Donor Relationship Management

Hispanic Americans quickly are becoming one of this country’s largest minority demographics and are expected to eclipse all other ethnic groups by the next U.S. Census, says Loretta Poggio, consultant with Ethnic Technologies, providers of targeted mailing and telemarketing lists with ethnic and religious groupings. Before targeting any specific ethnic group, Poggio says nonprofit organizations should first do a house-file audit to reveal the ethnic representation of its constituents and show which groups are under represented. The next step is to examine its mission statement and find its relevance to the particular group it’s looking to engage. When targeting individuals of Hispanic

In her in-depth report “Asian-American Philanthropy: Expanding Circles of Participation,” published as a chapter in the book “Cultures of Caring: Philanthropy in Diverse American Communities,” Jessica Chao, vice president at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, looks at philanthropic trends within the Asian-American community. Chao explains that Asian-American philanthropy is not one size fits all. The types of philanthropy are as diverse as the population itself, influenced by social adaptation, economics and various levels of acculturation. Asian Americans give informally to close family and social circles and more formally to alumni and professional associations, doing so out of a sense of duty and obligation to the family,

The Jackie Robinson Foundation is an organization that seeks to perpetuate the legacy of Jackie Robinson — the legendary baseball star who was the first African American ever to play major-league baseball — by providing scholarships and support services including mentoring to minority students. As the organization commemorates the 60th year since Robinson broke the color barrier, Vice President and COO Allison Davis took the time to share some general tips she’s garnered through her experiences with the organization’s black donor base. The key focus, as with all donors, Davis says, should be on strong cultivation, strong branding and good DRM. 1) As with

I’ve decided to offer my advice to those with inquiries concerning their fundraising troubles … a sort of “Dear Abby” column for the fundraising forlorn. I’m even willing to dole out this advice free of charge. Those with questions need not fear a monthly retainer bill or any other type of charge. Just please don’t tell any of my clients I’m giving it away for nothing!

Pop quiz! What’s wrong with this hypothetical appeal from an imaginary nonprofit organization raising money to rescue, spay or neuter animals, and place them in loving homes?

For fundraisers who rely on direct mail, these are the best of times and the worst of times.

First, the bad news: The sheer volume of information bombarding donors — from traditional broadcast and print media to the Web, e-mail and instant messaging — is making it harder than ever to get attention for your appeals.

In its white paper “RFM: A Formula for Greater Direct Mail Success,” Charleston, S.C.-based nonprofit software services provider Blackbaud posits that by using a database of donors’ giving histories to do RFM analysis, organizations can increase gifts and reduce costs.

Blackbaud recommends the following tips for nonprofits interested in setting up RFM measurement.

Are you having fun yet? You should be. As technology takes on an increasingly prominent role in what you do for a living, it offers myriad opportunities for that outside-the-box thinking you’ve been hearing so much about.

But the brave new world of the World Wide Web doesn’t come without its pitfalls, among them the temptation to look before you leap into technologically enhanced development, according to Katrin Verclas, newly appointed executive director of the Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network.

Getting people to write checks to support your organization can be tough. But what of those folks who already are writing you a check every year? What of your members?

Membership-based organizations offer a variety of benefits to members, but the support can’t — or shouldn’t — stop there. Loyal-member lists often offer the best leads for potentially larger gifts, but the question is how to get members to see the “added benefit” of giving above and beyond their membership dues.

When it comes to technical phrases such as “data integration” and “on-demand export,” most fundraisers go running for the hills. What many don’t realize, however, is how critical successful database integration can be to their jobs — and that information resulting from integration can make their jobs easier and more effective.