I have been analyzing the fundraising business for nearly three decades and over the years I keep seeing nonprofit organizations making the same mistakes. These errors hold organizations back.
If you are new to fundraising, please commit yourself to avoiding these five errors. Your organization probably won’t thank you. But you and I will both know that you are secretly saving your organization.
Number 1: Stopping New Donor Acquisition.
This mistake is so common we actually developed a forecasting product called the “Stopping Acquisition Analysis.” Invariably, the future revenue forecast after stopping new donor acquisition looked like a downhill ski slope into hell.
The thinking, usually coming from well meaning but clueless boards, is that due to tight budgets in the current year, new donor acquisition will need to be cut.
Ahhh @!$# no!
This is a catastrophic mistake. This is like a farmer thinking that due to tight budgets, they will cut buying seeds this year.
Ahhh @!$# no!
Here’s what will happen: Stopping new donor acquisition – even for a year – will put your organization into a death spiral. Period.
All I can recommend is this: Don’t do it!
And, if your board proceeds to cut new donor acquisition anyway, it’s time to leave the organization ASAP. There is nothing but pain and suffering ahead if you stay.