How often do you ask your donors for money? Twice a month, more often or perhaps a little less?

Now how many times do you ask your donors for something other than money? Introducing new kinds of asks to your donors not only prevents them from feeling dollar fatigue but also helps them to feel more involved in your process and a few steps closer to the actual impact. And sometimes, making an action ask instead of a financial one can also work as an easier first step for a new donor’s relationship with you.

It pays to ask your donor for involvement outside the giving page, so we have listed several ways that you can do this below!

1. Offer free downloads. These free downloads can include anything from information about a cause you support, education on an issue, or an inside look at your organization. Ask your supporters to download, read and then share with others. These pieces could even be printable posters, flyers, social graphics, etc. that your audience can use to display around their homes and workplaces to showcase their support.

2. Ask for their stories. Getting your audience to share how they have been impacted by being a donor can be a powerful way to make them feel valued. Those stories can then work as inspiration for other people to get involved as well. You can even put some motivation behind your ask for stories by doing a donor spotlight of the month to thank your donors for being involved in your cause.

3. Start a social sharing campaign. Social sharing is all about getting your donors to be your advocates. The best way to do this is to make it super simple for them to participate while making the “why” behind it all compelling and powerful. Help your supporters to see the impact that their social shares will have. Just because you have a cool concept doesn’t mean people will be willing to participate; they have to believe that their actions are making a difference.

Build the campaign around a theme, like “share to make aware.” It’s important to have a landing page with downloadable graphics, helpful caption text and hashtags that make it incredibly easy for people to figure out what to say when they share the message and photos with their own online audience.   

4. Host contests. Contests make it even easier to motivate people to get involved with a campaign. For instance, you could do a contest where the prize goes to whoever introduces the most people to the organization. For something like this, make sure that you have a very informative landing page listing out all the details to the contest and steps people need to take in order to be involved. Make sure you tie in the impact of what these people are doing—don’t just make it about the prize, keep the mission and impact front of mind.

5. Request their feedback. Ask them to share their thoughts on how you can improve the organization and make your work even more impactful. You can do this through a survey, email communications, direct mail postcards and so much more. You can even create a live stream video where you engage viewers on the importance of their feedback and ask them to either comment on the stream or send feedback to a certain email address.

6. Ask them to host a fundraiser. Hosting a fundraiser could be anything from a kid’s lemonade stand to an engaged couple donating their wedding registry. It could even be a middle school basketball game donating all ticket sales or individuals donating their birthday parties. When asking your people to host a fundraiser, make sure you give them plenty of ideas for how they can do that. Get them brainstorming and allow them to choose what kind of fundraiser they do. With this type of participation, it’s also important to preface that any amount of dollars or resource raised makes a difference. Don’t include a minimum required amount of people to give, rather remind them that it’s the act and thought that counts the most.

Utilizing these creative avenues of donor involvement is not only good for your organization, but it’s also good for your donors. Providing your supporters with ways to be involved beyond their wallets and checkbooks helps them to feel needed and necessary even during the seasons of their lives when they can’t spare any dollars for your cause.

Do this and you’ll end up with loyal supporters and lifetime donors.