“I hate hosting the walk/run, but how else will we raise money?”

I’ll never forget one of our clients sharing this in the early days of HeartSpark. She was about to host her 8th annual “fun run,” but for her walk team the “fun” part had grown stale. The previous three 5K events had barely broken even, so it was not the thriving success it had once been.

At the time I was fairly new to the nonprofit sector and not sure what other fundraising alternatives to suggest, but over the last few years I’ve been studying how perception and personality influence the ways in which donors express their brand loyalty through donations. And I hope these insights help you breathe easier and choose fundraising efforts that are right for your organization.

Say goodbye to maintaining the status quo or following other copy/paste fundraising strategies. The grass may look greener on the other side, but trust me there is always more involved in hosting events than you might think. And there’s a huge risk: if your efforts don’t align with your donors, it could be catastrophic for your nonprofit’s reputation.

5K races attract a specific type of audience 

The truth is that 5K races attract a very specific type of donor– they typically focus on local communities and connections to be a success. And to make the event worthwhile, you have to gain a pretty large following or attendance.

Most 5K fundraisers attract people who are already dedicated to your community, like business owners, local partners, and staff who are willing to pressure family and friends to join the run.

In order to pull off a 5K well, you have to invest a significant amount of resources and time, not to mention have access to a sizable community to draw upon for participation. Despite all that effort, most 5Ks offer little-to-no return on investment. And to make it even worse, since 5K runs are a dime a dozen, they tend to lose their marketing impact, as well. 

With that said, if you’re focused on supporting a local community and the commitment level is already high, then a 5K could be a good option for you.

What is “brand loyalty” for nonprofits?

Brand loyalty for nonprofits means that people consistently support your organization over others because they believe in the unique way your organization is solving the problem they see in the world. The depth of their loyalty is dependent on your nonprofit’s presence and reputation in the community, as well as the donor or volunteer’s experiences with your team. Brand loyalty is super important for nonprofits because it leads to consistent support, not just with money but by telling others about the mission too.

It’s important for you to fully understand not just how donors are supporting your nonprofit, but why they’ve chose to support your organization above all the others in your space. This is why taking inventory of the competitive landscape and strategically positioning your nonprofit is so important. Plus, it’s cheaper to keep supporters who are already loyal to your brand than invest in finding new ones.

Donor loyalty may also fluctuate over the life cycle of your organization, but having a pulse why donors support your mission is a great first step.

Be strategic (and realistic) about your options

For the health of your team and brand, it’s important to be strategic and realistic about what fundraising efforts will work best for your nonprofit. Your fundraising efforts should not only increase revenue, but also have the opportunity to build brand awareness in your community. 

Some core considerations to keep in mind when planning your fundraising event are: 

• Why are we really doing this? If your goal is to please a donor or the board, that’s not going to sustain your momentum during the planning process. 
• Who on our team needs to be involved? Will this take them away from other tasks – and how can we shift our resources to cover that gap?
• How can this event align with our current fundraising campaigns?
• When will be the best time of year to host this event?
• Can we host this event virtually or have a digital component?

When a fundraising event directly aligns with the mission of your organization, you can effectively deepen your brand’s connection with the community, rather than just fundraise for the sake of creating an event.

5 fresh fundraising ideas that can also grow your nonprofit’s brand loyalty (with examples!):

1. Join Local Business Networks: Most major donors give because someone in their network recommended a particular charity. Connecting with local community networks is a strategy that’s strongly emphasized in “The Seven Faces of Philanthropy.” Rubbing elbows with local business owners and affluent socialites is a great way to build relationships – and goodwill – at the grassroots level. Start by asking your board members what networks they belong to and join those if you can. I know firsthand that my business network, the South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce, has a special networking group just for nonprofits and even hosts events to help raise awareness for their causes. As the saying goes, a rising tide lifts all boats – there are several nonprofits that I’ve supported simply because we’re in the same network!
   
   
2. Host an Educational Event or Experience: Forget a stuffy gala or virtual wine tasting. Instead, host an event that gives supporters the opportunity to gain new knowledge and/or skills, sharing deeper wisdom about the social/systemic/physical problem your nonprofit sets out to change. These brag-worthy events are not only great for exposure, as participants post on social media or share with friends (“I learned this from _____”), but will also give people more authority when they talk about your mission. For example, The World’s Big Sleep Out to end homelessness was a smash hit because organizers took a simple idea (people sleeping out on the street) and made it easy to participate in – and in the process, perhaps develop a new perspective of what it means to be unhoused. The more you add value to the lives of your participants, the more likely they are to walk away feeling appreciated and exhilarated, believing that their investment in your organization is well worthwhile.
   
   
3. Launch a Monthly Giving Program: Monthly giving programs are on the rise with nonprofits, but to maximize their potential, it’s best to brand your program as an extension of your name or cause. Twice per year Dana Snyder hosts her Monthly Giving Mastermind to help a handful of nonprofits set up their monthly giving programs, and it’s SO much fun to see their programs take shape and recurring donations start rolling in. This is a great way for your nonprofit to build reliable, recurring revenue as well as increase brand loyalty with a small community of your superfans.
   
   
4. Encourage Peer-to-Peer Campaigns: Peer-to-peer campaigns allow supporters to raise funds on behalf of your nonprofit by creating personal fundraising pages and reaching out to their networks. Encouraging your supporters to generate Facebook Donations is an example of how you can put this fundraising effort into action automatically. Email your list of contacts asking them to share their birthday or a significant life event anniversary (for me, it would be my heart surgery anniversary), then one-month before that date, send them an automatic reminder to set up their celebration campaign, with instructions on how to do it. Peer-to-peer fundraising is built into most online donation tools like Fundraise Up or GiveButter, so there’s no need to invest in a new system!
   
   
5. Donation-Based Perks: Companies are looking for nonprofits to partner with so they can check that CSR box. And customers are more dedicated than ever to seeking out products and services from companies that are contributing to charitable causes. Consider how your needs or programs can be simplified and directly tied to a donation, then approach a company that’s aligned with your values. Planting a tree for every product sold or donating a percentage of your sales could be a more effective way to make a practical contribution based on individual product purchases. Charitable partnerships are a PR team’s dream, and many product-based businesses will create fresh campaigns and even new product lines to help boost sales. The Trevor Project has dedicated a landing page for their sponsorships with case studies to show they know how to manage the partnership – so freaking brilliant! These perks not only raise money for your nonprofit, but also get your name and mission in front of a whole new audience. The key to making this a successful engagement is planning ahead for how you’ll follow up and nurture new donors in a way that honors the company you’re partnering with and feels authentic to your brand.