{"id":29366,"date":"2024-04-19T09:51:43","date_gmt":"2024-04-19T13:51:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.donorperfect.com\/nonprofit-technology-blog\/?p=29366"},"modified":"2024-04-19T09:51:45","modified_gmt":"2024-04-19T13:51:45","slug":"find-corners-to-cut-save-time-and-energy-with-efficient-fundraising","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.donorperfect.com\/nonprofit-technology-blog\/fundraising-software\/find-corners-to-cut-save-time-and-energy-with-efficient-fundraising\/","title":{"rendered":"Find Corners to Cut: Save Time and Energy with Efficient Fundraising"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I have five hours a week and no budget. Here\u2019s how I fundraise.<\/h3>\n

This blog is written for the founders, one-human-shows, every-hat-wearing, grassroots champions of small and lean nonprofits. As a communicator and former full-time fundraiser, I know that a lot of advice for nonprofits and fundraisers assumes readers already have industry knowledge, connections, and support for their development operations.<\/p>\n

But for people who have started and are running their own nonprofits mostly off of their own grit and passion, it can be hard to spot the difference between fundraising best practices and Marie Antoinette-style, \u201clet them eat cake\u201d naivety. Of course, you\u2019d like to segment your fundraising appeals into different messages for different audiences – you\u2019ll handle that once you have an audience to begin with<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I recently started volunteer fundraising for a community choir and find that my experience translates well for nonprofit professionals whose jobs are mostly other duties as assigned. I dedicate no more than 5 hours each week to choir activities, and my resources include my laptop, my experience, and – with any luck – occasional lightning strikes of inspiration.<\/p>\n

A lesson I learned very quickly (and frequently the hard way) is to keep one eye on my aspirations and the other on my very real limits. Here are five tips on how to fundraise efficiently, so you can raise the resources you need while protecting your peace.<\/p>\n

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Simplify and delegate<\/h2>\n

In case you need it, here\u2019s a permission slip to take a load off.<\/p>\n

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A lot of traditional, highly visible fundraising methods, such as 5k fun runs or galas, are expensive in terms of time, money, and effort. You don\u2019t need to have a flashy event to get your fundraising off the ground. And you don\u2019t need to apply to complicated grants that come with cumbersome reporting requirements attached to create a sustainable funding pipeline.<\/p>\n

A great place to start simplifying your fundraising life is to create an elevator pitch and have your business cards ready for questions and follow-up. I\u2019ve found that simply telling people in my life, \u201cI\u2019m fundraising for my choir,\u201d and having some surface-level knowledge about the organization, its history, and our goals has led to more connections and prospects than dreaming about purchasing marketing lists I can\u2019t afford.<\/p>\n

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Are you a passionate champion for your cause but new to fundraising as a profession? We have your back! Watch the recording of our webinar, Growth Tips for New and Beginner Fundraisers<\/a>, for helpful tips from seasoned pros.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Another easy way to save time is to delegate as much as possible. If there are people in your life who have offered to help, take them up on it! You\u2019ll build community by working on projects together, and they\u2019ll share their positive experiences with their networks.<\/p>\n

But if you don\u2019t feel comfortable delegating to another human, or you\u2019re not sure who you can turn to for help, you\u2019re not at a loss. Which brings us to our next point:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Use digital assistants<\/h2>\n

Generative AI has revolutionized the way I fundraise, and it can do so much more than write. Here are a few tasks I\u2019ve outsourced to free AI tools, including claude.ai<\/a>, Chat GPT<\/a>, Canva<\/a> (pro tip: Canva Premium is free for nonprofits!<\/a>), and davinci.ai<\/a>:<\/p>\n