How can you identify emerging fundraising problems effectively?

Fundraising is a challenging and rewarding activity that requires creativity, planning, and communication. However, sometimes things don't go as expected and you may face emerging problems that can affect your goals, relationships, and reputation. How can you identify these problems effectively and prevent them from escalating? Here are some tips to help you.

1 Monitor your metrics

One of the first steps to identify emerging fundraising problems is to monitor your key performance indicators (KPIs) regularly. These are the metrics that measure your progress and success, such as donor retention, acquisition, conversion, revenue, cost, and return on investment. By tracking and analyzing your KPIs, you can spot any trends, gaps, or anomalies that may indicate a problem in your strategy, tactics, or execution. For example, if you notice a decline in donor retention, you may need to improve your stewardship and engagement practices.

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Catherine Hill

Impact, organisational development and research management consultant. Social behavioural sciences researcher interested in health equity, behaviours and communications. Founder Johannesburg Afro-Latin Festival
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A good strategy and plan is multi-dimensional and aligned with the nature and scope of your work, and the needs of the various stakeholders in your ecosystem (beneficiaries, funders, board, community leaders, industry partners, media…). It is in implementation where often non-profits or grant-funded organisations let themselves down - not having clear structure and workflows for getting the work done, not reporting regularly (monthly if not weekly depending on your fundraising activities) and not reviewing the quality and value of the work inputs and outputs. Related to this, many organisations appear to believe there is a magic key to fundraising, and are genuinely missing the boat: fundraising is work, and the work needs to be done!

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2 Solicit feedback

Another way to identify emerging fundraising problems is to solicit feedback from your stakeholders, such as donors, prospects, staff, volunteers, board members, and beneficiaries. Feedback can help you understand their needs, expectations, preferences, and satisfaction levels, as well as any issues or concerns they may have. You can collect feedback through various methods, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, testimonials, reviews, or social media. By listening to and acting on feedback, you can enhance your relationships, improve your services, and address any potential problems.

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3 Evaluate your environment

A third way to identify emerging fundraising problems is to evaluate your external environment and how it affects your fundraising efforts. This includes factors such as the economy, politics, society, culture, technology, competition, and regulations. These factors can create opportunities or threats for your fundraising, depending on how you respond to them. By conducting a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats), you can assess your current situation, identify any risks or challenges, and plan accordingly.

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Catherine Hill

Impact, organisational development and research management consultant. Social behavioural sciences researcher interested in health equity, behaviours and communications. Founder Johannesburg Afro-Latin Festival
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Context is critical. Align your fundraising with your context - socio-economic, socio-cultural, political. Target fundraising that speaks to the donors personally and at a level they can relate to, whether you are looking for thousands of debit order donors or two or three strategic partners or benefactors. Don’t sell systemic impact if you are making episodic, localised changes. Measure your impact against local development goals and community needs.

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4 Learn from mistakes

A fourth way to identify emerging fundraising problems is to learn from your own or others' mistakes. Mistakes are inevitable in fundraising, but they can also be valuable sources of learning and improvement. By reviewing and reflecting on your past or current mistakes, you can identify what went wrong, why it went wrong, and how you can prevent it from happening again. You can also learn from the mistakes of other fundraisers, by reading case studies, blogs, books, or podcasts, and applying their lessons to your own context.

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5 Seek advice

A fifth way to identify emerging fundraising problems is to seek advice from experts, mentors, peers, or consultants. Sometimes, you may need a fresh perspective, a second opinion, or a specialized skill to help you solve a problem or improve your performance. By reaching out to others who have more experience, knowledge, or insight than you, you can gain valuable guidance, support, and feedback. You can also network with other fundraisers, by joining associations, forums, groups, or events, and exchange ideas, best practices, and resources.

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Catherine Hill

Impact, organisational development and research management consultant. Social behavioural sciences researcher interested in health equity, behaviours and communications. Founder Johannesburg Afro-Latin Festival
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Make sure your board is engaged, appropriately appointed in terms of interest, skill, networks and commitment! Boards are not opportunities for individuals to gain status at your organisation’s expense: hold them to account with indicators and meaningful involvement in your theory of change.

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Mete Redif

Engagement & Communications Manager (NHS Charity) | Former Teacher, Head of Department & Senior Leader | Charity lead & Developer
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Seeking advice outside of your organisation can be one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal. Some of the most powerful advice can come from the “outside looking in” where those not involved in the nitty gritty can take a step back and spot the flaws. I have found some of the best advice I have received have come from those who have no really understanding of the scenario. Having to articulate the problem to somebody with know prior knowledge can show where your own lack of understanding may lie.

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6 Experiment and innovate

A sixth way to identify emerging fundraising problems is to experiment and innovate with new ideas, methods, or tools. Fundraising is a dynamic and evolving field, and you need to keep up with the changes and demands of your donors, beneficiaries, and environment. By testing and trying new things, you can discover new ways to attract, engage, and retain your supporters, as well as to solve existing or potential problems. You can also learn from your experiments, by measuring and evaluating their results, and scaling or adapting them as needed.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How can you identify emerging fundraising problems effectively?

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3

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1 Monitor your metrics

2 Solicit feedback

3 Evaluate your environment

4 Learn from mistakes

5 Seek advice

6 Experiment and innovate

7 Here’s what else to consider

Fundraising

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How can you identify emerging fundraising problems effectively?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Monitor your metrics

2 Solicit feedback

3 Evaluate your environment

4 Learn from mistakes

5 Seek advice

6 Experiment and innovate

7 Here’s what else to consider

Fundraising

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