Project Person // Primer #11

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When Kitti started Refuge Coffee Co., she had no real experience in fundraising or running a non-profit. But she was (/has always been!) great at rallying people together, and that has served Refuge well. They’ve raised millions of dollars in the ten years it’s been in operation, mostly through individual gifts. 

The following is a list of observations I’ve made watching Refuge and others raise money in scrappy ways (ie. not with grant writers or foundation gifts). 

*If you’re running a for-profit business, I’d challenge you to think through this list with sales/customers in mind in place of donations/donors. The advice still tracks! 

🚨 I’d be remiss if I didn’t put some of this in practice. I’d love to see if this email list could raise some money for Refuge Coffee Co! Think we could raise at least $1000?!

This money will be used towards English classes and other educational opportunities for their barista trainees. $1000 = one semester of English classes for ten of their team members!

 You can make a donation here. Just write “Project Person” in the comment section, and I’ll report back on our progress in the next email.

→ Donors are more likely to give to a specific goal. 

This is why Kickstarters are so successful—there’s a clearly outlined goal, with high stakes! There’s a deadline, and in the case of Kickstarters specifically, all-is-lost if they don’t meet the goal in that timeframe. 

So, to start, clearly outline… 

• the mission: what problem are you solving?

• your solution: how are you uniquely solving that problem?

• how funds can help: where exactly will the money go?

• where to donate. 

Refuge has created a simple card that outlines these four questions succinctly, and they use these instead of business cards. They can be handed out at catering events, at their shops, or in follow-ups to personal conversations. 

Beyond just general fundraising, try to get really specific for a campaign. For example, let “Donate to Refuge!” become “Help us raise $100,000 for a new coffee truck, so we can employ three more trainees each year!” 

And consider breaking it down even further. How can you get to that $100,000? Help donors see how their contribution can help. 

“We can easily get to our goal of $100,000 if we raise: 

• Fifty $100 donations 

• Fifty $500 donations 

• Twenty $1,000 donations

• Five $5,000 donations

• One $25,000 donation 

These can be one time gifts or can be split into twelve monthly payments!”

Canopy Life International (hi Christi!) does this exceptionally well. They even put together this “Giving Guide” each year, explaining where funds go.  

And, here’s an example of a specific campaign at my friend Chelsea’s non-profit, Mother’s Advocacy Project, as she tries to raise $200,000 for a new space. 

→ It’s way more compelling if that goal is positive. 

It can be tempting to say something like, “We won’t make it if we don’t raise $X!”, but donors want to see momentum. They want to know that others believe in what you’re doing. Turn “We are $20,000 short of our budget” into “With $20,000, we can serve 20 new families!” 

If you have a dependable donor or an incoming donation, see if you can use that to kickstart a campaign. Sharing a $100,000 campaign that already has $10,000 donated on day one shows that the goal is possible! 

→ Email is not the only way to ask for donations (and neither is social media).

Pick up the phone! You could do an old-fashioned phone call, send a text message, or even consider texting over a voice note. For the voice note: share a quick personalized hello and an update on what you’re doing, then give the ask and say you’ll follow up with a text with more info. You can then send a link that outlines the campaign and shares where to give. 

Meetings are obviously helpful too, especially for big donations, but people are busy! And especially post-COVID, people may continue to put-off or reschedule a meeting. Try to meet people where they are (which may be in the text section of their phone). 

→ If possible, invite donors to experience your work.

Is there a project they could do at your facility? Could they speak to a group of your trainees/mentees? How could they volunteer in a way where they really get to experience your mission in action? Or, is there a way they could help you and your team operationally—advice about marketing, operations, or some other specific skill they have?

As the saying goes: “Ask for money, and you’ll get advice. But ask for advice, and you’ll get money.”

→ Commitments remove friction and ensure stability. 

Consider an easy and compelling way for someone to give monthly, via an automatically debited donation. Refuge has what they call “The Cortado Club”, which just formalizes their monthly donor base. 

Refuge has even had donors commit to bigger annual donations (ie. “We will give you $20,000 a year for the next three years”) which has been incredibly helpful as they plan.

→ Donors are like investors, so treat them as such. 

Report back. Thank them. On a strictly logistical note, track them well. (This can be done on a spreadsheet at first and then in a Donor Relationship Management software or CRM.)

Donors want to see that the money they “invested” was well-spent.

What’s your one favorite stat, something that shows direct impact? Promise 686 is a non-profit I love that supports vulnerable children, largely through a Family Advocacy Ministry and Care Communities that support biological, foster, and adoptive families in-need. This stat drives my belief in the organization: The national average of families who continue fostering after their first year is about 50%, but when supported by a FAM and its Care Communities, 90% continue fostering into a second year.

Give metrics, yes, but also share personal stories of impact. How was a real human being changed because of a donation’s impact? 

Sharing stories of impact can be tricky, though, as you don’t want to tokenize or exploit anyone your organization has served. I love how Kula Project acknowledges this tension (and shares beautiful stories) on their website here. 

Impact Reports or other fancy documents outlining donation impact are beautiful, but you can also send super simple and personalized notes along the way. Consider a text or hand-written card that shares an update in real time. Example: “We just hired our 50th trainee today, and I just wanted to thank you for your role in making that happen.” 

🚨 Will you help us raise (at least!) $1000 for Refuge? You can make a donation here. This money will be used towards English classes and other training opportunities for their barista trainees.

Just write “Project Person” in the comment section, and I’ll report back on our progress in the next email!

 🪩 Meet Your Fellow Email Subscribers 🪩

Jason Ivany, the founder of Ambient + Studio. Jason/Ambient hosted one of my favorite Big Fake Wedding events of all-time (back when flash mobs were a thing) and is constantly innovating the studio, which is used for weddings, events, photoshoots, movies... 

Katie Mallet, the founder of Make + Do. Katie offers both virtual and in-person creative workshops for teams, serving clients like Pinterest and Yamaha, with workshops like wreath-, candle-, and charcuterie board-making!

Next week, I’ll share a profile of my business partner, a guy who worked for some of Atlanta’s most iconic companies before a COVID layoff led him to start his own*. Stay tuned!

(*iconic?! TBD)