Fundraising begins and ends with a cause. Do you know what yours is?

The Christmas season is approaching and with it comes the proliferation of street begging, fundraising dinners, charity concerts and requests for help in all kinds of ways.

For social sector organisations, the magic of Christmas can quickly become a real headache, as they search for the right approach to survive in a scenario where competition for funding is ever greater and more sophisticated. But for the potential donor, the question is no less complex: how do you choose who to give to? Why choose institution A and not B or C?

So let's start at the beginning: what motivates people and companies to donate?

First and foremost, affinity with the cause.

That's why it's essential to have a well-defined mission and value proposition. And then communicate them clearly and consistently over time.

I'll give you an example: in the city of Porto alone, there are dozens of organisations working to address the social problem of homelessness. All of them are worthwhile. But when it comes to supporting one or the other, what makes me decide?

A brand with a clear positioning ends up acting as a "shortcut" in the decision making process for donors.

Leaving the internal view and putting itself in the perspective of the giver, the organisation must be able to answer the following questions clearly and unequivocally:

what makes us unique?

why are we the organisation best able to respond to this social problem?

what impact, what long-term change, do we want to achieve?

Clearly articulating the value proposition is the first step towards successful fundraising, because an organisation that clearly communicates its cause becomes more appealing to potential supporters and donors.

But the benefits are even broader:

- it promotes transparency and builds trust with stakeholders;

- It raises awareness of the social problem and mobilises support;

- It makes it easier to establish metrics for measuring impact and evaluating the effectiveness of programmes, demonstrating accountability to stakeholders;

- allows human and financial resources to be aligned more effectively around this greater objective;

- it also serves as a source of motivation for employees and volunteers, because the knowledge of the greater good to which their daily work contributes can increase their satisfaction, commitment and dedication to the organisation.

And finally, I dare say that institutions with a clearly defined cause will certainly be more sustainable in the future, because the stability and long-term vision provided by a well-defined mission are the compass that helps navigate the constant and ever-new challenges of the social economy.