How Small Nonprofits Can Find Major Donors

Most small, grassroots, nonprofit organizations are thankful for gifts of any size. Still, major gifts can be transformational for a small organization, and can be instrumental in helping to build future sustainability. However, finding donors with the ability to make significant gifts and building a major gift program at your nonprofit can be a challenge when you have limited people and resources. Plus, building relationships with major donors can be time consuming as it is important to understand their interests and their giving capacity. Nonetheless, even for a small organization there are opportunities to find donors that have the ability to provide major support. If you would like to start looking for major donors, start with the following ideas.

Analyze your donor data

Whether your nonprofit uses spreadsheets, or a donor management system, the first place to start is your donor data. Do you have a group of donors that consistently give gifts that are higher than your average? Do you have donors that have given consistently for several years? Or do you have donors that give monthly? One donation may not stand out right away; however, if you take the time to look at a donor’s giving history over time it may seem more impressive. Take the time to analyze your donor data, and you might find potential major gift opportunities.

Consider the board of directors

Every board of directors is made up of different members with varying skills and backgrounds. And in many cases your board is well connected and shares a passion for the work your organization does in the community. Even if your board members do not have the potential to make a large gift themselves, consider their connections including family, friends, current or past colleagues. More often than not, we hear from clients that their board members are rather hands off with their organization’s fundraising activities; however, asking board members to share stories about the great work of your organization is one activity that board members can get excited about.

Research donors of similar organizations

If you have the time and you’ve explored options of those connected to your organization, you can start to do some prospect research. Many organizations may feature their funders, or major donors and sponsors directly on their website and marketing material. Take note and create a list of prospects that give to organizations that have a similar cause or mission as those same donors may be likely future supporters of your organization as well. 

Embrace event opportunities

If your organization hosts events whether they be virtual, in-person, open houses, or an annual dinner, hosting and attending events can be an excellent opportunity to meet new contacts and potentially major donors. Also, keep track of the names of those who attended in your database along with the event name for future reference. If your organization is presented with opportunities to attend events or opportunities to network, consider inviting board members to attend alongside staff. This allows board members to broaden their personal contacts. 

Bring in external help

Prospect research can be very time consuming for a small organization. Between analyzing data, building relationships with your donors, and the day-to-day work of your mission there may not be much time for anything else. To ease the burden on your team, your organization can hire a fundraising consultant who can not only develop a list of potential major donors, but also create a strategy based on your data and your unique situation. 

Use a wealth screening tool

Depending on your organization’s budget, you may consider securing a prospect research tool for your organization. There are databases that include information about donors and what their interests are and what they have given to other charities. It can also help your organization to find donors that have given to causes similar to yours. 

There are many ways your team can find major donors. If you are a small team, once you become more comfortable you can use prospect research to help with your fundraising goals and find gifts that can make a significant impact on your mission.

Struggling to find donors without a strategy? Evaluate your effectiveness with our quick Finding Donors Assessment tailored specifically for small nonprofits.