10 Ways Nonprofits Can Increase Donations
Posted: September 8, 2025
Building Relationships Before Asking for Money to increase donations
Recently, I received an email newsletter from a nonprofit that led with the fact that they were having to shut down because of not enough donations. Speaking to that nonprofit a week or so later, they said that they had so many responses, but why didn’t people respond before?
Hopefully, those responses included donations. But the lesson for us all is that nonprofit networks, their donors, need to hear from us often as nonprofits about the successes and the needs. Before it is too late.
With a caveat!
Fundraising advice in difficult times does often boil down to one thing: “Just ask.” But donors aren’t wallets. They’re people, each with their own motivations, values, and questions about whether your cause matters to them.
That’s why the most successful nonprofits do more than ask for money, they build relationships.
They tell stories, create trust, and invite people to become part of something bigger. The actual donation is just one step in a longer journey that begins with connection and ends with impact.
If your nonprofit is finding it harder to raise funds, it may be time to shift focus.
The following ten strategies draw from sector research and real-world advice shared by fundraisers on LinkedIn, Reddit, and nonprofit community blogs.
We’ve split them into two groups: first, the relational strategies that strengthen donor bonds, and then the transactional strategies that make the giving process smooth and effective.
Strengthening Donor Relationships to Increase Donations
1. Craft Compelling, Human Stories
Idea: People connect with people, not statistics. Sharing stories about real lives changed by your work creates empathy and urgency.
Action: Pick one beneficiary story and rewrite it for your website and social media this week.
Use photos (with consent) and focus on the “before and after” impact. Maybe use some personal video – it does not need to be an Oscar winning production, but the personal nature of a video helps.
2. Build Ongoing Relationships, Not Just One-Time Transactions
Idea: Donor trust grows when you consistently thank them, report back, and show results. That trust leads to repeat gifts.
Action: Audit your last 10 donations. Have each donor been thanked?
Send a quick thank-you or impact update email to anyone you missed.
Do you treat larger donors differently? Special access for example?
Why not?
3. Activate Social Media & Community Engagement
Idea: Donors are more likely to give when they regularly see you in their feeds or their neighborhood. Presence builds familiarity and trust.
Action: Post one behind-the-scenes update each week on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
Pair it with a simple “meet us in person” invite for your next local event.
4. Use LinkedIn to Connect with Major Donors and Sponsors
Idea: LinkedIn is where a lot of decision-makers live. It’s a powerful place to build credibility and approach foundations or sponsors.
Action: Update your LinkedIn “About” section with a one-sentence mission statement and one recent success story.
Then send five connection requests to potential supporters. Add a note to the invite that doesn’t just say “we need donors”!
Here are three examples. Then follow them up with the stories in due course, not just requests for donations:
- Personal tone
Hi [Name], your work really resonates with my own belief that small acts of generosity can spark lasting change. I’d love to connect and share ideas on what drives meaningful impact. - Professional tone
Hi [Name], I see we both care about how resources are used to strengthen nonprofits and communities. I’d be glad to connect and exchange thoughts on building sustainable impact. - Values-driven tone
Hi [Name], I believe generosity isn’t just about giving but about creating a ripple effect of good. It looks like we share that outlook, and I’d love to connect.
5. Ask Donors What Matters to Them
Idea: Donors give more when they feel heard and see their values reflected in your mission.
Action: Create a 2-question survey (Google Forms or SurveyMonkey) asking such as: “Why do you support us?” and “What impact matters most to you?” Send it to your email list.
And listen.
Responding back is essential – personally to each one and also create an article discussing the findings.
6. Make Giving Social and Tangible
Idea: People love experiences. Turning donations into challenges, events, or social fundraisers makes giving memorable.
Action: Choose one event type (auction, birthday fundraiser, or online challenge) and announce it to your supporters within the next two weeks.
Take a look at some ideas here on how you could use AI tools to help inform your network about how THEY can fundraise on your behalf.
Optimizing Donation Processes to Increase Donations
7. Refine and A/B Test Your Donation Page
Idea: Our blog article https://better.giving/blog/high-converting-donation-forms may help here – A confusing, cluttered or over populated page loses donors. Even small changes in layout or wording can lift conversion rates.
Action: Look at your donation page on a mobile phone. Remove one unnecessary field or distraction today.
Maybe make sure the Better Giving donation form is used, it’s optimised for success already!
8. Encourage Recurring Giving and Peer-to-Peer Campaigns
Idea: Monthly donors give more over time, and peer-to-peer fundraising taps into supporters’ networks.
Action: Add a “Make this a monthly donation” checkbox (if it’s not there already – it always is on Better Giving). Add some text illustrating how important it is to you.
Then invite one supporter to set up a peer-to-peer page using the Better Giving fundraisers included in your account.
9. Make sure all donation types are accepted.
Idea: Donors like to give in different ways. Increasingly online and digital ways including digital wallets like apple and google pay, DAFs and crypto.
If your form does not allow these, your donors will leave without donating! Especially on a mobile phone.
Action: Create donation forms that include the options donors want to use. Then tell your network they can donate using these new options.
Telling them once is often not enough. If they miss that email they’ll never know.
10. Run Targeted Email Campaigns
Idea: Regular, focused emails keep your cause top of mind and generate steady donations.
Action: Draft one fundraising email this week with a single, clear story and one “Donate” button.
No clutter, no multiple asks.
Closing Thought
Fundraising thrives on relationships first, processes second.
When you tell stories that move people, thank donors like partners, and make it easy for them to give, you create something more powerful than a donation.
You create lasting supporters who stay with you for the long haul.