Illuminating the Four Stages to Online Fundraising
Illuminating the Four Stages to Online Fundraising
April 11, 2006
By Abny Santicola, editor, FundRaising Success Advisor
There are four stages of online fundraising, according to San Francisco-based independent technology consultant Robert Weiner. They are acquisition, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship. In his session "Introduction to Online Fundraising" at the NTEN Nonprofit Technology Conference in Seattle in March -- co-presented with Clint O'Brien, vice president for business development at Care2 -- Weiner discussed the various issues that come up in each stage.
1) Acquisition. People can sign up to become members or donors on your Web site or you can collect e-mail addresses at events. Viral marketing also plays a large role in acquiring prospects. Through the Web you can provide online opportunities for donors to communicate and give feedback (e.g., surveys).
Another key to acquisition is buying/trading lists with like-minded groups. This helps minimize the risk of being seen as a spammer by recipients. According to Weiner, the first message you send people on such lists should make it clear how you got their name. And don't just add these names to your file. Invite them to join your organization.
The first e-mail you send prospects should offer an unsubscribe option and include your privacy policy. The bottom line, Weiner said, is to "make sure your audience wants to hear from you by e-mail."
2) Cultivation. The first contact you make with prospects acquired through the above means should not be an ask, Weiner said, proposing that you spend several months to a year building a relationship. "Work on informing, engaging and involving new constituents," he explained.
One tried-and-true method of cultivation is an e-mail newsletter, which you need to treat like any other publication or appeal. You should:
* Develop a publication/appeal schedule;
* Mail regularly but not too often. Just enough, Weiner said, "so recipients remember that they subscribed"; and
* Be prepared to deal with responses.
Make sure the sender name is consistent and easily recognizable. Weiner advised that organizations shouldn't personalize the subject line but should mention the organization name in it.
"Don't overdo HTML or graphics," he said, and, in order to avoid getting caught in spam filters, organizations should test mailing spam-sensitive accounts and avoid spam "trigger words."
3) Solicitation. Some technical issues that surround online solicitation, according to Weiner, are:
Nonprofits can surmount these technical issues themselves by installing a secure server, designing a donations Web page, transmiting credit card information and entering data into a donor database manually, and issuing receipts manually via e-mail or the Postal Service, Weiner said. Or they can select from a variety of vendors ranging from basic service providers with no set-up or monthly fees but a fixed templated design (e.g., Network for Good) to "donation processors" that charge set-up and/or monthly fees but allow the organization to customize the design of the giving page (e.g., GroundSpring) to "integrated" vendors that charge a fee but often include a donor database, e-mail marketing options, event registration, team fundraiser options, etc. (e.g., GetActive).
4) Stewardship. There are four R's that serve as the key to online stewardship, according to Weiner. They are:
- Reciprocity: Giving thanks and recognition;
- Responsible use: Follow through with what your organization promised when you asked for support;
- Reporting: Follow-up, letting the donor know what happened as a result of her support; and
- Relationship nurturing: Weiner advised organizations to treat donors as partners in the programs they support.
Robert L. Weiner can be reached via http://www.rlweiner.com
- Companies:
- GetActive
- Network for Good
- People Magazine
- Places:
- San Francisco
- Seattle
