NAYA Action Fund – Growing Independent Revenue Through Digital and Event-Based Fundraising

NAYA Action Fund, a Native-led advocacy organization, is focused on building a powerful voice for Indigenous communities in Oregon and Washington. To ensure long-term sustainability, they are developing a multi-channel fundraising approach to increase independent revenue and unrestricted funding.

Here’s the plan:

NAYA Action Fund is leveraging email-driven donor appeals and fundraising events to cultivate new donors and expand its grassroots support. Their goal is to raise $49,284.20 over the next three years, with an expected ROI of 0.84.

To achieve this:

NAYA Action Fund is utilizing Constant Contact for email appeals and has a fundraising consultant on retainer to provide strategic guidance. Their event-based efforts leverage existing board members and community partners to reach new donors in key regions.

They are running two key fundraising experiments:

1. Expanding the Donor Base via Email Outreach
   • Goal: Increase the pool of new donors by engaging NAYA’s email list.
   • Approach:
     • Develop targeted email campaigns that introduce supporters to NAYA’s mission and impact.
     • Test different email send frequencies and seasonal timing to determine the most effective periods for driving donations.
2. Hosting Fundraising Events for Unrestricted Revenue
   • Goal: Generate additional unrestricted revenue through in-person donor events.
   • Approach:
     • Use board members and willing participants across Oregon and Washington to host donor gatherings.
     • Test the effectiveness of mentioning an average gift suggestion during event speaker remarks to increase giving.

What’s Next:

By optimizing digital and in-person fundraising strategies, NAYA Action Fund is laying the foundation for a more sustainable and independent revenue model. With a goal of raising nearly $50,000 over three years, these experiments will help expand their grassroots donor base and create a reliable stream of unrestricted funding to support their advocacy efforts.

Through culturally grounded fundraising, targeted outreach, and community-driven donor cultivation, NAYA Action Fund is strengthening its financial independence to continue fighting for Native rights and policy change.

Learn more about Naya Action Fund and their impact