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6. Use tangible goals to drive campaigns.

Do you need something specific in the short term, as an organization? Hold smaller, goal-specific fundraising events in which you directly ask patrons for what you need -- perhaps to get a new piece of lighting or effects equipment, or a vital set piece for an upcoming show.

If nothing obvious is coming to mind right now, see if you can find something. Goal-driven fundraising can be really powerful!


With this in mind, make a list of what your organization needs -- tangible elements -- and go after solving those problems item by item in your fundraising. Best of all, when you make your goal, you can thank your patrons for their incredible support, giving them a tangible sense of accomplishment. They didn't just 'support the arts' -- they helped your group get something it needed, something real and physical.

7. Ask for specifics

With your organization’s survival goals in mind, figure out how much you need for the coming year, and send out a letter asking for a specific amount of each person in the first quarter. State it simply: "If we get $9 from every single person who receives this letter, you will enable us to provide you with more great entertainment for the next 12 months." etc. This kind of precise goal-making enables people to know their small donations are making a difference, while inspiring still others to donate more, perhaps several multiples of that $9 per-person goal.

8. Make donors feel like insiders

Events don't have to be high-dollar, big production affairs. Many organizations do extremely well with a 'Behind the Scenes' or Backstage tour, in which you simply invite patrons to your venue before a dress rehearsal, talk about your group and its upcoming season in a brief intro, then give them a tour of the theatre and its backstage areas, culminating with some wine and a special viewing of the tech or dress rehearsal.

9. Know your patrons!

Which brings me to the next point: End the evenings of your special events with a questionnaire that asks attendees about their performing arts favorites and preferences, likes and dislikes, and updated contact information.

Put a simpler version of the questionnaire online for people to submit themselves. E-mail and mail a questionnaire to every new patron, and note, and file, the results. That information can help you to contact the musical theatre fans, for instance, about your upcoming production of Company, or to keep in touch with drama fans about your upcoming staging of The Crucible.

Those questionnaires can also provide wonderful marketing opportunities. Ask people why they love dance, or the theatre, or classical music. Ask them what moment changed their lives and made them fans. Those stories will inspire and surprise you, and can even be used as powerful marketing or fundraising tools, if the subject agrees – for instance, you might hold a brunch or dinner fundraising event in which you share some of those stories about why each of you loves the arts, and supports your organization.

10. Hold events where money never comes up.

And don't ask for money every time. Hold events for special past patrons in which money is never mentioned, in which you simply say, "We're doing this to thank you for being a part of our organization. You are part of what we do, and part of our success. This is our way of saying thanks." Better yet, have your performers close the evening with a song or dance of thanks.

11. Say thanks.

And don’t miss a single person. Do it eloquently and gracefully, or plainly and quickly, but whatever you do? Say thanks. And make sure you write personal thank-you notes to every single person who donates. You’d be surprised how deeply this simple gesture can touch people. It’s all about you taking the time to reach out, and show your appreciation to the people who are keeping your group going. Let them know how much their support means, and you’re strengthening that connection

Got your own advice, insights, or suggestions? Talk about your own successes in our forums!