What Are You Thankful For?
Our clients are some of the most successful, creative people in the planned giving community. We asked them what they’re grateful for, and here’s what they said. (Feel free to steal their ideas at your family feast on Thanksgiving.)
What a Planned Giving Professional Can Learn from a Realtor
By Two Cent Steve, Planned Giving Director at one of PlannedGiving.com’s university clients Two hundred and fifty three brave souls signed on for a recent webinar with Viken Mikaelian and Tom Ahern. That’s two out-of-the-box thinkers with a habit of saying it like it is … bound to get interesting.
Google Uses Direct Mail Like Crazy
So it’s settled. Direct mail is a good idea. My husband and I run a small business. A very small business. So I was a little surprised to find out that we’re on Google’s mailing list. I’d understand if they sent me an email, or maybe a personalized video pop-up on YouTube. But no … the King of the Internet sent me a good old-fashioned letter, in a paper envelope, with a stamp, delivered by the postman. Yes, direct mail.
There Is Money Out There
But did you hear about the doggy hotel your nonprofit is competing with? $175 per night. Your pooch can enjoy a poolside room with a view ($50 extra), an evening backrub ($25 extra), and even a bedtime story ($20 extra).
Nonprofits Are Not Special
That’s right. Being a charity doesn’t magically change business, economic, or marketing realities. So think like a business. Not like a nonprofit. Because the biggest problem among nonprofits is the “non.” There are quite a few people in the nonprofit world who do not want to hear this. In fact, our least popular webinar has consistently been the one that Jeff Comfort and I presented titled, “The IRS Considers You a Business. Act Like One.” We focused very much on finances, P&L (profit and loss) statements, setting goals, and accountability. Apparently, no one wants to think like a business. I cannot emphasize this enough: If you truly want your nonprofit to succeed, you need to think like a for-profit. Focus on these first: Advertising Marketing Sales Personal Relationships Too many nonprofits drive their prospects away before they’ve even had a chance to get started. Here’s what I recently saw on a nonprofit’s pledge card: “We need the funds now to maintain our property today.” Talk about giving off a bad impression. What does the donor hear? “Give us some bucks now to take us out of our misery.” Can you imagine if a business used that same tactic in its advertising? “We need you to shop our electronics sale today, because we need to repair our leaky roof and still have enough left over to pay our employees.” How can you say it better? “We’re working on securing our future, so we can continue doing what we do today even better tomorrow.” This presents a much better image of your nonprofit to the public — and it simply builds trust and respect. According to Stanford Business, “When nonprofits act like businesses, transparency improves … a 12-year study reveals that charities that adopt modern strategies are more likely to share and collaborate.” A survey found that nonprofits that were early adopters of managerial practices have been able to adapt quickly to become more transparent and collaborative. And of course, become more sustainable. Finally, in critical times mission positioning is important. So is tact and prudence as words carry emotion. This blog post may carry too many topics, but it’s all interrelated and critical for your organization, and personal success. Categories: Planned Giving Marketing, Relationships
The Cocktail Party Test: Is Your Enthusiasm Contagious?
Fundraisers can make “civilians” a little nervous when they’re around. What comments do you get when you tell folks what you do? “Ugh, I could never ask strangers for money!” “Well, I hope you didn’t bring your begging bowl with you tonight – this is a friendly party.”
Making Mid-Level Prospects into Major Givers With “Legacy Life Giving”
Tom Ligare and his colleagues at Planned Giving Marketing Solutions, LLC are promoting a gift type that helps build long-term endowment by making it easier for mid-level donors to engage in major giving. We decided to find out more about it…
Ever Heard a Kamikaze Success Story?
I don’t think so. If you think “having no limits” is part of your job description, think again. Everybody has limits. Even fundraisers.
Gone Without Trace: Man Bequeaths $2 Million to Uncle Sam
I don’t think any of us would be in this business if we didn’t believe that philanthropy, giving, the act of charity – no matter how humble – ennobles everything it touches. But I don’t know whether to laugh or cry just now, because I learned recently that a man in Florida willed his house to the U.S. government so the sales proceeds could be applied to defray the National Debt.
Transparency Is Its Own Reward
“Transparency” is just a trendy term for “operational openness.” Openness can work in a nonprofit’s favor. It allows donors and prospects to see that your organization is being run responsibly. It assures them that the money it raises is being used to further its mission. But a charity that tries to keep too many secrets may end up with the feds imposing a little “transparency” of their own. In the legal system, this is sometimes called “discovery.” Case in point: The Kabbalah Centre International. Just to recap, the IRS and a grand jury in the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York is asking serious questions about the nonprofit Kabbalah Center. The general drift of the questions is: What happened to all the money? A court in Los Angeles wants to know, too, now that a West Coast donor is also suing for the $200 million she says the center fleeced her out of. The Celebrity Connection Having a celebrity like Madonna on board with your nonprofit’s mission – as the Kabbalah Center does – can confer a powerful fundraising advantage. It means built-in publicity, name recognition, and probably a fat donation from the personality in question. But the problem is, when things go south at the charity, more eyes are watching. The court of public opinion doesn’t wait for explanations or a fair trial. What seems clear to us, whatever the facts in this case, is that the more open we fundraisers can be about our charities and their operations, the better. Transparency is critical, and not just for anti-scandal purposes. Leading by Example Donors are attracted to and motivated by transparency that lets them know who and what the charity is. They want to see what its goals are and what it believes in. They want to know how donations will be put to use and the procedures and personalities involved. And they want to know who really benefits at the end of the day. If you have trouble answering these questions for yourself, consider punching up your organizational transparency. Because scandals like the one at The Kabbalah Center can only make you look bad if your nonprofit looks as opaque as The Kabbalah Center. Category: Planned Giving Marketing, Relationships
