If you’ve found your way here, chances are you’re as passionate as I am about making a real difference in the world through your nonprofit. But let’s face it, navigating fundraising can sometimes feel like a rollercoaster ride with unexpected twists and turns. Nonprofits often find themselves chasing any available funding, instead of focusing on fundraising that will lead to long-term financial sustainability.

All fundraisers know the importance of stewarding relationships with their donors, but many feel they are falling short. Many of our clients experience feeling over-worked and under-resourced. When that happens, essential activities, like donor stewardship, can often fall through the cracks.

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. While it is commonplace to celebrate your loved ones on this day, more social sector organization are using this day to celebrate supporters and employees. For some inspiration, my friends and fellow consultants, Suzanne Smith of Social Impact Architects and Aimee Sheahan of Sheahan Communications, and I share our ideas and best practices on how to “show love” to these VIPs. For an added layer of fun, we have used The 5 Love Languages as a guide.

A successful annual campaign will bring in sustainable, unrestricted revenue and build long-term donor relationships.

Crowdfunding is a great way to build brand awareness, and it has become a popular way to fundraise by nonprofits, for-profits and even individuals. Thanks to social media, many of these efforts have gone viral like RAICES and the Ice Bucket Challenge. In fact, the crowdfunding industry has grown to generate $17.2 billion a year in North America alone. Still, this is not simply a “build it and they will come” approach. Success does not happen without a thoughtful campaign strategy.