Frankenstein drawing

Are These Fundraising Appeal Best Practices Holding You Back?

Frankenstein drawingFull confession: I’ve used the franken “best practice” appeal structure for years. And honestly? It works — especially if you borrow generously from the best of the best appeal writers. I’ve even taught these practices at conferences, on webinars, and through consulting engagements.

You probably know the formula:

  • Lead with the beginnings of a story illustrating your mission.

  • Introduce a compelling need or problem.

  • Offer a specific, credible solution.

  • Ask.

  • Provide more context about the need.

  • Share more details about the solution.

  • Ask again.

  • Suggest a hopeful conclusion — one the donor can help create.

This structure isn’t wrong.

It’s a well-intentioned attempt to do all the right things.

But over time, something gets lost. It becomes less of a cohesive narrative and more of a checklist — a stitched-together collection of tactics. And like any Frankenstein’s monster, it can start to look and feel… unnatural.

You Can Do Better Than Franken-Fundraising

Here’s the truth: I know better now.

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four people raise hands in support of your cause

Psychology of Securing Lasting Nonprofit Donor Commitments

four people raise hands in support of your cause

The more publicly people commit, the more resistant they are to changing their minds

This relates to one of Robert Cialdini’s principles of influence and persuasion: “commitment and consistency.”

The main point is this:

Once we make a decision, and strongly attach ourselves to an idea by agreeing orally or in writing, it’s more likely we’ll stick with that decision than change our minds.

Because we are wired to want to be consistent.

That to which we commit, especially publicly, becomes congruent with our self image.

What does this mean for you as a fundraiser?

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December

Last Minute Strategic Year-End Email Appeal Tips

DecemberStudies show one-fourth of all charitable giving happens in December. For some organizations (maybe yours?), it’s as much as one-third. Year-end fundraising is not chopped chicken liver!

While you absolutely should be using multiple fundraising channels to get best results, right now whatever you’ve got planned for offline is pretty much cooked. So your best bet for boosting year-end results is digital.

What do you have planned online between now and December 31st?

The 2024 M+R Benchmarks Study found nonprofits raise anywhere from 17% to 34% of their online revenue in December, depending on their cause. For well over a decade, the last week of the year – and particularly the last day of the year– have been huge for online fundraising.

To boost your year-end fundraising success, you need to craft an email offer your donor can’t refuse.

4 Top Strategies to Clearly Convey Your Offer 

If you’ve not yet planned your campaign, start here — and now. If you’re ready to go, take a moment to check your plan against these tips. In a nutshell, you need three things for any effective fundraising offer:

  1. Specific problem you’re addressing — made real and relevant to the prospective donor.
  2. Specific solution you’re proposing to address the problem – with your donor’s help.
  3. Specific ask showing how the donor can help– the distinct purpose and amount of the gift you’re requesting, tied to what it will accomplish.

It’s really that simple, but let’s get a little more into the weeds so you’ve a better idea how to execute these three offer components.

1. Describe the problem.

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12 cups coffee

12 Quick Strategies to Boost Year-End Fundraising

12 cups coffee

Percolate on these ideas; choose 1 – 2 to wake up your year-end campaign!

The biggest fundraising time of the year for most nonprofits inexorably approaches.

It can be stressful.

Don’t succumb to the stress. You’ve got this!

Perhaps you can’t do everything you’d like to do this year, but you can do some things.

Some you can do on your own.

Some will require support from technical and/or marketing staff.

Don’t become discouraged thinking you don’t have the time. Sometimes you don’t have time not to do these things.

None of these suggestions are big time consumers standing alone. They’re each little tweaks. Because often it’s the little things that count. That pack a surprising wallop.

So don’t save all your energy for writing your appeal. Help your appeal along by putting some of the dozen suggestions that follow into effect.

Here are 12 strategies that will pack a big punch.

Even just one or two will make a difference.

Let’s get started…

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Halloween skeleton

8 BOO BOO’s! Are You SCARING Nonprofit Donors Away?

Halloween skeleton

Is this how you’re making your donor feel?!?!

 

BOO!

Halloween is creeping up on us, so I’ve got some really scary stuff for you!

Don’t get too spooked. There are also a few treats.

In fact, you’ll get eight delicious goodies — in the form of “to-do’s.”

But first… the bad news.

No bones about it, you’re frightening folks away if you’re committing any of these 8 boo-boo’s!

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