16 Provocative Ideas That Will Raise More Money

By Gail Perry

I am just back from an intense four days at the 48th annual AFP International Conference on Fundraising. And I listened to some of fundraising’s most brilliant — and provocative — leaders. Here’s what’s on the mind of some of our smartest thinkers.

Do consider these ideas NOW. They may go against your typical practices. But I promise, absolutely, that you will raise more money if you implement them.

Go all out for monthly donors on your homepage
Monthly donors are worth gold to you. On average, they will stay for 10 YEARS. Put the ask right on your homepage. The ideal monthly appeal ties a monthly ask to something specific. “$31 a month will do xxxx.” (Harvey McKinnon)

Focus on fewer — not more donors
You don’t make more money by having more donors. The more donors you accumulate, the less profitable your fundraising program. (Penelope Burk)

Encourage restricted giving
Restricted asks raise more money. Period. We are holding our philanthropy back, because we are asking for unrestricted rather than restricted. (Penelope Burk)

Get rid of the words
Put your whole message in the first 150 words. The rest of your copy just backs it up. (Tom Ahern)

Get rid of 'unmet needs,' 'programs,' 'services'
Write like you are an outsider to your organization. Get rid of the boring, obtuse jargon. Jargon is a flame retardant! (Tom Ahern)

Make your case like a series of ads
Add photos while you get rid of words. Create your case or your fundraising materials with the fewest words and the best photos. (Tom Ahern)

Hire more fundraisers.
Saying, “We can’t hire any more staff” is stupid. Each additional fundraising staffer upticks gross fundraising revenue. Period. (Penelope Burk)

Give your fundraising staff raises
Money is the No. 1 reason fundraising staff leaves. Investing in retention of staff will make you money. Retention boosts profit. (Penelope Burk)

Get rid of the raise money now mind-set
Thirty-one percent of fundraisers who are planning to leave their jobs will leave because of an unrealistic “old school” culture of fundraising: i.e., “You HAVE to bring in the $ NOW.” How much more money could you raise if you took a long-term, strategic approach? (Penelope Burk)

You must give your staff management training
Success in business is 95 percent in the management of other people. But we cut staff training first whenever there is a shortfall. Training is essential. There’s not enough management training in nonprofits. (Penelope Burk)

Get rid of lousy board members now
Allowing a lousy, nonperforming board member to serve out the term is, in two words: “Chicken s***.” (Simone Joyaux)

Be blatant
Try this: “With your help, all these amazing things happened. And without your help, they won’t.” You‘re selling the impact of the donor’s gift. (Tom Ahern)

Stop talking about the money you need
You choose: A case is about the opportunity you're putting in front of the donor, OR a case is about your organization's need for cash. (Tom Ahern)

Become a shrink
When dealing with volunteers, you are a psychologist, not a fundraiser! (Laura Fredricks)

Don’t believe your prospect, when …
If he says, “I’m just a plain ol' country boy,” it really means he is a wealthy prospect! (Eli Jordfald)

Close down some programs
Leaders will close or give away a program or activity that is no longer profitable and has little impact.

So were these ideas provocative? Would they challenge your status quo? Remember, fundraising is changing. Donors are changing. Doing what you've always done the same old way will get you yesterday’s results.

Go for it! Change is good. Use this article to rattle some cages! And please forward it to a friend — and I’d really appreciate your comments.

Fundraising consultant Gail Perry is the best-selling author of "Fired-Up Fundraising: Turn Board Passion into Action" and of the Fired-Up Fundraising blog, where this article originally appeared.

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Gail Perry Author's page Gail believes in parties first, rabble-rousing second, and having fun while changing the world. Gail Perry CFRE is an international fundraising coach, speaker, trainer and thought-leader. She is a leader in a new breed of fundraisers who are on the cutting edge of fundraising today. Her Fired-Up Fundraising approach, developed over the past 25 years as a nonprofit philanthropy expert, has helped organizations raise hundreds of millions in gifts. Gail's practical and refreshing approach to raising money in today's world is based on the very latest innovative fundraising strategies. An inspirational and popular speaker, she leads energizing fundraising workshops and board retreats around the globe. She particularly enjoys working with nonprofit board members, introducing them to a new perspective on fundraising and ways they can be successful at it. Gail's book, Fired-Up Fundraising, has been called the "gold standard guide to building successful fundraising boards." Gail got her start in fundraising at Duke University, and then went on to lead fundraising at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. You can read Gail's weekly blogs at FiredUpFundraising.com, and also find her provocative articles at FundraisingSuccess, Guidestar, and Capital Campaign Magic.