Soapbox Engage Blog

Hey, so I know we just met but is there any chance you can come over and dogsit for me this weekend?

Too much? Too soon? We do hardly know each other, right? It probably would be best to get to better acquainted before I hit you up for favors, eh? Maybe we can grab some coffee to get to know each other first? Yes. Coffee first. Dog later.

Just as personal relationships require time and steps to develop before both parties are willing to invest something of substance so, too, your nonprofit’s relationship with its would-be donors requires nurturing. Your first ask being a donation ask won’t necessarily be a winner. Just with my dog sitting, you need to grow into it. So, what’s the nonprofit version of asking someone out for coffee?

We’re so glad you asked! Here are five tactics your organization can use to grow your community before asking them for donations. Each falls on what is commonly referred to as a “commitment curve” or “ladder of engagement,” They get you from that introduction to getting an email address to growing engagement to finally getting someone to watch my dog, er, I mean, winning a new donor.

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1. Get social

Ten years ago, most people thought tweets were for birds. Facebook was still heavily used by college students to connect, and no one knew how to snap a chat. These days, social media is everywhere, and seemingly everyone is using it. But before your nonprofit joins the fray, you need to determine where your audience is and how they are engaging with issues you work on. Social media is the new word of mouth -- and where many of your supporters will hear about your nonprofit first. So why not check out the social scene and make some new friends?

Here are some tips to get the conversation going:

• Connect with potential and current supporters by using relevant and resonant hashtags, and sharing interesting content from other organizations and individuals.
• Stay on brand: Whether your nonprofit has more sass or class, is more formal or playful, keep it consistent, while continuing to observe how your followers engage with you and adapting accordingly. (Protip: Social media is definitely an excuse to lighten the atmosphere!)
• Don’t overdo it with the GIFs, and be strategic about when you ask for gifts: Mix memes with substance and storytelling, provide customer service, and work up to the donation ask.

2. Ask for little “a” advocacy

Advocacy isn’t just about emailing Members of Congress. There are lots of other ways that your community, and your 501(c)(3), can get involved with issues and feel like they are making a difference. It’s also a great way for organizations to grow their supporter base and create momentum for a particular cause. Nonprofits often use this approach to engage younger members who may not be old enough to be truly politically engaged.

Here are a couple of examples:

• Ask people to sign a pledge in support of a particular issue such as preventing child marriage, closing puppy mills, or providing abstinence education to students. You could also reverse it and ask for people to sign a pledge in protest of something.
• Encourage people to take steps on their own or in their communities to prevent bullying, reduce their energy use, or other issue. Provide a checklist or toolkit for guidance.

(Protip: These actions usually require email capture -- which gives you a starting point to follow up with the next step!)

3. Build with big “A” advocacy

Then we come to advocacy that involves directly contacting elected officials or lobbying on behalf of a piece of legislation. These include petitions, letters to Congress, and participating in advocacy days on Capitol Hill. While little “a” advocacy is declaring that you believe in access to healthcare or that you support the humanities, big “A” advocacy is calling your senator or sending a targeted email asking him/her to pass a bill or to appropriate funds. Again, this is a great way to grow your community around a specific issue that may have real, tangible impact on their lives. (Protip: After someone completes an action like this, it’s a great time to ask for a small donation!)

Oh, and lest we forget, if you could use some sweet little online advocacy tools, you should check our Petitions and Actions apps.

4. Amplify your message

Podcasts aren’t just for TV show recaps, politics, and mattress ads. Your nonprofit could pop in a 30-second ad, read by the host, and next thing you know, you may have hundreds or thousands of new community members. Thanks to ever-evolving media, technology, and a little creativity, there is no shortage of ways for nonprofits to promote themselves in non-traditional ways. Be current and join the conversation on the platforms or mediums where people are talking about your issue. If you can relate your cause to a trending topic or current event, get in the game.

(Protip: A snappy message, a resonant story, and an easy-to-remember URL will make your message stand out in a crowded landscape, whether it’s on social media, in print, or on the air. )

5. Engage with events

Asking people to show up in person can be a tricky way to grow your community. Often, it’s way up on that commitment curve, perhaps higher than donations. But depending on the issue, and depending on the event, it could be an easy way to gain some new supporters and make them some of your most active members right off the bat. Since 2016, millions of people are marching and protesting for the first time in their lives -- and then putting their money where their mouths are, too. Whether you’re hosting a happy hour or a book talk, co-sponsoring a panel discussion with another organization, or coordinating an informal meetup, these are all opportunities to show people IRL what you do, why you do it, and why they should join you. Oh, and tell them to bring a friend or three!

If you’re interested in pursuing some of these ideas even further, join us for our free webinar, Grow Your Nonprofit Community Without Asking for Money, taking place Thursday, April 26th at 3 pm ET! We'll explore each of these strategies in great detail while discussing how you can use the Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack to track and report on your engagement efforts. Space is limited so register today!.