I adore color. I’m definitely not someone who wears only black! I thought it would be interesting to think about how we use color in our donor communications, and happened on several great infographics, including The Psychology of Color in Design and Color Psychology and Marketing. They offer a terrific overview of the meaning of colors in the western hemisphere. What you’ll learn is eye opening.
Working on your year-end appeal? Flying by the seat of your pants? Struggling with your copy? Think your copy is okay, but not super inspiring? Worried that folks may not even open your envelope? Crafting fundraising appeals is not rocket science, but you do have to adhere to certain guidelines if you want to achieve blast-off. So… here come some guidelines!
DetailsThat’s the question that has fundraisers everywhere scratching their heads and crying in their beers.
Hmmn…
Donor retention has continued to plummet every year for the past seven years. It’s really, truly an awful problem. For some unknown reason, all that hard work you put into acquiring new donors is, seemingly, being wasted. Why?
DetailsIn the children’s game nobody wants to be left holding the hot potato. Does that sound like the way social media is ‘played’ at your nonprofit? Is anyone in charge? Who sets goals? Who decides what to do/not do? Who evaluates success? Where does the buck stop?
Too many organizations still have not taken charge of their digital strategy. It’s beyond time for this to happen, as I explain in
DetailsThis week’s links are a real potpourri of pretty darn interesting stuff. Check ‘em out!
Events
Click-It: The Secret of the Five Top. Simply brilliant advice from Seth Godin. I dare you to try it at your next fundraising event. And if you’ve done it, let us all know how it worked!
Mobile
Click-It: Top 5 Reasons to Use Mobile. This post has all the data you need to
DetailsI recently wrote a post about how to take charge of your nonprofit’s ‘major donor-investor plan.’ One of my readers asked “How did you come up with that term?”
Hmmn… I don’t think I came up with anything. I’ve simply considered my major donors as investors since as long as I can remember. But, honestly, I think the term may have been coined by fundraising guru Kay Sprinkel Grace, who has been a mentor and huge influence in my development practice. So, thank you Kay.
What’s in a name? Let’s take a moment to consider the power of language.
DetailsMajor individual gifts are the single largest source of philanthropy, by far. The most recent data from Giving USA[Free Summary Download] shows 72% of gifts come from individuals’ annual gifts and an additional 7% from bequests.
The process of individual donor development proceeds along a continuum – from awareness… to education… to involvement… to investment. People must first be made aware of the organization’s existence and its mission. Once this occurs, people who share values enacted by your organization can be identified, further educated and majorly involved.
When the relationship is sufficiently built – and only then — the prospect can be invited to significantly invest to assist in furtherance of your organization’s mission.
DetailsWondering about the future of fundraising? Check out this week’s links!
Social and Mobile
Click-It: Nine reasons why social and mobile are the future of fundraising. I bring this to you because there’s been debate going on, instigated by our provocative friends at The Agitator. Tom Belford wrote a post — Crafting vs. Producing… Writing Songs vs. Jingles — somewhat dissing email appeals in favor of traditional mail appeals. Why? Supposedly a more rewarding, bonding emotional experience to ‘open’ rather than ‘click.’ I don’t buy it. I’ve seen plenty of moving email appeals. They’ve inspired me to give; I’ve seen others inspired to give. Sure there are too many that are dry as dust. But there are dull, flat snail mail appeals as well. Good email appeals work. Heck, there’s no one right channel for all people anymore. Far from it.
As fundraising professionals it’s up to us
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)?
DetailsA quack at it?
Yes! Because I’m guessing you don’t have your ducks lined up to make this year’s email appeal worth all your effort. What do I mean? I mean the lion’s share of folk receiving your email is simply going to hit ‘delete.’ And that’s just not going to pay your bills.
You need to get all your duckies in a row. And I know exactly which two are missing.
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