Fundraising for small associations using the example of the association Damma wos

THE CHALLENGE
The association Damma wos has too few donors and is a donation-dependent organization. The reason for this is, for example, the wide range of donation-acquiring organizations. According to Fundraising Verband Austria, there are over 100,000 donation-acquiring organizations in Austria alone. Therefore, it is a great challenge to stand out from the competition, not to be displaced on the market and to win potential donors for the association Damma wos through transparent public relations.

OUTCOMES
The project team conducted a literature review, a quantitative study by means of an online questionnaire (target group: active donors of the Damma wos association) and, as part of the qualitative research, 4 interviews (2 expert interviews and 2 interviews with active donors from the Damma wos association). The most important success factors leading to donation acquisition are transparency, target group analysis, brand & network, communication & appreciation and donor behavior/retention. It is advantageous to increase the level of awareness through various measures such as cooperation with other organizations and especially in the district, be present at events. In terms of communication/appreciation, it is desirable to maintain a personalized donor database to optimize appreciation.