How Non-Profit Organizations can Overcome Giver Burnout

With so many non-profit agencies competing for donor dollars, raising the required amount of funds necessary to keep an organization going can be incredibly tough. Americans are some of the most generous people in the world, but discretionary dollars can only be stretched so far. Individuals have to make tough decisions regarding donations. It usually comes down to what moves them most, or what organization presents their case most clearly and passionately. With so many available causes, potential donors can begin to experience "giver burnout." "Giver burnout" occurs when donors begin to feel overwhelmed by the number of non-profit agencies shilling for their dollars, and becoming frustrated and overwhelmed, end up not giving anything at all.

What does this mean for non-profit agencies? It means that they must become very serious and business-like in their approach to fundraising. This will require organization, and diversification in their fundraising appeals. One annual event will no longer be sufficient. Non-profit agencies can approach this problem in a number of ways. A consulting or public relations can be brought in to handle fundraising, or an experienced fundraiser can be hired. If an organizations budget does not allow for this expense, there are many books and workshops created for this purpose.

Whether your organization decides to outsource fundraising, or keep it in house, there are some foundational components that are necessary to succeed at fundraising. Your agency must be:

1. Willing to work hard

2. Passionate

3. Committed to perseverance

4. Determined

5. Focused on fundraising

6. Organized

Once that has been established, the real work can begin. However, those 5 elements will give you a leg up on many other non-profit agencies and help you infer during lean and uncertain times. What's left is coming up with a strategy to get the dollars your organization needs to survive and to fight back against giver burnout. Here are a few strategies.