The old saying, “Christmas comes but once a year,” does not ring true in the world of fundraising. Fundraisers should not look upon their donors’ gifts as yearly phenomena, ritualistically reserved for that one time when fundraisers come around, banging a kettle and asking for an “annual gift.” No, your nonprofit must be much more engaged with its supporters throughout the entire year.

Fundraising requires commitment from both the donor and the fundraiser alike. It’s up to the fundraiser to reach out more than once a year, to actually build a relationship with the donor. You should make your supporters feel like they are actively aiding a cause, not just giving money to an organization. If you’re in constant contact with the donor, she knows that her aid is constantly needed. Feeling involved makes those “gifts” actuals gifts and not just a tax write-off.

Using the “annual gift” model severely limits the amount of money you can possibly raise. This is just common sense; ask less, receive less. You should have a much more engaged program, asking for gifts quarterly at a minimum, and even monthly when possible. At the very least, you should contact or update your supporters at least once a month with some type of communication – direct mail, email, phone calls, etc.

This sort of approach to fundraising makes the pursuit more about the relationship and aiding the cause itself than the transaction. And that’s really what’s important to your nonprofit and the donors in particular: making a difference. If you keep a year-round relationship with your donors, you can make that difference much more effectively.