Of all the killer social media engagement tools out there, none beats the blog. As the song from Disney’s Cinderella claims, it’s “the thingmabob that does the job.” If you’re at all in doubt, check your dubiousness at the door. Businesses that write on their blog regularly receive 55% website visitors and have 437% …
Tried and true fundraising strategies are great. Layering on social media can pump them up and make them better. Think of social media as putting your mother’s fundraising on steroids. Don’t we want to be the best? And it not only makes you stronger; it’s completely legal! Innovation takes us to the next level –…
We must begin to think of our brand as a platform from which all dialogue ensues. It is in this context that content creation and content marketing strategy becomes important. That is, unless you’re Seinfeld, and you think you can succeed in engaging your constituents in a conversation about nothing. It worked brilliantly for him;…
Content curation is one of the new buzz worthy terms you’re hearing a lot about these days. And it’s for good reason. With so much information at the buffet , we need some help figuring out what to select. To pick an ‘object’ and add ‘beauty’ and meaning to it, we need curation from sources…
Is your content pushing up daisies? It should be. That’s the way to grow and blossom. I call it the R.I.P. Content Marketing Strategy: (1) Relevance; (2) Ideas; (3) Plan. [Coincidentally, adhering to these principles should bring peace of mind so that you can rest easy in the knowledge you’re doing the right things (relevance;…
Is your content pushing up daisies? It should be. That’s the way to grow and blossom. I call it the R.I.P. Content Marketing Strategy: (1) Relevance; (2) Ideas; (3) Plan. [Coincidentally, adhering to these principles should bring peace of mind so that you can rest easy in the knowledge you’re doing the right things (relevance; ideas) in the right ways (plan).] So, to mimic Do,Re,Mi from the Sound of Music:
Content is king. What this means is that information is power. A recent webinar by Social Media Today(you may need to register on the site to hear the audio), How Content Marketing is Changing Everything, highlights the challenge for marketers today. We must not only iver the right information, in the right place, at the…
Successful nonprofit development (both fundraising and marketing) is all about persuasion. One of my favorite bos is Daniel Pink’s To Sell is Human. His premise is that we’re all in “sales” on a daily basis. Whether it’s simply trying to get your kids up and out the door in the morning or persuading your boss…
The Case of the Incredibly Shrinking Technology My last post was about e, and how it’s not going away any time soon despite the ascension of social media. We have to do both. In fact, we have to do off as well. Most of us don’t like this fact. We have to work longer…
is still the number one reason people go on. It still commands the highest return on investment of any on media. It’s a much bigger deal than , which has about 860 million users last time I loed. , growing by leaps and bounds, is at about 500 million. has about 3.1 billion…
We’re leaving too much of our audience cold, despite the fact that we now have content plans. Brian Solis of the Altimeter Group bloggedon a new report released by his colleague, Rebecca Lieb, “Content: The New Marketing Equation Why Organizations Must Rebalance.” A principle take-away is that, while we’ve been conscious about creating what…
What do you do when a donor leaves a negative review on , Yelp or ? Do you just chalk it up to one whiny person, ignore it, bury your annoyance and move on? If so, you’re missing an opportunity. You can turn unhappy campers into loyal, repeat campers. Research shows that when customers are…
…and see what tomorrow brings. Sometimes the lights all shinin’ on me; Other times I can barely see Lately it occurs to me what a long, strange trip it’s been. The digital revolution we’re a part of is trippy, for sure. There’s so much we should do, and it’s evolving at the speed of light.…
Listen up. In “No” is not the end of the conversation Chuck English channels the old Dale Carnegie manifesto, How to Win Friends and Influence People, and reminds us of the significance of listening — showing genuine interest in others and encouraging folks to talk about themselves. This has always been the key to success,…
We’re a nation afflicted with remote controlitis. With so many marketing channels from which to choose, we constantly switch from one to the next. We don’t focus as much as we used to, and we’re certainly not loyal to one media over another. First, a moment to define this disease. You suffer from remote controlitis…
Today I have an article in The Bridge discussing the importance of actively embracing strategic donor relationship-building management. Seriously, there is nothing important you can do this year. It’s all about relationships – and it takes some work to build and sustain them. What are you doing to show your donors you know them?…
What is a genius and what does it take to become one in your professional and/or personal life? Let’s toss out the notion that this is about IQ. Thomas Edison famously wrote “Genius is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspiration.” Simone de Beauvoir wrote “One is not born a genius, one becomes…
We’re seeing a lot of predictions for how fundraising and nonprofit marketing will play out in 2012. They’re all interesting, and merit some consideration and reflection. Today I’m engrossed by a recently released 2012 Nonprofit Communications Trends Report from Kivi LeRoux Miller. It’s worth downloading a copy, but here are some highlights with a few…
We’re in the era of ‘Big Data.’ The digital revolution has made it so there’s and information that can be acquired and stored. We’ve gotten really good at collecting data. It’s everywhere. But use of data is not. In fact, at the moment less than 0.5% of all data is ever analyzed and…
I’m pondering the difference between ‘customer service’ and ‘social engagement.’ When we think of the former, we think Marshall Fields and Nordstroms – very early 20th century — the granddaddies of a strong, retail service mo where “the customer is always right.” When we think of the latter, we think decidedly 21st century – social…
“If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.” Lewis Carroll Communication should have a purpose. We should know where we want to go, and what we hope to get out of all the strategies we’re putting into place. Merely setting a goal for the number of tweets we’ll post…
Beware of a half truth; it may be the wrong half. This has always been a favorite proverb of mine. And a recent blog post of Top 10 Business Trui by Scott Gillum, which I referenced yesterday, caused me to wonder how black and white (or possibly gray) these trui might be – particularly as…
I recently came across a real goody: A blog post by Scott Gillum, contributing author to the Forbes network, offering wisdom collected over 20 years of work with some of the best, and worst, companies in the world. He found certain consistent themes regardless of company, industry or geography. It got me thinking about how…
Are you writing your own fundraising letters? Worse still, is your Executive Director writing them? According to Jeff Bros “insiders” like you and your key staff are simply too close to the organization to write effective, persuasive copy. Why? Because over time you/they have developed a certain way of thinking, and a certain proprietary knowledge,…
I just read an eye-opening Harvard Business Review blog article about the Six Attitudes Leaders Take to Social Media, demonstrating how business leaders are beginning to embrace the real opportunities social media offers. Most, however, are still on the wrong side of the fence (the article includes an assessment tool link to help you figure…
This morning I opened the newspaper and read about how the Occupy movement can take advice from marketing and branding gurus. They’ve been criticized for being all over the place, and not having a distinct message or rallying cry. Too often, businesses – nonprofit or otherwise – do the same thing. The inevitable result when…
My original title was: Asking the Questions; Doing Something with the Answers. A corollary would be “plan the dive; dive the plan”. In other words, we shouldn’t be diving into things (think about what you’re doing with your brand, website and social media in particular) without first asking some critical questions. I added “clueless” to…
So powerful. So sobering. I just watched “The Girl Effect” video for the “n”th time; it never loses its potency. A simple story. Rapidly told. Presenting examples. Playing to our emotions. Offering a solution. Messaging doesn’t get compelling than this. In cased you’ve never seen it, The Girl Effect: The Clock is Ticking is…
We’ve all been struck by the lightening fast pace at which technology keeps changing. ’s evolution is the latest case in point. Brian Solis calls this “Digital Darwinism”, and his recent post on the subject is quite provocative. Sometimes it’s difficult to foresee the change is coming, let alone prepare to adapt to the change…
Struck by lightening! I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the lightening fast transformation over the past few years of how we communicate. It’s changed the world of fundraising and marketing in ways that are only beginning to be recognized. Social media rules, but most organizations don’t know how to harness the power of…
You must invite your donor into the story.
Take yourself out of the equation.
Donors don’t care about you, but about what they can do through you.
Stop talking about your good work.
Talk, instead, about the good work your donor wants to do.
How?
You’ve got lots of stories. They’re probably interesting enough to grab your donor’s attention. Don’t make the mistake of trying to talk about your entire mission all at once in a fundraising message. It’s too much for people’s brains to absorb.
What you want to do,
Some years ago I happened on an article in the New York Times where the author, David Pogue, asked readers for their very best ‘life advice.’ There was so much great stuff in there! If you happen to have a NYT subscription, I’m sure you’ll enjoy reading the full article. For those who don’t (and really for everyone), I decided to share some of my favorite pieces of wisdom with you. Particularly those that apply to your nonprofit work. And, especially, those that apply to your work/life balance.
Let’s begin!
Not every problem needs to be addressed immediately. Some will work themselves out.
“You’ve never seen a cat skeleton in a tree, have you?” When Alexandra Aulisi’s cat couldn’t get down from a tree, her grandmother reassured her with those words, predicting (correctly) that the cat would come down on his own. “This advice made me realize that, sometimes, you need to shift your perception of a problem to see a solution,” Ms. Aulisi noted.
— David Pogue, NYT
While it’s tempting to drop everything (e.g., whenever a new email appears in your inbox, especially if it’s someone asking for help), it’s important to assess if this situation actually requires a rapid response. If not, you have options.
Ever been on vacation and noticed a flurry of emails, back and forth, forth and back, from members on your team? Often, by the time you’ve returned, the ‘problem’ – as urgent as it may have seemed at the time based on all the email hyperbole – seems to have evaporated. I’m not suggesting you ignore legitimate, pressing problems; just use common sense and exercise judicious restraint.
I’ll never forget some excellent advice I received (actually from one of the donors I worked with during the years I was a young parent). While I was stressing about potty training, she told me: “Have you ever seen anyone at college who still wears diapers? If you don’t potty train your son now, never fear. His college girlfriend will!” It was silly, yet made a whole lot of sense. I didn’t need to oversee and micro-manage every little thing. Sometimes things happen on their own time frame. This was a reminder that patience can be a virtue.
In my last article I talked about how to pitch yourself for a new job. My focus was on fundraising jobs, but it’s a paradigm you can use for any time you’re trying to make a persuasive case for yourself.
Today I’d like to get to the part where you’ve transitioned from “selling” to the interviewer, and have arrived at the part where they sell to you. In other words, it’s your turn!
It’s important to prepare for this part of the interview. And, if you happen to be wearing the interviewer hat, you can use these tips to listen for important questions that will tell you a lot about your potential hire.
Definitely come prepared with what you want (and need) to know to make a wise, informed decision. You’ll want to ask about this organization’s history, its programs, its culture (don’t overlook this one!), this position, and the person(s) for whom – and with whom — you’ll be working. Think about what success would look like for you, and probe to assure the pre-conditions to achieve that success are in place.
The interview is as much an opportunity for the candidate to get to know the hirer as it is a chance for them to get to know you. There’s little point in selling yourself for a job you ultimately don’t want and won’t enjoy. Where you’ll just be spinning your wheels. Where you won’t have a chance to grow professionally. Life is too short.
POINT OF PERSPECTIVE: I’ve interviewed a lot of candidates in my day. And, truth be told, if they don’t avail themselves of this opportunity to ask questions I really wonder about them. How can they be so lacking in curiosity? Did they not prepare for this conversation? How are they going to learn things on the job so they don’t just do things the right way, but do the right things? If it’s a front-facing fundraiser position, how are they going to be when faced with the opportunity to build a relationship with a donor?
When I’m in hiring mode, I don’t need a broadcaster as much as a relationship builder. I don’t need someone who boasts ad nauseum about themselves as much as need someone who probes for my interests, needs and challenges. So, if you’re the hirer, listen to see how many of these questions your candidates ask; be prepared to answer these questions.
Do you want to risk not receiving generous gifts you could have otherwise received, just because you failed to go the extra mile to share relevant, useful and even critical information? Or because you just did the most basic things, failing to do what would have made your communications really stand out?
Your job as a philanthropy facilitator is to do everything in your power to make giving to you as easy, joyful and rewarding as possible.
Everything.
Do you?
Doing everything means
Only about 10% of Americans itemize tax deductions today. Prior to 2017 it was 31%; that was , but still a minority. Yet you’re likely blithely sending out year-end messaging replete with “Only 1 week left to grab your tax deduction!” Who cares? At best, it’s just ten percent of your donors. And since the…
I firmly believe part of the role of a philanthropy facilitator is to foster both individual and community well-being. You must both: (1) focus inward, as you can’t help others unless you first help yourself, and (2) focus on the way you connect with others. What you say, What you do, and, most important, How…
Congratulations! Whether you’re planning a stand-alone auction or adding an auction to an existing event, these fun-filled bidding extravaganzas serve multiple purposes. They’re hard work (after all, anything worth doing takes dedication, energy and time), but well worth the effort when done well. They can help you: Raise money. Provide additional value and entertainment…
When you’re not aware you’re making a mistake, it’s hard to avoid it.
So let’s get curious. I’m going to ask you to close your eyes for a minute to imagine a donor you’ve been wanting to ask for a major gift. I’m going to ask you to visualize a space where you’re meeting. Put them in your office, their home, a café or even a Zoom screen. Choose what’s comfortable, and where you think you’d be most likely to meet with this donor within the next month or so.
Okay… do you have your donor and your meeting space in mind? Excellent!
Now, before closing your eyes, commit to visualizing these four things:
Okay, are you ready to close your eyes? Even if this feels a little weird, why not give it a try?
EXERCISE: You can do this by yourself, but it works better if you do it in a pair. Find a co-worker, friend or family member to prompt you to close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Notice if you’re holding tension anywhere in your body. Relax those areas (forehead; neck; shoulders; hands; belly; thighs; calves; feet). Now have them ask you the following questions:
(1) Pick a donor to meet with.
(2) Pick your meeting space.
(3) Pick an additional person to support you in the room (e.g., program director; subject matter expert; volunteer; executive director; board member; other donor). Describe who they are, and how it feels having them there.
(4) Open the conversation. What are you saying to them? What are they saying back? What’s their body language? Are their eyes lighting up? Are they smiling? Leaning forward? Play this scenario out just a bit, until you get to a place of comfort or discomfort.
Then open your eyes.
What felt comfortable to you? Uncomfortable? Did it feel more comfortable and pleasant than you may have imagined?
Smiling people, committed to the same cause, hanging out in a comfortable space together…. from such a space can come many good things.
Take a few minutes to journal some answers to those questions. I guarantee this will help you shift the energy for the next time you move into this space – in real time – with a donor.
It’s not fatal; you can correct it. But first you have to recognize it happened!
Mistakes in major donor conversations generally arise when you don’t know enough about the donor, or vice-versa. That’s why there are two kinds of major donor visits:
Want your donors to sustain you? Then you can’t consume them in five minutes.
Yet all too often nonprofits treat their donors exactly like a gumball dispensed from a machine. Chew it up. Spit it out. Done.
Oh, yeah… maybe you send a quick thanks to whoever gave you the change to buy the gum. But that’s as far as your gratitude takes you. You’re over it. You never even think about that gumball again. You probably can’t even remember what color it was. You’re off hunting down your next snack.
Little snacks are nice. But they won’t sustain you over time.
One-time donations are the same way. And they’ll stay that way – one time – if you treat them the way you treat your gumballs.
Here is some wisdom gleaned from many decades of personal nonprofit work.
It derives from both my stints as an in-the-trenches development professional (five different organizations, wearing many hats, over a 30-year career), and my past decade as a coach/consultant for nonprofits of all sizes and shapes.
I will also be sharing quotes from donors Penelope Burk surveyed (also here), as these authentic testimonials provide great insight into how donors think and feel.
Finally, we’ll conclude with seven relatively easy things you can do to connect more meaningfully with your supporters so they’ll stick with you through thick and thin!
Do you want to risk not receiving generous gifts you could have otherwise received, just because you failed to go the extra mile to share relevant, useful and even critical information? Or because you just did the most basic things, failing to do what would have made your communications really stand out?
Your job as a philanthropy facilitator is to do everything in your power to make giving to you as easy, joyful and rewarding as possible.
Everything.
Do you?
Doing everything means
There’s a powerful psychological principle known as the “identifiable victim effect.”
It has to do with how you describe the scope of the problem you’re asking donors to help address. And what they will do as a result of how they perceive this scope.
There’s another related psychological principle known as “scope insensitivity.”
It applies when a number is too large for people to really comprehend its meaning. If you tell me something costs $1 billion, I really have little idea how this might differ from $10 million. Both numbers are equally overwhelming. I can’t picture how high a pile of either would be in dollar bills or even $100 bills. I have no sensitivity as to the scope because I simple can’t sense it.
Fundraisers absolutely need to know about, and apply, these principles.
Fundamentals are important! Before writing your appeal, it’s good to remind yourself of the basics to make sure you’ve got all bases covered. Look at the elements you want to include; make sure you’re applying them. In this two-part series, I’m calling out eight appeal writing fundamentals. In Part 1 we looked at the first four:
Today we continue with four more.
Let’s get started!
What if part of the reason our sector has so little understanding of our supporters is because we think we’ve done the work of understanding by slapping the activist, volunteer, donor (insert other generic label here) on people?
— Kevin Shulman, Founder, DonorVoice
Donors have their own sense of identity; they’re people first. Trying to categorize them neatly into donor “personas” (e.g., “Wanda Widow,” “Busby Business Man,” “Suzy Soccer Mom,)” doesn’t work nearly as well as helping them express their best self or selves.
Your nonprofit’s story is the whole ball of wax.
Without it, you’ve got nothing.
So let’s really talk about this for a minute.
A story is not “Give us money because we’re good guys and do good work.”
Nor are “Sustain humanitarian aid,” “Support the arts,” or “Save our rivers” stories.
Sure, there may be some implicit narratives hiding within these phrases, but they’re really tag lines or calls to action. Useful, sure. But not until you’ve laid the groundwork of telling a compelling story.
You never start a story with “And they lived happily ever after.”
Similarly, you should never start a fundraising appeal with “We saved the whales.” Where’s the emotion and drama here?
You know donors are moved to give through emotion, right?
The best way to get inside a donor’s head and heart is by telling a dramatic, emotional story. Something that taps into their core and arouses their curiosity, or some deeper feeling like sadness, fear or anger.
You see, human brains are wired for story.
Yes, nonprofit newsletters can raise money!
And they should delight, retain and upgrade donors too.
How does this work?
It works by using your newsletter to give credit where it is due.
To your donors!
You see, a charitable gift is not the same as a purchase of a product or service. With the latter, you have something tangible to continue to appreciate (e.g., you use your laptop daily; you continually admire the new paint job on your house). With the former, you’ve got nothing but an initial shot of dopamine … and then a memory. For most donors, this becomes a distant memory. Because most nonprofits don’t consistently and repeatedly report back. With donors, out of sight truly does mean out of mind.
You see, once is not enough. Research shows for gratitude to be deeply felt it must be repeated. Repeat gratitude and reporting back accomplishes the following:
Donor feels good
Donor trusts you’re good to your word.
Donor feels inclined to give again.
Donor retention increases
Average gift size increases
Your raise a lot more money over time
I’ve long advocated for incorporating accountability into nonprofit job descriptions if you hope to get, and measure, results. Without accountability, tasks have a serious likelihood of slipping to the back burner; then off the stove entirely.
Procrastination is just a human trait.
We tell ourselves we’ll clean out the garage this weekend. But no one makes us do it. So the weekend comes and goes without anything happening.
We make a new year’s resolution to exercise more. We even join a gym. We attend a couple of times, but no one is tracking our progress on the elliptical machine. We fall back into our previous habits and, before we know it, we’ve stopped going.
We plan to get out of the office and visit a donor at least three times a week, but no one really pays attention to our schedule – after all, we’re grown-up professionals! – and it’s easy to get distracted by emails, meetings, and a host of other tasks.
I could go on with a zillion examples. You probably can too. Why? Because human beings are wired this way. We get distracted. We procrastinate. We give in to habits that may not serve us well. And we’ve been doing it for centuries. It even has a Greek name: Akrasia.
You’ve still got time to sprinkle a little magic into your year-end fundraising!
Consider each of these seven words a magic potion unto themselves.
The more of these words you use, the more powerful a spell your appeal will cast.
Each of these packs a bigger persuasive punch than you might imagine.
Let’s take a closer look at how this works.
When you’re not aware you’re making a mistake, it’s hard to avoid it.
So let’s get curious. I’m going to ask you to close your eyes for a minute to imagine a donor you’ve been wanting to ask for a major gift. I’m going to ask you to visualize a space where you’re meeting. Put them in your office, their home, a café or even a Zoom screen. Choose what’s comfortable, and where you think you’d be most likely to meet with this donor within the next month or so.
Okay… do you have your donor and your meeting space in mind? Excellent!
Now, before closing your eyes, commit to visualizing these four things:
SELF-EXERCISE: Okay, are you ready to close your eyes? Even if this feels a little weird, why not give it a try? (1) Pick your donor… (2) your meeting space… (3) your additional person supporting you in the room… and (4) open the conversation. What are you saying to them? What are they saying back? Play this scenario out just a bit, until you get to a place of comfort or discomfort. Then open your eyes.
What felt comfortable to you? Uncomfortable? Did it feel more comfortable and pleasant than you may have imagined? Smiling people, committed to the same cause, hanging out in a comfortable space together…. from such a space can come many good things. What did you say to open the conversation? How did that feel?
If it felt good, why? If it didn’t feel good, why?
Take a few minutes to journal some answers to those questions. I guarantee this will help you shift the energy for the next time you move into this space – in real time – with a donor.
It’s not fatal; you can correct it. But first you have to recognize it happened!
If I had to tell you what you need to do to succeed with major gift fundraising in one short paragraph it would be this:
Identify prospects. Qualify them so you know they want to build a deeper relationship with you. Cultivate them. Visit with them. Listen to them. Ask them for something specific that resonates with their passions. Steward their gift. Communicate the impact of their gift, more than once, to cement the relationship and make them feel like the hero they are.
It’s definitely not rocket science. It’s just not something most of us are taught. Ultimately, success depends on doing the right things the right way. Once you know what is required, success comes from good old hard work. Satisfying and rewarding work. It’s a type of work anyone can learn to do. [If you want to learn, please sign up for the upcoming Certification Course for Major Gift Fundraisers that begins January 25th. It may be the most important investment you make all year. Just one major gift will more than cover the cost].
Over my 39 years in fundraising, 30 of them working in the trenches as a director of development for organizations with budgets ranging from $1 – $40 million, I have asked for a lot of major gifts. I know what works, and what doesn’t work. Today I want to give you some of my best words of wisdom, and also answer some of the questions folks tend to ask me frequently.
I hope these tips will help you tweak your mindset and invigorate your systems so you can be more successful fundraising in the coming year!
I’ve written about some of the new charitable deduction opportunities included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act signed on March 27, 2020 before. But a recent post shared by Greg Warner of Market Smart — Dr. Russell James’ tips to help donors give wisely before this year ends — plus a recent conversation with a financial advisor, reminded me it’s a very good time to share with you again.
You see, there are several things that will impact donor deductions – THIS YEAR ONLY. It’s good for you to be aware of these as a fundraiser, because making your supporters mindful of these opportunities may lead to them making more, and larger, gifts to your organization.
Of course, you’re not in the business of offering legal, tax or financial advice. And it’s easier to tell yourself donors’ own advisors will likely tell them about these new provisions. And that “this isn’t really your responsibility.” Yet…
Not all of your donors have their own accountants or financial advisors.
And not all tax advisors are up to snuff, especially when it comes to charitable deductions. Do you want to risk not receiving generous gifts you could have otherwise received, just because you’re too lazy to share this useful information?
Sorry about using that “L” word, but too many fundraisers (IMHO) don’t 100% understand their job as a philanthropy facilitator. Do you?
Your job is to do everything within your power to make giving easy, joyful and meaningful for your supporters. Everything. Doing everything means