On-the-GO! e-TA: Mid-November 2008 Edition

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Dear “Communicating” Colleague,

November and December signal the time of year when social profit organizations do their most concentrated fundraising and people make most of their annual contributions. This year’s difficult economy means that you need to make your communication cultivation efforts stand out. Click the titles on the right to learn more about…

The 5 Ws for Communicating with Donors

This Year’s Annual Appeal

Building Loyal Donors

If you don’t already, strive now to incorporate some internet tools along with your traditional fundraising communications.

Do you have questions about end of year communications? Contact us through LEADline@CampaignConsultation.com for more information. You can still access previous issues of On-the-Go eTA by clicking on the title at the right.

The 5 Ws for Communicating with Donors

To attract champions who will fund your organization you need to provide enough information about your work to engage an audience. Old time journalists relied on the 5 Ws – Who? What, Where, When, and Why – must be answered with more than a simple “yes” or “no.”

Social profit organizations can use this formula to impress upon funders that their gifts will have an impact. When communicating about your organization or project you want to answer:

1. Who…	are your clients? are your leadership? are your stakeholders?
2. What…	is your solution to a community problem? do you do in the community? do you want your donors to do?
3. Where…	are the community’s boundaries? can you be reached?
4. When…	will you provide a solution to a community problem? do you need action from your audience?
5. Why	is what you do important? should a donor support your efforts? is it important to act now?

This Year’s Annual Appeal

The fall/year-end annual appeal often attracts thirty to fifty percent of an organization’s support. Typically, organizations solicit these funds by personal ask, letter, phone, or email.

The economic forecast indicates that this year, many organizations will have to work harder to meet their annual appeal income projections. The more personalized the appeal, the more likely it will result in a gift. No matter what solicitation method you use, keep these five pints in mind when you are asking for support:

Establish a link to build a relationship with the potential donor. Use first names in the salutation, for instance.

Convey a sense of urgency of action based on community needs being met.

Present a compelling case to the donor to want to participate.

Invite the donor to participate in your organization’s mission.

Ask for a specific amount of money

Click here for some tips for raising funds by direct mail or the internet.

Building Donor Loyalty

Getting a first gift requires using the right tactics for the right potential donor and this is where most fundraisers concentrate their greatest efforts. However, the real measure of success should be getting the second and subsequent gifts.

Across all social profit organizations, the average cost of getting a first gift is $20.00. That means the ROI (return on investment) of a $25 gift is $5.00. Subsequent gifts have a much greater ROI and that value grows with each additional gift when you consider the lifetime donations made by a repeat donor.

Here are some points to keep in mind when it comes to building donor loyalty and volunteer leadership:

Say “thank you” often

Send a thank you letter immediately upon receipt of a gift. An online gift can generate an immediate online thank you. A follow up note or a phone call gives an opportunity for another connection.

Maintain contact

Your donors need to hear from you several times a year. Send out newsletters and special mailings. Using the internet saves postage. Use blogs, live video and podcasts.

Put your staff and volunteer leaders out front. A recent survey of nonprofits indicated that many donors could not identify the leader of an organization.

Learn about the donor

Use surveys to determine donor concerns. Monitor the responses and respond to both positive and negative comments. Build a survey portal on your website.

Pay attention to source and circumstances of the first gift. The donor may have been responding to an appeal that had special meaning for him. Perhaps he was introduced to your cause by a friend. If you can, make use of that information to gain a repeat donor.

Develop strategies

Segment your donor list and give top priority to second gift strategies by preparing a appeal tailored just to them.

Keep in mind that multiple contacts need different looks and approaches and reasons to donate. People will not make repeat gifts if they receive the same request about the same things over and over.

Maximize your online appeals. Younger donors are more willing to give online and encourage others to give. Collect email addresses continuously.

Let us know

Contact LEADline@CampaignConsultation.com and share other end of year communications messages. (LEADline is sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Service through its Resource & Fund Development Initiative).

Thank you for your interest in On-The-Go eTA, We encourage you to send this and other issues of OTG eTA to friends and colleagues who would benefit from the information. Also, if you’re on information-overload, you may request email removal. Otherwise OTG e-TA will be back soon with another edition.

IN THIS ISSUE:
click on titles below to read full articles

The 5 Ws for Communicating with Donors

This Year’s Annual Appeal

Building Loyal Donors

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Facts for your fundraising volunteers to know

Resources

Resource Development Learning Products and Services

On-The-Go eTA

LEADline

GIZMOs

The Chronicle of
Philanthropy

Workshops/ Clinics

Online Courses/ Webinars

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Facts for your fundraising volunteers to know
Since appeals, thank you notes and other communications should come from leadership volunteers, letters’ impact can be maximized by adding short messages from the executive or senior staff.

“Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning, but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.”

- Hal Borland, American author (1900-1978)

Details from above:

This Year's Annual Appeal (cont.)

When writing an appeal for direct mail:

Use lots of “you” words and tug at the heart.
Speak about your success.
State the problem and the solution.
Keep paragraphs (no more than 11 lines) and sentences short (no more than 2 lines.)
Use ample white space throughout.
Use underline, italics, and bold grab attention.
Describe what’s in it for the donor.
Let the signature stand out, for example: blue ink to look like a personal signature.
Use the P.S. to restate the ask in a different way: most people read the P.S. first.

When soliciting funds on the internet:

Include a dedicated donation page with a clearly visible link on the front page and every page.
Provide clear instruction for how to donate.
Offer online giving options that include credit cards, monthly pledges and automated bank withdrawals if possible.
List multiple gift amount suggestions and tell what impact each gift amount will have.
Include an option that lets donors share your website with their friends.
Supply contact information with a phone number and address for those who do not want to donate online.

With some donors facing their own financial difficulties, it is more important than ever to expand your appeal to reach more potential donors who will open their hearts and stretch their purse strings to help those in greatest need.

Resources

The National ASK (Awareness, Skills, Knowledge) to Sustain Institute, sponsored by Corporation for National and Community Service, provided by Campaign Consultation, Inc. 1998, 2002

The CNCS Resources Now! National Institute, sponsored by Corporation for National and Community Service, provided by Campaign Consultation, Inc. 2005-07

Learning Products and Services

LEADline:
(Learning Experiences At a Distance) LEADline is designed to give information fast. Have a resource & fund development question? Use LEADline and within 24 hours you will receive response and advice from a fundraising professional.

Contact us
LEADline@CampaignConsultation.com

GIZMOs:
(Giving Information for Zooming Money Objectives) GIZMOS are resource and fund development tools for you and your volunteers. They are tangible products in packets, pocket brochures, CD-ROMs, games, etc. They feature a myriad of fundraising topics such as The Case for Support, an interactive online resource. To order, contact us through LEADline@CampaignConsultation.com or call 410.243.7979 or toll free at 1.877.243.2253

View and use our newest GIZMO, Building Your Case for Support, at www.CampaignConsultation.com/GIZMOs/case

The Chronicle of Philanthropy:
Everyone who comes to a Resources Now! National Institute gets a free subscription to the Chronicle for a year. Participants in CNCS Campaign Consultation workshops receive the latest issue free of charge plus a $20 discount on one year’s subscription.

Workshops/Clinics:
The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), through its T/TA service provider Campaign Consultation, Inc., offers a three-hour workshops and clinics for those interested.

Online Courses/Webinars:
Web course delivery of topics pertinent to resource development such as — Build Fundraising Volunteer Champions and Cause Related Marketing and Corporate Partnerships. Available through the Resource Center at http://nationalserviceresources.org

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