Raising Funds and Making Connections with LinkedIn & Email Outreach
Written by Matt Wilson
At the AVM Foundation we have had great success using LinkedIn and email outreach to reach new decision makers within local and regional charities to support our mission.
This guide is designed to enable you to make the same type of connections with key decision makers at local businesses to support your organisation’s aspirations.
And the best part? This process can be automated! Leaving you with valuable time to do the work that really matters – caring for animals and building your organisation.
What the guide helps you to do (in just 15 minutes per month)
Identify hundreds of business leaders and decision makers;
Search LinkedIn for CEO’s, Directors, HR Heads, Head of People, etc in your area/region.
Import the contact details.
Create a campaign list.
Automatically send outreach messages;
Connect with hundreds of business leaders on a regular basis
Messages are sent by the software for you
You check for responses and then make the next level one to one connections to develop the relationship and hopefully add new donors, sponsors, volunteers, etc.
Example Campaign
Targeting CEOs in Bristol
Using LinkedIn, you can quickly search for Bristol CEOs, then import their details to a list, send personalised connection invitations to 800 per month, and automatically follow up with targeted emails.
With an expected 30% acceptance rate, that means potentially connecting with 240 business leaders who could support our corporate days, sponsor our programs, or become volunteers, EVERY MONTH!
What to talk about?
How Local Businesses Can Get Involved With Your Animal Welfare Organisation
You will probably already have campaign material that can be adapted for the initial outreach communications that will give a local business an idea of who you are, what you do, how you do it, and how they can help, but some ideas that we have seen work well when connecting with businesses are:
Corporate Days: Host local businesses at your charity for team-building days as they support the organisation’s regular activity; or redecorate the premises; or offer behind-the-scenes tours. These events not only help businesses connect to your organisation but they can result in overdue tasks being completed and more donations.
Corporate Sponsorships: Offer tailored sponsorship opportunities for events, programs, or specific campaigns that align with their values.
Event Attendance: Invite businesses to attend fundraising events, networking nights, or community activities to build stronger ties with your charity and other like-minded organisations.
Find Volunteers - Find an extra pair of hands when needed!