A tribute donation could be the most personal gift received by a nonprofit. When someone gives in honor, memory, or support of someone or something, there’s a deep connection between the donor and the gift’s namesake, as well as the nonprofit.
In many cases, the donor has been directly impacted in some way by the nonprofit’s mission. They’ve been on a journey from pain to healing, despair to hope, or danger to safety. And they want others facing similar circumstances to receive the support they need.
A tribute donation, whether a monetary gift, a brick in a pathway, a bench in a park, or a new facility, is usually made privately. The motivation is to honor someone or something special and support the nonprofit’s mission, not to receive recognition or credit. Of course, the donor will receive a big “thank you,” but the acknowledgement, like the gift, is typically kept private.
Think about how the nonprofit could benefit if tribute donations were shared publicly. The gift amount would remain private, but the donor would have the choice – remain anonymous or share their name publicly. Whichever is chosen, making your supporters aware of these highly personal gifts can inspire others to make similar impactful contributions.
Here are three ways to use tribute donations to build a culture of giving among your small nonprofit’s supporters.
1) Make tribute donations a standard giving option.
Include tribute donations on your website’s “donate” page and in your donor emails, newsletters, and other communications. Talk about tribute donations at fundraising events. This is a simple way to build awareness and make it easy for someone to make a tribute donation! You can then track tribute donations in your donor database and cultivate those donor relationships.
2) Create a campaign focused on tribute donations.
In addition to encouraging people to make donations in honor or in memory of someone, you can request gifts of encouragement, inspiration, and support. Show why these types of gifts are needed, appreciated, and valued.
Keep in mind that that they don’t have to be large gifts. Tribute donations could be $5 shoutouts to people who are going through a rough patch or celebrating a birthday! Your donors love knowing their gifts will support a person or a specific program or event that aligns with their passions.
3) Share the stories of the donor, the honoree, and the impact.
Why did the donor, who might remain anonymous, or not, choose to honor or remember someone with a gift? What is the connection between the donor or recipient and your nonprofit? Did they benefit from your services? Were they an active volunteer at some point? Do they have a history with your nonprofit? What’s the story behind the gift? How has that gift made a difference?
There’s an excellent chance that someone will be able to relate or feel a connection to one of these stories and make a tribute donation of their own. Your monthly newsletter, website or social media posts are the perfect outlets to share these stories and encourage others to do the same.
How Tribute Donations Cultivate a Culture of Giving
When you make tribute donations a standard giving option, create tribute campaigns, and share the stories behind the gifts, tribute donations become something that people just do. Tribute donations become the go-to way of donating, while remaining highly personal and special to each individual donor.
When you honor or remember someone, it touches people. It’s very moving. The more you model this behavior, the more people will see and appreciate the close connection with your nonprofit. They’ll be more likely to engage and become a part of your nonprofit – an organization driven by a culture of giving.
