Deciding to do something different can be a challenge. And admitting that you can get better results with a little outside help is not always easy.
Have you decided it’s time to do something different? And have you identified an ideal partner that can bring the knowledge and skills to help make your vision a reality?
That’s great! Then all that’s left to do is get your nonprofit’s decision makers to see things your way. But this is much easier said than done. After all, your nonprofit’s leadership may not always see things from your point of view – at least not right away.
The higher you go up the ladder, the further removed someone is from your nonprofit’s day-to-day fundraising activities. And the glaring issues you deal with may seem like minor inconveniences to those up the chain of command.
So, whether you’re pitching the idea of getting a little outside help to your director of development, or that’s you, and you need to convince your executives and board of directors, it’s important to make a strong case that hiring a fundraising agency is the best way to advance your goals.
There are two key points your nonprofit’s leadership needs to understand before they will consider getting some outside help.
1. An investment in your mission.
As fundraisers, we always have our eyes on the bottom line. After all, development departments everywhere are tasked with doing more with less. And nonprofit budgets are stretched thin.
So, it’s critical to look at partnering with a fundraising agency as an investment in your mission.
For example, let’s say your campaign raises $50,000. That’s great! But that number becomes a lot less impressive if you spend $30,000 getting there. Most of the money your donors are giving goes right out the window.
But you can do a lot more for your mission if you invest $50,000 to bring in a partner and raise $100,000! This is important to remember when considering if getting some outside help is the right move for your nonprofit.
Partnering with a fundraising agency is an investment in your future. So, make sure your leadership understands how bringing in a partner can do more than just help you raise more money.
As you know, it’s critical to think proactively and plan ahead. And working with a fundraising agency can help you achieve goals related to acquiring new donors, re-engaging lapsed donors, creating awareness, increasing a donor’s average gift, and much more.
So, don’t look at this as another item to squeeze into your operations budget. Think about how you can use the return on your investment to make an even bigger difference in the world!
READ MORE: Why are you struggling to retain donors?
2. It’s not an overnight solution.
Everyone who works in fundraising knows that improving your results is an ongoing process. Yet, many nonprofit professionals seem to forget this when they hire a fundraising agency for the first time.
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again. There’s no magic potion that will improve your fundraising overnight.
Understanding your audience, building a strategy, testing what works, analyzing your results, and adjusting your approach can’t happen overnight. And you may not see a night and day difference on the first appeal you build with the help of a fundraising agency.
So, make sure whomever you’re pitching to buys into the long-term approach. Help them understand that bringing in outside help is just the first step of many when your goal is organizational growth.
READ MORE: Finding supporters who fit your ideal donor profile.
Is hiring an agency the right move?
You’re not in this job just for a paycheck. You work at a nonprofit because you want to make the world a better place. But the steps you need to take to advance your fundraising and rise above the noise aren’t always clear.
Or maybe you don’t have the resources or bandwidth to make these changes all on your own!
As you know, development and advancement professionals are stretched thin. We’re often tasked to do more with less and wear many hats. Executing a successful fundraising program is a huge undertaking.
Many organizations could raise more money and make a bigger impact if they brought in some outside help. And helping your leadership see this is only part of the process. They will want to understand how a fundraising agency can help once they see things from your perspective.
So, click here to learn what the right strategic partner can do to help!
