Fundraising is a journey for both your nonprofit and your supporters. It's not just about getting donations; it's about building relationships with the people who share your vision.
That’s where a full-funnel fundraising strategy comes in. It's a structured approach that guides supporters from discovering your organization to becoming long-term advocates. And it's one that your nonprofit can use in its own outreach to drive incredible results.
A "marketing funnel" is a way to describe the journey someone takes from first hearing about your organization to becoming a loyal supporter. It breaks that journey into stages — from raising awareness to building trust, inspiring action, and encouraging long-term involvement. Each stage involves specific strategies to help guide supporters along the way.
For nonprofits, a full-funnel approach means thinking beyond just asking for donations. It's about creating meaningful connections over time — whether through storytelling, targeted emails, or donor appreciation efforts — so supporters feel informed, inspired, and valued every step of the way.
Before you can ask someone to donate, they need to become aware of your organization and its work. The awareness stage is all about visibility — introducing your mission to new audiences and sparking their interest.
Many nonprofits struggle with this because they jump straight to "the ask" before building credibility and connection.
Use Case: Vituity Cares Foundation, a nonprofit that provides healthcare access and support to underserved communities, needed to reach a broader audience and build momentum leading up to its Annual Virtual Fundraising Event. We supported the team with a targeted awareness campaign that included social media promotion, email outreach, and PR to expand their reach and drive traffic to their event page.
Once people know who you are, the next step is to educate and engage with them. Your potential supporters need to understand your mission and feel confident that their contributions will make a difference. Your website, email campaigns, and storytelling all play a role in nurturing this trust.
Use Case: Vituity Cares Foundation's original website didn’t effectively communicate its mission or impact. We redesigned its homepage to better tell its story, highlight results, and guide supporters toward deeper engagement with the organization and its work. At the same time, we launched a series of emails that included storytelling emails and virtual Q-and-A sessions to build stronger connections with potential donors.
At this point, you've captured attention and built trust. Now it's time to inspire action. Donating should be easy, intuitive, and compelling.
Use Case: For their event, Vituity Cares Foundation focused on a seamless donation process. We helped them launch an optimized donation page, develop strategic messaging for email and social media, and use retargeting ads to remind supporters to complete their gifts, making it easier for interested donors to follow through.
The first donation isn’t the end of the journey — it's the beginning of a relationship. Retaining donors through thoughtful communication and continued engagement is key to sustainable fundraising.
Use Case: Vituity Cares Foundation raised over $350,000 through their virtual event but didn't stop there. They continued to engage donors with thank-you messages, impact updates, and invitations to stay involved, transforming one-time donors into long-term supporters.
Vituity Cares Foundation's success shows how powerful a full-funnel fundraising strategy can be. By building awareness, educating supporters, inspiring action, and retaining donors, you can create a sustainable fundraising model for your nonprofit.
Ready to take your fundraising to the next level? TechSoup can help you implement a full-funnel fundraising strategy tailored to your nonprofit’s goals. Let’s build something great together.
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