Written by: Emily Joswiak • August 7, 2020• Charity

A Guide to Winning Over Skeptical Donors

In the charity sphere, organizations often struggle to attract people. Perhaps because charities may lack the “brand awareness” of commercial companies, many potential donors are not eager to join in on charitable work. If they don’t see charities at work, they won’t readily trust them. Also, because donations are a free gift without something in return, there’s naturally some reticence.

Learn how to surmount the many misconceptions about charitable giving by reading this guide to winning over skeptical donors.

Advertise Your Registered Nonprofit Status

When people first encounter a charity, they don’t know about their past programs and community outreach. To show them you didn’t just pop up out of nowhere and lack credibility, talk up your 501(c)(3) status. This IRS designation illustrates your years of financial responsibility and diligent work.

The fact that the government recognizes your efforts will be valuable for many to know, though it doesn’t automatically mean you’re still trustworthy.

Offer Financial Transparency

To show donors your organization is still doing good, efficient work, open your books to them. Giving people a look into how you allocate donations-staff pay, program costs, and more-shows you have nothing to hide. Some may use charity assessment sites such as GuideStar, so updating your info there is a good idea.

Be Specific About Your Impact

Another element to winning over skeptical donors is getting specific about how your work impacts people. Telling a story helps paint a picture, but numbers make your impact concrete. Share how your programs progressed over time to further prove you’re in it for the long haul. Also, give updates on your current work to show you’re still at it.

Emphasize Your Staff

To give a personal touch, brag about your staff members wherever possible. A skeptic often needs a peek behind the curtain to see who’s turning the levers of your organization. When they see you employ passionate people, they’re more likely to give. Foregrounding certain representatives in promotional materials and on your site accomplishes this. You can have your promotional materials made up with companies like Brightside digital printing uk or ones similar, to create eye-catching and informative brochures, posters, business cards, etc. this will draw people in and show how professional you are.

Meanwhile, funneling communication through them further personalizes your outreach and allows even the most skeptical people a human to connect with.

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