Posts Tagged ‘Fundraising’

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.

I am reading my favorite blog today, the Agitator. The authors Roger Craver and Tom are “direct response” guru’s (remember it used to be called “direct mail?” Now it’s much more sophisticated direct response.)

They are citing an article by Denny Hatch about the best way to write “marketing copy.” That’s the technical term for the wording we use when we write appeals, brochures, email broadcasts and our fundraising materials.

Denny is apparently an old pro at marketing and copywriting. He says that we need to be sure to do the following things:

1. Set a deadline that will create urgency. By WHEN do we need to hear from you? Now we all know that you really have a terrible time raising money if you don’t have some sort of deadline.

You have to give people a reason for acting NOW. Write that check NOW. Put it in the mail NOW. Because we have to act quickly … (you know how to complete this sentence, right?)

2. But choose your deadline carefully. If you leave it out too long in the future, the  need to act now dissipates. But if it is too close, you are at the mercy of mailing schedules that might go wrong and ruin everything.

3. Use emotional hot buttons. If you appeal to these powerful, motivating emotions, you’ll have the most success. These hot buttons are called “key copy drivers” — because they are so powerful they can change behavior.

When you insert them into your effort, the more powerful your argument. Those copy drivers are: fear – greed – guilt – anger – exclusivity – salvation – flattery.

So how do you flatter your donors?

Tell them how smart and wonderful they are and how they’re so helpful, kind and caring.

I’ve seen lots of fundraising material that appealed to anger and guilt. Haven’t you?  Not so sure about using greed or fear here.

But don’t forget that it is POWERFUL emotions that will get attention and create action – and funds to help your cause.

I’m just back from the Northeast Leadership Conference of the Boys and Girls Club of America where I spoke yesterday afternoon at their Regional Leadership Conference. (Love those BGCA folks!)

Here’s what Dovie Prather, the Senior Director of Development Club Resources for BGCA Northeast Region, shared with me about their year-end fundraising strategies.

(That’s Dovie in the picture right here along with Glen Staron, Vice President, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Northeast Region, and me.)

Dovie spends her time coaching board volunteers and staff in the various Boys and Girls Clubs in her region – from Maine to Maryland.  She has worked with her share of reluctant board members who don’t want to go on fundraising calls.

But the staff needs the board members to help if they are going to make their goals.

And face-to-face visits are a key part of her year-end fundraising strategy recommendations for her Boys and Girls Clubs.

She’s counting on those one-on-one calls for $1k or more with key supporters to help the Clubs meet their goals. (See my earlier blog post on Focusing on Individuals to Make Your Year-End Goals). We all know that we can count on individuals this fall far more than we can count on our foundation and corporate supporters.

But most of her board members think they won’t be successful in face-to-face visits. And she doesn’t really want to send the board members out alone anyway.

So here’s her solution:

She asks board members to accompany staff on these calls. Many times all the board member has to do in the call is to tell their own personal story about why they are involved in Boys and Girls Clubs.

A board member’s personal story is a very, very powerful in-person, live testimonial. And it happens right there in the call in front of the donor. Bringing a board member along to share their story is a bit like bringing a portable live testimonial with you.

We all know that stories are more powerful than facts. And that a volunteer’s endorsement is more powerful than anything we can say or do.

Be sure you include face to face visits in your year-end fundraising strategy.  And bring board members along.

It just might make all the difference!

Here’s a guest post from a smart colleague of mine: Amy Eisenstein.  In her newsletter today, she gave us 7 ways to strengthen our end of year fundraising appeals.  (Check out her webiste:  Tri-Point Resources; she has lots of great information and an excellent newsletter.) Here’s a dynamite list of things you don’t want to forget!

Amy says:

“I spoke to a group of almost 50 fundraisers this morning, from a variety of non-profits in Wilmington, DE, and only a quarter of them had started drafting their year-end appeal!

If you are like so many others who haven’t started your annual appeal letter, what are you waiting for? Time is running out.

You can’t be late with your appeal this year, because people with limited resources are going to give to the first organizations that come knocking.

1.      Create a timeline and work backwards.
When do you want appeal letters to land in mailboxes? Early November is ideal, but anytime before Thanksgiving will do. December is late!  The mail house will need a week, as will the printer. You probably need a week to write the letter, and a week for board members and others to write personal notes. (That’s a total of 4 weeks.)

2.      Contact vendors (printer and mail house) and get quotes.
Select your vendor and discuss timelines with them. Make sure they can work under your deadlines and understand the urgent nature of your appeal.

3.      Develop a concept and write your letter.
Include personal stories, client quotes, and photos, when appropriate. This is your opportunity to tell your supporters what you accomplished this year, and who you have helped. They should feel the tug at their heartstrings!

4.      Create a Business Reply Envelope (BRE)
Don’t send your appeal without one of these. Start saving ones you get in the mail as samples for next year. The reply envelope is another place to tell your story, such as your mission or more quotes. Ask for specific amounts, such as $25, $50, $100 and Other. Remember to collect donor information for your database, including address, phone number, and email address.

5.      Personalize, personalize, personalize.
-  Segment your list. Can you send different letters to board members, donors, non-donors, and lapsed donors?
-  Always use Dear Amy, not Dear Friend.
-  Ask board members, staff, and volunteers to write personal notes to people they know (and those they don’t).
-  If you can handwrite envelopes to your largest donors, you should.

6.      Use “live” first class postage.
This is not the time to use your bulk mail permit or postage meter.

If the envelope doesn’t get opened, it doesn’t matter how good your appeal is. Don’t let your appeal end up in the trash before being opened. First class stamps and handwritten envelopes exponentially increase your open rate.

7.   Follow Up
-  Before the appeal is mailed, write generic thank you letters. Have a system for how they will get out, as fast as possible.
-  Implement a thank you calling system. Ask board members to help make thank you calls.

A thoughtful thank you goes a long way in securing the next gift. Stand out this year as an organization that is extraordinarily grateful for the donations you receive!

Take a look at this stack of mail.

When will your donor even sort through all this stuff? Will your donor even notice your appeal letter?

And what are the chances that your donor will actually open your letter?

Let’s see if we can stack the deck in our favor and increase the odds she’ll open and read our letter.

Let’s tell a story:

Here’s Jane Smith, a long-time friend of the SPCA (insert your cause here!).  She’s harried.  She’s late to pick up her kids from after school care, and now she’s rushing to the grocery story to get some dinner.

It’s a cool autumn evening, and Jane’s hugs her sweater tightly around her as she drives home.  She walks in the door, throws the groceries on the table, and heads to the mailbox to pick up the mail.  She distractedly flips through masses of mail – junk mail, political ads, newsletters, bills – you name it.

Will YOUR ENVELOPE attract her attention? Let’s go on with the story and see what happens.

Jane’s busy but something in the mail stack catches her eye.

It’s an envelope in an odd color.

It stands out. She picks it up and sees that it’s your return address.

Then she notices that there is a REAL STAMP on the letter.  Gosh, this must be a special letter. It has been hand stamped. Jane knows that this is no junk mail piece. It’s something meant especially for her.

Then she notices that several board members she knows have personally written their names above the return address. It looks a bit messy with three signatures up there, but she can immediately tell that this is indeed a special letter, meant for her alone. She thinks, “how nice of them.”

Finally, she notices that her address is hand written. Someone has taken the time to hand address her letter, and she feels pleased and complimented.

Clearly this is a special communication to Jane. Calling hello to her husband as he walks in the door, she stops walking and OPENS YOUR LETTER.

THEN SHE READS IT!  : )

Moral of the story:

1. Use a bright colored envelope.

2. Use a real stamp.

3. Have someone personally write their name above the return address on the front or back of the envelope.

4. Hand-address the envelope.

You can take it a step further and have something specially printed on the outside of the envelope. That also can encourage someone to open your appeal.

Try these and you’ll be surprised with more attention from your donors and more responses with donations.

I was reading today’s issue of Fundraising Success’s online newsletter and came across a dynamite article on year-end strategies for your email campagin.  By the way, if you don’t subscribe to this newsletter you really are missing out on a lot of cutting-edge fundraising ideas.

Did you know that between 35 to 42 percent of online giving happens in the last two months of the year?  And, according to today’s article in Fundraising Success,  the average online gift during this time is significantly higher — $84.51, compared to the average of $67.47 for the other three quarters.

So PLAN NOW for your end-of-year online appeals.

And get creative with them!  Here are strategies that Fundraising Success recommends:

• Offer on-line gifts as a service to your current donors as they consider purchasing gifts for people on their holiday list. Make it all about the donors and how you can help make their life easier during the holidays.

• Ask your donors to give memberships in your organization instead of presents. This way your donors can give more to you AND send new supporters to your cause.

• Ask your donors to “shop for a cause” at your organization’s store, and send a cause-related gift to people on their holiday list.

• Ask supporters to send holiday e-cards with a donation to your cause instead of a personal gift. Your donors can send the e-card instead of print holiday cards sent to friends and associates.  This way donors can simplify their life, help your cause and spread the word about your great work.

• Try a “Last Minute Ways to Say Happy Holidays” message. The World Wildlife Fund sends this e-mail suggesting that donors adopt an animal on someone’s behalf online.

I bet you are starting to receive year-end appeal letters like I am. Have you ever stepped back to examine exactly what they look like?

Are they dense with type?
Is the type font so small you have to dash for your reading glasses?
Is it all one dull black color?
Are the paragraphs so long that you sorta skim the first sentence and then skip on to the next paragraph?

OR, perhaps
There are attractive photos?
There is nice use of color?
There are boldface headings that make it easier to read?

And perhaps,
They use bold type and italics to highlight key points?
The are margins nice and wide?
There is plenty of white space?
Are paragraphs short?

Guess what! What your appeal actually LOOKS like has an enormous amount to do with whether people actually read the whole thing.

So often we labor over just the right words. Lots of people spend too much time writing and re-writing over and over. And finally we have it perfectly written. Then we jam all the lovely copywriting into a very small space.

There is to much to say that we end up shrinking the font. We narrow the margins to get it all there.  We throw lots of sentences into paragraphs.

And can you find the appeal?

Especially if you are skimming which is what everybody is going to do!

But we forget to step back and take a look at its overall appearance. The amount of white space on your letter may have more to do with whether someone reads it or not!

Number one rule of writing fundraising letters?

Make sure your letter is easy to read!

(Example:  Look at this post and how easy it is to read with all the white space. )

I received an end-of-the-year fundraising letter last week. And it talked and talked about this wonderful organization and all the good work it has done. It went on and on to tell about its impact and its outcomes, making sure the hot buttons were all pressed.

But one huge thing was missing. It never referred to ME, the reader. Instead, the people signing the letter talked on and on about themselves, and their cause. It was a very ego-centric letter. It seemed self-interested and self-focused.

What did the letter writers do wrong? There wasn’t a single “you” in the whole letter.

Not even a “thank you for everything you have done to help make us successful.” And not, “you have beeen part of all our successes.” And not, “as you probably know . . . ”

The letter writers missed EVERY single opportunity to refer back to me, the donor and reader. They focused only on themselves and their own agenda.

My reaction?

Well, how do you think that made me feel? Did it make me feel welcome as a supporter? Did it make me feel proud that I had helped to accomplish all those wonderful results? Did it remind me that I am squarely on this organization’s bandwagon? No, no and no.

Did it make me feel like I was being left out? Or like I was not important? Or like they had forgotten that I have been a long time supporter? Yes, yes and yes.

Count your pronouns! Do you ever stop to analyze the pronouns in your letters? The words “I,” “we,” “you,” or “they?” You should try counting them sometime.

The most special word in the English language is the word “you.”

Every letter you send out should have the word “you” prominently displayed in the very first sentence. And use first person (I or we) only after you’ve used “you.”

You see, the word “you” pulls the reader in. It gives the reader something to be interested in – himself!  Whenever “you” appears, you can be pretty sure that the reader is going to keep reading.

“You” engages the reader, and let’s her know that you care about her.  That you are interested in what your donor might be thinking. Or feeling.  That you care about your donor as a whole person, not just as a wallet.

This is what a donor-centered letter is all about.

Other posts on Year-End Fundraising Strategies:

• Warming Up Your Donors Before the Ask Yields Higher Gifts
• Three Ways to Kick-Start Your Fundraising Plans for the End of the Year
• Reach Risk-Adverse Donors by Adding Credibility to Your Year-End Appeal
• Three Strategies That Will Engage Women Donors’ Hearts and Their Wallets
• What Exactly Will Motivate Women to Give This Fall?
• Plan to Use Multiple Channels for Your Year-End Appeal to Raise More Money

• On-Line Gifts Can Put You Over the Top in the Last Days of December
• Focus on Individuals if You Want to Reach Your Year-End Fundraising Goals
• How to Talk To Your Donors About the Economy
• How to Segment Your Donors for Year-End Fundraising Success
• Nine Steps to Create Your Year End Fundraising Plan
• Year End Strategy #1: Hold a Thankathon Before You Solicit Your Donors

Yet another end-of-year fundraising strategy is here again on this chilly October day in North Carolina. I hope you are warm and cozy wherever you are reading this.

As we discussed in the 09 Year End Fundraising StrategiesTelesummit, the year-end fundraising rush is upon us again. This is the time when most organizations raise most of their contributions. So warming up your donors before you ask them is a mighty smart move that can dramatically enhance your results.

Here’s how:

1. First of all, I hope you have been communicating with your donors all year long, so they feel happy and connected to your cause.

I hope you have been using postcards, emails, direct mail, personal letters, phone calls, newsletters, and your annual report to talk to your donors and treat them like friends. (And I certainly hope you are not relying on just a newsletter to carry communication this for you – studies show that donors think nonprofit newsletters are boring)

2. Be sure your donors have been well thanked. If you need to, before appeals go out, hold a thankathon to your donors. Or hold a “this is how we used your money last year” phonathon to your donors.

3. And here’s how you prep them: As part of your appeal strategy, you should have several steps in the overall solicitation process.

The first step should be a postcard, an email or a phone call letting the donor know that the campaign is about to launch. This preps the donor and helps them be ready for the appeal. The second step might be the appeal itself, with lots of additional followup steps that we will discuss later.

But let’s go back to the idea of a “warmup” postcard. Here’s where you should put a smiling face or family who is being helped by your cause. Here’s where you tell a story. Here’s where you trigger the warm and fuzzy emotions.

I love the idea of the postcard.  You can also send an email with the photo, with a cheery message about launching the campaign and the wonderful things your organization does to help people.

This kind of warm up can dramatically increase the gifts that your donors make when the appeal finally hits.

Give it a try!

I am such a fan of Kay Sprinkel Grace. She is one of the ultimate fundraising gurus who I have followed for a long time. The highlight of my summer was hearing her in person at the Bridge Conference in DC this summer.

So I wasted no time asking her to be a part of the 09 Year-End Fundraising Strategies Telesummit. And, as usual, she had some provocative and pithy ideas to share. (find out more. . . )

Here’s the deal: we have to know where our donors stand if we are going to successfully encourage them to contribute this year. So we need to drill down a bit into our donors’ minds and hearts and understand their attitudes so we can craft the right kind of fundraising appeal.

According to Kay ( and I do wholeheartedly agree), donors are feeling poor right now, whether they are multimillionares or not. So they are being more and more careful about their giving (and spending for that matter).

Kay thinks the economy is starting to pick up. And she is also seeing that philanthropy is picking up as well. : ) So If philanthropy is starting to pick up, then this year-end is a golden opportunity to re-gain the fundraising losses we have seen in the past year.

But we need to know how to talk to our donors.

Right now. Responding to their current attitudes for fall/winter 09.

Here’s the issue - donors are less likely to take risks now. They are becoming more conservative. Gone are the days when a person might issue 30 checks at year-end, just because they cared a lot and also because they had ample income.

Now, people are giving to fewer organizations – AND to trusted organizations.

SOOOOO how do speak to your donors NOW? Remember that credibility is essential for your fundraising now more than ever. How do you establish credibility?

Lots of ways:

• track record – here are our results
• transparency – how we are spending your money
• who is on our board (what community leaders are standing behind us and our cause?)
• 990 posted online
• professional looking web site and marketing materials
• good looking (ie, professional) fundraising appeal
• longevity – we’ve been in business all this time
• endorsements from well-known community leaders
• funding from well-known sources (publicize this because it adds credibility)

Be sure you hit all these points somewhere in your web site and in your appeal.  And you’ll be more successful if you do.