I met Albert last year during an annual Synergy Ministries training weekend. He was part of an elite consulting team that went to Ghana to help an NGO over there solve the community’s social problems more effectively. This year, Albert’s going to an NGO in Kolkata India to enhance their startup micro-finance. He has to fundraise himself to get there, so he here to share some effective fundraising tips.
Tell us a little bit about who you are.
My name is Albert, and I’m a 22-year-old recent graduate from New York University, where I studied Finance and Statistics at the Stern School of Business. In the fall I will be joining Ernst and Young as an actuarial consultant. At NYU, I was actively involved in InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, which provided me with the opportunity to attend Urbana 09, a global missions conference, where I was introduced to Synergy Ministries.
Why are you fundraising through Synergy Ministries?
Synergy Ministries provides business consulting services for faith-based nonprofit clients. To me, this was a perfect opportunity to better understand how my studies, my career, and my commitment to serve God are related. This year, my project team and I are traveling to Kolkota, India, to assist Emmanuel Ministries in their ongoing effort to care for the surrounding community by improving their operational effectiveness. In order for Synergy to offer these pro bono services to the client, team members must fundraise their own expenses for the trip.
What methods did you use to get people to come to your page?
My main method of raising awareness for my fundraising campaign was sending emails. I sent a short, personalized email to potential donors, which briefly informed them about my trip and directed them to my CauseVox page to learn more. I tracked the list of people I sent emails to using a spreadsheet. In addition to emails, I maintained a blog and used various social media such as Twitter and Facebook. These tools were used to give brief updates regarding the trip.
What has been the most difficult part of fundraising?
The most difficult part of fundraising is maintaining a stream of communication with donors and potential donors. To me, fundraising is more than just raising money. It’s about telling a story that I’m passionate about, and inviting other people to participate. Receiving a donation is not the end of my communication with a donor, but rather it is the start of a relationship. I think it’s very important to keep my donors updated on the fundraising and trip planning progress so that they understand where their money is going. Although this contact requires a lot of effort to maintain, it is gives your donors the opportunity to be much more involved.
Any tips you’d like to share with other fundraisers?
As I mentioned before, don’t view your relationship with donors as one-sided. Instead, keep them involved in the process with regular communication. A quick email or status update goes a long way in keeping them in the loop. Also, be creative in how you get people involved. I’m passionate about guitar, and as part of my fundraising campaign, I offered guitar lessons and song covers for donors. This is not only an incentive to donate; it is also a way of showing my appreciation for their support, and it increases their engagement.
