Do you know about The Donor’s Bill of Rights? Does your staff know about it? Your board of directors? If you do know about it, do you heed it?
You should.
For the sake of your donors. For the sake of your nonprofit. For the sake of the entire social benefit sector.
DetailsHere’s a timely October Click-it to help you get ready to communicate in a donor-friendly fashion with all your supporters this fall. It’s giving and gratitude season, so grab yourself some great advice and be thankful — for the wisdom of the experts and for your donors. May the force be with you.
And don’t miss some timely October announcements below.
DetailsDo you find yourself sinking into a fundraising hole?
If so, you’re not the first. And you won’t be the last.
I’m going to tell you how to begin to dig yourself out!
First, stop blaming others. It’s not because so-and-so foundation just pulled their grant (how dare they?). It’s not because the government just cut back funding in your area (those bastards!). It’s not because your development director is lazy (why can’t she work 70 hours?)… and it’s not because your board doesn’t give enough (they’re so stingy!).
Sure, some of those things may be happening. But
DetailsWhether you fall into the “it was just dumb luck” or the “whoa… that was brilliant” camp when it comes to evaluating the recent Ice Bucket Challenge social media + fundraising phenomenon, there is certainly much to be learned.
I’m still amazed at the pooh-poohers who are wringing their hands over the fact that it’s highly unlikely ALS will retain more than 30% of these donors because these donors are new and new donor retention rates are abysmal . True, but… they secured over 3 million donors! So, at bare minimum, they’ve got 3 million “leads.”
DetailsThis week’s Click-it has some thought-provoking posts as well as some practical tips. Hope you enjoy them! Also, if you meant to sign up for my latest course — designed to help you with critical donor retention — this is your last chance. I know you have the best of intentions. Your donors are super important to you, and you mean to let them know more often. You really do. But somehow you don’t get around to it as much as you should. This course will help you make it a priority — so when this time rolls around next year you’ll be in better shape than you are today. Sound good? Okay!
Now… enjoy these articles, please.
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When it comes to improving donor retention, I often try to guide organizations through the process of shifting their thinking – and the culture of their organization – in the direction of gratitude rather than greediness toward their donors.
What’s important about making this philosophical shift is that it forces you to think very specifically about what you’re grateful for.
You aren’t simply asking your donors for money. Similarly, you aren’t thanking your donors for money.
DetailsI’m majorly S C R E A M I N G with delight to be hosting this month’s Nonprofit Blog Carnival!
So majorly, in fact, that the subject this month is TRICKS or TREATS – How Do You Get and Sustain Major Gifts?
Tell us your tricks – the ones that work! Do you HAUNT prospects through a series of managed ‘moves’? Do you fly in on a BROOMSTICK and just drop in spontaneously? How do you put them under your SPELL?
Tell us some treats – ways you wow your donors! Smile like a JACK-O-LANTERN every time you think of them; then figure out a way to let them know? Give them lots of virtual CANDY (seriously, do you use social media for any part of your major gifts strategy)?
DetailsChanges in Philanthropy Click-It: On Nonprofit Fundraising, Physics and Utopia. Heidi Hancock of Mosaic muses on the nature of nonprofit growth, and why it’s probably not realistic to think you can raise an endowment that will set your nonprofit up for life. Giving Tuesday Click-It: Expert Advice on Taking Advantage of #GivingTuesday comes from the…
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Why and How to Invoke the Power of Thank You
My mother was known for having impeccable manners. At her memorial service, it seemed as if every other person who shared a memory talked about her manners. They did so not in a nitpicking way, but in a loving way. It seemed she always knew just the right thing to do to show her appreciation.
Maybe that’s why I love writing thank you notes. Seriously, it’s my favorite thing to do in all of fundraising. And it’s undoubtedly why, when I first heard Penelope Burk speak in 2001, it completely changed my approach to the practice of development.
DetailsIf you’re not retaining as many donors as you’d like, you’ve no one to blame but yourself. And I’m here to tell you why.
I’m serious. How you handle donor acknowledgements is that important. Yet, sadly, most of you do an absolutely rotten job of showing your donors how much they mean to you.
Part of the problem is due to focusing on acquisition at the expense of retention. Most executive and development directors don’t even know their retention rates without looking them up.
DUDES! Your retention rates should be on the tips of your tongues! If you don’t know how you’re doing, how can you improve?
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