Recent reports indicate good signs for 2014 fundraising. Despite the collective optimism for fundraising success, nonprofits must overcome a number of hurdles to get there. Here are some stats and three ways your nonprofit can drive giving gains this year.
Donors are recognized in many forms from handwritten thank-you notes to names on buildings. As the recognition level increases in permanence, the stakes are higher for potential problems.
True confession from this old dog — I hadn’t looked at the Donor Bill of Rights in a while. It seemed like a good assignment to give to students of fundraising. But it ended up being a good assignment for me, too. Maybe today is when you need to put some working clothes on your genius and read it over with a fresh set of eyes.
What is it about your organization that sets it apart from all the others? How can you show donors and potential donors that you are unique — even irreplaceable because you are doing something that no one else is doing? If you can’t show why you are different from everyone else, you’re going to have a hard time proving that someone should donate to you instead of another organization that does what seems to be the same thing.
I strongly suggest you constantly attempt to control the perception and reality of your organization through reinforcement of education, information and communication.
Be ready to weather the storms of fundraising by enhancing your decision-making skills. So get moving — take action!
It takes 10 touches to move someone through the buying process. Why don't we look at donor prospect lists the same way?
Joie Fuentes, senior director of sales and marketing for Branders.com, recently spoke with FundRaising Success about the "Give a Way" campaign in which the company provides merchandise to national and regional nonprofit organizations to help them brand their causes.
The great debate on overhead costs and charity watchdog ratings continues to evolve, and the Direct Marketing Association of Washington is tackling this issue with a panel discussion.
A culture of transparency is a big commitment and can be tough. But it is the right commitment and one that builds confidence in donors, staff, volunteers and other stakeholders.
