5 Strategies to Improve Nonprofit Use of Donor Data

I cannot tell you how many times I begin a consultation with a small nonprofit, only to discover they have no real donor database (to collect and store data) or CRM (to effectively manage donor relationships).

They’re still using Excel or Filemaker or something that was developed for the program or finance department many moons ago.

I also find many nonprofits do have a decent fundraising database, but aren’t really using it to their advantage.

It’s the equivalent of having a 747; then using it to drive down the block to the corner store.

If you’re not exactly maximizing the resources you have, or if you simply don’t have the resources you need, it’s going to adversely affect your fundraising results.

Today we live not only in an era of ‘Big Data,’ but in one in which much of this data is AI-enabled. Which means understanding why data is important, what data is most meaningful to you, and how to prioritize data collection and evaluation strategies to help you reach your goals has never been more important.

If your nonprofit fundraising and marketing strategy is not currently undergirded by data — whether AI-empowered or not yet —  I guarantee you’re missing opportunities, working inefficiently and leaving money on the table.

Could you use a bit of guidance?

Read on…

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roaring lion

Want to Win at Major Gift Fundraising? Top 7 Proven Strategies to Success.

roaring lion

7 secrets to a rip roaring major gifts program

Every nonprofit should have a major gifts program.

That’s where the lion’s share of the money is.

It’s a rare organization that has a mailing list large enough to raise a million dollars from a million different $1 donors. But most nonprofits do have major donor prospects hiding in plain sight.

It’s up to you to find them; then move them along a cultivation path that prepares them – and you – to make an ask that results in a win/win values-based exchange.

Let’s review 7 secrets that will guarantee your major gifts program is a success, whatever your size.

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Hands giving and receiving gift

Are the Rich Motivated to Give Differently?

Hands giving and receiving giftNot as much as you might think.

Yet people tell me all the time how much they’re afraid to ask wealthy people for major gifts. If you share those fears, it’s time for a little “clairification:”

Contrary to what your gut may be telling you, NOT asking is not making would-be donors feel good. Quite the opposite, in fact.

In this article, I’ll let you in on:

>> Three major donor truths. I’ll cover why (1) you must stop short-changing your would-be major donors by not offering them opportunities to be the change they want to see in the world, and (2) you must stop robbing would-be major donors of chances to create social benefit and feel good about themselves.

>> The magical role of a true philanthropy facilitator. I’ll show you how to encourage people — who truly want to give — to act on their passions.

>> The power of emphasizing transformation. The real purpose of monetary donations is not the amount someone can give but the outcome it can create.

>> The connection between philanthropy and self-actualization. You may have heard some folks say philanthropists give out of “enlightened self-interest,” but it’s more than that. Most people give because, on a deep psychological level, it makes them feel they’ve found a reason why they were put on this earth.

>> Six major donor triggers. We’ll explore how you can make donors feel so good they’ll want to say “yes” — and passionately — to your solicitation.

BOTTOM LINE: When you don’t make donors feel good, they’ll go elsewhere.

So, first let’s review what may motivate wealthy people to give.

The Rich Are Just Like You and Me 

F. Scott Fitzgerald is famously supposed to have told Ernest Hemingway “the rich are different than you and I.” “Yes, Scott,” Hemingway supposedly retorted. “They have more money.”

It’s good to remember major donors are, first and foremost, just people.

They may have more money, yet many of them actually don’t even feel “wealthy” (just as many so-called seniors don’t feel “old.”)  In fact, a survey of 4,000 investors by UBS found 70% of people with investible assets of $1 million or more do NOT consider themselves “wealthy.”

What most donors have in common (no matter their net worth) is

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Money.jpg

Money Matters: Why a Good Nonprofit Fundraiser is Hard to Keep

Money is only part of the story of why fundraisers leave

Money is only part of the story of why fundraisers leave. The real culprit is the underlying culture of scarcity.

What’s love got to do with it?

Show me the money.

Some year’s ago the Chronicle of Philanthropy published an article about the need to Shake Up Development Offices and Curb Turnover. The article cites Penelope Burk’s five years of research which culminated in her groundbreaking book, Donor-Centered Leadership, as well as a revelatory study, Underdeveloped, by CompassPoint and the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund that found half of chief development officers planned to leave their jobs in two years or less. And 40% planned to leave fundraising entirely.

What’s going on, and how can you fix it?

Is it about money, or something else?

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7 Magic Words that Increase Charitable Donations

Magician pulling dollars out of hat

Watch me pull a heartfelt donation out of a hat!

This is one of my all-time most popular posts. And since you’ve still got time to sprinkle a little magic into your year-end fundraising, I decided to share it again!

Consider each of these seven words a magic potion unto themselves.

  1. You
  2. Because
  3. Thanks
  4. Small
  5. Immediate
  6. Expert
  7. Support

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.

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Cut chocolate cake

Piece of Cake Strategic Year-End Fundraising Ingredients You May Not Be Thinking About

Want to know something that constantly amazes me? When I give fundraising advice, people often tell me “Oh, Claire. That’s such common sense!” Indeed. Somehow, I’ve learned when we cross the thresholds of our organization we too often leave our common sense at the door. We make everything complicated than necessary, often burying ourselves…

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Food bank giving

The True Meaning of Giving Tuesday

Food bank givingThis year Giving Tuesday is December 2nd. So, soon.

If you’ve not done so already, now is a good time to think about whether or not you want to jump on the bandwagon and, if so, how. There is more than one way to slice this particular piece of pie. And, really, that’s what Giving Tuesday is – just one piece of your total annual fundraising strategy.

You don’t want to blow it out of proportion. But you probably don’t want to ignore it. Rather, plan ahead to put it into a context where it will complement your other year-end communications and fundraising strategies.

Let’s take a closer look.

What is Giving Tuesday?

I confess I’ve been a bit of an apologist for the “holiday.” I like to turn the tables by actually giving to donors, rather than asking them to give yet one more time during this busiest fundraising time of the year.

Plus, I often say if you want gifts, you must give them. What better time to do so than on giving Tuesday?

Of course, asking can also be a form of giving. So, I love appeals on this date that give people the option of giving money or supporting you in other ways (e.g., volunteering; in-kind donating; advocating, etc.).

It’s all philanthropy (aka “love of humanity”).

Key: Approach GT Strategy with a Giving Spirit

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