planning

Are You Ready for Your Year-End Appeal?

Ann Green appeal letters, Communications, donor relations, fundraising, planning , , , , ,

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You may think fall is a long way off. We just celebrated Independence Day in the U.S. and temperatures are creeping into the 90’s.

Don’t let that deceive you. September will be here before you know it. Fall is a busy time, especially if you’re doing a year-end appeal.

Many nonprofits rely on their year-end appeal for a good portion of their revenue. Get a jump start on your appeal and start planning it now. Use this checklist to help you get started. Of course, you can use this for fundraising campaigns at any time of the year.

How much money do you need to raise?

You may have already set a goal in your 2016 fundraising plan (at least I hope you did) and perhaps you need to revise that goal. If you haven’t set a goal, determine how much money you need to raise before you start your campaign.

Do you have a plan?

Put together a plan for your appeal that includes a timeline, task list, and the different channels you will use. Make it as detailed as possible.

When do you want to send your appeal? At the beginning of November?  Figure out what you need to get done and how long it will take. You may need to recruit extra volunteers or get your materials to a mail house.

Do you have a good story and photo to share?

Find a good story for your year-end appeal. You’ll want some engaging photos for your letter and donation page, too. Quotes from clients will also enhance your appeal.

Dazzle Your Donors With a Great Story

Capture Your Donors’ Attention in an Instant by Using Visual Stories

How did your donors help you make a difference?

Your appeal letter should highlight some of the year’s accomplishments and state what you plan to do next year. For example, let’s say you run a tutoring program. Let your donors know how with their help 80% of the students in your program are now reading at or above their grade level. Next year you’d like to expand to four more schools.

Focus on the people you serve and show how your donors are helping you make a difference.

Are your mailing lists in good shape?

Make sure your postal and email mailing lists are up-to-date. Check for duplicate addresses and typos. Your donors don’t want to receive three letters at the same time or have their names misspelled. Also, segment your lists – current donors, lapsed donors, event attendees, etc.

Do you have enough letterhead, envelopes, and stamps?

Don’t wait until the end of October to check your supply of letterhead and envelopes. Make sure you have enough. Perhaps you want to produce a special outer envelope. You may also want to create some thank you cards.

Even though many people donate online, you want to make it easy for donors who prefer to mail a check. Include a pledge envelope or a return envelope and a preprinted form with the donor’s contact information and the amount of last year’s gift.

Stamps are more personal, so you might want to find some nice ones to use.

Is it easy to donate online?

Be sure your donation page is user-friendly and consistent with your other fundraising materials.  Highlight your year-end appeal on your homepage and include a prominent Donate Now button.

Elements of Donation Page Design

19 Ways to Raise More Money From Donation Pages

While you are at it, check your website for out-of-date information and broken links.

Is Your Website in Good Shape?

How does a donation help the people you serve?

Create a set of giving levels and let your donors know how their gift will help.

Using Giving Levels to Drive Donations

Do you have an incentive to entice donors to give a larger gift?

Instead of premiums, see if you can find a major donor who will match any upgrades. I know of an organization that used this as an incentive to get new donors.

Boost Your Fundraising Results With a Match From a Major Donor

Do you offer a monthly or recurring giving option?

Monthly or recurring giving is another way to get a larger gift. Some people might balk at donating $100 or more, but if you present it as $10 a month ($120 a year!), it sounds more feasible.

How will you thank your donors?

Don’t skimp on this. Spend as much time on your thank you letter/note as you do on your appeal letter. You need to thank your donors, and thank them well, as soon as you receive their gifts.

Handwritten notes and phone calls are much better than a pre-printed letter. Create or buy some thank you cards (see above) and start recruiting board members and volunteers to make thank you calls or write notes.

Give Your Donors a Great Thank You Experience

Are you showing the love?

Even though you’ll be busy with your appeal, you want to ramp up your donor communication.  Keep engaging your donors and other supporters (who may become donors) by sharing success stories and gratitude. Pour on the appreciation and create a thank you video or hold an informal open house.

How are you getting ready for your year-end appeal?

Photo by James Stoneking

Time For Some Spring Cleaning

Ann Green Communications, database, donor relations, fundraising, planning , , , ,

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If the idea of doing any type of cleaning makes you want to scream, just think of how much better you feel when it’s done. Your house sparkles and it can be cathartic to get rid of old clothes and shred paperwork you’ve had since the Clinton Administration. Often getting started is the hardest part.

The same is true for your nonprofit organization.Yes, you have a bunch of so-called cumbersome tasks you should do. But they’re important, and you’ll benefit a lot if you take care of them.

Here are a few spring cleaning projects you should tackle.

Clean up your mailing lists and database

Did you have an influx of address changes, returned mail, and bounced emails after you sent your year-end appeal? Now is a good time to clean up and update both your direct mail and email mailing lists.

Don’t wait until right before your next mailing to clean up your donor data. Even though it’s tedious, have someone who’s familiar with your donors (your development director?) go through your mailing lists and database to see if you need to make any additions, changes, and deletions.

Be meticulous. No donor wants to see her name misspelled, be addressed as Mrs. when she prefers Ms., or receive three mailings because you have duplicate records.

Your donor database is an important tool and it needs to be up-to-date and filled with accurate information about your donors.

How are you doing?

We’re three months into 2016. This is a good time to look at your fundraising and marketing plans to figure out what’s working, what isn’t, and if you’re on target with your goals. If you never created these plans, then one of your first priorities is to do that. Don’t go through the year without having any plans in place.

It may be too early to do much of an assessment, but if something clearly isn’t working or needs to be improved, you still have time to fix it.

Is your website driving people crazy?

Has it been awhile since you updated your website?  Is it cumbersome to use? Even with the popularity of social media, people will go to your website for information, whether they’re first-time visitors or long-time supporters.

Your website must be up-to-date and user-friendly. Use the checklist in this post to help you create an awesome website. Is Your Website in Good Shape?

Freshen up your appeal letters and thank you letters

Take a good look at your appeal letters, thank you letters, and other content. Have you been using the same templates for years?  Are your letters all about how great your organization is and filled with jargon? Freshen them up with some donor-centered content. Is Your Organization Donor-Centered? Find Out by Taking This Quiz

Let it go

Your organization may have held an event for years, but it takes a lot of staff time and doesn’t bring in that much money. Just like your favorite sweater that’s looking pretty ratty now, it may be time to let go of this event and find a different way to raise money. How to Calculate A Fundraising Event’s Opportunity Cost

Think better rather than new

It’s tempting to try something new, but don’t just jump into the latest craze. Focus on what you can do better. Your brand new shiny object can be creating donor-centered content and building relationships.

One “new” thing you should be doing better is to be mobile friendly. Do you know anyone who doesn’t have a smartphone?  If people can’t easily view your website and email messages on their mobile devices, you’re missing out.

Take time this spring to make the updates and changes you need.

Give Your Donors a Great Thank You Experience

Ann Green Communications, donor relations, fundraising, planning, writing , , , , , , ,

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Thanking donors shouldn’t be a process –  it should be an experience. An experience that will last as long as someone donates to your organization, which hopefully will be for a long time.

If you treat thanking your donors as something  you have to do instead of something you want to do, it will show.

Make a good first impression with your thank you landing page

Thanking your online donors is a three-part experience (not process). Your landing page is your first chance to say thank you and it often resembles the Amazon check-out page.

Open with Thank you, Linda! or You’re incredible!  Include an engaging photo and a short, easy to understand description of how the donation will help the people you serve. Put all the tax deductible information after your message or in the automatically generated thank you email.

If you use a third-party giving site, you might be able to customize the landing page. If not, follow up with a personal thank you email message within 48 hours.

21 Ideas For Your Nonprofit’s Donation Confirmation Page

Write like a human

Next, make sure your donors receive an automatic thank you email after they donate online. This lets them know you received their gift and it didn’t get lost in cyberspace.

Just because your thank you email is automatically generated, doesn’t mean it needs to sound like it was written by a robot. Write something warm and personal.

What’s in my Inbox | Don’t you forget about me: the thank you email

How to Thank a Donor Through Email

Every donor gets thanked by mail or phone

I’m a firm believer that even if someone donates online, he should receive a thank you card, letter, or phone call within 48 hours. I made most of my donations online last year, and while I received automatically generated thank you emails, only a handful of the organizations mailed me a letter. None of them called or sent a handwritten card.

Make your donor’s day with a handwritten thank you card or phone call. You don’t have to do this alone. Recruit board members, other staff, and volunteers to write cards or make phone calls.

If that’s not possible,write an awesome letter and include a personalized handwritten note. I understand larger organizations may not be able to send all their donors a handwritten card, but they should have the resources to create a great letter.

Make your thank you message stand out

Most thank you letters fail to inspire. Create something that stands out. Be personal and conversational without using any vague jargon. Recognize past gifts or upgrades, and give a specific example of how the donation will make a difference. Something like this.

Dear Steven,

You’re amazing! Thanks to your generous donation of $75,we can provide a family with a week’s worth of groceries.

Thank you so much for being a longtime donor!

Here are some more examples, along with advice to help you create a thank you message that stands out.

Steal This Thank You Letter! A Sample Donor Thank You Letter for Your Non-Profit

Advice and Tips – Thank You Letters for Nonprofits …

16+ ways to say thank you better

Welcome your new donors with open arms

You want your new donors to keep supporting you for a long time, but that’s not happening. According to the 2016 Fundraising Effectiveness Report, the average retention rate for first-time donors is 29%.

A week or so after you thank your new donor, send her a welcome package.

Roll Out the Red Carpet for Your New Donors

Keep thanking your donors throughout the year

The thank you card/letter you send after you receive a donation is not the end, it’s the beginning.  

Donor retention rates are pretty pathetic for all donors. One reason is that organizations do a poor job of thanking their donors.

This is why you need to find ways to thank your donors throughout the year. Thank them at least once a month. A thank you plan can help you with that.

Create a memorable thank you experience for your donors.

 

A Gift For Your Donors

Ann Green Communications, donor relations, fundraising, marketing, planning, writing , , , , , , ,

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A few weeks ago Kivi Leroux Miller gave a webinar for Bloomerang  – 5 Steps To A Great Nonprofit Email Newsletter  I encourage you to watch the video. It’s filled with pearls of wisdom and well worth an hour of your time.

One piece of advice that stood out for me was to think of your newsletter as a gift for your donors. They should look forward to receiving it.

That’s not usually the case, is it? Email and even direct mail can be an intrusion in our busy lives. Most nonprofit newsletters and other communication are boring, generic, and don’t seem like a gift at all.

You can change that. Here’s how you can make your newsletter and other donor communication a gift for your donors.

What makes a good gift giver?

In the webinar, Kivi asks the participants to chime in about the good and bad gift givers in their lives. I invite you to do this exercise with your marketing and fundraising staff or by yourself. Think of who gives you great gifts and why you like them so much and who misses the mark and why?

A good gift giver knows what the recipient likes and gives her something personal that shows she cares.

A bad gift giver might give something generic and doesn’t put a lot of thought into it. She thinks more about what she would like.

You want to be a good gift giver when it comes to donor communication.

Give yourself enough time

Think about when you’re in a rush and need to get a birthday or holiday gift right away. You’re going to buy whatever you can find, as opposed to taking the time to think about what the person would want.

Plan ahead and think through what you want to send to your donors. A communications calendar will help you with that.

What do I do with this?

Have you ever received a gift and you don’t know what to do with it? This is how your donors feel when they receive your boring 20-page annual report. It’s way too long and filled with mind-numbing facts and statistics. Chances are it’s going straight in the recycling bin.

Instead, impress your donors with a four-page gratitude report that’s filled with thanks to the donor for helping you make a difference.

What do your donors want?

My family gives each other wish lists at Christmas time. Put a short poll in your e-newsletter asking readers which article they liked best. Ask them what issues are important to them. Find out which channels your donors prefer. It may be more than one  

Listen to your donors and give them what they want.

Create pretty a package that your donors will want to open

The look of your communication is just as important as what’s inside. Your messages should be easy to read and scan. Use short paragraphs and lots of white space. Capture your donor’s attention right away with a great photo.

Your email subject line needs to sing. Find out how you helped Jane learn to read is going to be much more inviting than April 2016 Newsletter. I often scan through my email and only open things that look enticing.

Even though people don’t get as much direct mail, make yours stand out. Put your quarterly newsletter in an envelope and hand address your thank you notes if you can.

Attraction not interruption

Do you think you can create communication your donors will look forward to receiving? The key is to attract them by giving them what they want.

Photo by Liz West

 

Top 6 Fundraising Myths: Busted!

Ann Green Communications, donor relations, fundraising, planning , , ,

Guest post by Adam Weinger

If you’ve ever watched the hit show, Mythbusters, you know how misconceptions generally get shattered.

If you haven’t seen the show, here’s a rundown of how it typically goes:

  • The Mythbusters decide on a particular misconception or myth.
  • They spend part of the show concocting brilliant and crazy experiments to prove or disprove the myth.
  • They either bust the myth or find it to be true.

You’ve likely heard some fundraising tips thrown around that didn’t sound quite right. We’re going to take a look at some of the biggest fundraising myths and try to bust them! While we won’t be doing any of the crazy experiments that The Mythbusters conduct, we will leave you with some great ideas for fundraising for your nonprofit. And to learn more about fundraising through different channels, check out this article.

Get ready to bust six of the biggest fundraising myths out there!

Myth #1: Only young people use mobile giving.

Yes, millennials and teenagers always seem to be on their phones, but mobile giving isn’t a young person’s game by any means.

Donors of all ages are looking to solutions like mobile responsive donation pages and text giving.

Why?

Simply because mobile giving is easy.

It’s convenient.

It can even be fun.

Many of your donors are on their smartphones or tablets during the day anyway. If you can reach them where they are and encourage them to donate on their mobile devices, you’ve already disproved the myth that only young people are mobile givers!

Myth #2: You should give donors a lot of options on your online donation form.

Imagine you’re at an ice cream store. If the owner has laid out forty or more flavors, you could spend an hour tasting each one before finally deciding.

But if he only has chocolate or vanilla, the decision is easier to make.

The point I’m making is that it’s easy to commit to a single option if there are fewer choices.

Part of making an online donation experience beneficial for both the donor and nonprofit is limiting the options on your online donation page.

Online giving should be painless; the more options you give donors on your online donation form, the more likely they will be to get distracted or overwhelmed during the donation process.

Of course, there are components that you must include on your donation form:

  • Donor’s personal information (name, billing address, etc.)
  • Credit card number
  • Different giving levels
  • Security certification

Beyond these four essentials, your online donation form should be as simple as possible to increase the chances that donors make it all the way through the process.

Myth #3: Corporate philanthropy doesn’t matter.

This famous quote from the 1987 film Wall Street sums up how many people view corporations and businesses:

“The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit.”

While it’s true that the aim of corporations is to sell enough products and services to make a profit, it doesn’t mean that they can’t also exercise philanthropy.

In fact, many companies have corporate giving programs that reward employees who donate to and volunteer with nonprofits:

  • Matching gift programs
  • Volunteer grants
  • Automatic payroll deductions
  • Dollars for doers programs
  • And more!

Your nonprofit can and should pursue corporate philanthropy programs as a way to supplement your other fundraising initiatives.

In addition to the corporate giving programs mentioned above, companies also give to nonprofits through:

  • Monetary donations
  • Product-based donations
  • Service-based volunteer time
  • Challenge grants

Don’t ignore corporate philanthropy as a viable fundraising strategy.

Myth #4: Small nonprofits don’t need a major gifts strategy.

Major gifts are often the largest donations that a nonprofit will receive. Outside of a massive planned gift left to an organization in a will or bequest, major gifts are the key donations that can skyrocket a nonprofit’s fundraising efforts.

The problem is small nonprofits often don’t have the same comprehensive major gifts strategy that larger organizations have developed over the years.

They think they can’t go after major gifts.

They don’t have the resources that large nonprofits have.

Their existing donor pool is relatively small.

These small organizations can still pursue major gifts.

Admittedly, what classifies as a major gift for the American Red Cross is going to be different from a major gift at a nonprofit that has only been around for two years.

But, a small nonprofit can still develop a strategy for major giving:

  1. Appoint a major gifts officer or create a major gifts team.
  2. Conduct a prospect screening of your existing donors to discover potential major gift prospects.
  3. Develop a strong asking strategy that all of your fundraisers can easily implement.
  4. Create a major gift society to acknowledge and steward your major gift donors.

Don’t trick yourself into thinking that your small nonprofit can’t go after major gifts!

Myth #5: Advocates and volunteers can’t become donors.

Think about the people who are most committed to your organization.

They’re not random people.

Your advocates and volunteers are the ones who are dedicated to helping your nonprofit achieve its mission.

It’s a misconception that these committed supporters can’t become donors. Granted, some of your volunteers and advocates are going to be perfectly content supporting your nonprofit with their time and energy.

But that doesn’t mean that some of them wouldn’t enjoy donating monetarily.

Give your advocates and volunteers the option to give to your organization in other ways!

Myth #6: All Donors like to be communicated with in the same way.

Just because your great aunt enjoys receiving monthly letters from you doesn’t mean that your 10-year-old nephew is going to want the same correspondence.

As simple as it may seem, not all of your donors are going to like the same communication methods.

Some check their emails several times a day.

Some enjoy walking to their mailbox and receiving a letter or postcard.

Some are tweeting, posting, and liking social media content.

You shouldn’t spread yourself too thin, but it’s crucial to remember that no two donors are alike. Don’t communicate with them in the exact same ways. You’ll only end up isolating donors who don’t like how you’re reaching out to them.

How can you tell how donors like to be contacted?

  • Well, there is no exact science, but there are some general guidelines: Start with their donation method. Did someone send in a check? Did another donor give online? What about your phonathon participants? It’s not always a surefire indicator, but the ways in which people give generally indicate their preferred communication methods. Send letters to your check-mailers. Email your online donors. Call your phone donors.
  • Ask them! When collecting donations or speaking to donors directly, ask them for their preferred communication method. It may be more than one. This is an easy way to find out how your donors want to be contacted.

Remember to talk to your donors in different ways. You increase the chances that they’ll respond favorably when you meet them where they already are.

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We’ve successfully busted some of the top six fundraising myths! Go out there and start raising money for your organization!

Adam Weinger is the President of Double the Donation, the leading provider of tools to nonprofits to help them raise more money from corporate matching gift and volunteer grant programs. Connect with Adam via email or on LinkedIn.   

Adam Weinger - Square Reduced File Size

 

So Much To Do – So Little Time

Ann Green Communications, donor relations, fundraising, planning , , ,

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Do you find yourself saying this? That’s the norm at most nonprofits, especially small ones.

But be careful. What are you saying you don’t have time to do? Are you spending too much time on what’s urgent and not what’s important?

It’s possible to stay on top of things, even if you feel you’re so busy you want to tear your hair out. One big key is planning.  

Here are a few areas that nonprofits need to spend more time on and how you can do this.

Thanking your donors

I write a lot about thanking donors because I believe many organizations don’t do a great job of it.

Sending a handwritten note or making a phone call will make a better impression on your donors than the usual boring, generic thank you letter.

Find board members, other staff, and volunteers to help. Recruit them ahead of time so you’re ready to go after an appeal or event. It doesn’t take that much time to write a short note or make a phone call, but it makes a huge difference. Get your team together for a thank-a-thon.

You need to keep thanking your donors throughout the year – at least once a month. This is where a thank you plan comes in handy.

Staying in touch with your donors

Your donors want to hear how they’re helping you make a difference, and you need to be in touch with them at least once or twice a month.

A newsletter can be a great way to stay in touch. Setting up a template and using an email service provider can save time and will provide consistency. Perhaps each issue will include a story/profile and some updates. You can plan these ahead of time. Create a story bank and fill it throughout the year.

Make a donor communications plan that could include your newsletter, email and social media updates, thank yous (see above), advocacy alerts, and surveys. A communications calendar is must for this.

Tackling your donor data

Don’t wait until a week before you send an appeal to update your database. Take care of address changes, bounced emails etc. regularly – maybe once a month.

You’re not going to win any friends if you misspell a donor’s name or send someone three pieces of mail because you haven’t bothered to check for duplicate addresses. What sloppy data means to donors

Measuring your progress

Make time at least once a quarter to see how you’re doing.  Are you meeting your fundraising goals?  Is your spring event worth doing?  Are people reading your e-newsletter?

If something isn’t going well, figure out how you can make improvements or don’t spend your valuable time doing it anymore.

Here’s a sample dashboard you can use to help you measure your progress and figure out if what you’re doing is working. Library of Sample Dashboard Indicators

What’s taking up your time?

What’s keeping you from taking on these important tasks? Do you really need another meeting?  If so, could you make it shorter?

Make time to do what’s important.

Photo by Brittney Bush Bollay

Pay Attention to Your Donor Retention

Ann Green Communications, donor relations, fundraising, planning , , , , ,

Now that you’ve sent your year-end appeal, take a look at your retention rate to see how well you did. A Guide to Donor Retention Poor retention rates are a chronic problem for nonprofit organizations, but it’s something you can fix.

Reach out to your lapsed donors

How did you do? Did you have a number of donors who gave in the past, but didn’t this year?  Reach out to these lapsed donors by phone or letter.  Let them know you miss them and want them back. Some people may have been busy in December (who wasn’t) and didn’t have time to respond to your appeals.

Who are you missing?

I hope you have a good database to keep track of your donor records.  Check to see who didn’t donate. You should be most concerned about past donors who didn’t give this year. There are a variety of reasons people don’t donate, and many of them are ones you can control.  If you have a number of first-time donors who didn’t give again, chances are you spent a lot of time enticing them to donate, and then, well not much after that.

The case of the disappearing donors

Ideally, once you get a donor, you should be able to keep the person, but that’s not happening.  According to the 2015 Fundraising Effectiveness survey, first-time donor retention is an abysmal 19%.  It’s 63% for repeat donors, which is nothing to celebrate. We can do better.

One of your priorities this year is to get your first-time donors to become long-term donors.  

Create a welcome plan for new donors

If you haven’t already done this, send your new donors a welcome kit by mail or email. Roll Out the Red Carpet for Your New Donors 

But keep showing the love to all your donors

You want as many donors as possible to give again, preferably at a higher level. This won’t happen if you don’t stay in touch throughout the year. Does Your Donor Communication Tell Donors What’s Next?

Create a donor relations plan in which you find ways to engage with your donors at least once or twice a month.  You can include this in your communications calendar. 

Know which channels your donors use the most, but don’t neglect direct mail. One idea is to send a thank you for being an amazing donor card at least once a year. If cost is an issue, spread your mailings out over the year, so you send a smaller number of cards each month. Donors may be pleasantly surprised to receive a card in May or September.

Be donor-centered

It’s not enough just to send a donor newsletter or post a social media update.  Most donor communication is all about the organization.  Share stories and updates your donors will want to read.

Keep building relationships

You can’t control your donors’ financial situation, but you can control your communication with them, and it needs to be whole lot better.

Pay attention to your donor retention and work on keeping your donors for a long time.

Image by Bloomerang

Make it Easy to Stay in Touch with Your Donors by Using a Communications Calendar

Ann Green Communications, donor relations, fundraising, marketing, planning , , ,

21845903390_87736502bb_zMany of you are working hard on your year-end appeal.  You may have also participated in #GivingTuesday. If you think you can rest easy after the fundraising  season is over, think again. Your work has just begun.

You need to communicate with your donors at least once or twice a month throughout the year.  If you’re getting butterflies in your stomach wondering how you’re going to pull this off, then you need a communications calendar (also known as an editorial calendar).

I like the term communications calendar because it emphasizes the importance of communicating with your donors and other supporters all-year-round.

This is not just a job for your marketing department. All departments need to work together.  Figure out what information you need to share and when to share it.  You want a consistent stream of information – not three emails in one day and nothing for three weeks.

As you put together your communications calendar, think about how you will use different channels and which audience(s) should receive your messages. You may only send direct mail a few times a year, but send an e-newsletter once a month and communicate by social media several times a week. You’ll often use a number of different channels when you send a fundraising appeal or promote an event.

Start big by looking at the entire year and then break it down by months and weeks.  You’ll keep adding to your communications calendar throughout the year.

Here are some categories you can use in your communications calendar. Some items will be time sensitive and others won’t be.

Events

Does your organization hold any events? Besides your events, are there other events in your community that would be of interest to your supporters? This is a great thing to share on social media.

Legislation

Advocacy alerts are a wonderful way to engage with your supporters. Be on the lookout for any federal or state legislation that’s relevant to your organization. Encourage people to contact their legislators about an issue or a bill. Then report back to them with any updates, and thank them for getting involved.

Time of year

Is there something going on during a particular month that’s pertinent to your organization? Perhaps it’s homelessness awareness month.

Thanksgiving, the holidays, and winter can be a difficult time for some people. How can you weave that into a good story to share with your supporters?

News stories

You won’t be able to predict news stories in advance. However, if there’s a hot item in the news right now that’s relevant to the work you do, that could be something to share.

Fundraising and recruitment

Be sure to add your fundraising appeals to your communications calendar. You want to highlight these and not inundate your donors with a lot of other information at that time.

If your organization has specific times it needs to recruit volunteers, add that to your calendar, as well.

Thank your donors

Figure out different ways to let your donors know how much you appreciate them. Do this at least once a month.

Ongoing content

If you’re making a difference, you have stories to tell. Share a story at least once a month. Client success stories are best. You could also profile a board member, volunteer, donor, or staff member.  Be sure to highlight what drew them to your organization.

Keep it up

As you hear about other relevant information, add it to your calendar, so you can stay connected with your supporters throughout the year.

Here is more information to help you create a communications/editorial calendar.

Coordinate Your Team with the 2016 LightBox Collaborative Editorial Calendar

Editorial Calendars – Resources for You

How To Create A Story Editorial Calendar

Why Editorial Calendars Help Nonprofits

Photo by Jeff Djevdet http://speedpropertybuyers.co.uk/

Make an Investment in Your Donors

Ann Green Communications, database, donor relations, fundraising, planning , , , , ,

This post was included in the November Nonprofit Blog Carnival: A Call to Abundance

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I know many nonprofits have limited resources.  These can include budget, time, and staff.  I also know it’s hard when you feel you’re barely scraping by.  But there are some areas where you can’t skimp.  Think of it as making an investment in your donors.

Invest in a good database and email service provider

The best ones aren’t free.  Fundraising consultant Pamela Grow gives an example of being told to weed out donor data because the database the organization had was only free if it held less than 500 donor records.

This is crazy.  A better database and email service provider can help you raise more money. You can segment your donors by amount and politely ask them to give a little more in your next appeal – $35 or $50 instead of $25.

A better database can help you with retention. You can personalize your letters and email messages.  No more Dear Friend.  You can welcome new donors and thank donors for their previous support. You can record any personal information, such as conversations you had with a donor and their areas of interest.

Don’t cut corners when it comes to your donor data. Here’s more information to help you find a database and email service provider that’s right for you.

Finding the Right Donor Database for Your Nonprofit

Compare Non-Profit Software

The 4 Best Email Marketing Software for Nonprofits

MailChimp vs Constant Contact: Which Email Marketing Software Reigns Supreme for Small Businesses?

Invest in direct mail

Direct mail is an effective and more personal way to communicate with your donors. Every day we’re barraged with email and social media posts, but receive just a few pieces of postal mail. Your donors will be more likely to see your messages if you send them by mail.

You don’t have to mail that often but aim for at least three or four times a year.  I know it can be expensive, so be smart about what you send. Two to four-page newsletters and annual reports are fine. Lengthy communication will cost more and your donors are less likely to read it.  Remember to also make everything  you send donor-centered.

Plan ahead.  If you have a small staff, you may need to start working on a special Valentine’s mailing right after New Year’s.

Cleaning up your mailing lists will help you avoid costly duplicate mailings. Look into using discounted mailing options, too. Special Prices for Nonprofit Mailers

Invest in thanking your donors

This is so important! Nonprofit organizations tend to do a poor job of thanking their donors.

Ideally, your donors should get a handwritten thank you card or a phone call.  Even though these take more time, it’s time well spent. At many of the small nonprofits I’ve worked at, it was all hands on deck to get out our fundraising appeals.  Staff and volunteers would stuff envelopes and write handwritten notes on the letters.

Do the same when you thank your donors.  Get your board involved in making phone calls or writing cards.  Recruit volunteers to help, too.

Take time each day you get a donation to make phone calls, write cards, or send letters.  Don’t let board members put off making calls or let a stack of letters sit on your ED’s desk.

Create a thank you plan to help you and don’t treat thanking your donors as an afterthought.

Make it work

If you can’t increase your budget, find additional sources of unrestricted funding to cover these costs. You may also be able to find a sponsor or get a print shop to print your thank you cards or annual report pro bono.

Do something. You must make an investment in your donors.

Photo by ota_photos  www.tradingacademy.com   

 

 

How Employee Matching Gifts Can Help Your Fundraising Team Succeed

Ann Green Communications, fundraising, planning , , , ,

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Guest Post by Adam Weinger

Many of you are gearing up for your year-end fundraising campaign. It’s never easy to raise money, but you may have overlooked a simple way to bring in more donations – Matching Gifts.

This guest post by Adam Weinger gives you some great tips to help you incorporate matching gifts into your fundraising.

Your nonprofit likely feels like it is doing all that it can to raise money to keep your organization’s engine running. While you may be bringing in a lot of money from your new and dedicated donors, did you know you could receive twice as many donations?

No, you don’t have to ask donors for money a second time. All you have to do is let your donors know about matching gift programs!

Matching gifts are donations that companies and businesses will make after an employee has made a contribution and submitted the relevant request forms. While companies have different deadlines and caps on these donations, your nonprofit can still take advantage of the opportunity to double the amount of contributions you receive.

The following three tips can help your nonprofit’s fundraising efforts go from good to great with an assist from matching gifts!

1. Incorporate matching gifts into your fundraising events.

Your organization probably holds amazing events that bring your donors together with each other and members of your team. But you can also use the opportunity at these events to let your donors know about matching gifts.

If your nonprofit hosts an annual gala or auction, have one of your presenters talk briefly about matching gifts during a speech. When your donors are aware that their donations can go twice as far with little effort on their part, they will be more likely to continue giving to your organization and have their employers match those donations.

2. Let donors know about matching gifts through multiple channels.

You already communicate with donors in different ways. Use those avenues to let donors know about matching gifts!

Make use of:

  • Social media: Keep posts short and to the point. Donors don’t want to see a novel on their news feeds. Include links to more information and incorporate graphics if you can.
  • Email newsletters: If you’re already using email newsletters to keep donors in the loop about projects and events, use the space to promote matching gifts. Just like on social media, incorporate links to more information as well as graphics.
  • Direct mail: Some donors prefer opening letters to opening their inbox. Keep these donors in mind when promoting matching gifts.
  • Your website: Donors who find their way to your website are obviously interested in learning more about your organization and may want to make a donation right then and there. Therefore, you should include information about matching gifts on your “Ways to Give” page and include matching gift options and information on donation screens.

While there are many other ways to interact with your donors, you can use your existing communication methods to promote matching gifts to them.

3. Keep in touch with donors.

After you’ve acquired a new donor and have received a matching gift from their employer, make sure that you say thanks and stay in touch.

Donors like to feel appreciated. Your nonprofit can show your gratitude by thanking individuals for their initial donation as well as their employer’s matched donation.

Sometimes, those matched contributions take weeks or even months to process before they make it into your nonprofit’s hands. When you thank donors for submitting their matching gift requests to their employers after you receive the matched donation, you not only show your gratitude, but you are also reminding donors that they can continue to have their future donations matched by their employers.

Many employers also have deadlines for submitting matching gift requests. Make sure your nonprofit is sending out prompt thank yous after a donation is made that encourage donors to have their donations doubled as soon as possible if they didn’t submit a request immediately after making the initial contribution.

Matching gifts can give your fundraising efforts a major boost. Whether you choose to promote matching gifts at an event, through your existing communication channels, or in your follow-up acknowledgements, your fundraising team can achieve matching gift success.

About Adam Weinger

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Adam Weinger is the President of Double the Donation, the leading provider of tools to nonprofits to help them raise more money from corporate matching gift and volunteer grant programs. Connect with Adam via email or on LinkedIn.