Smart Strategies to Raise Unrestricted Nonprofit Funding
It may be summer, but smart fundraisers know the most important giving season of the year is right around the corner.
Between September and January, donors are most engaged, generous, and open to supporting causes they care about. That’s why now is the time to think strategically about what you’ll be asking for — and how.
Start by asking yourself:
- What stories will we tell to move hearts and inspire giving?
- What programs or initiatives will we spotlight?
- How can we meet urgent needs and strengthen our long-term sustainability?
That last question is key. Many nonprofits struggle to raise unrestricted dollars — the flexible funding that keeps your mission running. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
In my latest article, I walk you through how to lead with compelling, specific stories while still raising money for your general fund. You’ll learn how to shift donor perception, design more effective appeals, and stop leaving unrestricted dollars on the table.
📘 Read it here: Smart Strategies to Raise Unrestricted Nonprofit Funding
Start Now: How to Find the Stories that Will Carry Your Campaign
If you want to lead with stories that move people, start gathering them now. Vivid, personal stories stir emotion — and emotion drives giving. A few tips:
- Ask your front-line staff: What moments stuck with them this year? What breakthroughs, transformations, or challenges did they witness?
- Talk to your community: A simple conversation with a client, volunteer, or partner can yield a powerful quote or anecdote.
- Look for emotional turning points: When did someone’s mindset shift? When did hope arrive? When did something change for the better?
- Follow the goosebumps: If a story moves you, there’s a good chance it will move your donors, too.
Specific stories stick — because they reveal universal truths.
You still have time — but the strongest campaigns start now. Find the stories that stir emotion, and lead with what moves people most.
Get The 7 Clairification Keys To Unlock Your Nonprofit’s Fundraising Potential
Through a series of clairifying worksheets and individual and group exercises, this 42-page guide will give you fresh insights.
You’ll learn how to:
- Clairify your Values and lead from passion, not need.
- Clairify your Stories and share them; make your donors heroes.
- Clairify your Brand and listen for offers; seize opportunities.
- Clairify your Social Channels and meet folks where they are.
- Clairify your Support Constituencies and be accountable.
- Clarify your Engagement Objectives and measure.
- Clairify your Resources/Systems for creating positive customer experiences.
Spend some time to bring your work to life with these 7 Clairification Keys. If you’re not happy for any reason, you have my no-questions-asked, 30-day, 100% refund guarantee!
Photo by Mikhail Nilov: pexels
