In The Fundraising Story Is A Mirror, Not An Exhibit, Kevin Shulman of the Agitator-DonorVoice writes about how to tell a complete story. One that fully connects with donor emotion, and allows them to see, feel and enact their values. Rather than a narrative about the donor’s suffering, an effective story for fundraising purposes must…
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You’ve probably seen them. The “old school” fundraising thermometer. One of those things that makes you go… Hmmn… Do those really work? I’m bringing this up because… In his wonderful newsletter, Tom Ahern recently suggested reviving these. They’re also a technique favored by John Lepp, author of Creative Deviations. “Love them!” he says. These fellows are true…
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Fundraising is too often seen, at best, as a ‘necessary evil.’
When viewed this way, folks – staff and volunteers alike – understandably prefer not to touch it with a 10-foot pole. Who wants to place themselves on the side of ‘evil?’
Yipes stripes!
But that’s not what fundraising is at all.
The tagline for my business, Clairification, is “philanthropy, not fundraising.” I often talk to folks about how the word philanthropy comes from the Greek and translates into “love of humankind.” Nothing evil about that!
In fact, if you ask folks to throw out the first word that comes to mind when you say ‘fundraising,’ and then ask them to do the same when you say ‘philanthropy,’ you’ll see it breaks down pretty neatly between good and evil.
If you’re coming at fundraising from the perspective of ‘necessary evil’ or ‘no pain, no gain,’ you’re never going to be effective. Especially when it comes to asking individuals, one-to-one, for passionate gifts.
As long as you hate it, donors will be able to tell you hate it.
I call this wallowing in the pain. Never a good approach. Distaste for asking begets distaste for giving. It’s done grudgingly, not passionately.
When donors can sense you’d rather be doing anything else than asking them for a gift, guess what happens? They follow your lead! In other words, they feel they’d rather be doing anything else than being asked (or making) a gift. Because you’re reducing everything to a monetary transaction.
What if you reframed fundraising so it’s seen as a really, truly good thing.
I like to reframe it thusly:
If you’re fortunate enough to be a successful nonprofit, this means you’re helping solve some of the world’s most pressing problems.
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Here comes my occasional “Do’s vs. Don’ts” feature, where I with you something arriving in my box that seems a good ‘teaching opportunity.’ Today we’re going to review an on renewal appeal strategy. It arrived as an e. There’s (1) a subject , (2) a preview pane, (3) the e itself, and (4) what…
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Does your nonprofit promote stock gifts? You should!
A groundbreaking study by Dr. Russell James J.D., Ph.D., CFP®, professor in the Department of Personal Financial Planning at Texas Tech University, found nonprofits that consistently received gifts of appreciated stocks grew their contributions six times faster than those receiving only cash.
This is HUGE.
If you learn to ask for gifts from appreciated assets you’ll get more generous gifts. The study shows:
The most productive strategy is simply to accept gifts of stock.
But it’s up to you to offer up this giving framework to your supporters.
Otherwise, they’re apt not to see this as an opportunity.
And speaking of ‘framing,’ this can establish a persuasive reference point for would-be donors. Researchers have found people don’t treat all their money as if they have one big pool of it.
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Gratitude. Thankfulness. Appreciation. The feels both you and a donor feel whenever someone contemplates, or gives, a gift to your organization. Acknowledgement. Recognition. These are the underlying secrets known by successful fundraisers worth their salt. At base, they’re about the obligation philanthropy facilitators carry to show supporters how much their support means. Sounds simple. And…
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In an issue of her Loyalty Letter, Lisa Sargent recently noted:
“I just wrapped up supporter survey season in my little copywriting studio. And every year, the most powerful answers come from one simple question:
“WHY DO YOU GIVE?”
The responses stop me in my tracks every time. I smile. I cry. I sigh. My coffee turns tepid in its insulated mug. And I remember why we’re here.”
It’s a really good idea to stop and pause, every now and then, to think about why people give to you.
In fact, you might want to do your own survey. Or you can ask people to answer this on your appeal remit piece or donation landing page. Because once you understand your donors’ motivations, you can tap into them when crafting supporter communications.
I’ve grouped some of the answers Lisa shared (in quotations). They jumped out at me because they’re emblematic of the pillar fundamentals of a successful fundraising program. People don’t just give because you ask them for money. Sure, they must be asked. But, that alone is insufficient to inspire philanthropy. There’s another, deeper reason people give.
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Does proving your point persuade your nonprofit donor?
It turns out not so much.
At least, not unless your donor is already pretty much won over.
Proof (“just the facts, m’am”), absent persuasion (“once upon a time”), won’t get you far.
In “How to Project Manage Your Nonprofit Story,” I delved into the concept of story vs. data in creating compelling nonprofit marketing and fundraising copy. Stories almost always win out, because human beings are wired for stories.
In this way, people are emotionally moved. They shed a tear… get a lump in their throats… find themsselves chuckling, smiling or even beaming with a flicker, or a flame, of recognition, appreciation or gratitude. They are taken out of their everyday lives, and moved someplace else where theyre offered a new perspective.
From this shared perspective, people can choose to act. To become part of the story, in a positive way.
To make a difference. To bring joy to sadness… hope to despair… healing to hurt. To bring the happy ending they wish to see.
Alas, when I review nonprofit appeals, the lion’s share do a poor job of making the story the star.
Sure, you may be raising money with your fact-stuffed appeal. But I’ll bet dollars to donuts you could raise a lot more by channeling the persuasive power of a compelling narrative. So, today I want to delve a bit deeper into why stories beat data.
If you’re familiar with Robert Cialdini, you’ll know about the six key principles of influence and persuasion that help people to act in the face of uncertainty. And we’re all in that state of uncertainty when we receive a fundraising appeal, right? If you look closely, you’ll see these principles are story-based:
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The job of the smart fundraiser is inspiring passionate philanthropy to make people’s lives better. I know you’re smart, because you’re reading this article! But none of us is born with a fundraising gene. And no one ever really teaches us how to write a smart fundraising appeal. We from our predecessors. Or maybe read…
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Every fundraiser knows the tension: You want to lead with a story that stirs hearts. Your CFO wants broad messaging that raises money for the whole organization. They’re not wrong—unrestricted funding is essential. But broad, abstract appeals rarely move donors to act. Most people give to something they care about deeply. A moment. A face.…
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