Recently, fundraising writing and thanking guru, Lisa Sargent, posted a list of “small stuff” it’s absolutely important to sweat. It to me decades – decades! — to learn this on my own in the trenches, and I’d have given anything to have had a mentor like Lisa to clue me in from the get-go. Lucky…
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When asked what my favorite carrier envelope is for a fundraising appeal, my standard answer is:
One that screams “open me!”
Of course, there are a variety of reasons an envelope may beg to be opened.
And an equal number of reasons why it may scream “dump me in the trash.”
Today I want to help you avoid the trash bin.
And, good news – it’s not that difficult.
You don’t need to be a direct mail expert.
You don’t need to run a zillion A/B tests.
You just need to exercise some good old-fashioned common sense.
First, think about what gets you to open an envelope.
I’d love for you to do some noodling on this now – before you read further.
In fact, if you want to do something really helpful, STOP reading this article, convene a few colleagues, and do a little group brainstorming. Ideally, get your answers up on a whiteboard or other group memory so you can piggyback off of each other’s ideas. [Go do this now; come back to this article later.]
If you’re not prepared to play along (I get it, you’re busy), here’s a sample I’m sharing from a brainstorm I did with another nonprofit:
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I’ve been asked this question many times.
And not just by donors, but also by board members.
One of the ways I’ve answered is with my own questions:
Maybe the return on your invesment doesn’t matter to you. But maybe it does. In the case of the wrinkly vs. mint dollar bill, it would matter a lot only if you’re a collector. Change that to 50 cents to buy a bag of fresh, nutritious produce that will last a full week vs. 20 cents to buy a bag of old, rotten vegetables, and you begin to understand.
All things are not created equal.
That’s true, BIG TIME, for what folks consider ‘appropriate’ overhead.
There’s a time and a place for the red pencil, but most of the time another color will do a more effective job of generating the revenues you need to survive and thrive.
DetailsMajor gifts begin with “Getting to Know You.” If you want to be a successful major gift fundraiser, stop worrying so much about the ask and think about securing the “getting to know you” visit. If you can get a visit with a donor, you have an 85% chance they’ll make the gift. Who…
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It’s back-to-school and prime fundraising season.
In fact, the end of the year will be here before you know it!
Working on your fall campaign and year-end appeal?
Wish you had a way to prioritize the stuff that really matters?
Around this time of year, it’s common for me to hear one or more of the following — not just from newbies to the profession, but also from seasoned pros:
DetailsWhat will you hope for in the coming year? Some years ago a college classmate sent me and others this question by way of a year-end holiday missive, ruminating on how hope and optimism are similar yet different. It struck a chord with me (Thank you David Mahoney). You see, I’m not generally an optimist.…
DetailsIt used to be so simple. You called donors over the phone, sent handwritten thank you notes, sometimes met with them in person. While you can reach people now thanks to a variety of digital channels, building an authentic, lasting relationship feels harder. There are several reasons why. CURRENT RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING CHALLENGES 1. The explosion…
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In Part 1 of this two-part series of “Top 10 Strategies to Prepare for Fall Fundraising” we covered.
Today we’ll look at:
Ready to get all your ducks in a row?
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You’ve got one month before fall fundraising season begins in earnest.
What will you do with it?
I’VE GOT 10 TOP STRATEGIES TO HELP YOU GET ALL YOUR DUCKS IN A ROW!
We’ll start with the first five today.
Next week we’ll look at:
Ready?
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What must you keep top of mind to have meaningful conversations with donors who (you hope!) may contemplate a gift to your organization?
I’ve given you a hint within my question.
One word: meaningful.
And for a conversation to be meaningful, you have to speak in a language that resonates with the other person.
And what is it that resonates more strongly than just about any other emotion?
LOVE.
To get folks to “YES” you need to learn the meaningful language of love and apply it to gift planning.
The word philanthropy literally means, from the Greek, the feeling of love (philos) towards humankind (anthropos).
It’s not just about HOW people give, but WHY.
What is it about your organization’s values, as enacted, that your donor is most passionate about? How can you, as a philanthropy facilitator, make it easy for the donor to meaningfully express their feelings and passions?
Passionate philanthropy is seldom a spur of the moment action.
No one just gets up one morning and decides to give away $10,000, $100,000 or $1 million.
Or let’s just stipulate it’s relatively rare.
Rather, would-be philanthropists consider how making a particular gift at a particular point in time may match their values and help them accomplish their objectives, personal and philanthropic.
Anyone who contemplates a major, or stretch, gift plans ahead.
For purposes of this gift planning article, let’s consider your audience to be prospective major (outright) and legacy (deferred) gift donors.
