Creative

Whether your mission is helping people, animals or the environment, telling a story is critical to engaging potential donors — and turning them into committed supporters.

Veteran fundraising consultant Tom Gaffny provided 10 timeless keys to fundraising success that he's crafted over the past two decades during his session, "The 10 Commandments: 10 Ageless, Irrefutable, Non-Negotiable Keys to Optimizing Your Fundraising Success," at the DMA Nonprofit Federation's 2011 New York Nonprofit Conference held last month.

Some organizations may have one thank-you letter to send to donors, but Trinity College, in Hartford, Conn., wants to be sure nobody gets the same letter twice.

Dorothy Thompson, assistant director for donor relations, says she is constantly tweaking the basic letter, building new ones from the interchangeable parts displayed below so she can find the most appropriate way to acknowledge each gift.

The power of stories in fundraising — like armadillos and leprosy — is undeniable. You probably already knew that, but it bears repeating.

Here are eight tricks from fundraising ninja masters. I can't guarantee you'll attain full fundraising ninja status just from reading this column, but these ninja techniques just might give ordinary people the impression that you have special fundraising powers.

All too commonly, three "wrongs" permeate copywriting for direct-mail appeals and e-appeals. These can reduce response rates, income and — most importantly — the programs carried out by the nonprofit.

There are thousands of good offers in fundraising. What makes yours the best?

If you are among the many nonprofits that raise 40 percent or more of their annual incomes in December, you might already be thinking about your year-end appeals. Indeed, with so much at stake, beginning the process during the hot summer months barely can be considered an early start.

There are many ways to justify having a social presence as a nonprofit (and not too many good reasons not to have one by now). But how do you measure its value to your nonprofit?

With mail continuing to provide the best return on investment of any prospecting medium, and with the power it can have on a housefile, it's a shame to abandon it completely. Even if you can't afford to put a bigger piece (i.e., a catalog) in the mail, there are affordable alternative mailers that can work well if used as part of an integrated marketing strategy.