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…

Details
Leave a commentStrategy & Management
Holiday elf jack-in-the-box

Underused Year-End Fundraising Tweak Pops Up!

Holiday elf jack-in-the-boxWhat if I told you there’s a teensy little digital upsell that could skyrocket your year-end fundraising results?  Would that be of interest?

Darn rootin’-tootin’!

And it’s something you still have time to do.

It has to do with your website, so consider looping in whoever is responsible for that part of your year-end marketing and fundraising strategy.

It’s called a “light box,” “splash page,” or “pop-up.”

Essentially it’s a window that pops, or splashes, or lights up the screen upon a certain trigger (on site entry or right before a user tries to exit the site). It generally stops visitors from interacting with the page until they consider completing a called-for action. I’m sure you’ve seen them, interacted with them and, most likely, been really annoyed by them in the past.

But the question you should ask is do they work?

Please don’t run your year-end campaigns based on the opinions of folks who aren’t professional fundraisers or marketers.  There’s a reason why, despite the fact everyone seems to complain about them, pop-ups continue to be widely used on websites — nonprofit and otherwise. It’s because they actually work.

Here are some nonprofit case study examples:

Let’s dig a little deeper

Details
Leave a commentOnline Fundraising
We plant trees not for ourselves mural

How 13 Nonprofit Donors Yields a $1 Million Philanthropic Legacy

We plant trees not for ourselves mural13 happens to be my lucky number. I want it to be lucky for you too.

Today, I’m going to reveal to you how you can make this happen.

A survey of wills reported on by the Chronicle of Philanthropy revealed the average bequest by everyday donors is $78,630. The survey is a few years old, but as a working average this will suffice. Some people will leave less; some people will leave more.

The point revealed by this survey is you only need about 13 donors (give or take a few) making a provision for your organization in their will to reap $1+ million.

If a major gift for your organization is $1000 (or even 5000 or 10,000), I imagine this sounds off the charts to you. Guess what?

Legacy giving is off the charts!

In fact, bequest marketing produces the highest ROI (return on investment) of any fundraising activity. And a highlight of the 2023 Giving USA Report is that charitable bequests, at $43 billion, were up 4.8% over the previous year and are the only source that exceeded the rate of inflation. Bequests make up a sizeable piece of the contributed income pie, representing around 8-10% of total giving over the last 40 years.

The first step to making this happen for your organization is to encourage bequests.

Actively.

Promote Charitable Bequests, or Else

If you don’t actively encourage charitable bequests, people are unlikely to make them.

Why? There are three primary reasons:

Details
Leave a commentMajor & Legacy Gifts
Jar of Coins

Do you wish you had a dime for…

Jar of Coins

Awareness alone is passive.

 

Do you wish you had a dime for every time a nonprofit board or staff member told you “We’re the best kept secret in town; if people knew what we do, they’d give to support us.”

Nonprofits tell me this all the time! If I had all those dimes, I could make a nice contribution to your cause.  And I would, if…

  • You endeavored to learn a little bit about me,
  • You engaged me personally,
  • You discovered my values match yours,
  • You offered me opportunities to connect with your mission and supporters that involved something other than money,
  • You showed me you knew what most engaged my passions, and…
  • Then you gave me the opportunity to enact my passions by asking me for a gift!

You see, merely “building awareness” will not ipso facto raise more money for your cause.

Just because I care about something, and somehow learn you are involved in doing something about that thing, doesn’t mean I’m going to support you financially.

Why should I?  There are a lot of good causes out there, and making a decision to invest in you is something I need to feel emotionally and then act on.

I’m busy.  I’m overloaded with information. And inertia is just too powerful a force.

You’ve got to do better than just hope I’ll stumble upon your website, see your social media post, hear about you on the news, or even open your direct email if you want me to really sit up, pay attention, and actively engage.

Especially if you want me to engage as a philanthropist.

Details
Leave a commentAnnual Giving
Photo of a cobweb

What Does Early Spring Mean for Nonprofit Communications Strategies?

Photo of a cobwebThis week the groundhog told us it’s going to be an early spring!

Spring is always a good time for re-awakening, rebirth and just plain dusting away the cobwebs.  And what a dreary, grave, cobwebby period it’s been.

We’ve got a lot to clean up, reorganize and rethink. So much, in fact, it’s downright overwhelming. So, as I sat down to write today’s article, I thought about what you actually have within your power to do. Right now. And all throughout the coming months.

I know it’s been pretty hard to focus with everything going on in the world.

So I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and tried to pull together the various challenges I’ve seen nonprofit leaders, fundraisers, and marketers grapple with in the past year. Actually, the past years. Through elections, pandemic, climate catastrophes, shootings, war, unprecedented demonstrations of cruelty and inhumanity, and more. It’s a LOT.

But, the show — your good work — must go on. 

In  other words, your mission must move forward. People rely on you to do the critical work of the social benefit sector.

I thought: what can people do now to set themselves up for success as we move forward into high fundraising season at the end of this coming year? It may seem early to think about this, but it’s never too soon to put your best foot forward.

I’ve ended up with four tips I hope you’ll find relevant and timely.

  1. Big Picture
  2. Your Role as Helper
  3. Practical Guidance
  4. Strategic Advice

4 Timely Nonprofit Fundraising and Communications Strategies

1. BIG PICTURE: Message Confidently During Uncertain Times

Whether it’s a marketing or fundraising communication, keep these four messaging basics in mind.

Details
Leave a commentStrategy & Management
Silhoette of person with light sabers

May the Force Be With You: Underused Year-End Fundraising Tweak

Silhoette of person with light sabersWhat if I told you there’s a teensy little digital upsell that could skyrocket your year-end fundraising results?  Would that be of interest?

Darn rootin’-tootin’!

Okay. Here’s something you still have time to do. It has to do with your website, so consider looping in whoever is responsible for that part of your year-end marketing and fundraising strategy.

First, let’s look at a typical Donation Landing Page with a call to action via some compelling text, maybe a photo, and a big, bold “Donate” button. Hopefully you’ve optimized it for mobile too.  And, no matter what device your donor uses to access the page, they’re able to complete their gift with no more than two clicks.

Check, check, check, check and check.

You’re well on the way (or not quite) to getting some nice traction for your campaign.

But… don’t stop there!

Because you can significantly boost your results if you add one simple thing.

I like to think of it as “the force.”

It’s not a light saber, but it’s similarly luminous.

It’s called a…

Details
Leave a commentOnline Fundraising

What Monkeys Can Teach Your Nonprofit

Monkey looking at youBabies can teach you the same thing.

If one baby does something, the others will want to ape them.

“Monkey see, monkey do.”

This is actually a psychological principle of influence and persuasion known as “social proof.”

It’s best explored in the 1984 groundbreaking book, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, by Robert Cialdini. He outlines six principles of influence affecting human behaviors. They’re all well documented, and can be incredibly useful to fundraisers.

One of the most useful principles is the one we also know today as the “Yelp effect.” It’s a type of positive (or negative) word of mouth that can make or break your business. I know how often I’ve abandoned my cart after reading a negative review. You?

Word of mouth is perhaps the most powerful form of social media you can find, so it pays to leverage it to your advantage.

Even someone inclined to support your cause may not give unless you push the right buttons. Of all the ways to do that, social proof is among the easiest and most successful.

Details
1 CommentContent Marketing