| Have you ever studied your best donors and | | | | they have money. So send them an appeal letter. |
| wished you could clone them all? Maybe you can, | | | | Or better yet, ask them to join your monthly |
| with a bit of creative thinking.1. Friends of current | | | | giving program, with their gift coming right out of |
| supportersThe first place to look is friends, family | | | | their pay each payday.5. Peer groupsOne |
| and colleagues of your current supporters. The | | | | organization I have written fundraising letters for |
| odds are good that your most generous and | | | | is Doctors Without Borders. They are a group of |
| faithful donors have friends or co-workers or | | | | volunteer doctors and nurses who deliver |
| family members who will want to support your | | | | emergency medical care in places where no |
| cause as well.One of the most popular ways of | | | | medical infrastructure exists, usually because of |
| acquiring new donors like this is through a | | | | war or natural disasters. In one acquisition |
| Friend-Get-a-Friend program. At the best times | | | | campaign that I worked on, Doctors Without |
| during the year (which you discover through | | | | Borders sent acquisition letters to two peer |
| testing), you invite your current donors to refer a | | | | groups-doctors and pharmacists. They reasoned |
| friend to your organization. This is usually done | | | | that these two groups of medical practitioners |
| with a buckslip or liftnote that goes out with your | | | | would identify closely with the mission of Doctors |
| regular fundraising appeal letter. But you can also | | | | Without Borders, even if they were not able or |
| include a tear-out coupon in your newsletter and a | | | | inclined to volunteer overseas.Does your |
| sign-up form on your website.2. ClientsAnother | | | | organization have a professional peer group that is |
| source of new donors is your clients, the people | | | | a natural source of donors? Send them a |
| that your organization serves. Naturally, if your | | | | well-crafted appeal letter that speaks to them as |
| clients are homeless or poor, they are not | | | | peers and is signed by a peer, and see what |
| prospects for donor appeal letters. But if your | | | | happens.6. Affinity groupsIs your not-for-profit |
| clients are former hospital patients, or university | | | | affiliated with a particular religious group, ethnic |
| alumni, or retired folks, then you have a valuable | | | | group or service organization? Then you have a |
| source of potential supporters. These people | | | | ready-made source of new supporters, provided |
| already know your mission, who you serve and | | | | that they also meet your other criteria for |
| how you help them.3. VolunteersAnother group of | | | | suitable donors. If you are an evangelical Christian, |
| individuals that knows all about your organization is | | | | for example, as I am, then you can look to fellow |
| your volunteers. They not only know you, they | | | | evangelicals for donations. If you are |
| believe in you. That's why they give you their | | | | Italian-American and you live in Little Italy (in New |
| time and talents. Now you can ask them to give | | | | York City), then you have a large group of folks |
| their treasure as well.4. StaffOne advantage of | | | | whom you can approach for funds. If you are a |
| asking your staff for donations is that you know | | | | member of Rotary International, your fellow |
| two things about them. You know that they | | | | members are a source of new support.© |
| know your case for support. And you know that | | | | 2005 Sharpe Copy Inc. |