Collecting pledges is a great way to build and strengthen your relationships with supporters in your donor base. Unlike a traditional donation, when you receive money from a donor right away, a donation pledge is a promise an individual makes to give over time. Although this may not seem ideal, it can actually lead to better long-term relationships between your organization and those who make pledges.
Any nonprofit can use pledges as part of their fundraising strategy at any time. Here are just a few ways you might use them for your organization:
- A-thon events – These events, whether run-a-thons, bike-a-thons, or read-a-thons, are perfect for donation pledges, and often rely on them. Participants in the a-thon ask their family and friends to show their support via a pledge to give a certain amount for each mile traveled or every page read.
- School fundraisers – Want to give children experience with philanthropy without the need to handle actual money? Having students collect donation pledges from parents and other family members in support of a school program is the perfect solution!
- Capital campaigns – Donors are more likely to make a pledge when you are raising money for a specific goal and during a set timeframe, which makes asking for donation pledges during capital campaigns ideal. Pledges encourage larger donations because donors can spread them out over time, without the commitment that comes with ongoing recurring donations.
- Prospect research – Donation pledge forms enable you to collect basic information from donors – including those new to your organization. By filling out a pledge, these potential donors are showing interest in your organization, and you can use the information in the form to contact them in the future and start building that long-term relationship.
This blog outlines even more ways you can put donation pledges to work for your organization, and into detail about how to obtain pledges and track them using tools like Donorbox.
So how do you go about collecting donation pledges? Start by creating your own donation pledge form! The form should ask for basic contact information as well as pledge details and any terms the donor would like to set, such as timing of the gifts or other requirements. Be sure to include options to submit a payment via check with the form, or to receive payment reminders, and it’s also a good idea to include a section about employer gift matching.
Then, you’ll use this pledge form at your events, during pledge campaigns, and wherever else you’d like to collect your donation pledges!
Use our free donation pledge form template above to guide you as you create your own pledge forms. This sample donation pledge form includes all of the information fields you’ll need to include in your version, and shows how it can all be laid out in one simple, easy-to-fill-out document.
And now you’re all set to collect your own donation pledges and build stronger relationships with your donors!
