No Short Cut to Planned Giving Ethics
The idea of ethics, as an active, engaging, and permeating part of what we do, falls well short of where it needs to be in our daily routine.
To Junk Mail, or Not to Junk Mail…Is That the Question?
Listen: there’s a grassroots rebellion against direct mail marketing. For example, CatalogChoice.Org, a nonprofit “do not send” registry for consumers and companies who want to stem the flood of unwanted catalogs and other junk mail they receive, has served more than a million individuals and businesses since its founding in 2007. And while — at least from your viewpoint — your planned giving newsletter is anything but junk mail, to your prospect, it’s just part of the daily avalanche of unwelcome arrivals. And that means it’s quite likely your messaging is going straight from the mailbox to the recycling bin, or — even worse — triggering an aggravated prospect to put your nonprofit on a “do not send” list. So, how do you get your message through to your audience? How do you avoid sending junk mail? Be the Welcome Guest Instead of an Annoying Pest Know your audience — filter your mailing list to identify prospects who will be interested by what they receive. (This means learning about your prospects and forming relationships!) Send mail with an appearance markedly different from commonly used direct mail formats. For instance, hand-write addresses (or have volunteers write them) instead of printing them on envelopes, and use an actual paper stamp. Focus on composing and delivering the right message. The significance of graphic design, font and type size, colors, etc. is important for readability and maintaining your brand, but having the right message is critical. Even with resistance, direct mail is still, by far, the No. 1 way your prospects want to hear from you! These days, everyone gets an overwhelming amount of emails. That means they are treated like junk mail and generally ignored — sent straight to the trash, or flagged to go straight into the spam folder. Consider these figures: In the commercial world, $1 spent on media advertising returns $5 in sales But a $1 investment in direct mail returns $7 to $15. Learn from and copy the experts (you should already be running your nonprofit like a business)! Create a planned giving marketing plan to guide your efforts, maximize your success and help you avoid sending junk mail. Finally, remember that not all direct mail is created equal. Read about Overkill Marketing. Categories: Planned Giving Marketing, Relationships
Prevent Fundraising Blackouts by Saving Donor Energy
The more you stress your prospect, the more demands you make upon them, the more likely they are bail on you. Here are some tips on how to keep ‘em sweet.
Mr. Cameron Has Something to Tell You
William John Cameron (1879-1953) really lived the kind of life you would expect in an adventure novel or a Hollywood movie. We want to establish that to begin with, to counter any idea that he’s famous just for coming up with colorful aphorisms. The son of Manitoba pioneers, “W.J.” Cameron was one of 13 children in his family, and he is said to have once walked barefoot from Gladstone in Manitoba to Bottineau, North Dakota – a distance of approximately 100 miles – to go to work on his uncle’s farm. Later he founded a successful surgical equipment supply house in Chicago, and later still achieved fame as a big game hunter. He a chiefly remembered for exploring the Kalahari Desert in Africa and studying its people. But it’s undeniable that Mr. Cameron is also remembered for his pithy sayings. We found a couple of his zingers that are particularly pertinent to fundraisers, and we think they’ll be helpful to have in the back of your mind when things aren’t ducky, when the challenges are coming thick and fast, and a little ground truth is in order to keep you focused. First: “Money never starts an idea; it is the idea that starts the money.” We like this one because it reasserts the dominance of good, old fashioned brain work. Sure it’s hard to come up with good ideas, but that’s why you get a paycheck for doing it. Plus, it reminds us that throwing money at a problem never solved it. So it follows that having to work within a tight budget is only as limiting as you make it, because putting on your thinking cap is always free. Next: “Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action.” What Mr. Cameron means, of course, is that Thanksgiving is more than a federal holiday – it’s a way of life. More importantly, it’s an active way of life. From our perspective as fundraisers, the concept of giving thanks animates not only the donors who choose to make gifts, but also the response of good nonprofit professionals who thank, respect, and recognize the donors in return. And it’s also the response of the folks on the receiving end of the good works enabled by the gift (the charity’s mission). You might say that our vocation is thanksgiving in action throughout the year. Tomorrow is a day dedicated to its celebration. Categories: Giving, Planned Giving Marketing, Relationships
Personalizing the Grey Flannel Suit — Part II: Seeing, Hearing, and Building Familiarity
Personalization is the key to attracting prospects, optimizing donor relationships, and maximizing the donations that result from them.
Shouting at Nobody Are You Wasting Your Best Stuff on the Peanut Gallery?
A beautiful sunny autumn day in Southeastern Pennsylvania and the local strip mall was crowded with shoppers enjoying themselves… All except one.
Personalizing the Grey Flannel Suit – Part I: Biographies Tell Who You Are
Donors don’t leave legacies to grey flannel suits. Donors want to see the face of the person wearing the suit — which is why fundraisers need well-written biographies.
Who Asks Who? Trends in Data Sourcing
From a fundraiser’s point of view, or course, a perfect world would include all prospects coming directly to the fundraiser or her organization for advice on giving. But numbers indicate fewer potential donors are seeking advice from NPOs and their personnel. They are turning instead to legal and financial professionals.
Recognize Your Donors in Print
We recently heard of a non profit mailing out its annual report with a notice inside that read “In an effort to keep our costs low and use our resources to provide more food, we have reduced the size of our Annual Report. Please go to our website for a list of donors, volunteers and community partners.”
Treat Your Prospects Like Donors, and Your Donors Like Friends
People give when they are ready to give, not when you are ready to sell (i.e., “ask”). So, just because your lead is not ready to buy (donate) today, doesn’t mean they aren’t important. That’s why we develop relationships.
