How Fundraising + Marketing are One-in-the-Same
Fresh out of high school, I had dreams of attending a six-month global relief program. This program would train me in providing aid around the world.
I was completely jazzed and completely broke.
The program cost $10,000 and I didn't have enough time to save. So I turned to fundraising. There I learned how to craft a marketing strategy that would tell my story in a way that garnished real support.
Here are the components that proved essential:
AUDIENCE
A crucial piece was catching the attention of the right eyes.
The right eyes belonged to the people who would believe in me and in what I was doing. Not only would they donate, but they would put their marketing energy to work for me in their circles.
With open-ended questions like “Who is passionate about international aid?” and "Who has the ability to donate?" I narrowed my scope down to the kind of individual that would serve as my prime target, defining my audience.
BRAND CONSISTENCY
Next, brand consistency proved vital.
My brand was the personal relationships I held with the people who’d chosen to fund my steps. Whenever possible, I employed personal touches to relay my genuine appreciation.
I wrote letters with keychains of objects iconic to the region I was currently in. I designed emails with personal photos to share my experiences. I maintained a blog chronicling the impact my team and I made in communities.
People invested in the journey and I maintained the brand that portrayed they were a part of it.
CONSIDER EVERYTHING
I didn’t stop at one garage sale or one carwash when fundraising. Instead, I experimented with a slew of methods.
For example, I filmed a pitch video, sold an original song for streams, and hosted events. Every idea wasn't a home run, but trying several approaches helped me to discover what clicked.
A defined audience, a consistent brand, and a willingness to experiment opened the door to sustainable support. This marketing process brought me, dollar by dollar, to my $10,000 goal and then some!