The ability to raise funds from a big number of individuals would take a lot of preparation, planning, and effort in the beginning but it has a lot of advantages. Firstly, this essentially means less dependence on big donors that in turn means sustainable, resilient organizations.
Secondly, an increased focus on individual donors can be an opportunity to generate more awareness about your cause and impact, initiate conversations, and also build a deeper connection with your donors and advocates.
Thirdly, less reliance on funding bodies and a focus on individual giving instead- can provide more autonomy and fewer reporting requirements. Though you will need to demonstrate impact and keep the donors connected and motivated by being transparent and accountable, individual donors are mostly happy to see the overall impact of their giving, and you do not have to submit specific formats or detailed financial reports to them individually.
Lastly, individual giving has many more benefits in economic terms too- even if this seems like an expensive venture, to begin with. Studies have shown that over a period of time, individual giving on a regular basis means less spending and more returns because these individual donors tend to support a cause for longer periods (high Life-Time Value or LTV), their gifts are easier to upgrade from one-time to recurring or from low value to high-value gifts- making this approach a win-win.
