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A Nonprofit Doesn't have to be Big to Raise Big Money

Small and medium-sized nonprofits can fundraise more efficiently and effectively than large institutions, with the right people, processes, knowledge, and tools in place. 

Article from the Growth & Co Blog   |  Posted on November 24, 2021 by Larissa

I’ve often heard Board Directors, Executive Directors, and fundraising staff tell their nonprofit fundraising consultant that raising large amounts of money for their small charity isn’t possible—only hospitals, universities, and big brand organizations can raise millions. In over ten years of non-profit fundraising, I’ve seen the opposite— with the right non-profit fundraising strategy in place, small non-profits can fundraise more efficiently and effectively than large organizations! 

Large charities are like fancy cruise ships. Sure, they have many wonderful resources on board to plan, pay for, and execute all their fundraising ideas. They certainly attract a lot of attention with their eye-catching campaigns, and the capacity limit for their luxury events seems endless. However, their ability to take an idea from concept to fruition is painfully inefficient. The meetings about meetings are endless and plans must be approved so far in advance that once they’re executed, the idea is no longer timely once it hits the market. Take crowdfunding, for example, emerging in approximately the 2000s. This once-trendy fundraising concept that engaged large numbers of people to give small donations to raise millions was still being debated at certain universities in 2015. The ship had sailed, and the captains still hadn’t taken the wheel fifteen years later.

On the other hand, small non-profits are like speed boats. Quick and nimble, they can change direction and visit new destinations with the change of the wind. Course correction can occur immediately if the weather gets rough, and they can navigate canals and inlets that their cruise ship cousins could never reach. I witnessed this while coaching a small homeschooling charity through their first major gift meeting. The new major gift prospect was ready to make a gift to an educational organization large or small but had philanthropic interests that were slightly outside of the official case for support of the local university. My homeschooling client was able to make wise decisions at the moment that resulted in a first-time gift of $30,000 on the spot that met both the philanthropic and strategic goals of the donor and organization. Without the need for additional meetings and complicated approval processes, the Executive Director was able to steer the boat into the harbour just in time to watch the beautiful sunset! 

Small and medium-sized nonprofits can fundraise more efficiently and effectively than large institutions, with the right people, processes, knowledge, and tools in place. 

If you know of a small or medium-sized nonprofit that needs to raise more money but isn’t sure how then, share this article with their team. They also may want to subscribe to receive upcoming newsletters which will be filled with feasible tips and tricks for small teams!

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