Tip #11: Ask Donors to Spread the Word

Kindly provided by Kerri Tilby-Price from Exult (helping non-profits grow).

Building trust with people who have never heard of your organisation can take time, but you can use your current donors and supporters to help build trust on your behalf.

Actively encourage your regular donors to talk to their friends about your organisation and why they choose to give. They don’t necessarily have to make a specific request for money, (although it would be great if they did), but by simply sharing stories about your organisation, they are raising awareness of the work you do and providing a valuable third party endorsement. Next time their friend picks up your brochure or sees a fundraising campaign, there will already be a certain level of trust because of your donor’s input.

It’s important to recognise that most donors won’t think to share stories or talk about your organisation unless you specifically ask them to do so. (It’s not that they don’t want to, it’s just that you’re not top of mind.) When you explain how much impact those stories can have, many supporters will make a conscious effort to spread the word.

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