Raising funds is an important part of every nonprofit professional and volunteer. Without sufficient funds, we cannot meet our missions. The good news is that you can fit serious fundraising into a busy schedule.

First of all is to recognize that fundraising is all about relationships. Relationships take time and they take nurturing. Existing donors are the best prospects for a new gift if you have treated that donor well. The rate at which donors cease to be donors is chilling. Across the board, more than half of first time annual donors never make a second gift. Up to 30% stop supporting the nonprofit each year thereafter. With a little effort, you can increase donor retention a lot. Here are what you can do :

-  to call a donor and set up an appointment. Agreed that the appointments you get will take longer than 30 minutes, but they will be worth the extra time.
- to connect with a board member and help him or her connect with their sphere of influence.
-  to pull together a newsletter, highlighting your best supporters. These can be donors or volunteers. They don’t have to be the biggest supporter-highlight someone who just joined you; or someone who has been involved for many years.
- to review your donor database (or whatever passes for a database in your organization). Call to find out why-or ask one of your volunteers who knows that person to help you bring this lapsed donor back into the fold.
-  talk to your program people and find out what’s happening on the ground in your organization. It’s good to remind yourself regularly why what you do is important.