How to Get Donations: 12 Tactics That Work for Small Nonprofits

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Table of contents

• Why most donation requests fail (and how to fix yours)

• Donation methods at a glance: where small-org gifts actually come in

• Start with your story: how to craft a donation appeal that connects

• Be specific in your ask: how much to request and why

• Create urgency without sounding pushy

• Email and in-person scripts that get responses

• Social media donation asks: platform-by-platform tactics

• How to get donations from companies: a step-by-step approach

• Skip this for now: what doesn't pay off until you're bigger

• Keep every dollar: choosing a donation platform with zero fees

• Make giving easy and follow up like the contact info was a gift

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Why most donation requests fail (and how to fix yours)

The difference between a fundraiser that works and one that gets ignored is rarely the channel. It's the ask itself. Generic appeals ("please support our work") get skipped. Specific asks tied to a real story, sent to people who already know you, get answered.

Here's the part nobody tells the small-org founder: the sector-wide story is not "giving is falling." Per AFP and GivingTuesday's Fundraising Effectiveness Project, fundraising dollars grew 5.0% in 2025 and 3.5% in 2024. What has dropped every year since 2021 is the number of donors (down 3.6% in 2025 and 4.5% in 2024). Translation: fewer people are giving, but the ones who do give more. That's good news and bad news. Good: a small, warm list can carry you. Bad: cold acquisition is harder than ever, so the people you already know matter more.

The rest of this guide is the smallest viable version of each tactic. Pick what fits your week.

For a small nonprofit: stop trying to "diversify revenue streams" before you have one stream working. Get one specific ask out the door to 20 people who already know you. That's the win.

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Donation methods at a glance: where small-org gifts actually come in

Here's the menu of ways gifts can reach you. Most small orgs only need two or three of these. Pick the ones that match how your people already give.

• Online donation forms. The default. A simple, mobile-friendly form on your website where someone clicks "give" and is done in under a minute. This is where most asks should land.

• Mobile and text-to-give. A QR code on a flyer, a link in an Instagram bio, a text with a link. Same form, different surface.

• Peer-to-peer fundraising. Your supporters set up their own pages and ask their networks for you. Powerful when you have even three or four people willing to do it.

• Memberships. A monthly fee for ongoing access or community. Turns a one-time gift into recurring support.

• Raffles and lotteries. A ticket purchase with a prize at the end. Check your state rules first.

• Auctions. Silent or live bidding on donated items. Best when you already have a small audience that will show up.

• Ticketed events. A gala, a 5K, a community dinner. Tickets cover costs; the real ask happens at the event.

• In-person tap-to-pay. Take a card gift in the room with your phone, no card reader needed.

For a small nonprofit: start with the online form and one other channel that matches a real moment in your year. Skip the rest until you have a reason to add them.

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Start with your story: how to craft a donation appeal that connects

People give to people, not causes. Statistics don't move money. Stories do. Here's the rubric:

• 1. Lead with one person or one moment. Not "thousands of families." One family. One name (or a real composite with the name changed).

• 2. Show the problem and the solution. The problem alone is despair. The solution alone is a brochure. Both together is hope.

• 3. Make the donor the hero. The donor's gift is what makes the solution possible. Say so plainly.

Weak:

"We help women in our community access healthcare. Please donate."

Stronger:

"Last month, a woman named Maria walked into our clinic scared and out of options. Because of donors like you, she left with a prenatal plan, a referral, and someone who'll text her in three weeks to check in. $50 covers her next visit. Will you make sure the next Maria gets the same?"

For a small nonprofit: you do not need a brand voice or a copywriter. You need one true story, told plainly, with a real ask at the end. Write it the way you'd tell a friend.

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Be specific in your ask: how much to request and why

"Anything helps" is the most expensive sentence in fundraising. People freeze when they don't know what to give. Give them a number tied to an outcome.

• Suggested amounts on the form. Three or four preset levels plus an "other" field. Most small orgs do well with $25 / $50 / $100 / $250.

• Tie each amount to an outcome. "$50 covers one prenatal visit." "$100 sends one box of supplies." Concrete beats abstract every time.

• Anchor the ask in your email. Don't say "consider a gift." Say "would you give $100 today to fund one Maria visit?"

• Ask a real number, not a round one. $47 reads as calculated; $50 reads as guessed. For email asks to people you know, a specific dollar figure tied to a specific cost lands better.

For a small nonprofit: pick one outcome, price it, and put that price in every ask this quarter. Stop asking for "support." Ask for $50 for one specific thing.

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Create urgency without sounding pushy

Most founders we talk to self-censor here. They worry the ask "feels like begging." It doesn't, as long as the urgency is real. The fix is honesty about why now matters.

• Deadline-driven campaigns. "We need to raise $5,000 by Friday to keep the clinic open in March." If it's true, say it.

• Matching gift windows. "A donor will match every gift up to $2,500 until Sunday." Doubles the perceived impact of the next click.

• Seasonal moments. GivingTuesday (the Tuesday after US Thanksgiving) and year-end are real generosity moments. GivingTuesday alone moves billions globally and is recognized by donors who otherwise tune out asks.

• Limited-time challenges. "First 20 donors get a handwritten note from our founder." Costs you nothing. Works.

Example phrases that aren't pushy:

• "We're $1,200 short of keeping the program running through March. Can you close the gap?"

• "Today is the last day a board member is matching every gift, dollar for dollar."

• "This is the last email I'll send before year-end. If our work mattered to you in 2026, this is the moment."

For a small nonprofit: urgency is not a trick. It's just telling the truth about what's at stake this week. If nothing real is at stake, don't manufacture urgency. Wait until something is.

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Email and in-person scripts that get responses

Templates are commodity. The send is the differentiator. Pick the closest fit, swap the [BRACKETS], and send it from a real person's address to someone who actually knows that person.

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Template 1: Initial ask (email to a warm list)

Subject line options:

• A small ask, a real story

• [First name], can I tell you about Maria?

• $50 closes the gap this week

Hi [First name],

I don't write to ask often, but I'm asking today.

[One paragraph story: who, what happened, why it mattered. Three to four sentences.]

We're trying to raise $[amount] by [date] to [specific outcome]. A gift of $50 covers [one concrete thing].

Would you give $50 today? It takes about a minute here: [DONATION LINK]

Thank you for reading this far. Whatever you decide, it means a lot that you care.

[Your first name]

[Title], [Org]

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Template 2: Follow-up (three to five days later, to people who didn't give)

Hi [First name],

Quick follow-up on my note from [day]. We're at $[X] of $[goal], with [Y] days left.

If you've been meaning to give and the link got buried, here it is again: [DONATION LINK]

If now isn't the right moment, I get it. A reply with a kind word still helps more than you'd think.

[Your first name]

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Template 3: Thank-you that seeds the next gift

[First name] — thank you.

Your $[amount] covers [specific outcome]. Here's what that looks like: [one sentence of detail].

I'll send a short update in [60 / 90] days so you can see what your gift made possible. No more asks until then.

With real gratitude,

[Your first name]

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In-person script: asking at an event or meeting

When you have someone face to face who cares about the cause, the script is shorter than you think:

I'm so glad you came tonight. Can I ask you something directly? We're trying to raise $[X] by [date] for [specific outcome]. Would you consider a gift of $[specific amount]? I can take it right here on my phone if that's easier.

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Board member or major donor script

Thank you for what you already give to this work. I came today because I wanted to ask you in person, not by email. We're trying to raise $[X] by [date]. I was hoping you'd consider a lead gift of $[stretch amount] to set the pace for the rest of the campaign. Whatever you decide, I'm grateful you let me ask.

For a small nonprofit: the templates are not the work. The work is sending them from a real address to people who already know your name. Twenty real sends beat two thousand cold emails every time.

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Social media donation asks: platform-by-platform tactics

Honest callout: if you have no audience yet, generic social posts feel like begging because they basically are. Social shines when you already have warm relationships and want to remind people, not when you're trying to find strangers.

• Facebook. Best for older audiences and existing supporters. Long-form story posts with a real photo (not a graphic) outperform polished campaign creative. Post the link in the first comment if Facebook is suppressing your reach.

• Instagram. Stories beat the feed for asks. Use the link sticker. A 15-second founder selfie video saying "we're $1,200 short, here's why it matters" works better than a designed tile.

• TikTok. Only if you already have a personality on camera and a story that fits short-form. Otherwise skip.

• LinkedIn. Best for corporate, board, and professional networks. Frame asks as updates on impact, not pleas. Tag the people who helped.

Sample caption that works on any platform:

Quick one. We need to raise $5,000 by Friday to keep [program] running. $50 covers [outcome]. Link in bio. If you can't give, a share helps more than you'd think.

For a small nonprofit: social is a reminder channel, not an acquisition channel. Use it to nudge people who already opened your email. Don't expect strangers to show up.

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How to get donations from companies: a step-by-step approach

Corporate giving is real money if you target it right. 71% of surveyed employees say it's imperative or very important to work where the culture supports giving and volunteering (America's Charities Snapshot Employee Donor Research). Companies know this, and many have formal programs waiting for nonprofits to apply.

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Step 1: Identify aligned companies

Start with the companies your board members, volunteers, and donors already work at. Employee-tied giving is the easiest corporate dollar to unlock.

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Step 2: Know the four corporate giving types

• Matching gift programs. A company doubles (or more) what its employees donate. Often automated.

• Volunteer grants. The company gives a cash grant for every X hours an employee volunteers with you.

• Direct corporate grants. The company's foundation or community team funds nonprofits directly. Usually requires an application.

• Sponsorships. The company funds a specific event or program in exchange for visibility.

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Step 3: Target programs that actually exist

A starter list of well-known corporate giving programs to research:

• Microsoft Matching Gifts

• Google.org

• Salesforce Foundation

• Disney VoluntEARS

• The Coca-Cola Foundation

• Walmart Community Grants

• The Home Depot Foundation

For each, search the company name plus "matching gifts" or "community grants" to find the current application page. Eligibility and dollar caps change yearly, so always check the program page before you build a plan around it.

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Template: Corporate donation request letter

[Date]

[Recipient name]

[Title]

[Company]

[Address]

Dear [Recipient name],

I'm writing on behalf of [Org name], a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in [city] that [one-sentence mission].

This year, we'll [specific outcome / number served]. To do that, we're raising $[total] from individual donors, foundations, and aligned companies in our community.

I'd love to talk about whether [Company] would consider a [grant / sponsorship / matching gift partnership] of $[amount] for our [specific program]. In return, your company would receive [recognition / volunteer engagement opportunity / impact report].

I know your team gets many requests. I'll keep it short: our work aligns with [Company's stated giving priority, e.g. "your community education focus"] because [one sentence].

Could we find 20 minutes in the next two weeks? I'm at [phone] and [email].

Thank you for considering us.

[Your name]

[Title], [Org]

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For a small nonprofit: the fastest corporate dollar is a matching gift on a donation your board member already made at work. Ask every donor "does your employer match?" in the thank-you email. That's the unlock.

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Skip this for now: what doesn't pay off until you're bigger

An honest list of tactics every "how to get donations" article tells you to do that probably will not pay off for an org under $1M:

• Cold foundation grants. One real story we hear often: 15 grant applications over three years, zero hits. Foundations fund organizations they already know. Until you have a track record and a relationship, the time spent writing cold applications would raise more if spent calling donors. When you're ready, here's our guide to foundation grants for nonprofits.

• Multi-channel campaign calendars. If you don't have a person whose job is to run them, they become guilt. Pick one channel and do it well.

• Major-donor portfolios with stewardship plans. You don't have a portfolio yet. You have a few generous people. Treat them like friends, not assets.

• "Diversifying revenue streams" before one stream works. Get the online donation form humming first. Add the second stream when the first one is reliable.

• Paid social ads to acquire new donors. Costs more than it raises at small scale almost every time.

For a small nonprofit: the textbook playbook will burn you out before it funds you. Do the smallest version of three things well. Add a fourth only when the first three run on autopilot.

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Keep every dollar: choosing a donation platform with zero fees

You did the hard work to get the ask in front of a real person. Then the platform takes a cut. On a $50 gift, that cut is often $1 to $1.50. On $10,000 raised, it can be $200 to $300 quietly skimmed before the money reaches you.

Here's how the common options compare on a typical $50 individual gift. Zeffy is used by 100K+ nonprofits and has helped raise $2B+ for causes across North America:

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Numbers assume a $50 average gift and current nonprofit-rate fee schedules; confirm with each provider before relying on the math.

Zeffy is the only zero-fee, nonprofit-native option in this comparison. The canonical anchor: no platform fee, no transaction fee, no credit card fee. Ever. The Society for Arts and Technology (SAT) ran their very first annual fundraising campaign on Zeffy and the result speaks for itself:

Prior to 2021, SAT was soliciting very few donations annually. With Zeffy's unique payout method that allows us to keep 100% of our donations, we started our very first annual fundraising campaign. Zeffy has been an essential partner in the success of our campaigns. In one year, we raised over $100,000 in donations!
— Jean-Philippe Alepins, Director of Public and Private Finance at the Society for Arts and Technology

For a small nonprofit: a $300 fee leak on $10,000 raised is not a rounding error. It's a program supply line or a month of software. Pick the platform that doesn't take it.

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Make giving easy and follow up like the contact info was a gift

The donation page is the moment of truth. The follow-up is what turns a one-time gift into a relationship. Treat the donor's contact info the way it deserves to be treated: as something they gave you.

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Donation page best practices

• Mobile-first. If it doesn't work cleanly on a phone, it doesn't work.

• Minimal form fields. Name, email, card. Anything else is friction.

• Suggested amounts plus a custom field. Three or four preset levels.

• Recurring toggle on the same form. Let donors switch a one-time gift to monthly in one click. This is how you turn one-time gifts into monthly support.

• Trust signals. Your logo, a tax-deductible note, what 100% of the gift covers.

• Auto-tax-receipt at the moment of the gift. Donors expect it instantly. Zeffy sends it automatically.

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How Peak Women's Care raised more than $721,000 with a simple 3-step strategy

Peak Women's Care is a nonprofit serving women navigating unplanned pregnancies. They turned to Zeffy in October 2023 and by early 2024 had raised over $721,000 for the cause while saving more than $36,000 in hidden fees other platforms would have taken. Their playbook is three things, none of them clever:

• 1. A "Donate" button impossible to miss. Main navigation, page header, mid-page, footer. A donor never has to hunt.

• 2. Emotional, specific appeals. Every call to action sits next to language that ties the gift to a real outcome for a real woman.

• 3. An invitation to stay in touch. Even visitors who don't give get asked to join the newsletter. Today's reader is next year's donor.

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Follow-up: the 30-60-90 cycle

• Within 24 hours: auto-receipt plus a personal-feeling thank-you that names the campaign and the outcome the gift funded.

• 30 days: impact update. "Here's what your $50 did." One photo, two sentences.

• 60 days: a softer touch. A handwritten note, a beneficiary message, or a short video from your founder. No ask.

• 90 days: the report-and-repeat. Show progress against the goal, then invite them to give again or upgrade to monthly.

To run this without a spreadsheet that breaks, you need somewhere to track who you asked and what they pledged. A small org doesn't need Salesforce. It needs a clean list of donors, gifts, and the last time you said thank you.

For more on the channel mechanics behind this, see our guides on accepting donations online, digital fundraising for nonprofits, and building a fundraising plan. When you're ready to grow major gifts, our piece on major donor acquisition picks up where this guide ends.

For a small nonprofit: the contact info a donor gave you is the most valuable thing on your computer. Treat it like a gift. Send the thank-you. Send the update. Ask again when there's a real reason to.

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FAQs about getting donations

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