Nonprofits and Numbers: How You Can Help

As a dedicated nonprofit supporter, you’ve surely noticed that numbers preoccupy nonprofit leaders. It’s not that your favorite organizations enjoy their absorption with facts and figures. In many cases they have no choice.

Charitable organizations need donations to fund their programs. And they need volunteers like you to help them keep positive social change in motion. To help you help others, we’ve put together a few ideas for how you can take number pressure off nonprofits in your community.

Events that Earn More
There’s a considerable risk involved in hosting a fundraising event. But for most nonprofits it’s a risk worth taking. Fundraisers not only raise much-needed money for charities, they also increase awareness about the good work they’re doing.

But in order for local organizations to get a return on their investment in fundraisers, they need numbers. A good showing at a charitable event will make the difference between a record-setting year and lost revenue. So help your nonprofit get its numbers up. Announce fundraisers you’re attending on Twitter or Facebook and invite friends and followers to join you. Call up your closest pals to see if they’ll come along. Send an email to coworkers spreading the word, and ask them to invite their own friends.

Donation Downpour
Without generous donations, the number of people at charitable events doesn’t matter anyway. Besides the number of attendees at their fundraisers nonprofits worry over the number of donation dollars earned. Friends who decline your invitation to fundraisers might still make a donation. When they say they can’t attend, politely ask if they’d contribute a donation anyway.

Supporters who are willing to stick their neck out and ask for donations from friends are immensely valuable to every nonprofit.

Volunteer Surge
When leaving your house, you probably go through a mental checklist for your keys, your wallet and other must-haves. But when heading out to volunteer, we suggest adding one more thing to your list of essentials: a friend. Your friend may enjoy him or herself enough to become a regular volunteer.

Recruiting volunteers can be a headache for many nonprofits, helping them out by recruiting volunteers on your own will take the weight off your favorite charity’s shoulders.

The number of people attending fundraisers, amounts of dollars raised and the volunteer count doesn’t have to stress your favorite nonprofit. Try out the tips above to give charities some breathing room.