I’ve had the honor of attending some nonprofit galas over the last several years, and have always cherished the experience. A night out with my husband, wearing a nice outfit, and meeting those involved with and impacted by the organization are all amongst my top highlights, along with the fun of bidding on auction items to help with fundraising goals.

We leave the evening inspired, excited about the lives being changed, and proud to be a part of a cause near and dear to our hearts.

And as amazing as those nights tend to be, as soon as we get back into our real lives, it doesn’t take long for that excitement to fall to the wayside.

That is if nonprofits make this one big mistake:

Not Communicating Regularly with Donors and Supporters

It’s crucial to have a communication strategy to keep donors and supporters engaged and connected to your organization. Here are some ways nonprofits can do this:

1. Send out a monthly e-newsletter highlighting what is going on in the organization, as well as telling stories of those that have been impacted by the fundraising efforts.
2. Be active on LinkedIn and share wins, progress, and relevant stories to gain the attention of past and future donors.
3. Post regularly on social media with inspiring stories, quotes, wins and anything fun to highlight what the organization is doing.

Communication keeps nonprofits top-of-mind and helps bring in more people who might want to help make a difference during future fundraising efforts. But it’s important to stay consistent.

If you do, you’ll not only find the previous supporters coming back to help, but you’ll also build a larger audience to create greater impact for years to come.