4 Tips for Building a Flexible Fundraising Strategy

Take a moment to think of your fundraising strategy like a rubber band.

If pressed, how much could you stretch this band? 

A rigid, unyielding rubber band might snap under tension. In this scenario, a lack of flexibility in your fundraising plan could make it much more difficult to bounce back from a crisis. Instead of quickly adapting to change, you’re forced to pick up broken pieces before starting from scratch. 

In contrast, a flexible fundraising plan will be more resilient. This rubber band can stretch and move to adjust to rapidly changing circumstances. 

We’ll go ahead and drop the analogy. An adaptable fundraising strategy will enable you to respond gracefully and creatively to unexpected challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic. 

At Aly Sterling Philanthropy, we partner with nonprofits to power strategic planning, fundraising, and board leadership solutions that allow them to thrive. Based on this extensive experience and our belief in the power of positivity, we recommend the following tips to enhance the flexibility of your fundraising strategy:

  1. Assess your current fundraising strategy.
  2. Lead with a strong case for support.
  3. Diversify your revenue streams.
  4. Offer versatile giving options.

While these suggestions are particularly applicable to the current circumstances, a strategic approach to fundraising will always be relevant. By embracing a fundraising plan that is adaptable, diverse and intentional, you’ll be well-positioned to drive your mission forward. Let’s get started.

  1. Assess your current fundraising strategy.

The best place to start when building a new fundraising strategy is evaluating the plan you currently have in place.

Is your current strategy sustainable and effective? Is it enabling you to reach your fundraising goals? Is it rigid and formulaic, or does it allow for adjustments as needs arise?

Dive into the data your nonprofit has collected from recent campaigns. If you already have a solid data management system in place, it should be simple to pull a report and evaluate the overall trends. Even if you have to take a little more time to compile a report manually, a deeper understanding of your current strategy will be well worth the effort.

This assessment will clarify which tactics are working well and which are underperforming or need improvements. Then, you can refocus your efforts on the most critical activities and make adjustments as needed.

While a full feasibility study isn’t practical unless you’re planning for a capital campaign, your data can still reveal a variety of actionable insights. For example, consider the following questions:

  • What is your donor retention rate year-over-year? What about campaign-to-campaign?
  • Have your recent fundraising goals been set at an attainable level?
  • What percentage of your supporters participated in your last campaign? How does this differ across different types of campaigns?
  • On what platform are your supporters most likely to engage with you? Do you have more success with email, direct mail or social media?
  • Do you have a defined donor recognition policy? How do you convey appreciation to different categories of donors? 

These are just a few of the questions to get you thinking about the state of your fundraising strategy. As you answer them with respect to 2020, take into account any challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. If you experienced setbacks, what would have made the adjustment process run more smoothly?

Then, use this information to set your goal. Even a flexible fundraising plan needs a target! With an ambitious but achievable fundraising goal, your team will be energized and motivated to make it happen. 

  1. Lead with a strong case for support.

Whether you’re preparing for a massive capital campaign or simply refreshing the text on your online donation page, you need a strong case for support.

This statement is what convinces donors why your nonprofit deserves their attention and contributions. Specifically, it should communicate your unique value proposition and share what sets your work apart from other organizations dedicated to similar causes. It should also align with your overall mission statement and strategic plan.

As you prepare your case for support, be sure to articulate the following elements:

  • A clear vision. Do you have a well-defined plan to solve a demonstrated problem?
  • A sense of urgency. Why should the prospect give now? 
  • An investment proposition. What results will the prospect’s gift be able to generate?
  • A call to action. How can the prospect help you achieve your vision?

Overall, a strong case for support builds trust and faith in your organization. When your donors trust that you’ll use their gift wisely, they will continue to have confidence in your work even if you need to make a change.

Additionally, it will be easier to adjust your fundraising strategy if you have a strong foundation to build upon. Your case for support can act as your north star, guiding your efforts even in a turbulent environment.

3. Diversify your revenue streams.

One sign of an inflexible fundraising plan is total dependence on just one or two funding sources. 

If your plan includes just a handful of major donors or relies on a large fundraising event, that could lead to a disastrous halt in your work if something falls through. Putting all of your fundraising eggs in one basket leaves you vulnerable to crisis or even just a change of heart.

By diversifying your revenue streams, your nonprofit will be more resilient and sustainable.

If the evaluation of your current fundraising strategy revealed little variation in your revenue streams, do your homework to explore new sources of funding. 

For example, funding from foundations, government entities and other grant-giving institutions can make a huge difference in your bottom line. However, since they can be extremely competitive, it’s best to treat grant funding as unpredictable. In other words, don’t count your grant dollars before they’re in the door!

You could also consider exploring donor-advised funds (DAFs) as a potential source of revenue. A donor-advised fund is a giving vehicle that holds charitable assets for future contributions. These accounts are attractive to donors due to their financial benefits, as well as for being a hands-off approach. DAFs are managed by sponsoring organizations including community foundations and commercial sponsors. If your nonprofit forms a relationship with one of these sponsors, you may be connected to dozens or even hundreds of donors.

As you target one or more of these sources, be sure to tailor your ask appropriately. While you should tie each request for funding back to the same case for support, the language and appeals you use should be customized to the recipient. Then, after you’ve secured the funding, create a plan for intentionally stewarding this new relationship. 

If this feels overwhelming on top of your usual workload, consider consulting an expert to help you identify and pursue new funding opportunities. As you start the consultant search, the Aly Sterling Philanthropy guide to hiring a fundraising consultant offers some helpful tips to find the right partner for your organization’s specific needs.

4. Offer versatile giving options.

In addition to diversifying your revenue streams, you should also diversify the opportunities that individual donors have to give. 

As you approach each fundraising conversation, you should have a number in mind based on your previous prospect research, gift range chart, and overall goal. But if the answer to that request is a no, come armed with alternatives. 

Think of these options less like a back-up plan and more as a solution for donors who are passionate about your mission but currently unable to make a major gift. You might present the following alternative giving opportunities:

  • Recurring gift program. Consider amping up your recurring gift program to create a predictable revenue stream. Even small monthly gifts can make an impact when multiplied over the course of the year, and they’re often more accessible to a wider range of your supporters.
  • Matching gifts. Many companies will match employee gifts to eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, but sometimes these programs are underutilized. According to re:Charity’s guide to matching gifts, somewhere between $4 and $7 billion dollars in matching gift revenue goes unclaimed every year. To maximize this potentially valuable funding source, spread awareness of matching gifts among your supporters or use a dedicated database to identify gifts that could be submitted for a match.
  • Pledged gifts. Allow donors to commit to supporting your cause at a future date without needing to pull out their checkbooks just yet. By counting on pledges of a certain amount later in the year, you can better plan for future funding while giving the donor time to plan for the gift.  

Loyal supporters will appreciate this flexibility if they experience any financial setbacks. And when the economy recovers (as it always does), your relationships with these supporters will still be thriving.  


Bonus Tip: Consider bringing in a consultant to provide expertise and perspective as you develop your flexible fundraising strategy. Most importantly, the right consultant can help you prioritize relationships with supporters and facilitate even deeper connections. This list of nonprofit consultants includes firms in different areas of expertise, including stewardship. Even if your exact plans for gift solicitation need to change, you’ll still need to rely on relationships to pursue your mission. 

As we move into 2021, it’s time to refocus your efforts and create a fundraising strategy that can weather any storm. By leading with relationships and a flexible approach, you’ll be better able to reach your fundraising goals. Good luck!


About the Author: Aly Sterling

Long before Aly Sterling founded her eponymous consulting firm, she was solving the unique yet similar problems encountered by nonprofit organizations.

Her decision to start her own business in 2007 was driven by her belief in leadership as the single most important factor in organizational success, and her determination to work with multiple causes at one time to scale societal change.

Aly’s expertise includes fundraising, strategic planning, search consultation and board leadership development for the well-positioned nonprofit. She is regularly sought for comment by trade and mainstream media, including the Chronicle of Philanthropy and U.S. News & World Report. She has contributed to publications of BoardSource and The Governance Institute, as well as the Toledo Chamber of Commerce and The Giving Institute.

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Strategic Partnerships for Your Nonprofit

Many hands make light work! We’ve all heard the saying before, but have you ever thought about applying that philosophy within your organization? Volunteer program – check – right idea. Now what other areas of your organization can be better supported and strengthened with that philosophy in mind?

Take a look around you. Specifically, take a look around your community. What are other businesses or organizations that are positioned with complementary missions, teams, or resources?

If your organization is seeking a partnership, chances are that your organization is not the only one! Even if it is, partnerships are usually formed to be win-win for everyone involved, meaning that people within your community will likely be happy to discuss your proposition.

Where should I start?

Already have ideas bubbling for a no-brainer partnership? Well good news, that’s exactly where you start! Outline a partnership proposal and get crystal clear on the benefits that both your organization and theirs would receive. Come up with “the pitch” so to speak.

Then, schedule a chat with the person you’d likely be collaborating with in the partner organization. Next steps will likely reveal themselves by the end of that initial call. Rinse and repeat for any other partners you have in mind.

For most, however, first steps might require a bit of reflection and brainstorming. You’ll need to asses where your organization shines and where it need extra support. This will reveal what benefits you could offer in a partnership and what you’ll need extra support with from partners.

To identify your organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, pull out the good old SWOT Analysis rubric! If your organization has already conducted a SWOT Analysis, ask for a copy. Otherwise, draft up a quick one yourself. Take your time, but there’s no need to spend more than 30 minutes on this speed draft.

When you’re done, compare your strengths and opportunities to your weaknesses and threats. Your strengths and opportunities will shed light on what you have to offer in a partnership, and your weaknesses and threats will suggest who to seek out in a partnership. Leverage their strengths to support your weaknesses.

Volunteer Programs

Would you consider your volunteer program well established, or does it need some help getting off the ground? If there is another organization that is known for their growing, highly engaged volunteer base, consider reaching out to their volunteer coordinator to explore a volunteer exchange initiative, where volunteers are somehow introduced to the other organization’s volunteer program, fostering more volunteer interest for both organizations. (Check out what Stoneleigh Natural Garden did!)

For example, you might organize a joint event between your organizations. When large gatherings are safe and permitted once again, a collaborative volunteer appreciation event could be a great idea for a handful of partner organizations. Volunteers would feel the love while also becoming more familiar with other volunteer programs (and fellow volunteers!) across the community. (Relevant: “How to Move Your Volunteer Appreciation Week Event Online“)

Most organization’s volunteer programs also come with volunteer coordinators, volunteer program supplies, volunteer management software, and more. Discover which resources could be shared between/among organizations, then bask in the efficiency of many hands making light work.

Services & Programming

Most likely, your organization has some kind of service or programming offered. Once you’ve mentally identified those services, think about other nonprofit and for-profit businesses that offer services complementary to the ones your organization offers. This is where the opportunity lies to collaborate.

Your respective programs could continue running independently, if that works best for all parties. In which case, you’d collaborate with marketing and raising awareness of said programs. This usually becomes what’s known as a “referral program“. Similarly, you can also tout each other’s services as an “expansion” of the services your organization already provides. Both organizations gain a stronger presence in the community as a result.

If there is more in common than not between the respective programs, consider weaving them together in a few small ways that make sense. This will help to reduce spending on resources and scale the impact of the program. Celebrate that saved spending!

Resources

Each organization is equipped with its own incredible resources. In some cases, resources are material goods: vehicles, food, gardens, space, etc. Other times, an organization’s best resource is its personnel: the well-connected founder, the savvy lawyer, or the wizardly grant-writer.

As part of your SWOT analysis, examine these resources. Are there any you could exchange? Are there any you could share? Sometimes an act of true goodwill goes even farther than a proposed partnership. So if your organization’s van is unused on weekends, consider sharing it with another organization that is active on weekends.

Brand Recognition & Credibility

This is less of a tangible tip and more of a rule of thumb. The more your name appears (in a positive light) across the community, the more it will be perceived as established and reputable. Community engagement starts at the front door of your organization, but it certainly doesn’t stop there! 🙂


Recruiting many hands to make light work starts with one hand reaching out in partnership. Get your plans ready, then take action! You’re sure to save money, better utilize resources, and raise organizational awareness across your community.

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Remembering the Big Picture

From the VolunteerLocal archives, an article in the spirit of raising spirits 🙂


As a volunteer coordinator, you’re juggling what feels like a million different tasks.

Your mind might be racing because you didn’t order enough t-shirts. Someone just told you they’ve got a food allergy and you’ll need to adjust the lunch menu. One of your volunteers just cancelled with less than 24-hours notice. With all of the things you’re working on, it’s easy to get preoccupied with the little details.

Take a breath.

Remember why you’re doing this important work.

At the end of the day, all of this energy is dedicated to making a difference in your community, in sometimes small and large ways. In this moment of desperation, I like to read quotes from leaders I admire, who navigated the weeds long enough to make change, and do good. I’ve transcribed a few of my favorites below. Enjoy.

“Do small things with great love.” -Mother Theresa

It’s easy to feel insignificant when there’s a mountain of work in front of you. But every task, every errand, every call you’re making is contributing to this cause. It’s important to remember that even those mundane tasks are critical to the long-term outcome that everyone on your team is working hard to realize. Each step you take, no matter how small, is a step forward for your community. 

You may not be the only one feeling overwhelmed – some of your volunteers may also be feeling the drain, too. The clean-up crew are wondering whether their work matters. Those taking drinks tickets are gazing at the long-line before them and thinking, what’s all this for?

Everything adds up, particularly the things we put care and love into. Let your volunteers know that whatever task they’re doing, it’s making an impact. Every individual contributes in a significant way towards increasing awareness, raising funds, bringing people together and making our cities and towns more cultural, vibrant and fun.

“To move forward you have to give back.” -Oprah Winfrey

Giving your time helps others, and it helps you. It’s easy to give our money, or donate our old belongings to a local thrift store – but to give our time? Our effort, hard work and (l)earned skills? These opportunities to give that part of ourselves enables us to connect with others and the mission. We can grow in meaningful ways.

“A lion chased me up a tree and I greatly enjoyed the view from the top.” -Confuscius

It’s that time of night when the spreadsheet in front of you is starting to blur. You have a giant detailed list of seemingly endless things to do. You’re tired, exasperated and just over it.

Step away from the glow of your computer screen and remember the big picture. There will always be challenges before you, and opportunities to overcome them, individually or with the collaboration of those you trust and can depend on to help see you through. If you find yourself at the top of that tree, take a look around. The view is unbelievable. 

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5 Strategies for Smarter Fundraising While Working from Home

Traditionally, the idea of working from home conjured images of lounging in sweatpants and less-than-stellar productivity. But as we’ve learned since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s possible to still accomplish key goals and drive missions forward outside the office.

With the right tools and processes, all kinds of organizations have been able to adapt to the work-from-home (WFH) environment with great success, and the nonprofit sector is no exception. Fundraising professionals have navigated uncharted territory to engage supporters, raise critical funds, and conduct day-to-day operations all from the comfort of home offices. 


As the year draws to a close, it’s time to take stock of your WFH plans and make adjustments to align with best practices. After all, the end of social distancing isn’t on the horizon anytime soon, and you don’t want to lose momentum. With powerful technology and data-informed strategies, you can still achieve your online fundraising goals while working from home.

At SalsaLabs, we specialize in helping nonprofits leverage technology to work more efficiently and boost their fundraising potential. We’ve seen how nonprofits in the field incorporate innovative tools into their WFH routines with great success. So, we’ve compiled a list of tips to help drive your virtual fundraising efforts forward:

  1. Use data to drive more effective communications.
  2. Explore diverse revenue streams.
  3. Host engaging virtual events.
  4. Leverage machine learning technology.
  5. Make use of marketing automation. 

While a remote work environment may not facilitate in-person conversations, there are still plenty of opportunities to connect with supporters through virtual means. Technology can help you build on your existing donor data for time-saving and informed outreach, which can create even more effective fundraising processes. Let’s jump in.

1. Use data to drive more effective communications.

When you can’t connect with your community in person, your online communications are even more critical. If a donor’s primary touchpoint with your nonprofit this year is via email, your messaging needs to make each individual feel recognized, appreciated, and capable of making an impact.

The best way to accomplish these goals is to leverage supporter data when crafting your campaigns. Instead of sending impersonal emails to everyone on your mailing list, you can target groups or even individuals for a more relevant and personalized message.

You can use available donor data to:

  • Create segments of donors. Create segments, or groups, based on key characteristics, then use these groups to send targeted messages. Studies show that segmentation can lead to up to a 760% increase in revenue! While the options for categorizing donors are nearly endless, you can sort groups by engagement type, giving preferences, or demographic information. For instance, you could start a campaign specifically targeting Gen Z supporters, or craft separate end-of-year thank-you emails to address volunteers, major donors, event attendees, and first-time donors in different ways.
  • Personalize messages to individuals. Adding a personal touch to outgoing messages can help your supporters feel seen and recognized. While adding the donor’s name to the subject line or greeting is a great start, you can go even further. Try incorporating details like a recent donation amount, event attendance history, or information specific to your mission (like a pet’s name if you work with an animal shelter). Marketing automation tools (which we’ll discuss in further detail later in this article) allow you to address each individual supporter without anyone needing to manually write in the information on individual messages.

These strategies allow you to take advantage of the valuable information in your donor database software for more engaging messaging and fundraising appeals. However, make sure you’re only using clean and well-organized data to execute these tasks. An email subject line addressed to the wrong supporter is worse than a generic one!

2. Explore diverse revenue streams.

This era of social distancing and economic uncertainty has proven the importance of diversifying your nonprofit’s revenue streams.

If you only rely on one fundraising platform, like an in-person event or a handful of major donors, you’ll be more vulnerable to unexpected changes.

A diverse range of revenue streams will help ensure your fundraising strategy is resilient, sustainable, and less susceptible to risks.

A few creative options worth exploring are:

  • Recurring gift campaign. Encouraging supporters to schedule recurring gifts can help you create a predictable stream of revenue. You may even consider providing branded items as a thank-you for their ongoing support as part of a membership program.
  • Grant opportunities. In the wake of COVID-19, grant-seeking institutions and corporations have both pledged to make funds more readily available to nonprofits. You can conduct research to look for opportunities in your area or look for large-scale programs by national funders.
  • Corporate philanthropy. Matching gifts programs are a remote-friendly way to maximize revenue from your supporters. According to this Double the Donation roundup of matching gift statistics, between $4 and $7 million dollars in eligible matching gifts go unclaimed every year! By focusing your efforts on matching gifts, you’ll unlock new opportunities for funding without much extra work for your team. To do this, you can create a campaign to spread awareness about matching gifts among your supporters, manually screen donations for matching gift eligibility, or use a comprehensive matching gift automation platform to streamline the process.
  • Peer-to-peer fundraising. Even though you can’t get together in person, your supporters can still use virtual strategies to share your organization with family and friends. This strategy allows you to leverage the networks of your supporters and reach an even larger audience.

By incorporating one or more of these strategies alongside your current fundraising efforts, you’ll be more prepared to survive if one of the streams dries up.

3. Host engaging virtual events.

While you may not be able to gather donors together in person, you can still create an exciting and community-focused virtual event. 

Not only can virtual events be powerful fundraisers, but they’re also opportunities to share your work with supporters, foster connections between supporters and your mission, and encourage supporters to form bonds amongst themselves. 

As this guide discusses, virtual events are often more economically feasible and widely accessible. Therefore, your organization will be able to engage even more attendees for a lower cost, boosting your profit.

You can host a fundraising-focused event like an online auction or virtual walk, or you can host virtual stewardship events. Any kind of virtual event can be used for stewardship if you don’t charge an admission fee—consider a virtual happy hour, book club, or dinner party as a few potential ideas.

While the primary goal of a stewardship event won’t be to raise money, it’s still an important component of a relationship-based fundraising strategy. Forming deeper connections now will prepare you for making more effective asks in the future.

If you decide to host a virtual event, be sure to plan ahead for potential technical issues. Share connection information with supporters well in advance, provide plenty of tech support for potential questions, and troubleshoot your virtual event platform ahead of time.

4. Make use of marketing automation. 

Marketing automation has been a growing nonprofit trend in recent years, and for good reason: it enables teams to work more effectively with limited resources. Marketing automation can help you level-up your remote fundraising efforts.

While marketing automation isn’t a substitute for a solid foundation of data, it unlocks the ability to contact the right person with the right message at the right time—without a staff member needing to hover over the send button. As long as you start with a solid understanding of your supporter base, automation can help you accelerate your outreach.

You can automate many aspects of your marketing strategy, including posting to social media, capturing leads via your website landing pages, or sending emails. One of the most popular ways to utilize automation technology is through an email stream, also known as a drip campaign.

Here’s how an email stream would work, with the example of a potential donor named Jack:

  1. Jack lands on your nonprofit’s website and signs up for your email newsletter.
  2. Jack receives a “welcome series” of emails once per week with more information about your nonprofit’s mission, current programs, ways to get involved, and how to donate.
  3. The series runs at a specified cadence until Jack completes the desired action (making a donation) or until a certain period of time has elapsed.

Your series could be just a few emails or it can be 10 emails over the course of a few months. All of those messages are sent without anyone on your staff actually pressing the send button, and, if crafted in a compelling way, can generate significant funds for your organization.

Beware, automation can’t fix a message that’s not relevant or interesting to your audience! Make sure each element of your automated campaign is based on the data you have available. Incorporating some of the other tips on this list (like personalization and segmentation) will help you do this.

5. Leverage machine learning technology.

Another powerful way tech can boost your fundraising while working from home is through machine learning. Essentially, machine learning allows computers to make sense of large data sets (like the information in your donor database) to find patterns and make predictions.

For example, machine learning can help you to:

  • Identify potential major donors.
  • Tailor ask amounts to a donor’s giving history.

One of the most advantageous aspects of machine learning is that it continues to improve over time. As more data is available, the analysis and predictions become more accurate. After all, it’s called machine learning for a reason!

To consider a specific example, Salsa’s SmartEngagement technology uses machine learning to power predictive analytics for donation pages. By taking into account all of the historical data you have on a supporter, the program can display optimized ask amounts on your donation form. This helps to increase conversion rates and to avoid the risk of missing out on funds from an ask that was too low.

If you have a large quantity of supporter data to sift through, consider looking for a CRM that offers machine learning capabilities so you can draw insights more efficiently. 


This year, nonprofit fundraisers have needed to adjust their plans and reinvent traditional strategies. While normal in-person fundraising is unlikely to resume for the time being, there are still plenty of ways you can raise money for your mission while staying safe. With these tech-savvy tips, your fundraising staff will be well-positioned for success. Good luck!

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