In the first six months of 2025, the fundraising landscape for nonprofits, including organizations centering inclusive history, humanities, and preservation, shifted with the loss of significant funding from the federal government. The ripple effect of these cuts had an almost immediate impact on budgets and staffing, further limiting the ability of these organizations to serve their communities.

With that context in mind, now is the optimal time for organizations to reconsider (and in some cases start) a fundraising program to expand, diversify, and adjust fundraising strategies to create a stable foundation of support.

Here are 5 things to consider as you reinvent or build out your fundraising program for preservation:

1. Improve your storytelling by refreshing your case for support.

One of the key ways to improve storytelling for fundraising is to take an honest look at your case for support and keep it current. Share stories of visitors, students, and program participants to demonstrate how your work benefits the community and the audience that you serve. What changed in someone’s life, or within a community, because of the work your organization is doing? In short: focus on the impact of your work.

In addition to impact, use active language that is current and forward-looking. Emphasize urgency (why giving now is essential) and how donations can help you achieve your immediate or near-term goals. Include some high-level data points so that the donor is clear on who you reach and what sets you apart in how you do the work.

Make sure you create simple talking points your staff, board, and committees are comfortable using. Invest in storytelling in person, in print, and online. Your message should be consistent across all your communication channels.

2. Be clear in your storytelling and build connections between mission and impact.

A key part of refreshing your storytelling is building stronger connections between fundraising and your mission, so that your donors can easily grasp how their support will make a difference. To make those links clear, it is worth answering some high-level questions as part of that process:

• The Opportunity—What is at stake and why now?
• The Vision—Where are we headed?
• The Need—What do we need to change?
• The Solution—What are we doing to get there?
• The Investment—What will it take (financially, strategically)
• The Impact—What difference will this make?
• The Ask—How can the donor be a part of this?

3. Invest in growing philanthropy from individuals.

In fundraising, the greatest return on investment involves building relationships with individuals and inspiring major gifts. But it takes time to make this happen. Individuals must first be connected to and informed of your organization. They need to really understand your mission and vision. Then, it is important for you to understand what donors care about and what impact THEY want to have in the world. Find connections between their passions and your mission and priorities. This will help you better understand how to engage and inspire future gifts.

If you are launching a new program, work with your current organizational leadership and other leaders in your community to identify a list of folks who might be interested in learning more about the program. Review the current giving of your donors, and if people are giving through donor advised funds (checks may come from a charitable investment fund such as Fidelity or Schwab, or a community foundation), this is a good indicator of financial resources. Then, consider who else to reach in your community by looking at other organizations that have existing donor programs, and who your board members or leadership might already know.

Begin engaging with your mid-level donors and ask why they are giving and what inspired their giving. Ask them to invite a few friends with similar interests to an upcoming event. Find ways to involve your donors with the impact of their giving (eg, invite them to participate in public programs and tours, 1:1 meetings or lunches, opportunities to travel, and more).

From the beginning, it is important to have plans in place for donor stewardship and regular touch points to illustrate the impact of their giving and thank them for their support. If you have donors who have been giving for ten plus years, talk with them about making a planned gift and sustaining their support while leaving a legacy. Also ensure you have planned giving tools and ways of giving in your materials and on your website.

4. Launch or grow your annual fundraising campaign.

5. Grow supporters and partnerships.

You cannot do this alone. It is important to build ambassadors for your fundraising program. They can be members of your board, volunteers or other staff. Train them on your elevator pitch so when the opportunity presents itself, they feel comfortable enough to initiate the conversation.

You can also work with community partners. Those that share a similar audience can help both organizations expand their reach. Others will present opportunities to connect to entirely new audiences and introduce them to your mission. These collaborations also create great ways to engage corporate sponsors.

Michelle Horton, is the vice president of institutional partnerships and strategy; Cari Maslow is the interim vice president of annual giving and development services; and Patty Winterton is the vice president of philanthropy at the National Trust for Historic Preservation.