How having a patron can help you raise money

How having a patron can help you raise money!

When I was the Director of a youth charity, I would write to any grant giver who I thought would give us money. One particular grant giver agreed to fund some of our work. Through regular reporting back and phone calls to the chair of the trustees for the grant giver, we began to know each other well.

After I had left the charity, we emailed about something different and the chair of trustees told me initially he had been uncertain and hesitant about granting our charity any money. After contacting me to clarify some questions, he felt more encouraged to give but he was still reluctant as we were totally unknown to any of the trustees.

But then he noticed our patron was the Bishop of Birmingham who he knew. So, he contacted him and asked him his thoughts about our work. After the Bishop endorsed our work, the chair and the trustees of the grant giver felt confident in granting us funds and they continued to do so for many years, including after I had left.

In this instance, having a patron for our charity, who was well known, is what got us that funding. It proved not to be the only time that we raised more funds because of him.

So why is having a patron so important? Here’s just a few reasons:

They add clout to your reputation

With more than 5,000 charities starting up every year, the voluntary sector is brimming with non-profits all seeking support. When grant givers receive your application, you are just like the numerous others who they have no knowledge of. One of the things grant givers want to know about you is whether they can trust you. In my opinion, this need has increased in recent years, particularly after a high-profile charity in London used grant funds to pay off debts and then ceased operations shortly after.

So, how can grant givers know if they can trust you if they don’t know you? One way is through having a patron of a name they can trust. They don’t need to know them personally necessarily but if it’s a name they have heard of, it helps. For example, charities with celebrity endorsement do well because the people are known adding trust. Alternatively, the person themselves may not be well known but their role, office or title give then the influence e.g. a Lord or Lady, someone with a doctorate in veterinary science for an animal charity etc...

They are an extra person for people to go to for clarification

When someone is interested in the work of the charity, it is likely that they will go to the person who made the initial contact, the charity director themselves or someone they know within the organisation. By having a patron for your charity, you add yet another person for people to contact opening up the number of options for people to approach. The more names you can have, the options this gives.

They are someone who will actively endorse your work for you

According to research, about 62% of consumers search online for reviews and information before purchasing a product and a whopping 90% believe brand recommendations from friends and people are more likely to buy when referred by friends.[1] Word of mouth marketing (WOM) is a key strategic marketing tool that successful businesses and organisations are able to harness to their advantage.

Your charity is not a profit-making business but the same principles apply. The more people you have on board with your non-profit who will actively talk positively about your work, the better. You need people who will recommend your work to others and when your non-profit name comes up in conversation, having strategically placed people to talk well of what you do will significantly help your work.

They can use their influence to make links for you

By choosing a patron that is in a sphere of influence, they can then introduce you to others who could support or help your work. Consider what it might look like if you ran a high-class event and gave your patron 10 free tickets to invite whoever they want. Suddenly you have another 10 people in the room who may not have had previous experience of your work and who might be able to support your work in some way. If someone accepts the invitation to be your patron, they then have an invested interest in your work succeeding and so will want to help. If this means introducing you to their networks, this will prove highly successful for you!

Considerations

When choosing someone to be your patron, make sure you do your research and don’t jump straight in with the first person you think of. Here’s a few questions to consider:

·         Could the person you choose put people off supporting your work?

·         Does the patron have a link to your charities aims?

·         What happens if the patron does something that could damage the reputation of the charity?

·         Patrons can often be busy people. How can you utilise them without using up their valuable time?

[1] https://www.impactbnd.com/blog/word-of-mouth-marketing-strategies-infographic