Gailperry.com » Inspiration for Fundraisers

Average Gift Size to Haiti is Smaller Than Other Disasters – What That Means to Us

Gail — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:47:56 +0000

The Chronicle of Philanthropy reported this week that some international relief organizations said their average gift size to help the Haiti crisis is smaller than after the tsunamis in 2004. The good news is that the number of gifts went up even if the size of the gift was down.

For example, (and I’m quoting from the Chronicle article here:)

In the first 10 weekdays after the earthquake in Haiti, Mercy Corps received 61,505 contributions, compared with 49,561 donations during the same period after the tsunamis. But the average size of the Haiti gifts was $109, compared with $208 for the tsunami gifts.

As of Wednesday, the American Red Cross had received approximately $231-million, a little more than a third of the more than $644-million raised by major U.S. relief groups. Online donations for Haiti have averaged $92 for the group, compared with $150 after the tsunamis.

World Vision U.S. has raised almost $30-million for its work in Haiti, roughly the same amount the organization had received during the same period after the tsunamis. But the charity’s average gift size is $130 this disaster, compared with $191 for the tsunamis.

Here’s my take on this: Clearly the disturbing trend to smaller gifts is because of the recession. How long will we be here? Gift size has dropped almost across the board.

I, for one, am anxiously waiting for signs of spring – looking for signs of a resurrection in the economy and in giving. These trends in gift size may be the first bellweather to let us know how things are going. And clearly, the tide hasn’t turned yet. But these donors are more of the anonomyous type – the kind motivated by media to “help out” in times of crisis.

We CAN be successful when we make focus in on our CURRENT donors – those who are already on the bandwagon with us. All the more reason for us to be keeping our donors and friends of our cause excited about the impact we are making in the world.

I just read in the Benevon newsletter yesterday of some stunning results from first time “ask events’ – major funds that were raised from both new and old donors. When we pull in those personally devoted to our cause and tell our story with impact and passion, they WILL give.

Our inner circle donors are a better bet right now than new donors who come to us thru the media.

Fundraisers are on the Front Lines of the Battle

Gail — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 16:02:35 +0000

The New York Times today ran an opinion article about a new study from the national organization Feeding America.

The study showed that one in 8 Americans sought emergency food aid last year. (This is 37 MILLION PEOPLE!)

Lord have mercy, as we say in the south! They are feeding one million more Americans a week than they were in 2006.

Hunger is alive and well in America, it is awful to say.

The need is so very clear. All over our country and the world, there are people desperately in need.

We fundraisers and nonprofit leaders are on the front lines of the battle for safe, decently-fed, healthy families in our communities.

If you ever start to lose heart and feel that what you do is not making a difference, do step back and look at the real results of your work.

I think fundraising is one of the most noble professions ever.

When I say we are on the front lines of the battle, I am not kidding. We literally can make the difference between tragedy and safty, or hunger and food, or the difference between illness and health. We do this because we bring in the resources to make it happen.

We are the catalyst. We bridge between the well-meaning people who want to help and those who so desperately need the help.

Don’t ever lose heart. Call me or email me if you need to and I’ll pump you up. Find other fundraisers and bond with them for support. Our causes need us more than ever, ever before!

Onward, and may the force be with you!

The Chronicle’s 10 Emerging Trends for 2010

Gail — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 01:40:22 +0000

Today’s Chronicle of Philanthropy identified 10 trends that are a bit unnerving. These are outside forces that are making life a challenge to put it lightly for anyone trying to carry out a nonprofit mission.

These trends are worrisome at best. They point out warning signs and potholes on the road to a nonprofit’s success.

I’d much rather see the pundits give us some good news coming down the pike for 2010. Listen, I’m the eternal optimist. There’s got to be a way to find something to be hopeful about! : )

Here are the trends that the Chronicle has pointed out:

10 Trends – Emerging Forces for 2010

1) Governments in Crisis – this means that we won’t be seeing grants and support from the governmental sector come back anytime soon. Let’s just hope that your nonprofit has not over-relied on government support!

2) Strains in the Safety Net – yes, this is troubling. Nonprofits are being asked to fill the gaps in the safety net. Can they do it?

3) A Full-Court Press for Modest Gifts – the mega gifts are really declining. And smart organizations are focusing on smaller gifts from generous donors.

4) Grim Grants Outlook – since foundations’ endowments lost so much in the stock market, the funds available for grantees has shrunk considerably for 2010.

5) A Weakened Charity Work Force – ok, so there have been alot of layoffs in our sector and people are straining to do more with less. We can handle it temporarily until things bounce back.

6) A Sharpened Eye on Charity Pay – oversight, transparency, scruitiny – it’s all there when examining nonprofit perks!

7) Rising Donor-Charity Tensions – donors are asking for more and more. They want to be able to control their gifts in ways we haven’t seen before.

Proving That Charity Works – outcomes, results, impact. That’s what everybody wants from us.

9) Volunteerism Becomes Cool – here’s a bright spot. Helping others is now the new cool. Yes!

10) A Stalled Online Revolution – I don’t agree with this one. The online world offers nonprofits incredible tools. We just need to learn how to use it.

I don’t want to hear words like: grim, stalled, weakened, tensions, strains and crisis, I am currently overdosed on the dark side.

Let’s look at the opportunities for us all – even in the midst of a challenging year. Last year, I published “7 Reasons for Fundraisers to be Optimistic in 09″ in the international AFP newsletter. I promise you that I’ll create an even longer list for 2010!

Be Contrarian – When Others are Falling Back, It’s Time to Move Forward

Gail — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:09:42 +0000

I was reading one of my favorite blogs last week – For Impact – and just had to share this with you. Tom Suddes and Nick Fedders (the For Impact folks) are two smart, and contrarian guys.

I highly recommend their blog – especially if you are in capital campaign mode.

It’s a dynamite addition to my “31 year-end strategies in 31 days of October.” Here’s the most compelling advice you could possibly get to boost your year-end campaign strategy.

Here’s what they wrote last week.

“Just saw a note from one year ago today (19 Oct 08) in my journal… from über-investor Warren Buffett:

“Be fearful when others are greedy.
Be greedy when others are fearful.”

My parallel thought goes like this:

Be ASKING when others are hiding.
Be ASKING even when others are asking.

JUST ASK. It was almost a year ago when the economy crashed and everyone in the nonprofit world panicked. I wrote NOW MORE THAN EVER, where I basically said that this too shall pass….. and then that every For Impact organization needed to stay in front of its best investors (not hide under the desk).

I guess the recession is “officially” over. Dow just went back to 10,000. However, there is still a ton of people without jobs; and, clearly, things will never go back to the way they were.

For most of us in the third sector the DEMAND for our services and support has dramatically increased.

NOW MORE THAN EVER… we need to be out with our best CHAMPIONS and PROSPECTIVE INVESTORS.

Go forth… and JUST ASK!

Is Fundraising a Lonely Business?

Gail — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:36:19 +0000

It’s a lonely time out there with lots of my fundraising colleagues. Especially with this being just about the toughest fundraising environment any of us have ever seen.

Being a staff fundraiser has always been a lonely business.(And consulting can be pretty lonely too!) This is the time we need to rally our colleagues, our board members our CEO and have give them all a dose of old-fashioned optimism.

Here you are, bravely working for your cause with passion in your heart, trying to create new friends and donors for your wonderful cause.

And you have to deal with recalcitrant board members who just can’t find the courage to do what you do everyday. And you may have a CEO who also is unsure about fundraising and who won’t “do right” as we say in the south.

You may have unsupportive colleagues who are jealous that you get to go to all the events and travel around to see donors. If you’re part of a large development operation with lots of other fundraisers, they may be competitive and view you as a potential threat.

Mix all this in with a major recession, donor reluctance, and a sinking stock market, and it sure is hard to keep morale up sometimes!

My friends are sort of relieved when I say that fundraising is a lonely business. It acknowledges something we all know.

And it takes courage in our heart, perseverance in the face of adversity, tremendous commitment and just plain dogged determination to keep on keeping on.

What cheers me so very much is that so many of my fundraising friends are upbeat, optimistic and full of energy. They are looking at declining revenues with a sense of “things will get better.“ I almost never see a friend moaning and groaning, or wallowing around in negativism.

Here’s a friend’s perspective: “I have something so great and I believe in it so much and I want to make it happen! I’ll do whatever it takes! But I can’t do it by myself. I really need some help.”

Maybe fundraising attracts a certain personality. Maybe we are inherently cheerful and hoping for the best. I really think that’s the case.

So let’s all head on out there, in the face of a tough environment, unsupportive board members and colleagues and let’s make it work ANYWAY! Gather your forces, cheer up your board members and CEO’s, rally your colleagues around you to make it happen!

Too much is at stake for us to sit around feeling negative or bad.

The world out there is waiting for us, and there are surely lots of donors and friends for our cause in the future!