In today’s world human to human connection is reducing. Whether it’s clothes shopping online, the automatic tills at your local supermarket or your new digital bank manager, life is well… remote. And as we become increasingly reliant on the digital, we still need the contact that can’t be replaced by a robot, like hairdressers, school teachers, or indeed a face to face charity fundraiser. In this blog, we look at the reasons that human fundraisers can never be replaced by robots, along with 5 excellent fundraising tips that will ensure fundraiser success for our precious charities.

And even though the modern trends seem to point toward a contactless world designed for speed and convenience, we’re still the same herd animals as before.

We still need conversation down the pub, a friendly face in a restaurant to welcome us, be included as community members or attend fundraising events. And who doesn't love a natter as we get our hair done?

This is precisely why the conversation instigated by the face-to-face fundraiser who asks for regular donations, works so much better overall than online fundraising pages that request your credit card details and a one off payment.

Face to face fundraisers have the ability to story tell in a way that includes facial expression, tone of voice, energy and body language. They can breathe life into a charity campaign, and importantly, they can put a personal angle that goes beyond a computer code that includes a donors name.

Adaptation is powerful when pitching a fundraising campaign to someone. The subtle nuances that only in-person communication can read, monitor how it’s going and pull out specific information that the donor’s shown is important to them. To be able to react to the donor’s own thoughts and commentary is fundraising gold.

Another major bonus of the face-to-facer is that they can be monitored for compliance too.

There is no doubt that the virtual world has value, especially post covid. Even the biggest technophobes had to navigate life online and many of us have discovered that some things are way less effort when done digitally.

In terms of the charities, there’s no doubt that having decent social media channels, engaging charity blogs, interesting podcasts and a comprehensive website all matter, but none of those can replace the impact of a real life person in front of you.

Non profits can see as much as an 80% conversion rate on costs when they use a face to face fundraising strategy.

Not only are the statistics pretty solid, the fundraisers stay employed, the charity donor is more satisfied and the charity itself gets a great return on investment.

It’s a win win (win!).

So now we understand the irreplaceability and value of face to face fundraisers, how do the best operate? How does a person go from fledgling fundraiser to fundraising master?

5 tips for reaching the pinnacle of fundraising success

Know your donor audience

Knowing your audience isn’t about perfecting your pitch, or having a dozen different scripts to communicate depending on who’s in front of you.

With nonprofit fundraising, the work on donors starts way before you’ve even put your uniform on.

In fact it's the same for any type of sales job in that it’s really important to think about who your ideal audience is.

Who is most likely to give their money to your cause? How old are they? What gender? Which location are they likely to be in?

Here’s a great example. Local businesses selling trainers for volleyball, might assume their ideal audience visit the town sports centre (where the classes are) and are probably members of the volleyball sports team. Then it’s down to them to work out how to get in front of them - perhaps some flyers on the sports centre reception desk or a notice in the volleyball team’s newsletter.

If you’re fundraising for breast cancer, it’s logical that women will relate to the subject and might be the better people to ask for help from. If you’re fundraising for The British Legion on the other hand, perhaps a more male demographic would be more successful.

Experienced fundraiser can take some time to learn what their typical donor might look like. One way might be to visit their charity website and see if they offer any statistics on their donors such as gender, age and location. Of course, we shouldn’t’ stereotype - all sorts of people give to charity for all sorts of reasons.

In general terms of regular giving, the research on who is most likely to donate is pretty inconsistent.

In October 2022, a report published in the third sector said that it was young people that were more likely to donate to charity than any other age group.

A month later, an article in Forbes following global campaign ‘Giving Tuesday,’ shared that online donations overwhelmingly 65% came from women. It was remarked here, that the reasons women tended to give more was because of the social dynamic, in that they were typically found in the places where asking was taking place.

Then in April 2023 research commissioned by Motive and conducted by YouGov in revealed that male donors over the age of 55 were the most likely to donate, with 34% reporting charitable donations in the past year.

If that wasn’t confusing enough, Statista released data in July 2023 stating that people between 65 and 74 were the most likely to give to charity, debunking the claim form just 9 months earlier it was young people who gave the most.

So what can fundraisers conclude about their ideal audience?

A lot of fundraising is about common sense and instinct. Over time a good fundraiser will start to recognise patterns in the types of people who donate, but at the same time, keep an open mind because they never know who they might catch at just the right moment either!

In any sales based job you need to get the best outcome for the least effort. Energy is precious and not limitless, spending excess time with people who aren’t interested isn’t the best use of your time or effort.

It’s also worth considering whereabouts you’re working on any given shift.

If you’re outdoors and the weather isn’t great, then it’s pointless stopping anyone that isn’t dressed in weather appropriate gear as they’ll want to get indoors quick!

If you’re in a shopping mall, people are usually there with an expectation to spend and that could mean they’re more likely to feel generous.

Being at the right venue is so important when fundraising, which is why working for an agency with an excellent venues team is going to give you the advantage

Learn more about venues

Warm up your donor first!

We’re not talking about giving them a cup of tea and a jacket here!

Any good fundraiser knows that when it comes to raising money it's about connecting to people first, then connecting them to the cause.

If you’re able to make contact and strike up a conversation, it’s unwise to go straight in with an ask.. Fundraisers should take at least a couple of minutes to build up some rapport and win a little trust and likeability.

Ask donors a carefully chosen question or two and think about how you can link that to your charity. From there, you can see how the potential donor responds to those links.

Fundraisers can and should also share details about themselves even if it’s as simple as just your name, or why you love working with your charity.

Constantly bring it back to your donor and be all ears.

Remember, nobody wants to be talked at (however interesting you think you’re being!).

A conversation is a two way thing and as a fundraiser, you want to aim to listen more than you speak. Pick up information about your donor and feed it back to them so they know you’re investing in them and engaged with them. You’re not just earning their time and trust, you’re gaining vital insights on which direction to take your pitch.

We all know that feeling when you’re ‘vibing’ with someone and the exchange is animated and fun - in that case humour is a wonderful way to keep the conversation positive and light.

Equally we can see when someone else is more serious and sticking to facts and figures might be better.

Once you’ve done your ‘intro’ you can begin to tell them a beneficiary story. If you sense that this is something they care about, you know you can be confident of going forward to the ask.

It could also be wise to talk about any upcoming charity fundraising event ideas such as walks, coffee mornings or growing a beard - it's these types of fundraising ideas that have gained popularity and that people have heard of.

Face to face fundraising is all about being an excellent communicator; a part of which means to be able to read another person and judge which emotional responses you’re getting.

Be the solution, not the problem

Charity causes are often heart-breaking and serious, but rather than climbing down into a negativity pit of woe and sorrow, talk instead about what your charity is doing to help.

The bottom line is that people want to feel like they can help make that difference and they definitely don’t want to be made to feel guilty.

Check out our blog on whether to use positivity or negativity in fundraising

Finding the perfect balance of emotion can be tricky but it’s something that a fundraising master has a good handle on.

Remember, emotion works because the whole premise of charitable giving relies on upon it. In other words, people must want to give to do so.

That said, it’s important not to lay it on too thick either! The code of fundraising practice points out that over exaggerating and emotional manipulate is a definite no-no with compliance. In the code is says:

“You and the fundraising materials you use must not mislead anyone, or be likely to mislead anyone, either by leaving out information or by being inaccurate or ambiguous or by exaggerating details”

Share your charity’s successes

It’s really important that people feel good about giving and that they believe in the work the charity is doing.

Sharing real statistics and stories where people and animals have been saved by a charity’s work with measurable facts about how their lives are better as a result, is paramount to helping a donor see the potential.

Successful fundraising means to show donors that their decision to act equals important impact and that impact is something to be proud about.

Defining what success looks like and emphasising that it’s a shared goal for charities and supporters alike means to include the donor in the overall story.

Invite donors in and open an opportunity for them to be that success! That’s often what seals the deal in them deciding to invest.

Remember you’re in a team

Although lots of face to face fundraisers work alone, they are always part of a wider team and they should remember to use that team for help every day.

When interviewed and asked how they cope with tough day, nearly every Charity Link fundraiser said that they have at least one person that they can call upon and decompress. Not only is a conversation really helpful for letting it all out, it’s an opportunity to remember why you’re doing the job.

Other fundraisers can truly understand the mission and motivation behind doing the job. They’re the ones who can re-inspire and pick you up if you’re feeling down.

In Charity Link the whole team tries to be as supportive as possible. That includes our head office team who work together to give our fundraisers the best chance of doing well as possible:

The recruitment team work tirelessly to find the best people for the job
Our Learning and Development team provide the best fundraiser training to set them off on the right foot
The HR department offer endless support in the form of mental health first aiders, employee assist programme, a healthcare plan or just a chat.
Client services and Field Support work closely with fundraisers, making sure they’re always kitted out correctly, have good quality hotels to stay in and the best gazebos to stand under
Our venues department make sure they’ve always got somewhere to work.

Face-to-face fundraising can be intimidating. Sticking to less personal efforts like digital and traditional marketing can seem easier, but the benefits of being up close and personal with potential donors has far better results.

The high conversion rates that professional fundraisers have far outweighs any investment to recruit, train, kit and place them. Face-to-face fundraising lets you understand the donors in real time and create a lasting, personal connection.

For premium class fundraising, always check in with these five tips summarised from above!

Identify your target audience: Understand who your potential donors are and tailor your fundraising efforts to appeal to them specifically.
Warm up your donor: Build relationships and try to cultivate a connection before the ask. If you can come across as likeable and trustworthy, you’re halfway there. Be all ears: To build those relationships you must be able to listen well and use that information to move forwards in your pitch
Be the answer to problems: Don’t be the bearer of endless bad news and sad tales - describe the problem briefly, but let your potential donor know what their money could achieve and how they can be a part of the solution.
Share successes: Have statistics and figures ready to showcase what your charity has done so far to help people. This is a crucial time to ‘prove’ the charities worth and add another layer of trust and transparency
Remember you’re a team: Always take the support around you, even when you feel you don't need it. Remember, team work is the dream work!

By implementing these tips, you can catapult from average to premium class fundraiser as well as attracting ever more generous support for your cause. Always remember, in theory a robot could cut your hair or bring you dinner in a restaurant, there’s a reason they don’t - your job is vital to the charity sector and always will be.

If you’re thinking about a career in professional fundraising you’re not likely to find a more mentally challenging but rewarding role! We’re looking for people nationwide for our growing fundraising agency and we invite you to read more about the role over on our jobs page.

Work with us