Top Tips for Fundraising in 2025 Event

We were recently joined by Naomi Buckler from Action Planning for an event focused on fundraising trends and strategies in 2025. The session was packed with valuable insights and practical tips. Attendees called it “clear and precise” and “a great session”. Here’s a few of our key takeaways from the event.

Key Insights

1. Fundraising Landscape:

• Despite the cost-of-living crisis, giving to Christian charities remains strong. Stewardship's generosity report highlights some significant and encouraging facts about Christian giving, particularly among younger donors.
• Digital engagement continues to grow in importance, with younger generations being more digitally active. Staying ahead of digital trends is essential for effective fundraising. However, this should not be at the expense of committed, less digitally active donors.

2. Challenges and Opportunities:

• Grants are becoming more specialised and competitive. To access them it is important to stay informed about availability and tailor applications accordingly.
• The use of AI in fundraising is growing. AI can streamline tasks like drafting appeal letters and refining applications, saving time and improving efficiency.

Practical Tips for Effective Fundraising

1. Look After Existing Donors:

• Retaining donors is more cost-effective than acquiring new ones. Focus on impactful thank-you messages and personalised communication.
• Avoid cost-cutting measures that may alienate donors, such as switching entirely to online communications.
• Some opportunities to engage donors are prayer requests, online meetings, and regular updates helping them to deepen their connection with your mission.

2. Collect and Share Stories:

• Stories create emotional connections and inspire action. Be intentional about gathering stories from beneficiaries, volunteers, and staff.
• Use visuals like photos and videos to enhance storytelling. Authentic, smartphone-captured content can be highly effective.

3. Leverage Your Strengths:

• Identify and capitalise on your unique strengths, whether it's personal connections in a small charity or the ability to conduct A/B testing in a larger organisation.
• Tailor your approach based on your donor demographics, focusing on legacies for older donors and activism for younger ones.

4. Apply the EAST Framework:

• Use the Behavioural Insight Team's EAST framework; make processes Easy, Attractive, Social, and Timely. Simplify donation processes, enhance the visual appeal of forms, encourage social sharing, and create a sense of urgency with deadlines.

5. Invest in Fundraising:

• Adopt a growth mindset and invest in both media and people. Training and development are crucial for building a strong fundraising team.
• Consider bringing in external consultants to provide expertise and training for your team.

6. Make Leaving a Legacy Easy:

• Legacies offer the best return on investment. Regularly mention legacies in newsletters and ensure your website provides clear information on how to leave a legacy.

Bonus Tip: Be a Secret Shopper

• Evaluate your own and similar charities' donor experiences by signing up and donating anonymously. This can reveal areas for improvement and ensure your processes are donor-friendly.

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We love having experts join us to share their knowledge, but we know that within this network there is a great wealth of experience in these areas. We would love to hear your experiences, what has worked well for you and where things have been difficult. Let’s keep the conversation going, join our fundraising discussion on the Network’s Discourse platform.

This event summary was generated by members of the Global Connection's team using Microsoft's Co-pilot.