As rural organizations shift away from reactive, grant-chasing cycles and begin to align their efforts with long-term goals, a broader strategy emerges, one rooted in diversification, relationship-building, and community investment.

Part 2 of our “Funding Forward in a Competitive Climate” series dives into how to build upon the strategic groundwork laid in Part 1. We explore what it looks like to deepen donor engagement, tap into growing giving vehicles like Donor-Advised Funds, and activate volunteer pathways as part of your broader fundraising ecosystem.

This isn’t just about short-term wins. It’s about growing durable, values-aligned support for the long haul.

4. Create Shared Investment Opportunities

In today’s funding environment, collaboration is often rewarded. Rather than seeking full funding from a single source, consider designing projects that multiple funders can contribute to. This also demonstrates to each funder that others believe in your work, which is a powerful signal of credibility and momentum.

Example: “We are seeking three funding partners to help scale our regional youth workforce initiative over the next two years.” This collaborative framing makes funders feel like they’re part of something bigger than a one-time gift.

5. Diversify Your Funding Sources

While competitive grants are crucial, they’re only one piece of a healthy funding ecosystem. Diversifying your revenue builds resilience and opens up new opportunities.

Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs) are a growing and often untapped resource in rural communities. To illustrate:

DAF assets are growing at 10% year over year
DAF contributions are increasing 214 times faster than non-DAF revenue
The average DAF gift is 19x larger than traditional donations

DAFs offer a powerful source of unrestricted, relationship-driven funding but they require tailored outreach and visibility. Rural Pathways can help you identify DAF prospects, develop messaging that resonates with individual philanthropists, and connect with financial advisors, community foundations, and wealth managers.

In addition to DAFs, diversify by:

Launching recurring giving programs
Engaging local corporate sponsors
Exploring planned giving (e.g., bequests, beneficiary designations, endowments)
Pursuing state and federal grants
Building earned income streams where appropriate

The future of your nonprofit depends on the decisions you make today. Ignoring planned gifts and DAFs means leaving transformational revenue on the table, support that could sustain your mission for years to come.

A dedicated planned giving or legacy giving page on your website isn’t optional; it’s a critical piece of infrastructure. Rural Pathways supports organizations in crafting messaging, campaign structure, and donor pathways that turn generosity into lasting legacy.

6. Focus on Donor Retention and Build from Volunteer Engagement

Small and mid-sized gifts often get overlooked in major funding strategy, but the long game is retention. A donor who gives a second gift is far more likely to stay involved long-term. But before the first gift, there’s often another entry point: volunteering.

Volunteers are among the most likely future donors. They’ve seen your mission up close. They’ve invested their time. And when invited into a deeper relationship through giving, recurring donations, or legacy planning, they’re often ready to say yes.

That’s why recruiting, recognizing, and engaging volunteers is a critical part of your funding strategy. Whether they serve on a committee, help with events, or simply show up once a year, volunteers should feel seen, appreciated, and included in your organization’s story.

Build Loyalty with Clear Steps

Here’s how to build long-term loyalty from both donors and volunteers:

Offer convenient recurring giving options. Make it easy to give monthly, and emphasize the sustained impact of regular support.
Secure the second gift. Send personalized follow-ups that show impact and invite continued involvement.
Foster emotional connection. Share stories that position the donor and volunteers as the hero of the impact they helped create.
Communicate with consistency. Don’t only show up during campaigns. Share regular updates, milestones, and celebrations throughout the year.
Make it personal. Handwritten notes, phone calls, and in-person appreciation go a long way toward building loyalty.
Invite volunteers into the donor circle. After someone gives their time, ask if they’d consider a small, meaningful gift or if they know someone who might.

Start with the Basics: Email and Social Media

A critical part of donor retention is visibility. One of the most effective ways to stay top-of-mind with supporters is through consistent communication, especially via email newsletters and social media. These tools reinforce your presence, even when donors aren’t actively giving. Just seeing your name in their inbox or feed keeps your mission top-of-mind.

But for these tools to work, you need the basics in place: an email list and active social media channels. Make it a habit to collect email addresses at every event, training, or community meeting and invite new contacts to follow you online. Include these calls to action on your website, donation form, and at the bottom of all print and digital materials.

Learn from the Experts

Not sure where to start when it comes to creating a social media strategy? Listen as two digital marketing experts, Dana Snyder and Brynne Krispin, discuss how to use social media to grow awareness and raise funds for your cause in their recent podcast episode, Building Brand Authority and Connections Online: Brynne Krispin and Dana Snyder Share Organic Social Media Strategies. Watch the episode here. Download the transcript here.

Rural Pathways can also support your team in developing an outreach strategy that connects the dots, from volunteer to subscriber to recurring donor. Together, we can design an engagement system that sustains your mission long into the future.

Final Thoughts: Strategy, Relationships, and Resilience

Funding success in today’s competitive climate isn’t about reacting faster; it’s about acting smarter. Sustainable funding requires more than strong grant writing or donor outreach. It demands strategic alignment, consistent relationship-building, diversified revenue, and the long view.

Rural Pathways works with organizations across the region to build funding systems that match their mission and scale. Whether you’re developing a Strategic Funding Road Map, identifying aligned funders, or designing donor and volunteer engagement pathways, we’re here to help you shift from reactive to resilient.

Let’s build something bold together.

Citation: Anderson, Charity & Gilpin, Staci. (2025). Funding Forward in a Competitive Climate. Rural Pathways News.

Part 2: Diversifying and Deepening Your Funding Strategy