Go small for a BIG EFFECT

At the other end of the scale, small donations can be immensely powerful too – especially if they arrive en masse. The advent of social media and the internet has provided new ways to approach the challenge of fundraising. Crowd funding and grassroots fundraising online enable supporters to give small amounts to causes or projects that appeal to them personally - and this truly can have a huge effect on overall fundraising success.

Getting $10 a month from 50 of your potential supporters could net you $6000 a year, and if you thank people regularly and show what a difference their support has made this support could grow well into the future.

Remember though, online fundraising projects are affected even more intensely than other means by your ability to be convincing in a succinct manner. With online fundraising people can escape from your page with the click of a mouse - much easier than it is to walk out on a face-to-face pitch.

Projects will live or die according to three things:

How compellingly you can tell your story (Case Statement), how well you promote that story (Social Media Strategy), and how big and engaged your networks are (Communications Strategy). Address these three issues to aim for success with a grassroots campaign.

a) Case Statement

Make sure your case statement is presented compellingly within a few lines. Highlight the good effects of the project, especially if it can generate income to offset expenses. Make sure the case is visually attractive – there may be a designer who wants association with your networks and would be willing to freshen up your branding in return for a sponsors mention.

b) Social Media Strategy

Devise an online campaign to arouse interest and support from many as people as possible. Aim to go viral; you need as much exposure as possible. Be sure to make use of all the tools you can, and of course Twitter and Facebook have to be included.

Do it creatively so you steal the viewer’s hearts or even consider providing some kind of reward for participation - eg donate and be in to win one of your small-scale artworks or free tickets to your shows for a year.

c) Communications Strategy

Consider enlisting the help of a professional PR company to check through your communications strategy, in this instance you need to be out there more than ever.

Some examples of sites that feature online fundraising:

Sites like givealittle.co.nz, kickstarter.com, sponsume.com, pozible.com.au, indiegogo.com and movie funding sites frankfilm.co.nz, onfilm.co.nz, spannerfilms.net/money, support fundraising for the arts.

Kickstarter is the world's largest funding platform for creative projects. Every week, tens of thousands of people in the US pledge millions of dollars to projects from the worlds of music, film, art, technology, design, food, publishing and other creative fields. Currently it is only available for US citizens but they are developing formats for other countries.

* * * The next step * * *

If you follow the steps above you are on your way to thinking big, targeting small and not getting overwhelmed by the task ahead. By using these two simple strategies to access the range of people you already have in your network or community you can feel like you are making significant changes for the future.

Don’t forget, you create your reputation with every move you make so always check your ask before you hit send, to make sure the tone and request are likely to be received well.

Your database is your most effective assistant so needs to be looked after and treated with deep respect - everyone remembers the people who act with grace and good manners.