| We Have Blast Off! |
I love my Agitators, I really do. I’m hoping they meant to provoke, and were really being tongue-in-cheek with their recent article. Forget About Donor-Centric is very provocative, and certainly there’s truth here. Nonprofits do seriously ramp up their fundraising activities at this time of year, and it may appear they’re thinking more about money than their donor. It’s solicitation time, not stewardship time. And “Donor Tom” (Tom Belford) tells us he understands. He reasons that at this time of year he’s going to be so bombarded by appeals that he’s not going to be thinking about building a relationship with you. He just wants to give to those he’s already given to and “escape with some spending money for Christmas presents.”
That’s exactly the perspective you don’t want your donor to have.
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Before you hold your next fundraising event, ask yourself one simple question: WHY?
Take a minute, right now, to jot down all the things you’d like to happen by virtue of you having held your event.
I’ll wait.
Seriously, do it. Jot.
I’m waiting.
Okay, there are a few of you who don’t yet have pencils and paper in front of you. Yes, I can see you. Remember ‘Miss Nancy’ from Romper Room? [I know; I’m dating myself on this one].
Now, let me guess what you’re writing (and/or thinking).
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In 1984 Robert Cialdini wrote a groundbreaking book, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, outlining principles of influence that affect human behaviors.
These principles are well documented, and can be incredibly useful to fundraisers.
Even someone inclined to support your cause may not give unless you push the right buttons.
A new infographic visually makes the point that, while technology advances, human triggers remain constant.
Here are five triggers — with a few suggested strategies (I’m sure you can come up with more) — to use these principles in your offline and online relationship building with prospective supporters:
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I randomly checked out some nonprofit mission statements yesterday. I was going to check a few more, but… YAWN… I fell asleep.
I’m not kidding.
I don’t want to embarrass anyone, but
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Why is it so hard to set up a time for a visit with a prospect?
It just is. People screen their phone calls. They don’t answer your emails. They’re busy. And, let’s face it, they know what this is about. Some folks will avoid the ask because they’re thinking about it in terms of ‘money’ rather than ‘impact.’ Once you get in the room with them, you’ll be able to change this perspective. But… how to get there?
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What’s the number one thing you strive for in your marketing and fundraising strategy? Challenge yourself to think about this for a moment. Really think. Trust me; you’ll remember it better if you think first. Don’t skip ahead.
Got a word?
There’s one word that should come to mind. This word should become your mantra. It should underscore everything you do. Your annual appeal writing. Your special events. Your newsletters. Your blog posts. Your proposals. Your reports. Your social media.
If you take this one word to heart, you’ll be leaps and bounds ahead of the competition. Moreover, this is the one word that can set you apart. That can help you build relationships like nothing else. Ready?
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Philanthropy; Not Fundraising
People. Purpose. Passion. Plan. Four “P”s in a row. I know… you’re thinking, cute. Yawn. But wait. Before your eyes glaze over, stop a moment and think about these 4 “P”s.
They’re central to your success in inspiring philanthropy. Because even though I’ve written, and truly believe, that there are fundamental ways fundraising has changed significantly over the past five years, there are also things that haven’t changed at all. You simply must translate these fundamentals to the digital world:
It’s human nature to love to listen to – and tell – a story. So let’s figure out how to make that happen for your organization – and for your donors.
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Your money can become my sandwich What I learned from a street beggar* (see “Note” below). Last week a street beggar — aka panhandler — asked me for money and I gave it to her. I don’t usually do this because I wonder how the money may be used and tend to give, instead, to…
DetailsHere comes this month’s *SMIT (Single Most Important Thing I have to tell you): The foundation of all fundraising and nonprofit marketing is relationships. Thanks to Katya Andreson for great inspiration in 6 tried and true truths about my work . I told her I was going to post these fundamentals above my computer –…
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