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When it comes to raising money from your supporters, your charity should focus on engaging and inspiring your supporters.  Yet when it comes to actually asking, are the odds in your favor?  Here are three questions that will help you optimize the giving experience of an organization, based off an article I found online:

Are you being honest? The giving experience goes far beyond the donation form.  The giving experience starts at awareness, then continues through acknowledgement.  Each part of this experience should connect and then build on the pieces coming before or after it to reinforce your message and keep prospective donors in the moment of giving.  Every part of your organization should have the same compelling story, call to action and impact statements to help donors clearly understand the impact of their gift.

Do you understand the data? Getting smarter about your campaigns can be hard if you’re not sure what’s actually working.  If you aren’t collecting and tracking the right data, then that’s nearly impossible.  Make sure your donation and campaign data is flowing into an easy-to-use donor management system that will allow you to quickly track and report on your results, which can help you see who’s giving, understand which outreach works best and ultimately be better equipped to form the right strategies.

Are you following through well? Getting a supporter to donate is important, but the stewardship plan to thank, retain and grow them is critical.  For each campaign and core segment, have a clear plan for following up in a way that connects your communication to the reasons they’re giving in the first place.  This is still part of your donor’s journey, and paying attention to retention will help you get more from your investment in fundraising campaigns.