Year-End Fundraising Anxiety Got You Down?
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.
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6 Nonprofit Strategies to Raise Money Like "Mr. Wonderful"
I could just say (1) prepare, (2) prepare, (3) prepare, (4) prepare, (5) prepare, and (6) prepare.
Did I mention that you really need to prepare?
Essentially, this is the meta-message of Shark Tank’s “Mr. Wonderful,” Kevin O’Leary, to would-be entrepreneurs seeking to get spots – and funding – on the television show. And the same advice holds true for nonprofiteers seeking investments from major donors.
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How to Use Psychology to Pre-Suade Donors to Give
What can you do now to prime the pump so your donors are pre-disposed to give to you when they receive your next appeal?
In Part 1 of this two-part series I described research from Robert Cialdini, author of the seminal Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, and his newer book, Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade, and discussed how you might apply this research to your fundraising strategies. We learned the importance of leading with a “gift” or “favor” that would incline your donor favorably in your direction.
Today we’ll look at how to cement the likelihood your favor is returned, as well as explore some types of favors that are likely to be perceived as valuable.
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Not Your Usual Year-End Nonprofit Donation Issues
I doubt you’re worrying your pretty little heads about this stuff, but you should be.
Because year-end giving is simply too fraught with angst — and it needn’t be that way!
Giving to your nonprofit should be a joyful experience for your donors – before, during and after the transaction.
Not an anxious period of wondering whether their credit card transaction is secure, whether their gift went into a black hole or whether you’ll use it as they intended.
And guess what else?
Receiving donations should be a joyous occasion for you too.
Not an unmitigated nightmare of receiving credit card numbers that don’t work, worrying about how already busy staff can possibly process all your year-end donations and, for that matter, do so in a timely, professional and personal manner.
So give yourself and your donors a break.
How to do this?
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6 Ways to Raise More Money with Your Annual Fundraising Appeal
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!
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5 Secrets of Psychologists: How to Get Donors to Say “Yes”
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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