Winter Wonderland Clairity Click-it: Nonprofit Links, Free Resources
Click it!
Here are some great 2014 To-Do’s to set you up for success in the coming year. Some is keying into trends so you’re not left behind. Some is honing your tried-and-true strategies to build a sustainable nonprofit. This is the year to get thoughtful – and smart. No more status quo, resting on laurels or just going through the motions.
Mobile
Click-it: Leaving Donations on the Screen. Of all the trends we’ll see in 2014, the transition from reading email on a computer to reading it on the phone may be the most significant when it comes to nonprofit marketing and fundraising. The Agitator editors are talking about it often, and there’s a good reason – increasingly folks are reading your email there. You’ve put in a lot of time and resources to get them to “click”, yet you’re ignoring the fact that you’re going to lose them because they can’t read what you’ve sent them on their phone. This is the year to fix this!
Online
Click-it: 5 Tips for Raising More Money Online for Your Non-Profit. Online giving continues to increase, so if you’ve not yet put your best foot forward to get your piece of this pie 2014 is the year to get on board. Joe Garecht of The Fundraising Authority explains why you really need to focus on building your email list; then how you can use it to your advantage.
Customer Service
Click-It: The role of customers in business. Essentially, they make or break you. And they shape you. For nonprofits, the same can be said of donors. Read this article by Peter Aceto of ING Direct, substituting the word “donor” every time it says “customer.” Engage your donors in meaningful dialogue about your challenges. You may be pleasantly surprised by the outcome.
Donor Love
Click-It: Show the Love: Donor Retention E-Book [free] from npENGAGE is out, and I’m proud to be one of 14 contributors. Did you know that most donors are lost to attrition each year? Check out this awesome collection of insights from nonprofit experts to learn creative, bold, and genuine ways to boost donor retention. Don’t miss this!
Overhead
Click-it: The Overhead Myth and Charitable Giving is a reminder that overhead measurements standing alone are not good indicators of a charity’s effectiveness. Sometimes you must spend money to make money. And salaries to hire good staff are a legitimate expense. Check out this article by Allison Kade. Here’s an article I wrote on the subject as well: What Do You Say When Your Donor Asks “How Much Do You Spend on Overhead?”.
Major Gifts
Click-It: 3 Steps to Closing Sales Faster comes to us via sales expert Mark Hunter. He’s talking for-profit, but these steps apply in spades to nonprofit major gifts fundraising. In a nutshell: (1) only spend time with folks who can buy (i.e., do appropriate prospect identification, rating and screening before wasting resources on folks who’ll likely never make a major gift); (2) put the element of time into the process early (i.e., help donors see what’s in it for them – and for those who they’ll help — to make a gift now; show them the urgency and the potential impact), and (3) ask (i.e., don’t pussyfoot around forever).
AND TO LEARN MORE about how to ‘get real’ about major gifts this year…
Today is the last day to get my new E-Course: Winning Major Gift Strategies for small and medium-sized shops at the Early Bird Discount. This course will more than pay for itself, because raising major gifts – from individuals — is the most cost-effective form of fundraising. And you can enroll your whole team – and volunteers too! – all for one low price. Plus all my e-courses come with a 100% guarantee!
Photo: Flickr, Isaac Torronterra
