While it’s true that every donation, regardless of its size, has the potential to make a large impact, accomplishing your goals and increasing your capacity to create change is so much easier once you can attract one or more wealthy, and influential, supporters to your cause.

If you want to be successful in gaining the attention and contributions of the wealthy, you will need to modify your approach when fundraising. The following five suggestions can help you attract philanthropists to your mission.

Establish a Professional Presence

If you want others to take your organisation seriously, and give to it generously, you must focus on building a professional presence. From your NFPs website, to your proposals for giving, make sure that you provide precise, detailed information that explains your cause, and how your work makes a difference.

Your site should include captivating, high-resolution photos and video that illustrates your impact, along with case studies, impact calculators, an overview of your strategy to create change and a summary of your results. Testimonials from high profile influencers who back your NFP can also go along way in encouraging other affluent supporters to give generously to your organisation.

Make it Easy for Donors to Say Yes

Wealthy individuals are inundated with donation requests from individuals and organisations, so standing out from all the others can be difficult. You can make it easier for donors to say yes to your request by asking them to tour your nonprofit in person. This gives affluent donors the opportunity to see, first hand, the good work that your NFP does in the community.

Being on site and seeing your staff, volunteers and beneficiaries engage with one another increases the likelihood that your prospect will feel an emotional connection to your cause and want to be part of the excellent work that your NFP is accomplishing.

Listen

It is true that most of us are willing to give to a cause, and help meet a need, when someone that we know asks us to do so. This approach, however, isn’t enough when asking a philanthropist for a large donation. These donors are more likely to give when they are presented with opportunities that excite them. Wealthy donors are more likely to give to causes that align with their personal interests and passions.

To win more significant contributions, you must move past building rapport and focus on creating relationships. Ask the right questions and listen attentively to discover just what it is that makes your donors tick.

When asking for a contribution, look for ways to connect what you have discovered about your donor’s interests and concerns with your actual cause. How does your NFP’s work connect with their passion? How will their contribution make a real difference in an area that they have already expressed genuine interest and concern?

Aim High

Wealthy donors tend to be more future-oriented than their less prosperous counterparts. When giving to a cause, they want to feel that they are making a real difference, and creating lasting, long-term change.

If you want to attract top donors to your cause, don’t be afraid to dream big and set challenging goals. Create service projects and fundraising campaigns that will connect with a philanthropist’s inner desire to make a dramatic impact in an area that they are passionate about, that resonates with them on a personal level.

In your proposal, show your donors just what their money will do. Include a range of giving options that begin at $5,000 or $10,000 and increase incrementally. For each gift size, explain in concrete terms what each gift will accomplish.

Don’t Forget to Thank Your Donors and Keep Them Updated on Your Progress

Once you’ve won over a wealthy contributor, the work doesn’t end there. Don’t forget to show gratitude to your top donors in ways that are meaningful and personal to them, and that show genuine appreciation. Encourage them to continue supporting your organisation by keeping them updated on the progress that your NFP has made, and how their donation has individually contributed to your work.