Is there one single narrative that can entirely define your organization, its mission and your donor experiences from both sides of the giving equation? Doubtful. One thing I don’t doubt, though: Storytelling is important. In fact, emotionally compelling storytelling is the foundation of every successful fundraising program...
The modern world has allowed us to connect like never before. The Internet and social media have made it possible to reach people with any message you want to share. Everyone can now have an audience. However, you don’t just want any audience. You don’t want to be yet another voice in a loud and…
We’re told transparency creates trust between our organization and its supporters. For far too long, we’re told, nonprofits have operated in a sort of vague existential “never zone” of “we’re doing good, so you don’t have to worry.” The fundraising pundits tell us that’s what donors demand, these days. “Be transparent. You need to share everything. Donors want to verify before they give.” Do they?...
I had an unexpected reconnection a few weeks ago with Rev. Tony Marciano, executive director of Charlotte Rescue Mission, Charlotte, N.C. The last time we talked was when Tony asked me for some suggestions on his receipting program. Since about seven years had passed, I decided to ask Tony how things were going. And what he told me about receipting and retention is worth sharing...
"How many of our first-time donors give again?" The Fundraising Effectiveness Project has been studying donor retention rates for years. Its "2016 Fundraising Effectiveness Survey" found that just 19 percent of first-time donors will give again. That stat makes me want to gnash my teeth and pull at my hair. After all the hard work…
Do you want to acquire more new donors? Do you want to retain more existing donors? Do you want to upgrade the support from more of your donors? Do you want to get more planned gift commitments? To achieve any of those goals, there’s something essential you must first do. You need to build trust.…
When I embarked on my own in fundraising consulting I had only one client that I served as a sole practitioner. I soon realized that I was missing the synergy of a team. Collaboration is important. We all have different skills. So, as we developed our team, we also looked for redundancy. We didn’t want just one person with a unique set of skills. We wanted backup...
For the more than 1.5 million nonprofit organizations in the U.S., data—big and small—has never been more important in terms of its potential impact on fundraising. The opportunity to further understand, keep and grow donor relationships is huge. But for many of these organizations, there’s a catch—as hopes have risen, so have confusion and concern about using technology to make it happen without draining budgets and sacrificing other efforts...
Stop for a moment, go to a quiet place and focus on the problem your organization is dealing with. It could be homelessness, drug addiction, abuse of people or animals, the effects of humankind on the environment—whatever it is, focus on it...
Donor retention is a hot topic in the fundraising world. And it should be because retaining donors year-to-year makes your job a whole lot easier. If you are unfamiliar with this topic, then here’s a quick brief. What is donor retention? Donor retention refers to the number or percentage of donors that continue to give…
