What is the most important thing to remember when raising funds from individual donors?

Building trust is very important. If your donors don’t trust that their donation is being spent wisely and for the projects they support they are likely to not only stop funding you but also tell others not to fund you. The way you can build trust is to keep in touch with donors regularly and keep them informed of progress and how their money is being spent.

Usually a newsletter or personal update once a quarter is sufficient, but the key is to be transparent and above all honest. This means if you have experienced challenges then let the donor know. Often the nature of the work and projects run by NGOs in developing countries is people-focused and so things can change at any time. If you experience challenges, the coronavirus pandemic is a good example, then inform your donors that you have had to stop some activities and show them how you have responded to the pandemic to help your beneficiaries and the communities where they live.

When things change and activities resume then again let your donors know and show them that you are managing their donations.  Other ways to build trust is to respond to donors quickly if they have donated by thanking them and confirming receipt of their donation. If you receive enquiries from supporters, then deal with them efficiently and make sure that you record every communication on your database so that you have a record of the communications between you.