Most non-profits have established their development programs to focus on donor capacity. For instance, most organizations have giving societies based on gift amount. Give a $1,000 last year and you are a member of the “Chairman’s Circle.” Few non-profits, though, put a focus on donor loyalty – or recognizing those donors who give consistently regardless…
Category: Fundraising
Sailing Into Blue Oceans
What if your institution could attract new donors unlike any other? What if the programs and services you offered were so compelling that you really had no competition? These are two of the questions Blue Ocean Strategy by Kim and Mauborgne encouraged me to think about. If you’ve not read Blue Ocean, I would highly…
Reversing The Script
How do you ask lybunts, sybunts, and others to support your work during phonathons? Does the outline of your script look something like this? Introduction Rapport Building Make Case for Support Make Ask Ask to Send Pledge Card Ask If They Want to Pay with Credit Card Thank Them for Their Commitment and/or Time I…
Social Media Fundraising Success?
The Chronicle of Philanthropy has posted a video that shows six examples of what are purported to be online and social media fundraising successes. I work with clients regularly to shape and integrate their online and social media messages with other traditional message vehicles. However, I remain a bit concerned that we aren’t being as…
Vision or Capacity – Which is More Important?
So, the alumni at Antioch College (OH) are stepping up – good for them! While the institution thrived as a bastion of social activism in the 1960s, Antioch had witnessed declines in enrollment and fundraising totals since the 1970s. What happened that led to the decision in 2007 to close the school that graduated Coretta…
The Foundations of Performance Metrics
Recently, I gave a presentation to a diverse group of educational, healthcare, and non-profit executives on performance metrics for development officers. For years I have helped leaders and teams create and implement performance metrics so I know in each audience there are a small percentage who can be turned off by the topic. My sense…
Why Some Don’t Give
What percentage of your database have never made a gift? Why haven’t they given to you? A few years ago, a report from the Economic and Social Research Council and the National Council for Voluntary Organizations, both of the United Kingdom, suggested the following reasons why people may not make a charitable gift: Denial of…
The 2 Things That Really Impact How Much Money You Can Raise
Institutions of all sizes spend lots of money to test the feasibility of conducting fundraising efforts. Reports, which are sometimes encyclopedic in size, are generated with all sorts of data attached (some helpful, some not-so-much) to help answer a simple question: How much money can we raise? But when you get right down to it,…
Donor Stewardship – The Integrative Way
Saying thank you to a leadership donor – and doing it well – is not always easy. First, you have to say it in a way that is meaningful for the donor. Second, you have to do it in a way that doesn’t break the bank! Recently, I was visiting with a donor stewardship director…
The Urban Legends of Fundraising – Part III of III
Urban legend – An urban legend, urban myth, or urban tale is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories thought to be factual by those circulating them. (Wikipedia) The final installment of the 3-part Urban Legends of Fundraising messages focuses on the faulty thinking that the broader economic environment will greatly impact your organization’s…