At Swell, a common phrase we hear when talking to nonprofits about fundraising software is “we’re not sure if our donors are ready for this”, and, as people who come from the nonprofit world, we get it. But as this article from the Chronicle of Philanthropy points out – the time to innovate in fundraising is here and instead of making excuses for donors, it’s your job as the nonprofit to get your donors there.

Nicole Wallace, the author of the article in Chronicle of Philanthropy, sums up her point in one sentence:“Growth for nonprofits, and even survival, will depend on experiments in fundraising.” While we know that the word "experiment" can come with immediate limitations of time and money, we also recognize that with the explosion of technology and the rise of millennial donors, your fundraising execution should be just as current and relevant as your mission. Yes, it’s important to continue stewarding your major gift and planned giving donors, but it’s more critical to the longevity of your organization for you to try new ways to reach and steward younger donors. It may seem like you can’t afford to but, in truth, you can no longer afford not to.

We’ve said this before but millennials are poised to gain the largest transfer of wealth in history. They are your future donors, and they’re not going to write you a check. How are you engaging them throughout the year? Later in the article, Sarah DiJulio, a principal at M+R asks, “Even if you run a Kickstarter or you do a little Giving Tuesday campaign…what are you offering people the rest of the year?”

Millennials love to be a part of a group and to feel like they’re doing something good with their friends.Does your fundraising reflect that?

You can make fundraising fun. We know it’s possible, because our clients do it (we even wrote about it). 

In this New Year, we challenge you to try something new. Take a risk on a new fundraising strategy. Implement a new piece of technology. Sure, it may take time to plan and accomplish, but the reward could be high.

No matter what you decide to do – do something.