The Village Guide to: Communities & Projects

How to Structure Your Fundraising for Maximum Donor Engagement

Modern donors expect more than just a general donation button. They want to understand exactly what they’re funding, see the impact of their contributions, and feel a deeper connection to the causes they support. That’s why structuring your fundraising around communities and projects is key to increasing donor engagement and retention. In this guide, we’ll break down how this approach works and why it’s essential for your nonprofit’s success.

What Are Communities & Projects?

In traditional fundraising, nonprofits often pool donations into a general fund, making it difficult for donors to see where their money goes. The Communities & Projects model provides clarity and transparency by breaking down your fundraising efforts into specific, impact-driven initiatives.

Communities:

These are geographic locations where your organization is working, such as a village/community, city, region/province, or even country (e.g., "Chamba, Malawi," "Jakarta, Indonesia," "Manabi Province, Ecuador," or "Cambodia"). Each community is tied to a specific place, ensuring donors can see exactly where their contributions are making a difference.

Projects:

These are specific, fundable initiatives within a community. For example, a project within a village community might be "Building a New School," while a city-level project could be "Expanding a Mobile Health Clinic in Jakarta." A region/province project might focus on "Vocational Training for Young Adults in the Manabi Province," and country-level projects could include large-scale initiatives delivered nationally, broken down into digestible, smaller projects.

By structuring your nonprofit's fundraising to align with project-based initiatives, you make it easier for donors to connect with the work you’re doing and support the causes that matter most to them.

Why This Approach Works

Increases Donor Confidence

Donors can see exactly what their money is supporting, which builds trust and encourages repeat giving.

Boosts Engagement & Sharing

When people donate to specific projects, they’re more likely to share their contributions with friends and family.

Improves Storytelling

Each project tells a unique story, making it easier to create compelling updates that keep donors invested.

Provides Clearer Impact Metrics

Instead of vague reports, you can share real, tangible results (e.g., "Your donation helped fund 10 new wells!").

How Village Makes it Easy

Using Village, nonprofits can seamlessly create and manage unlimited communities and projects. This ensures donors always have a clear, engaging way to support their mission.

• Organize your fundraising into structured, location-based communities

• Showcase specific projects with transparent funding goals

• Keep donors engaged with real-time updates on project progress

Download the Full Guide

Want a step-by-step breakdown of how to implement the Communities & Projects model in your nonprofit? Download our full guide to learn more!

Download the Guide