Just like most aspects of fund development, successful grassroots fundraising strategies require creativity, clear goals, and intentional planning. While it may be tempting to view grassroots fundraising as low-scale or low-priority, the truth is quite the opposite. When an organization harnesses scalability, sustainability, and strategy, grassroots fundraising strategies can lay the groundwork for long-term growth, stronger community engagement, and lasting impact.
1. Scalability:
The difference between grassroots and established fundraising institutions lies in scope and scale. Grassroots efforts are often seen as low-budget, high-effort strategies—but technology has changed that. Today, grassroots fundraising is one of the most accessible ways to generate support. At its core, fundraising is about people coming together to give what they can and inspire others to do the same. Modern grassroots efforts include canvassing, email blasts, peer-to-peer campaigns, and digital donations. With the right systems, ROI can be adjusted up or down with ease. By viewing grassroots fundraising through the lens of scalability, its full potential comes into focus. While it may not fund a 20,000-square-foot campus, it plays a critical role in financing smaller projects, boosting visibility, attracting new donors, and starting long-term relationships. Ultimately, grassroots fundraising strategies are about sustainability, accessibility, and long-term growth.
2. Sustainability:
As Mike Spear put it, “Fundraising should exist on a continuum.” By viewing your grassroots fundraising through a lens of sustainability and integration, you can convert one-off donors into recurring donors– therefore turning future pressure like “Where will we find the donors?!” into “How can we best use the database we’ve built?” One way to focus on sustainability is to keep in mind that no fundraising effort should exist in a vacuum; each initiative should roll right into the next. Create your annual calendar in a way that builds momentum. Focus on sustainable fundraising practices that will withstand the test of time. The idea isn’t to force donors on a journey of set levels to progress, but rather to establish a continuous flow of communication and engagement with only one goal: long-term relationships.
Below is a helpful model from the Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR) article “The Permanent Disruption of Social Media” by Julie Dixon and Denise Keyes. The vortex represents what a donor relationship focused on sustainability looks like. Rather than starting broad and slowly narrowing down to a specific need, this relationship continues to evolve indefinitely.
3. Technology:
Grassroots fundraising requires communicating with the general public (AKA potential donors you may not even know yet). In 2021, the best way to reach the most people is by going online. With the right digital strategy in place, if you properly utilize your website, email lists, online-giving tools, advertisements, and SEO, your organization can effectively hone in on exactly what type of stranger will come across your brand and mission—and in exactly what way. Think of the opportunities! As Nathan Chappell always reminds us: the data exists for nonprofits to make informed decisions about who they should be reaching out to. Stop wasting time on out-dated methods and use technology to your grassroots efforts’ advantage.
4. Genuine, Transparent Persona:
To wrap up, coaching your development team to lead with authenticity and transparency can make the first three fundraising strategies feel almost effortless. When it comes to donor engagement, whether through grassroots support or major gifts, it’s important to avoid sounding pushy. Rather than pressuring, focus on building genuine relationships. A natural, unscripted conversation about who you are, what you do, and how your organization impacts the community is often more compelling than a one-size-fits-all solicitation script. Keep in mind, fundraising is not robotic. Ultimately, donors are individuals with unique values and personal relationships to giving—so it’s essential to treat them with care and intention.
For more on authentic, personalized, and targeted efforts – Nathan recommended checking out “Responsive Fundraising” by Gabe Cooper, the Founder of Virtuous.
How do YOU approach grassroots fundraising? Comment and let me know; I love to hear your thoughts! Keep your eyes peeled for our next Wednesday conversation on Clubhouse by following me HERE.
Our bi-monthly Wednesday 9am MT/11am ET Clubhouse chats are full of robust conversation about topics within nonprofits. As always, please feel free to add and reflect on your learnings and experiences! Here’s some key takeaways from our chat about making the most out of your grassroots fundraising efforts.
