How Call Centers Benefit Fundraising Campaigns

Outbound call center services are vital to any organization that depends on fundraising to obtain donations. Many organizations rely on monetary gifts and other charitable contributions to provide sufficient working capital that can be used to carry out their mission statement. Philanthropic contributions allow non-profit and not-for-profit groups to support and serve their communities according to their mission. Donations are usually received through a variety of sources that can include door-to-door solicitations, online websites, pledge mailings, and telephone campaigns targeting potential donors. Charities are often staffed by volunteers who care immensely for their cause but are not empowered with the resources and technological infrastructure that are required for successful fundraising. To counter these challenges, organizations are choosing to engage the technical expertise of outbound call center services to manage donor communications and increase donation revenues.

Donor retention is a critical aspect of successful fundraising and organizations must develop appropriate strategies for maintaining donor relationships. The organization’s connection with these philanthropic contributors should be nurtured to create a meaningful emotional bond. Outbound call center services assist in this process by proactively communicating with supporters and soliciting them for reoccurring donations. It is important to emphasize that an organization’s relationship with their donors is vital and should not end after receiving the donation. The following innovative strategies will help organizations cultivate donor relationships and encourage repetitive contributions:

• Remember to say, “thank you.” These simple words are meaningful and let the donors know that you appreciate their support.
• Offer a small gift that will remind the donor of their contribution and let them know that they are appreciated,
• Provide recognition for valued contributions within a newsletters or other publication.
• Follow-up with donors and provide evidence of how their donation was used to create a positive effect.
• Manage donor communications using professional contact center solutions.

As a charitable organization, it is important to consider that you are competing for donations with many other comparable non-profit and not-for-profit groups. According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, there are over 1.5 million tax exempt organizations within the United States, and the vast majority of these groups are identified as public charities. In 2014, there was over $258.51 billion donated to these organizations by individual living donors. Each time an organization communicates with a potential donor there is an opportunity to showcase their group, answer questions, obtain donations, and receive valuable feedback. By implementing professional contact center solutions, many successful organizations are able to develop comprehensive fundraising campaigns that include donor management strategies for communicating with supporters and following-up on prospective leads.