We’ll end this innovation series with some examples of innovation applied. Here’s Tom’s Top 5 Innovative Fundraising Ideas from two years ago.

We invite Agitator readers to update the list with your own entries in our Comments section. Thank you.

The Editors

By Tom Belford   |    September 30, 2013

Today I’m shamelessly exploiting the hard work of Angie Moore, who recently reported 50 Innovative Fundraising Ideas [http://www.nonprofitpro.com/post/angie-moore-54-your-innovative-fundraising-ideas/ ] she collected from readers of Fundraising Success. [ Now NonProfitPro.com]

I’ve boiled her list down to my own Top 5.

In no particular order, here goes.

No actually, #1 deserves to be #1 …

1. “Normally, fundraising departments increase their financial goals marginally each year. I never do. In my last seven years managing the e-philanthropy and emerging philanthropy team at my nonprofit, my least aggressive year I planned for a 25 percent increase over the previous year. Every year, regardless of the market, we meet and exceed our budget. Why? I believe that true innovation can only happen when your back is up against the wall…”

[Now, that’s attitude!]

2. “Use iPhone camera to record personalized thank-you messages from scholarship recipients, then share with donors on visits.”

[I can think of a zillion variations on this theme.]

3. “I feel that going back to the basics of handwriting and personalization seems to get attention.”

[Whatever scale you can do this, do it!]

4. “Paying to boost Facebook posts — it is moderately successful for having more people see it, but if the post is not engaging or exciting, it won’t increase the number of shares by much.”

[I’m doing this now on a project, with excellent results.]

5. “In a day and age where people are very skeptical of nonprofit organizations and where funds actually go, donors seem more responsive when they can get a peek or at least an invitation to ‘come in, on the inside’ to see how the organization runs and meet the people that they are entrusting with their money to support to organization.”

[But be sure to make the ‘takeaway’ about your donors and the people/cause you serve, not about your cute office cubicle with picture of your pet cat. Scale is also an issue here … video can help.]

And here’s a bonus #6, winning the prize for Most Audacious!

6. “Volunteers must raise funds before starting their position. They get a “free” T-shirt in return, as well. It is a modest amount of $30, but 1) it puts the new volunteers in the position to be advocating for the organization, and 2) it puts the power in their hands. It is rewarding and empowering and ensures they have a small investment in the organization, which we hope will decrease the attrition rate.”

[Wow! I’d sure like to hear more about how that works out.]

Tom