In India, where over 732 million people are online, digital fundraising presents immense opportunities. Yet, many nonprofits are hesitant — limited by budgets, technological unfamiliarity, or operational inertia. In today’s landscape, such reluctance is a strategic risk. Digital fluency is fast becoming a critical enabler of sustainability and impact.

The Fundraising Cycle: Enhancing Each Stage with Technology

A simple tool to understand fundraising is the fundraising cycle, which decodes fundraising as separate but interdependent processes: identifying potential donors, cultivating relationships, making the ask, managing donor communication and ensuring donor retention. Technology now streamlines each of these steps, making the process faster, smarter, and more personal.

Identifying the Right Donors: Beyond Guesswork

Finding aligned donors is the starting point. Traditional cold calls are giving way to smarter, data-led approaches. Tools like Candid’s India Funders Database and Tamuku’s grant alerts help discover funders already supporting similar causes. Apollo.io and Lusha provide verified contact data, while LinkedIn offers insights into philanthropic trends and networks.

AI tools now allow for deeper prospecting. By analysing the funders of peer organisations, AI can surface potential donors likely to resonate with your mission. It can even scan donor websites to detect frequently used language and values, allowing you to echo their tone and priorities in your outreach. This level of personalisation boosts alignment and improves response rates.

Building Relationships: The Power of Personalisation

Once potential donors are identified, cultivating meaningful relationships is crucial. In an era of hyper-personalised content, generic emails fall flat. Tools like Otter.ai and Fireflies.ai transcribe and summarise conversations, capturing donor preferences and concerns. Platforms such as ChatGPT or Jasper.ai can craft custom proposals and emails that reflect a donor’s tone and communication style.

Video adds another layer of connection. Tools like HeyGen and Synthesia generate multilingual, personalised thank-you videos—sometimes with AI avatars addressing donors directly. More humanised video platforms like Loom or Bonjoro enable asynchronous messages that deepen emotional connection.

CRM softwares like Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud, Bloomerang, or Kindful track donor data, enabling personalised communication journeys based on giving history, interests, and interactions. These tools help nonprofits foster long-term, trust-based relationships.

Making the Ask: Strategic, Story-Driven Outreach

The moment of asking for support must be compelling, timely, and strategic. Crowdfunding platforms like Milaap and Ketto lead the way on seamless payment systems. AI can assist in refining proposals — ChatGPT helps craft persuasive narratives. However, context matters. When the Reserve Bank of India introduced new rules for recurring payments in 2021, many nonprofits saw donor drop-offs. Digital strategies must align with local regulations and donor habits.

Stewardship: Making Donors Feel Truly Valued

The act of giving marks the beginning — not the end — of the donor relationship. Stewardship involves thoughtful follow-ups and transparent communication. CRMs like Revolution CRM track donor history and preferences, enabling timely and relevant updates.

AI tools like Predis.ai help automate personalised impact reports, saving time while keeping donors informed. Even a short, mobile-shot video showing on-ground impact can go a long way in reinforcing donor trust and emotional connection.

Retention: From One-Time Donors to Lifelong Advocates

The final, and often most underestimated, phase is retention. Why do some donors give once and disengage, while others stay connected for years? The key lies in creating a sense of belonging. Exclusive updates, invitations to virtual town halls, or even a handwritten note can make all the difference. AI can also help by flagging patterns of disengagement, enabling timely re-engagement strategies tailored to individual donor behaviour.

The Road Ahead: Integrating Technology with Human Connection

Ultimately, while digital tools offer unprecedented capabilities, fundraising remains a human-centred effort. People give to people and causes they believe in. Technology should amplify — not replace — these relationships.

For nonprofits, the question is no longer whether to adopt digital fundraising, but how. Those who integrate smart tools with genuine connection will not only survive but thrive in this new era. With a single social media post capable of sparking a movement, the power to drive change has never been more accessible.

About the Author

Aashi Sengar
Associate – Communications and Marketing

Aashi Sengar is a dynamic communications professional with a Master’s in Mass Communication from Pondicherry University and a Bachelor’s in English from the University of Delhi. Her diverse skill set spans content management, digital media creation, graphic design, and social media strategy. Her love for storytelling was sparked by her avid reading habit, which has been a constant companion throughout her life. This passion for narratives led her to pursue a career in communications, where she could weave stories that resonate with diverse audiences.

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But the reality? It’s far less sci-fi and way more spreadsheet. At the India Fundraising Conference (IFRC 2024), Ekhlaque Bari, founder and CEO XDotO, opened the conversation on AI with a bang, calling out the fear many of us feel around the tech. He shared that the future is less about humans vs AI than it’s about humans with AI vs humans without AI.

Why AI Matters in Fundraising

Fundraising is one of the most multifaceted and resource-intensive functions in any nonprofit organisation. With typically lean teams and leaner budgets, fundraisers are responsible for everything from researching potential donors to crafting proposals, managing outreach, and maintaining ongoing donor relationships.

AI has the potential to support each of these tasks, helping fundraisers work more efficiently and strategically. Used effectively, it can:

• Draft and personalise donor communications
• Research prospects using specific parameters (such as sector, giving history, or income)
• Analyse survey results and donor behaviour
• Generate tailored proposals
• Assist in identifying and prioritising new donor opportunities

Rather than replacing the human element, AI augments what fundraisers already do best – building relationships, telling stories, and creating meaningful impact. Building on thoughtful usage of artificial intelligence can be a game-changer for fundraisers.

To fully leverage AI, it’s helpful to distinguish between traditional and Generative AI. While traditional AI works with structured data (like spreadsheets), generative AI can understand and produce content from unstructured inputs, such as text, images, or even audio.

This makes it especially useful for communication-focused tasks. For example, tools like ChatGPT can provide a first draft of a donor report or event summary, which can then be reviewed and refined by a human team member to ensure tone, accuracy, and authenticity.

Also Read: Fundraisers Congregate at the India Fundraising Conference

How to Get the Best Results from AI Tools

While talk of using AI is manifold, users are often not clear on how exactly to use generative AI in their daily tasks. The first step to take is sharpening our prompts on the various AI platforms. Nick Scott, Director, The Centre for Responsible Union AI, shared a useful framework at IFRC 2024 for making AI prompts more effective. His six-step approach includes:

1. Role – Specify who the AI should act as (e.g., an experienced grant writer, a major gifts officer)
2. Goal – Clearly state the objective of the task
3. Expertise – Indicate the skills or background knowledge required
4. How – Suggest a structure or methodology for the response
5. Personalise – Include context such as the organisation’s tone or branding
6. Limits – Highlight any constraints or things to avoid

Ekhlaque Bari also offered a practical acronym structure to remember: PROMPT

• Prequel: Context for the task
• Report Format: Preferred output format (e.g., slide deck, bullets, CSV)
• Objective: What you’re trying to achieve
• Me: Your identity or role
• Persona: The role the AI is assuming
• Task: The specific assignment or action

This kind of prompt engineering helps generate more accurate and relevant responses – especially useful when working on time-sensitive or high-impact tasks.

One of the most promising applications of AI in fundraising is in donor stewardship. According to Josh Hirsch, Education and Training Strategist at Fundraise UP, sentiment analysis is emerging as a valuable tool to assess how donors feel about their interactions with an organisation.

By analysing donor emails, survey responses, and social media engagement, AI tools can help identify donors who are highly engaged or at risk of disengaging and personalise communications based on interests or past behaviour. It can also help respond proactively to donor concerns.

This deeper understanding allows organisations to build more responsive and human-centred donor relationships at scale.

Recommended Tools for Fundraisers

Here are a few AI-powered tools currently supporting nonprofit professionals:

• ChatGPT (Pro) – Draft communications, summarise reports, analyse documents
• Otter AI – Transcribe meetings with action points
• Perplexity – Research tool with reliable, cited sources
• HeyGen – Create videos from text
• DALL-E 3 – Generate images from prompts
• Opus – Turn long-form videos into short, shareable clips

These tools can significantly reduce manual workload and free up time for strategic thinking and relationship building.

Ethics and Transparency in AI Use

With the far-ranging benefits of AI, using AI responsibly is essential. Nonprofits should develop clear policies around AI usage, especially when handling donor data. This includes being transparent about how data is collected and used, respecting donor privacy and confidentiality and ensuring all AI-generated content is reviewed before being shared externally. Informing donors about AI-supported processes fosters trust and demonstrates a commitment to ethical practice.

While AI can streamline many aspects of fundraising, it also comes with potential risks.

• Low Risk – Internal content creation using public data, with human review
• Moderate Risk – Content using internal data for limited external use
• High Risk – Content involving donor data or public release without sufficient oversight It is important to always apply critical thinking and human judgment, especially when working with sensitive or external-facing content.

AI is still fairly new and its larger impact on the world is part of many ongoing debates. Like with everything else, it’s good to tread with caution. However, as a new technology, we must also embrace it as a part of our work culture. By leveraging AI for your fundraising effort for the many mundane and laborious tasks, you can free up your bandwidth for more exciting things like donor conversations, pitching and meetings. Embracing AI doesn’t mean letting go of the personal touch. It means working smarter, staying ahead of the curve, and enhancing the work you already do. With thoughtful integration and a strong ethical framework, AI can be a powerful ally in advancing your mission.

Just like the headline, it’s still the sidekick, you are the main lead!

About the Author

Vishakha Singh
Program Manager – Centre of Excellence for Fundraising

Vishakha Singh is a development sector professional with over five years of experience in experiential learning, government partnerships, and fundraising. She has worked with the Piramal Foundation across Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, collaborating with government stakeholders in education and health. Her most fulfilling role was mentoring Gandhi Fellows. Previously, she was a senior associate, fundraising at The Antara Foundation, focusing on maternal health. A Lucknow native with a passion for academics, Vishakha has also been actively involved in college theatre, performing street and stage plays across universities.

The post Fundraising with a Digital Sidekick: How AI is Changing the Game appeared first on India Leaders for Social Sector.

We, at the ILSS Centre of Excellence for Fundraising are constantly trying to create an ecosystem for this small community of fundraisers which allows them to find the elusive balance and support they need.

To meet this objective, we host the annual India Fundraising Conference (IFRC). If you’re a fundraising professional, a leader in the social sector, a philanthropist, or a corporate CSR team member, attending this conference is an opportunity to address these challenges head-on.

Building Capacity in the Social Sector

India Leaders for Social Sector (ILSS) has long been committed to building capacity in the social sector, and our flagship The ILSS Fundraising Program is a testament to this mission. A first-of-its-kind program, this three-month intensive program provides in-depth training on everything from developing the right fundraising mindset to crafting compelling fundraising collaterals. Through this program, we attempt to offer a platform for professionals to connect with leaders in the field, engage in contextual study, and gain invaluable knowledge that can transform the way you approach fundraising.

The Growth of the Fundraising Conference

What began as a biennial event has evolved into an annual gathering that continues to grow in both scope and impact. The India Fundraising Conference (IFRC), launched in 2020, saw its most recent edition in 2024 in partnership with The Resource Alliance. This collaboration brought global perspectives on fundraising to the table, highlighting the latest trends and strategies through masterclasses led by international experts. The event attracted over 300 leaders and professionals from across India and beyond, demonstrating the immense need for such a platform.

Building on the success of the 2024 event, IFRC 2025 promises to expand its reach and impact, making it an unmissable opportunity for those in the fundraising ecosystem. Set to take place on 5-6 February 2025 at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi, this year’s conference will bring together over 500 key stakeholders, including fundraising professionals, nonprofit leaders, philanthropists, donors, CSR teams, and more.

IFRC 2025: The Vision

The conference is designed to celebrate fundraising as a critical driver of social impact and to spotlight fundraisers as the agents of change that they are. It aims to foster connections, share innovative fundraising approaches, and equip attendees with the skills necessary to raise funds effectively. Key objectives include:

• Building expertise in various fundraising techniques and strategies
• Fostering connections among leaders across the social sector
• Showcasing innovative fundraising approaches from around the world
• Creating dialogue for catalytic, transparent, and equitable funding partnerships

Engaging Themes and Practical Learning

The IFRC 2025 will explore essential themes that directly impact the fundraising landscape today, such as:

• Leveraging technology to increase organisational efficiency and overcome fundraising challenges
• Building data literacy within nonprofit organisations and adopting data-driven fundraising approaches
• Unlocking individual giving, one of the fastest-growing funding channels, to foster long-term financial resilience
• Brand building to ensure credibility and visibility of your organisation’s work
• Strengthening trust, transparency, and accountability in long-term funder-grantee relationships
• Innovative philanthropy beyond traditional giving to create sustainable social change

With a variety of formats — keynote addresses, panel discussions, workshops, Ted-style talks, a Pitch Fest, and structured networking opportunities — the conference will provide something for everyone. These formats will offer practical, actionable insights and foster meaningful interactions with experts, donors, and fellow professionals.

Networking and Collaboration

One of the key highlights of the conference is the opportunity to engage in structured networking. Fundraising is inherently relational, and those who succeed in this field recognise the importance of building genuine connections. The IFRC 2025 offers a chance to engage with a diverse group of stakeholders, discuss shared challenges, and explore potential collaborations that can drive meaningful change.

Why Attend?

In the social sector, effective fundraising extends beyond simply requesting support — it’s about fostering relationships, demonstrating tangible impact, and building trust. At the IndiaFundraising Conference 2025, you’ll have access to valuable tools, strategies, and connections to refine your fundraising efforts.

Whether you’re a fundraiser looking to enhance your approach, a nonprofit leader seeking to better align with donor expectations, or a philanthropist exploring more impactful ways to contribute, this conference offers insights tailored to your needs.

By attending IFRC 2025, you’ll gain not only knowledge and skills but also a deeper connection to a forward-thinking community dedicated to creating sustainable change in the social sector. Join us for this enriching event and explore how to elevate your work and amplify the impact of the causes you care about.

About the Author

Vishakha Singh
Program Manager – Centre of Excellence for Fundraising

Vishakha Singh is a development sector professional with over five years of experience in experiential learning, government partnerships, and fundraising. She has worked with the Piramal Foundation across Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, collaborating with government stakeholders in education and health. Her most fulfilling role was mentoring Gandhi Fellows. Previously, she was a senior associate, fundraising at The Antara Foundation, focusing on maternal health. A Lucknow native with a passion for academics, Vishakha has also been actively involved in college theatre, performing street and stage plays across universities.

The post Fundraisers Congregate at the India Fundraising Conference! appeared first on India Leaders for Social Sector.

Amidst resource constraints, nonprofits often undervalue individual donors due to challenges in accessing, converting, and engaging them.

Regularly accessing, converting and engaging individual donors amidst resource constraints are primary challenges for nonprofit organisations, leading them to undervalue this channel of giving. However, the advantages of individual donations are too high to not address these challenges. Cultivating individual donors is worthwhile as they largely provide broad-based support which allows nonprofits to grow, adapt, and maintain the autonomy necessary to pursue their mission without the constraints that sometimes accompany large-scale institutional grants. Secondly, decision-making is faster for individual donors than for institutional funders. Finally, if an individual donor converts to a champion of your work, the giving can potentially be multigenerational.

Around 31% of surveyed households in CSIP’s How India Gives report indicated ‘nobody approached for support’ as the reason for not giving. This is an indicator that better awareness is key to unlocking more individual donations for the sector. Digital platforms like email, social media, and WhatsApp can help unlock individual giving by providing easy access to potential donors. Most people likely to give are already online, making it easier to reach, engage, and inspire contributions. With some investment in marketing, organisations can build visibility for their work, circumventing their challenges around access and engagement.

Collective Fundraising

A golden opportunity for organisations to catalyse individual giving is by leveraging structured giving campaigns open to the social sector at large. These are usually positioned around ‘giving moments’ or culturally and socially relevant occasions when people are primed to give. In India, Daan Utsav (the Joy of Giving Week), celebrated from 2 to 8 October every year, has become a major national movement for giving. Whether it’s individuals donating to their favourite cause or entire communities participating in acts of kindness, the week encourages people to give, volunteer, and support social causes in diverse ways. Similarly, global movements like Giving Tuesday have gained traction in India. GivingTuesday is held annually between 27 November and 3 December, five days after the Thanksgiving holiday in the US and has been able to mobilise USD 13 billion since its launch in 2012.

These moments tap into a collective spirit of generosity, amplifying participation and making it easier for nonprofits to engage new donors. They act as powerful levers for mobilising widespread support and present a crucial opportunity for nonprofits to build awareness, create emotional connections, and encourage first-time donors to step forward.

Most importantly, these are resource-efficient ways for organisations to reach a large number of people to build visibility and raise funds for their cause. These campaigns provide centralised resources for marketing which reduces individual marketing costs for participating organisations. They also streamline the planning and execution of the campaign, informed by best practices from previous campaigns, reducing efforts towards this.

Crafting Communication to Encourage Giving

“Individual giving is largely driven by the desire to give back or ease guilt.”

Individual giving is driven by personal motivations primary among them being the desire to give back or consciousness of guilt. To effectively engage people in giving, particularly during moments like Daan Utsav or Giving Tuesday, nonprofits must appeal to both the emotions and the subconscious inclinations that drive decision-making.

Driving Emotional Engagement

“Authentic, transparent communication about how funds are spent is key to inspiring trust, a crucial factor in driving donations.”

Science shows that the decision to donate is primarily emotional with people more likely to act when emotionally engaged. This can be achieved through compelling storytelling. Research indicates that people are twice as likely to donate to an identifiable individual than to abstract figures, making this approach particularly effective. Emotion-driven storytelling around transformative change resonates more deeply than statistics alone. For example, the #HelpIndiaBreathe campaign, which focused on providing oxygen support during the COVID-19 crisis, successfully used emotional storytelling to highlight the urgent needs of patients, driving significant donor engagement. Finally, your communication must be authentic and transparent in informing the audience on how their money will be spent. The ability to inspire trust has been found to be most important to determine giving.

Anchoring Your Ask

When creating donor asks, it’s important to think carefully about structuring the ask for donations. One useful consideration is the ‘Goldilocks effect’, which refers to the tendency people have to choose a middle option when given several choices. In simple terms, donors are likely to pick an amount that feels ‘just right’ — not too small or too large. For example, if you offer options like ₹100, ₹150, and ₹300, many will choose ₹150. Keeping this in mind, it can be useful to share the average amount donated by an individual. People are sensitive to information about the generosity of others and are likely to donate amounts in the same ballpark.

Utilising Aversion to Loss

Emphasising the tax benefits people might miss out on if they don’t act can trigger a natural aversion to loss, encouraging them to make a donation. This approach has been heavily used in creatives by CRY (Child Rights and You), emphasising the financial advantages of giving, particularly at the end of the financial year.

Leveraging Social Proof

Offline, people are more likely to add to a non-empty donation box than an empty one. Similarly, people are more likely to give online if they see other people giving. Testimonials from people genuinely invested in the mission resonate deeply with the audience. This helps people feel a sense of belonging with a community of givers encouraging them to join in. Testimonials from past donors, influencers, or celebrities can also be useful. While selecting public figures for endorsing a cause, it is essential to ensure that their presence lends credibility to the work and there is authentic alignment between the individual’s motivation and your cause. The US-based Society for Nonprofits provides research-based tips and traps to ensure the effectiveness of celebrity endorsements.

Also Read: Storytelling for Fundraising

In conclusion, unlocking the potential of individual giving is not just an opportunity for the social sector—it is an imperative. As India’s philanthropic landscape evolves, nonprofits must move beyond traditional funding channels and embrace strategies that tap into the vast pool of individual donors. Organisations that have never run fundraising campaigns can start with collective platforms which provide the required structure. These platforms are also critical for the sector at large to accelerate the transition of this channel of giving from informal to formal. In the long term, this focus can transform individual giving into a powerful, sustainable source of support that fuels the social sector and drives long-term impact.

About the Author

Meenal Manolika
Senior Program Manager

Meenal Manolika is a social sector professional leading projects focused on capacity building, strengthening communities, and knowledge dissemination, with emphasis on fundraising for social change and advancing gender equity. At ILSS, she works with the Centre of Excellence – Fundraising, leading the India Fundraising Conference and developing knowledge resources to strengthen fundraising capabilities in the sector. Previously, she was with Sangat, a South Asian feminist network, where she designed and implemented capacity-building programs, campaigns, and cultural interventions for gender justice. Meenal holds a Bachelor of Engineering from BIT, Mesra and has worked as a software engineer for Verizon Data Services India. She has also been a Young India Fellow (2015-16) at Ashoka University.

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Understanding the Nature of Major Donor Fundraising

The foundation of major donor fundraising rests on cultivating relationships with individuals who possess both the financial capacity and the inclination to make substantial contributions. This approach to fundraising diverges from traditional methods that prioritise transactions over interpersonal connections. Major donor fundraising instead emphasises establishing deep, personal bonds with potential donors. It is important to note that there is no predetermined threshold for a ‘major gift,’ which varies depending on the organisation’s fundraising goals and objectives.

Collaborative Approach

Achieving successful major donor fundraising necessitates collaborative efforts across multiple levels of an organisation. This collaborative effort involves the CEO, board of trustees, major gift officers, and administrative staff, each critical in cultivating and stewarding relationships with major donors. Nonprofits can effectively engage major donors by fostering a culture of philanthropy throughout the organisation and leveraging the collective efforts of their team. This approach allows nonprofits to maximise their fundraising potential and achieve philanthropic goals.

Relationship Building

Cultivating strong relationships with major donors is crucial for any successful philanthropic venture. Achieving this requires patience, persistence, and a sincere interest in the donors’ philanthropic passions and interests. Investing time in getting to know each donor individually is imperative to understand their motivations, values, and priorities. This may involve conducting extensive research, arranging meetings, and attending social events to foster meaningful interactions and connections.

Keep in mind that smaller organisations may not have the bandwidth to devote all of a team member’s time to the duties of a major gifts officer. They may, instead, ask their executive directors or other managers to fulfil these duties. This will suffice until the organisation grows large enough to justify creating the designated position.

Additionally, technology can streamline the prospecting process and significantly reduce the logistical challenges of development for organisations of all sizes.

Personalised Approach

When soliciting a major gift, it’s essential to understand that it involves a significant commitment. Major donors require careful cultivation and attentive stewardship after their donation. Making them feel part of a larger cause is vital to securing substantial support and donor retention.

Creating exclusivity around their giving accomplishes several objectives:

• Establishes the donor as an involved partner
• Encourages donors to step up their giving, make introductions, and become brand ambassadors
• Provides opportunities to the nonprofit for exceptional stewardship

Since each major donor is unique, fundraising approaches and communications should be tailored to their preferences. Avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach, nonprofits must customise outreach efforts based on the donor’s communication style, giving history, and interests. Personalised engagement demonstrates a genuine commitment to the donor’s priorities, strengthening the relationship.

Also Read: Storytelling for Fundraising

Continuous Stewardship

Stewardship is critical to maintaining strong relationships with major donors beyond the initial gift. Nonprofits should demonstrate gratitude and appreciation for the donor’s support through personalised acknowledgements, updates on the impact of their contributions, and opportunities for continued engagement. Invite them for project visits, organise events for donors to interact with each other, run that donor feedback survey, report back on their giving KPIs and most importantly, give them opportunities to volunteer with you. Let them know they are acknowledged and cared for.

Building strong relationships with major donors is a combination of skill and knowledge. By committing to donor-centric strategies and genuine engagement, organisations can unlock the full potential of major donor fundraising to advance their mission and create positive change.

The post Strategies for Engaging Major Donors and Building Strong Relationships for Fundraising appeared first on India Leaders for Social Sector.

For nonprofits and social purpose organisations, fundraising isn’t just about collecting funds; it’s about fueling dreams, igniting change, and making a tangible difference in the lives of those in need. But why is fundraising so crucial? What lies within the realm of storytelling that transforms a simple ask for donations into a compelling narrative that drives generosity?

Fundraising is the lifeline for organisations striving to make a positive impact. It breathes life into initiatives, sustains projects, and empowers communities. It’s not just about monetary contributions; it’s about fostering a culture of support, empathy, and a positive organisation environment where the organisation and the donors work in tandem.

But, why storytelling for fundraising?

Amidst a sea of causes vying for attention and resources, how does one stand out? This is where the art of storytelling for fundraising emerges as a game-changer. Instead of presenting potential donors with statistics and figures, weave a narrative that tugs at their heartstrings, compels them to take action, and leaves a lasting impression.

Storytelling connects with people on a deeper level. It transcends barriers of language and culture, resonating with individuals from all walks of life. When you share a compelling story, you invite donors to become part of something bigger than themselves, to be catalysts for change, and to leave a legacy of compassion and kindness.

But how does storytelling drive donations? Stories evoke emotions. They transport listeners into the lived reality of those directly impacted by the cause, fostering empathy and a sense of urgency to act.

A well-crafted narrative not only captures attention but also inspires action.

Storytelling invites donors to join the journey, to be protagonists in a story of transformation and hope. Whether it’s through personal anecdotes, powerful testimonials, or vivid imagery, storytelling has the power to turn passive observers into passionate advocates.

A good storytelling for fundraising drives the following-

1. Emotional Connection: A powerful and evocative story about the work being done fosters an emotional connection between the donors and the cause, tapping into their empathy and compassion. This emotional resonance ensures that the narrative leaves a lasting imprint, etching the cause into the donors’ memories.
2. Trust and Engagement: Trust is the cornerstone of any successful relationship, including that between donors and organisations. When transparency and authenticity are woven into storytelling, donors feel a sense of reassurance. They see the organisation’s commitment to openness and honesty, which strengthens their trust. This trust, in turn, fuels deeper engagement.
3. Donation: As trust deepens, engagement flourishes. Donors, inspired by authentic narratives and empowered by trust, are moved to act. They recognise the urgency and importance of the cause and are eager to contribute their resources— time, money, or skills. This collective action drives funding, propelling the organisation closer to its goals and transforming the lives of those it serves.

How to learn the art of storytelling for fundraising?

The ILSS Fundraising Program empowers organisations to maximise their fundraising potential by equipping professionals with the skills and knowledge needed to craft compelling narratives. This program is designed to empower nonprofits and social purpose organisations with a curriculum that is meant to drive meaningful change.

Offering comprehensive learning, The ILSS Fundraising Program helps in fundraising strategies and techniques, providing participants with the tools they need to succeed in today’s competitive fundraising landscape. From understanding the art of fundraising from a macro perspective to navigating the intricacies of fundraising in India from a microlens, the program covers a wide range of topics essential for fundraising success.

How is The ILSS Fundraising Program different?

Within The ILSS Fundraising Program lies an incredible opportunity led by Ravishankar Iyer, founder and story coach at Story Rules. With 10 immersive hours dedicated to storytelling sessions, participants learn the art of crafting compelling pitch decks and enhancing their narrative skills. They are guided through the intricacies of storytelling, empowering fundraisers to infuse their campaigns with authenticity and passion. Participants also have the chance to showcase their storytelling prowess in a pitch fest, receiving feedback to refine their presentations from an esteemed jury.

Additionally, in The ILSS Fundraising Program, participants benefit from networking opportunities with industry experts and fellow fundraisers. This collaborative environment fosters creativity, innovation, and long-lasting connections that extend far beyond the duration of the program.

By harnessing the power of narrative and enrolling in The ILSS Fundraising Program, fundraisers can inspire action, drive funding for the causes they believe in, and create lasting impact in the communities they serve.

Apply now for The ILSS Fundraising Program.

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