How to Use Media Monitoring to Your Advantage in Nonprofit Fundraising

As a philanthropic development professional, you are always looking for new avenues to identify potential grants, high-value donors, and philanthropy events that can unlock exciting prospect opportunities. In addition to the traditional prospect research tools, media monitoring and analytics can be an unexpected yet invaluable tool in your arsenal.

In this blog post, we will explore how development professionals, including prospect researchers, gift officers, and development teams, can use media monitoring to uncover new grants, discover high-value donors, and stay informed about newsworthy philanthropy events.

Discovering new grant possibilities

One of the key challenges in philanthropic fundraising is identifying new grant opportunities. You don’t have time to stay on top of all grants individually, so it’s likely that you miss some opportunities that can have major value for your organization.

With a media monitoring tool like Nexis Newsdesk®, you can proactively search and monitor news articles, press releases, and announcements related to philanthropy and funding initiatives by setting up searches and turning on alerts.  

For example, you can:

• Create custom searches using relevant keywords like "grant funding," "philanthropic support," or specific areas of interest.
• Set up alerts to receive real-time notifications whenever new grants are announced or relevant news articles are published.
• Analyze trends and patterns in grant-making by tracking specific foundations, government agencies, or sectors related to the organization's mission. This intelligence from data analysis can guide future fundraising strategies and target the most promising grant opportunities.

Searching like this could introduce you to new corporate giving or grant opportunities you never would have learned about otherwise, opening new ways to reach your fundraising goals. Additionally, it saves you time from doing manual research, which is always welcome during busy seasons.

MORE: How donor prospecting technology can streamline your workflow

Discovering high-value donors

Wealth screening for potential high-value donors is crucial for successful philanthropic fundraising, but with your busy schedule and growing list of demands, you may not have the time to do the donor prospecting you want to.

Media monitoring provides you with the means to stay updated on news articles and reports that highlight philanthropic contributions or wealthy individuals involved in charitable activities. Here's how it can be done:

• Monitor news stories featuring major donations, charitable foundations, or influential philanthropists. This allows you to identify potential prospects with a strong inclination towards philanthropy.
• Utilize advanced search filters within Nexis Newsdesk to narrow down results based on location, industry, or specific donor interests. This targeted approach ensures that you find the most relevant potential high-value donors.
• Stay informed about mergers, acquisitions, or IPOs that may create new philanthropic opportunities through wealthy individuals. By tracking such events, you can seize the moment and engage with potential donors at the right time.

By setting up another automated way to monitor donors and create donor profiles, you can find prospects quicker, saving you time to foster relationships and secure the gift and reach your goals during Giving Season and throughout the year.

MORE: The best tools for wealth screening for major gift officers

Tracking philanthropy events

Philanthropy events, such as galas, fundraisers, conferences, or community initiatives, can provide excellent opportunities to connect with potential donors. Media monitoring allows development professionals to stay up to date with these events and maximize your networking efforts:

• Monitor news coverage and press releases related to philanthropy events within the organization's target region or industry. This ensures that you are aware of upcoming events and can plan their attendance accordingly.
• Keep track of speakers, sponsors, or attendees who may be potential prospects for future partnerships or donations. By understanding the key players in these events, development professionals can prioritize their interactions and establish meaningful connections.
• Leverage social media monitoring within tools like Nexis Newsdesk to identify buzzworthy events or trending discussions in the philanthropy space. This enables you to participate in relevant conversations and expand their network beyond the confines of traditional media.

These events also allow you to take advantage of peer-to-peer fundraising by leveraging previous relationships to introduce you to key players at these events. Combining a media monitoring strategy with in-person networking will help grow your network and will help you determine what events are worth your valuable time.

MORE: Why a nonprofit’s reputation can make a difference during Giving Season

Leveraging competitive intelligence

In the competitive landscape of philanthropy, staying ahead of the game is crucial, but it can be time consuming to track all your competitors and understand how you can set yourself apart.

Media monitoring provides valuable competitive intelligence to help you identify trends, uncover untapped opportunities, and make informed decisions to refine your fundraising strategies to be more effective and stand out from the competition:

• Track media coverage of competing organizations, analyzing their grant funding sources, major donors, and partnerships. This information can reveal potential funding avenues or collaboration opportunities that align with your mission.
• Identify gaps or niches in the philanthropic landscape that can be leveraged to stand out. By understanding the areas, you have an opportunity to stand out from the crowd. This is especially relevant in times like Giving Season when most nonprofits are conducting large fundraising campaigns.

While it’s important to monitor for opportunities and donors, keeping track of your competition and industry trends will give you a leg up when crafting your next donation campaign or major ask.

MORE: Harness the power of storytelling: Inspiring donors during Giving Season

Give yourself an advantage with media monitoring

Donor prospecting isn’t the only way to get insight into the fundraising landscape to reach your goals. Media monitoring data can provide you a broader look at the philanthropic climate to help you determine what is worth your time and how to maximize your fundraising campaigns.

Nexis Newsdesk is a powerful media monitoring tool that, alongside other LexisNexis® Media Intelligence Solutions, empowers development professionals to increase philanthropic fundraising opportunities through multimedia monitoring. By using its comprehensive media monitoring and analytics capabilities, development professionals can uncover new grants, discover high-value donors, stay informed about philanthropy events, and leverage competitive intelligence.

Combined with the other solutions in the Nexis® for Nonprofits suite, which include Nexis® for Development Professionals for top-rate donor prospecting and Nexis Diligence+™for complete donor due diligence, you can use data to unlock your best fundraising ever. 

For more information on how to make the most out of data to take your fundraising to the next level, download our e-book "A Practical Guide to Becoming a Data Driven Nonprofit".