In today's society everybody wants to know where exactly their money is going. It is not enough anymore to simply solicit donations to "help your cause." More and more donors want to see the end result of their donation, and this could also be a factor as to whether they donate to your organization again or not.
Tell a Story
One way to increase transparency is to show how donations
are being spent in your community. Either share a specific
story of how a recent fundraiser helped accomplish a particular
task or event in the community, or tell a story of how your
organization has positively impacted an individual person's
life. Donors love to hear stories of how their donations affect
their neighbors and neighborhood. Write a blog or a
newsletter specifically identifying how moneys receives from a
specific fundraising event can or will be used to help accomplish a
particular task or event in the community.
Share Your
Vision
Another way to be transparent is to discuss your overall future
fundraising goals and vision for the future. It is more than
just sharing an overall dollar target or goal. You could
share specific examples of what the donations will accomplish and
how they will affect the community surrounding the not-for-profit
organization. This could not only increase the dollar donations
coming in, but also the amount of volunteers willing to support
your cause.
Your Donor/Volunteer's
Story
Interview a donor or a volunteer and share their story and
reasoning for supporting the cause, or have the donor or volunteer
write a letter that can be published in a newsletter or on the
organization's website. Testimonials are a great way to get a
personal perspective about your organization and its mission and
sharing it with the rest of your supporters.
Discuss Opportunities
Finally, consider discussing what would happen to your
community if your organization disappeared tomorrow. Talk about the
opportunities your organization provides by merely existing, but
starting from the perspective of how the community or the world
would be at a loss because your organization is not there to help
your cause.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.