Hello and happy New Year! I hope you managed to have a good break over Christmas even if things were rather different. At ChangeStar we’re feeling refreshed and ready to take on the year ahead!

Below we share 5 things we think are crucial for all fundraisers to do this year, whatever 2021 holds in store.

1. Empathise with your supporters – We’ve all been through a lot in the last year and it isn’t going to end immediately. People are under a lot of pressure in various areas of their lives, so take this into consideration when you’re communicating with your supporters. This might be in the tone or wording of your communications, the benefits you’re offering them or what you’re asking them to do. Just have them in mind – genuinely.

2. Thanking supporters personally and in a timely manner has always mattered. But in times of economic uncertainty, it becomes absolutely essential. This is the year to make sure your thanking is truly heartfelt, inspiring and prompt.

3. Think laterally – Coronavirus may have upended the usual way we do things as fundraisers but it has also opened up new channels and ways of doing things. While the nation and the world remain under this restricted way of living, try to think creatively and differently about the ways you can engage with people and the channels you can use to do this. This might include finding new places where your target audience is gathering online, or temporarily offering different benefits and incentives to people for joining or donating to you.

4. Focus on impact. More than ever supporters want to know what difference their gift makes. Not the difference it makes to your organisation or the staff or society at large – but the impact it has on the beneficiaries they care about.  Communicate this to your supporters with emotion, with real life examples and do so regularly.

5. Be authentic – A much-used phrase but by this we mean remembering supporters are real people, not ‘lapsed high value’ or such jargon. To build trust and commitment with supporters your communications must be personal, honest and authentic. Give supporters plenty of opportunities to tell you their motivations and preferences too – and act on these.

If you’d like to discuss how we can help you can put these these principles into practice in your fundraising appeals and communications please do get in touch. We’d love to help you deliver great results this year.