In the world of fundraising, there's often a delicate balance between cultivating relationships with major donors and ensuring their continued engagement without overwhelming them. My first and best encounter match funding began with meeting a donor which turned into a collaboration which surpassed all expectations.
A few years ago, I found myself being ushered to meet a significant major donor. As I entered the room, I couldn't help but notice a certain strained smile of exhaustion etched on their face. It became apparent that I was just one among many fundraisers sent to solicit their support. This was a critical donor, and I was committed to hearing what they had to say (be it good or ill). My view was and still is that as fundraisers we must always offer the opportunity of genuine collaboration with our donors.
During our conversation, the donor expressed their deep affection for our organisation but confessed to feeling like a cash cow. While they were committed to supporting our cause, they yearned for a sense of shared responsibility among donors. It was clear that they didn't want to be the sole financial pillar holding us up.
So, after some consideration of what best to do to ensure I met targets, acknowledge their contributions I wanted to illustrate in a tangible way how their continued giving might inspire others. So, I proposed the idea of match funding, and suddenly they were fired up with enthusiasm at the prospect of leveraging their donation to inspire others to give. This encounter marked the beginning of a transformative journey towards implementing match funding as a cornerstone of our fundraising strategy.
Reflecting on this experience, several key aspects emerged that were instrumental in the success of our match funding initiative:
1. Time-limited Campaigns: Recognising the importance of urgency, we ensured that our match funding campaigns were time-limited. This sense of immediacy helped to galvanise donors into action, preventing procrastination and maximising impact.
2. Clear Purpose and Allocation: We understood that match funding should not be used for unrestricted donations. Instead, we meticulously outlined the specific projects and initiatives that would benefit from the matched contributions. This clarity ensured that donors understood the tangible impact of their support.
3. Effective Communication and Marketing: From the outset, we prioritised communication and marketing efforts to amplify the message of our match funding campaigns. Through targeted outreach and compelling storytelling, we conveyed the transformative potential of doubling every donation.
The results were truly remarkable. In just six weeks, we were able to raise nearly £500,000, thanks to the generosity of donors inspired by the concept of their contributions being doubled. This influx of support spanned across various donor levels, from grassroots supporters to major philanthropists, illustrating the universal appeal of match funding.
In essence, match funding emerged as a powerful tool for fostering donor engagement, igniting enthusiasm, and catalysing collective action. By harnessing the inherent generosity of donors and amplifying their impact through matching contributions.
This story of one of my match funding experience I hope serves as a testament to the transformative power of innovation and most importantly collaboration with our long term major donors.
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