Tax benefits are icing on the philanthropy cake. What to do when the icing is melting? First, the good news. The sky is not falling. Human beings have given long before the existence of charitable deductions. Human beings are generous. They like being helpful. They like making a difference. They like doing the right thing.…
In a recent article I gave you the “Holy Trinity” of fundraising success:
You, Because and Thanks.
Those are essential ingredients for any fundraising appeal.
Today I’m going to give you four more magic words:
Small, Immediate, Expert and Support.
Each of these packs a bigger punch than you might imagine, and tends to persuade folks on the fence to jump right off and land in your court.
Let’s take a closer look at how this works.
I consider these three words the holy trinity of fundraising success.
I’ve written about these words before, and do so again as an important reminder. Because you’ve still got time to wrap them into your year-end fundraising appeal. And, if you do, I guarantee you’ll raise more money.
They are simple.
They are easy to remember.
They really work.
Plus, if you wrap them up with some emotional color, you’ve got an offer that can’t be refused.
Let’s take a look.
It simply makes sense to follow the money. Where is it? Let’s begin with that elephant-shaped piñata in the middle of the room. It’s filled with 80% of all philanthropy. You’ve got to figure out how to get the goodies out of it or you’ll just be scrambling for spare change. The most recent data…
“Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end; then stop.” So wrote Lewis Carroll in Alice in Wonderland.
It’s the same with major donor fundraising, except you don’t ever really stop. You just start up again. You do follow a prescribed path, however. And here’s what it looks like:
If you do this correctly, it becomes a transformational process for the donor. They want to stay connected and engaged and invested. Which is why you don’t stop. You follow up with “Some More.”
But first…
Reality check.
What is your real goal with fundraising?
Think about this carefully.
Obviously (I hope), it’s not just to raise ‘money.’
Money is only as good as the purpose to which it’s applied.
So what’s fundraising for?
Have an answer?
Jot it down.
Okay… let’s get to it.
I often say “if you want gifts, you must give them.”
I want to “clairify” that I mean this somewhat metaphorically.
I mean you shouldn’t focus only on getting, but also on giving.
Your relationship with your donors shouldn’t be all take, take, take.
That being said, most donors don’t want a lot of “stuff.” They particularly don’t want expensive and/or useless stuff. In other words, you don’t have to give them tangible gifts of tote bags, coffee mugs and socks. Instead, consider giving them “gratitude experiences.”
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 donor development.
Do you have that year-end feeling?
You know, the one that many fundraisers get around this time of year?
Kind of frenetic? Kind of anxious?
You’re not alone.
For many, this has been a gut-wrenching week. People are struggling with how to make sense of global events. Not just the American elections (though this is a huge sea change), but also escalating, senseless violence across the planet, threats to free speech, the spread of fake news, a deepening divide between classes, and a creeping sense of dread as events begin to seem out of our control.
There’s a lot for people to digest. The world can seem a cruel and barbaric place. Philanthropy – love of humankind — can seem elusive.
Yet it’s right here. In each of us.
I consider these three words the holy trinity of fundraising success.
They are simple.
They are easy to remember.
They really work.
Plus, if you wrap them up with some emotional color, you’ve got an offer that can’t be refused.
Let’s take a look.
In A dollar more (vs. a dollar less) Seth Godin provocatively suggests you consider a race to the top.
This made me immediately think of the nonprofit overhead conundrum. Too many nonprofits feel stuck with trying to justify the amount of money they spend on staff and infrastructure in a race to lure more donors to their cause.
The common wisdom (really nonsense) is that “a dollar less” is good. That the less you spend, the more effective you are. “Lean and mean” is supposed to be a good thing.
Thinking about doing a “non-event” event where no one has to attend? It sounds great on the face of it. After all, Penelope Burk’s research revealed that many donors reported they like to receive invitations to events; they just prefer not to attend them. Win/win?
Not so much. It depends why you’re hosting the event in the first place. If it’s your only method of fundraising for the entire year, then fine. Go right ahead. Whether folks attend or not doesn’t much matter. You’ve made your single annual ask, received your gift and you’re done. All you wanted was money. Once. Right? Hold on!
Want to keep more donors? It’s simple really.
What it all boils down to is one key idea. YOU.
You and the role you play in assuring your donor gets lasting satisfaction from their gift.
A prompt, personal thank you is a beginning. Yet it won’t have lasting effect.
You must go above and beyond the “donor receipt” —
I consider these three words the holy trinity of fundraising success.
They are simple.
They are easy to remember.
They really work.
Plus, if you wrap them up with some emotional color, you’ve got an offer that can’t be refused.
Let’s take a look.
The world can seem a cruel place. Never more so than when horrific, senseless events unfold and innocent people are killed, maimed and scarred. Philanthropy, love and compassion can seem elusive.
Yet it’s right here. In each of us. To choose, or to not choose. To pay attention to, or to ignore.
Today, and all this week, we celebrate the United Nation’s International Day for Tolerance. While it may seem we haven’t much to celebrate right now, the reverse is true.
I’ve got some really cool links for this first week of September. I try to find stuff I think you may not be seeing through your regular channels because it’s fun to get new perspectives. I especially love to find folks who come from other disciplines and see how nonprofits might apply some of their thoughts — art and science — to fundraising, marketing, management and leadership. Plus you’ll find some free resources and a new learning opportunity (scroll to the bottom). Let’s begin…
I recently had the privilege of presenting at the ALDE Conference, during the course of which I had the good fortune to listen in on the Keynote Address presented by Kivi LeRoux Miller. It got me to thinking about becoming a nonprofit milliner.
Say what?
Well, here’s the deal. I’m sure I could do a brisk business selling all sorts of different hats based on what Kivi had to say about results from her 2015 Nonprofit Communications Trends Report. After surveying more than 1500 nonprofits, guess what she found?
Male Donors Respond Best to Pitches That Stress Self-Interest, Study Says.
I came across this Stanford research study in the Chronicle of Philanthropy, and I have to say I’m surprised.
The article claims there’s an “empathy gap” between men and women. Because of this, it advises emphasizing how the prospective male donor will benefit from their philanthropy, rather than highlighting the impact of their philanthropy on the beneficiary.
Hmmn…
I’m not certain the right take-away from this research is to smother men with “hard” factual data and women with “soft” emotional stories.
Because I’ve read study after study that show the heart trumps the mind – and stories out-pull data — every time.
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.
Who writes your annual appeal letter? If it’s your executive director or your board chair there’s a very good chance it’s filled with jargon. This (pardon my non-jargon language) sucks.
Jargon is the opposite of constituent-centered writing.
It’s not your writer’s fault. Most of us use jargon all the time without being aware we’re doing so. It’s the language we speak when we work together in groups. It’s a sort of short-hand. Acronyms. Labels. Terms of art. It pops up all over the place. But, again, when it comes to using it in your fundraising appeals it’s bad news. Yet it’s exceedingly difficult to avoid. Why?
It’s not about the money. It’s about the mission and the impact. This year-end fundraising blog post from 2013 by a recent nonprofit client of mine, One Justice, absolutely nails why we ask folks for support. It’s about what will happen if we don’t engage in fundraising.
I encourage you to read and consider the full post. For while we may be at the beginning of the calendar year, there’s no reason you can’t use the key elements of this approach year-round. It’s not just about the prose; it’s about the attitude.
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.
Fresh Look – Crowd Fundraising Trend
Crowd fundraising offers a huge new opportunity for nonprofits to acquire new donors and expand their base of support. Thus far it’s mostly been used for peer-to-peer campaigns, but one nonprofit recently employed it in a very clever new way.
Planning any special e-mail campaigns before the end of the fiscal year? This summer? If not, think about it. An e-campaign costs pennies on the dollar compared with print marketing. And the right message at the right time to the right market can empower your supporters to help you change the world.
Your success will be measured not by how many you send, but by how many get opened; then how many answer your call to action. Here are 10 basic tips to assure your email engages your audience. Oh, and I left an 11th tip out on purpose. It’s something that’s super important. If you think you know what it is, contact me with your guess. I’ll pick randomly from among the correct answers – the winner gets a 50-minute top-level review of their next e-appeal (a $200 value), at no cost.
This month’s SMIT (Single Most Important Thing I have to tell you):
Remember in ‘The Graduate’ the one word piece of advice given to Dustin Hoffman? PLASTICS. That was seen to be the wave of the future (oh how long ago that seems, and how quickly something can turn from friend to foe…. but I digress).
Recently I gave another “P” word as my best piece of advice for nonprofit marketers and fundraisers. PERSONAL. I received a lot of feedback, so I’d like to revisit this word and flesh out its multiple meanings – and how getting personal can help you achieve your fundraising and marketing goals.
It’s a long way from “I like you” to the altar. Where is the ? Ask yourself if you’re trying too often to rush to the altar without an engagement. If you’re wondering why those folks who… “liked” you on … gave after being strong-armed by their friends… bought a silent auction item while first-time…
Philanthropy should not just be about big checks. We live in times of scarcity. How are you mobilizing your community in fresh and different ways? How are you building long-term capacity to sustain your organization? How are you creating stronger, deeper relationships with constituents? 1. Identify where your communities hang out.How? Lo for what groups…
The digital revolution has made it easier for each individual to beat – and march to – their own drum. This means we no longer lead the band (or, shall I say, brand). So if neither marketing nor development is wielding the baton, does it matter how they’re connected or separated? Yes! But the way…
Shall we join forces? Fundraising is not basketball, but it’s madness not to play as a team. I’ve spen with three nonprofits in the past several months that, rather than joining forces, have decoupled their marketing and development departments. I surmise they do this because marketing doesn’t understand development. Or development doesn’t understand marketing. Or…
Last month I began my 2012 series of monthly *SMITs (Single Most Important Thing I have to tell you). The term comes from Tom Ahern of Ahern Communications. Thank you Tom! This month I’m channeling a wonderful two-part post from Karen Zapp’s Nonprofit Blog. Thank you Karen! Confession: this is all Karen; I’m just sharing. …
We’re six weeks into 2012, and our new year’s resolutions may be beginning to fade. For those on a June-July fiscal year, it’s planning time. What should we be thinking about when it comes to allocation of our energies and resources this year? First, let’s clear out some space. I’ve participated in many a planning…
The current zeitgeist is one of information overload, as highlighted in a recent article, Content Rivers and Information Gluttony. The availability of information is not the problem, however. We’ve been in overload at least since 1970, as described by futurist Alvin Toffler . Our inability to limit our choices is what gets us into trouble. …
A recent Forbes article described ‘5 Ways to Make a Killer First Impression ’ It’s not only prospective employers or on matches who form an instant opinion of you. It’s also true for prospective supporters. We should be dating our donors! Here are the suggested 5 ways to make a positive first impression, with implications…
When you see an “occupied” sign on a restroom these days, do you think of it differently? Personally, I picture folks camped inside with tents and generators and coing pots and placards. Whatever else the Occupy movement has accomplished, they’ve certainly changed the meaning of the word for all of us. It will never be…
Before the digital revolution, the philanthropic world was round. Today, the philanthropic world is flat. Paradoxically, despite increasing marketing efforts from nonprofits, giving in the round world was flat . In a flat philanthropic world, do we have the opportunity to change this? The new world order may finally force us to realize that we’ve…