Many of our clients are already busy planning their next Capital Campaign.
And a common question they’re asking is this: how can they incentivize smaller corporate donors to make a donation to the cause?
Let me give you an example…
One organization I work with is wanting to build an Early Learning Center for underserved kids. It will include a playground, activity rooms, classrooms, and a host of naming-rights opportunities. But they’re rightly wanting to reserve these valuable naming opportunities for their mega donors.
So, what about smaller corporate donors? What can motivate them to give during a capital campaign?
It’s our role as fundraisers simply to do our best job to sweeten the pot.
You see, smaller business owners usually have three pockets:
- A personal pocket
- A marketing and promotion pocket
- A business and philanthropy pocket.
Capital Campaign incentives for mega donors – like naming rights for a playground or classroom – target the third pocket.
So, for smaller businesses, we need to focus on the second. It’s all about how much promotion or recognition they can get for their donation.
As such, we’re forced to think outside the box to get sizeable donations from the marketing and promotion pocket. Here are four simple ways you can incentivize smaller businesses to support your Capital Campaign:
- Provide the prospective business or corporation with an opportunity to display their name/logo on your website for a period of time
- Mention them in social media, give them shout-outs, tag them, and share their good work with your followers
- Add their name/logo to any email that you send to your community
- Include them in a press release to a local media partner, such as a radio station or newspaper
Of course, every campaign and every small business is different. But I’ve found, more often than not, that finding unique and creative ways to recognize smaller businesses is a sure-fire way to involve them in your Capital Campaign.