Marc A. Pitman's Blog, page 21

Spring Forward With 5 Fundraising Ideas for Savvy Nonprofits

With spring finally here, your organization is likely looking for ways to boost your fundraising efforts to reach new supporters and fund projects crucial to your mission.

Whether you’re an experienced fundraiser or are new to the game, you can always use some inspiration to refresh your fundraising ideas and come up with new ways to raise money.

That’s why in this article, we’ll look at five popular fundraising ideas to help your nonprofit grow:

Improve your online giving outlets.Organize a spring fundraising event.Sell merchandise at fundraising events and online.Promote matching gift programs.Launch a crowdfunding campaign.

These are tried-and-true fundraisers that can work for a wide range of organizations, big and small. We’ll look at how you can incorporate these fundraising ideas to meet your needs.

Let’s get started!

1. Improve your online giving outlets.Why Improving Your Online Giving Works

Spring is the time to start fresh. What better time to improve your online giving outlets?

Making the giving experience more convenient and more enjoyable for donors can actually increase the amount of funds you receive.

Here’s how:

A more efficient donation process can decrease your nonprofit’s donor abandonment rate.Preset donation buttons can encourage donors to give more because people are less likely to enter a custom amount.Mobile-friendly donation pages allow organizations to reach more donors on the devices they use every day.

Additionally, trends and best practices are constantly changing, and organizations that make improvements to their online donation process can stay in the know about how to encourage more donations via online methods.

How to Get Started

If you’re looking to refresh your online donation pages, the first thing you’ll need to do is develop a plan of action.

Your team will need to determine what type of improvements are needed. In addition to the improvements you want to make, ask your donors for feedback on your online donations.

Getting insights from your donors may help you catch aspects of your donation process that even you didn’t notice. Plus, listening to your donors shows them that you care about their feedback. A donor that feels appreciated is much more likely to give in the future.

Once you’ve identified areas for improvement, it’s time to make your changes. Depending on your resources you might be able to complete all the improvements in-house using your existing software.

Alternatively, for enhancements that are more extensive, you might need custom solutions or more comprehensive fundraising software.

If the thought of re-hauling your online donation pages feels daunting, then why not consider working with a technology consultant? They’ll work with your nonprofit to create custom fundraising solutions for your organization.

You can learn more advice on how to work with a technology consultant by reading DNL OmniMedia’s tips.

Remember: Improving your online donation methods can help you reach a wider group of supporters and increase the average gift size.

 

2. Organize a spring fundraising event.Why Fundraising Events Work

It’s no surprise that fundraising events are effective at raising funds and engaging donors.

Spring is especially a great time to have a fundraising event because you can host more outdoor activities, such as:

Walkathons, marathons, and 5KsTeam sporting eventsField daysThemed races

For even more fundraisers that are perfect for the spring and summer months, check out Salsa Labs’ top fundraising event ideas.

Fundraising events give you the opportunity to bring your supporters together to learn more about your cause and develop stronger relationships with your staff.

While fundraising events do require a lot of planning and funds, when done successfully, your organization has the potential to raise a lot of money for your cause.

How to Get Started

Ultimately, every event is different. And how you plan for each event will vary depending on the type of fundraiser you’re hosting.

For example, if you wanted to host a 3. Sell merchandise at fundraising events and online.Why Selling Merchandise Works

More and more organizations are using branded products to help raise money for their cause. From t-shirts and hats to mugs and water bottles, there are endless products that your nonprofit can sell.

With branded merchandise, your organization is able to raise both money and awareness for your cause.

Most importantly, donors can contribute to your cause and receive an item in return. This incentive reminds them of your mission so that your organization is front of mind. Additionally, whenever a supporter uses your item, they’re sharing their cause with everyone around.

Think about it: If a coworker wears the same “Support the Wildlife” t-shirt to work, you’re much more likely to ask them about the organization and why they support it.

How to Get Started

Traditionally, organizations sell products during fundraising events, but with the influx of online fundraising websites, there’s no limit to where your organization can sell your products!

Moreover, diversifying your outlets can help widen your reach and give donors who can’t attend your events an opportunity to support your cause.

First, your organization will need to find a wholesale provider that can supply products and print your designs. Working with a fundraising website that allows you to sell products online and in bulk can help you save on costs and stock up on enough product to sell in-person.

Organizations should look for a provider that:

Allows them to customize their products.Ships online orders directly to supporters.Offers a variety of items as well as style and color options.

Once you have your products and online fundraising page set up, you’re ready to start selling! Encourage donors to share images of your products on social media to generate interest and incorporate your products into your fundraising event marketing strategy.

Remember: The merchandise that you sell should provide some value to your donors and predominantly showcase the impact of your mission.

 

4. Promote matching gift programs.Why Promoting Matching Gifts Works

On average, nonprofits have $217,000 worth of matching gift opportunities that are missed because donors don’t submit a request. That’s a lot of money your organization could be missing!

That’s why nonprofits should make it a point to educate donors about these programs.

Promoting matching gifts is an effective fundraising idea because it doesn’t require as much planning and resources as a fundraising event or a new campaign.

By simply marketing matching gifts on social media and via segmented emails, you can encourage more donors to submit a request.

But the benefits don’t just end with your nonprofit. Donors get the opportunity to support your organization without dipping back into their wallets.

How to Get Started

Since so many donors are unaware of corporate matching gift programs, it's up to nonprofits to get donors familiar with these programs and show them how easy it is to submit a request.

Organizations can use several ways to promote matching gifts, including:

Creating a dedicated page on your website to answer commonly asked questions about matching gifts.Incorporating a matching gift search tool into your donation pages, allowing donors to search for their company’s program.Mentioning matching gifts in your newsletter (if you have one), acknowledgement emails, and year-end solicitations.Posting about matching gifts on your organization’s social media accounts.

No matter how you promote matching gifts, your organization needs to include information that will help encourage donors to submit a request.

If possible, link to a tool where donors can learn more about their company’s matching gift program to determine if their donations are eligible. Once you know where donors work, you can be more targeted about what information you send.

For instance, you can send donors emails reminding them of submission deadlines, lists of organizations that the company matches donations to, and specific guidelines about how to submit a request.

Remember: Make it easy for donors to learn more about matched giving and their specific programs. That way, they have all the information they need when it’s time to submit a request.

5. Launch a crowdfunding campaign.Why Launching a Crowdfunding Campaign Works

Recently, many organizations have jumped on the crowdfunding bandwagon and have seen positive results.

Crowdfunding is such an effective way to raise money because it allows organizations to tell their story and raise funds through smaller donations from more supporters.

Social media is a large component of crowdfunding because organizations are able to increase their reach by sharing the campaign on Facebook and Twitter and encouraging others to do the same.

What’s more, crowdfunding is a cost-effective fundraising idea that can be used by organizations of all shapes and sizes.

How to Get Started

With just a few simple steps to launch a campaign, many organizations see crowdfunding as a quick and easy way to raise funds — and it is!

However, don’t let its simplicity fool you. Launching a successful crowdfunding campaign takes a lot of hard work and careful preparation.

First, your organization will need to determine what site to launch your campaign on. There are at least 100 crowdfunding websites that organizations can use, so it’s important to choose one with features that provide a great user experience and give you the option to customize your page.

Second, you’ll need to build your crowdfunding page. Take advantage of the description element that many crowdfunding websites offer to tell your organization's story in a compelling way.

You should also use images to show the impact that your nonprofit has made. Evoking strong emotions is a great way to persuade donors to give.

Finally, your organization needs to spread the word about your campaign. Have your team write letters to donors, post about your campaign on social media and your website, and continually post updates to keep your supporters informed.

Remember: A crowdfunding campaign isn’t going to go viral on its own. In addition to sharing your fundraising page, you also need to encourage your supporters to spread the word.

Spring is the perfect time to boost your fundraising efforts! With these proven fundraising ideas, you’re bound to raise more money and gain new and more engaged donors in the process.

The post Spring Forward With 5 Fundraising Ideas for Savvy Nonprofits appeared first on FundraisingCoach.com.

What do you offer?

Listen to a direct mail specialist like Tom Ahern or Steven Screen talk about fundraising for any length of time and you'll hear them constantly talking about "offers."

You need clear offers.Test various offers.What is your offer?

This can confuse the rest of us. Many of us want to say: "What do you mean 'offer'? We're 'offering' the donor something? I thought we were asking, not 'offering'!"

What is an offer?

Fortunately, Tom Ahern just wrote a great post on what an offer is. He says,

"...offers ask for response, which in turn make your ads measurable...Without offers — without a mechanism that invites response — you’ll have no idea whether an ad works or not."

The "offer" is what you use to ask the donor to give. "Would you support an acre of woodlands with a gift of..." Or "Your 24 cents will vaccinate one child..."

An offer points people to the action you'd like them to take. It can be as bland as "For more information..." or specific as "Get the ebook with our camp chef's favorite recipes..."

As you're looking at the rest of this year's fundraising - both major gift and direct mail - ask yourself, "Can I even identify an offer in this?" If you can't, there's no way a donor will.

Is your offer a feature or benefit?

Then ask yourself, "Is this offer clear to someone who doesn't work here?" You know it's clear if it's something you could take a picture of. Then use words to paint that picture more clearly. Use your words to paint the picture as crystal clear in the donor's mind as possible.

Tom then goes on to describe the difference between features and benefits. An example could be:

Feature: This is a post about offersBenefit: This short post about offers will make your fundraising perform better and help you figure out why some of your appeals work while others don't.

The clearer you can be, and the more you can describe what's in it for the donor, the better your response rate will be.

Can you see how getting benefits right will are what will transform you fundraising. You'll make it really clear and completely understandable what your offer is and what it says about people who respond to it.

Go read Tom's entire post including his list of features vs. benefits examples at: http://www.aherncomm.com/for-the-love-of-offers/.

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Are you able to sharpen your saw?

I've been talking to a lot of amazing nonprofit leaders and staff. Our sector is full of some of the most dedicated people!

But dedication seems to go only so far, doesn't it? With all the hard work, doesn't it just feel like there's more to do? In our latest nonprofit leadership research, leaders report an overall feeling of being overwhelmed.

It's like they're working harder and harder with less and less to show for it.

Sharpening the Saw

Stephen Covey often talked about 2 men in a tree cutting contest. Both had the same saws and the same desire to win. One sawed and sawed and sawed endlessly. The other took regular breaks to sharpen his saw.

The first man laughed at the second. He was convinced he'd cut more trees because he kept working and working and working.

But that's not what happened. As the day wore on, the first man began working harder and harder. With less and less to show for it. With every cut, his saw got duller, requiring even more work. Even more effort.

The second man? The one that took regular breaks to sharpen his saw? Yep, he won the contest. And wasn't nearly as tired as the first man.

Are you feeling that way yourself? Working harder and harder with less to show for it?

You know there must be a better way to work, but you don't have the time to find that training. And if you do find the training, you don't have the time to actually go?

Most trainings are built around an organizers schedule, not yours, aren't they? And if your time matches their time, there's still the cost for the training. And the cost for travel. And for food. And hotel.

Finally, there's a training program that comes to you, when you want it!

The Nonprofit Academy has over 100 trainings, tools, and templates. Trainings from over 50 of the top nonprofit experts designed specifically to help you.

You get to do the training when ever you want. It's like those 50+ experts are there waiting for you as you need them.

As an NPA member, you'll immediately get:

10 leadership and management trainings (like creating plans and managing Millenials)7 trainings on working with your board17 on growing your major gifts program7 on using the web and social media15 trainings for marketing and communications6 on growing your annual fund9 on creating your fundraising program11 on segmenting your data and creating your infrastructure4 on writing fundraising letters5 on improving your grantsand 5 on how to optimize your special events!

If you're pursuing CFRE credits, NPA membership gives you access to 50 CFRE credits now. And more each month.

Plus, you'll get instant access to tools like: sample case statements, examples of gift range calculators, fundraising audits, board assessments, wording for web sites, and questions to ask in a focus group.

Not just training but the help to implement the training

You get access to the trainings. That alone would be great. Better still, there's at least one new training every month!

And NPA membership is not just training. As an NPA member, you get the support you need too. Membership includes:

monthly live coaching calls with other NPA members and meand a 24 hour Members only forum to seek help whenever you need it!

As a member of the Nonprofit Academy, you can sharpen your saw. And you won't have to be alone.And now it's even less!

Between now and April 16, the first 40 people who respond get 20% off Lifetime Membership for the Nonprofit Academy.

You can certainly join at monthly or annual rates. But now the convenience of one-and-done payment is 20% off. Hurry, this offer ends on April 16 (or when 40 people take advantage of it).

Learn more and register at:

https://thenonprofitacademy.com/lifetime/

With membership in The Nonprofit Academy, you can sharpen your saw with a community of like-minded people - without ever having to leave your desk. And you can now save on the one-payment option.

Give your dedication the tools it needs to get the job done. Join The Nonprofit Academy today.

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[Guest Post] The Science of Giving: Why Your Brain Craves Meaning

The Science of Giving: Why Your Brain Craves Meaning

by Laura A. Roser

Your brain is a meaning magnet. It can’t help it; it’s been conditioned. Since the hunter and gatherer days, humans have tried to make sense of the world. From the Egyptians and Greeks with their gods to philosophers with their theories to scientists with their hypotheses to small towns with their gossip, we crave explanations.

When something happens—a car accident, a divorce, your kid being accepted by a prestigious college—you create a story to make sense of the events. The car accident was the other guy’s fault because he wasn’t paying attention, the divorce wouldn’t have happened if you joined the family every night for dinner instead of working, your kid was accepted by an elite college because of the discipline you instilled in him at a young age. There are facts, which are true no matter what (i.e. the car accident happened at 2:53 pm) and there are stories which are shaped by beliefs and may vary substantially from one person to the next. Even though there are many sides to a story, your belief in your story makes it true for you and possibly many other people who hear your story.

So, what does all of this have to do with philanthropy? I’m glad you asked.

The Internal Dialog of a Donor

People give to your organization because it ignites some sort of meaning in them. They’re telling themselves a story about you. Now, that story could be anything from, “If I give this guy twenty bucks, maybe he’ll get off my porch and I can avoid feeling like a jerk for not contributing to his cause.” to “This hospital saved my daughter’s life and we want to give back to help more children.”

The key to elevating the emotional state of a donor and igniting the emotions of others is tapping into what is personally significant to that individual.

In recent studies about storytelling, Princeton University researcher Uri Hasson said:

"When the woman spoke English, the volunteers understood her story, and their brains synchronized. When she had activity in her insula, an emotional brain region, the listeners did too. When her frontal cortex lit up, so did theirs. By simply telling a story, the woman could plant ideas, thoughts and emotions into the listeners' brains."

In other words, when we feel emotion from telling a story, that same emotion is felt by others during the telling of the story. The story itself is a vehicle for us to feel meaning and to change the beliefs of others.

You can use this information in two different ways:

Tell stories that light you up and you’ll light up others,Identify stories that light up your donors and those stories will light up their family and friends.

We’ll be tackling point #2: Identifying stories that light up your donors.

If you want donors to connect with your cause on an emotional level, you’ve got to figure out why they care about your cause, but not in a superficial way. It’s unlikely the guy standing on his front porch who gives you twenty bucks to go away is going to tell you how he really feels. If you ask him why he’s contributing, he’ll probably say something like, “Of course I want to support eradicating labor trafficking in San Diego. It’s a terrible problem!” Then he’ll give twenty dollars to you and you’ll never hear from him again.

None of this is to sound flippant. Labor trafficking is a terrible problem that needs to be addressed, but so do a lot of other problems. There are endless ways to contribute to the world and many options for donors. Your challenge as a nonprofit is to find people who have the potential to become advocates for your organization and to help them find greater meaning through working with you thereby turning them into devoted advocates.

Not everyone is going to resonate with your cause on a deep level. So, how do you sort through the “nice superficial” responses to figure out which donors authentically connect with your cause and will give more in the future?

Five Steps to Creating More Meaning for DonorsHave good filters

Every donation matters. But it’s simply too costly to try to have a deep personal conversation with every single donor. You should have systems that separate donors into categories based on their giving, interest, and involvement. A friend of mine who is the head of a large nonprofit hospital said that he knows someone is a good candidate as a substantial donor when they give $1,000 or more. In the hospital’s system, they tag that person as someone they should keep an eye on and ask about their philanthropy goals and estate planning objectives. Often extremely large donations start with a relatively small one (like $1,000 to $5,000) and as the donor develops a relationship with the organization, he or she ends up leaving a large portion of their estate to the cause. Figure out what the metrics are for your organization.Focus on their legacy, not your cause

Once you have your “golden” donor leads filtered out, it’s time to determine what’s important to them. Make sure you approach the process without an agenda. If the donor feels like you are only interested in their legacy to try to extract money from them (even for a good cause), they’ll close off. You could speak with them one-on-one or hold educational seminars and other events that help them explore their giving vision, their life goals and what kind of legacy they’d like to leave behind to the community and their families. Remember to focus on story. If they say giving to your cause is important, find out what story they’re telling themselves and ask them to articulate it.Make it tangible

I learned pretty early on in legacy planning that stories are vague. “Feeling good” because you gave to someone is vague and that feeling can easily fade if you are not reminded about it again and again. Have you ever had the experience of reading an old journal? I read a passage I had written when I was seventeen about my parents and sister going through a hard time and the words brought back all kinds of memories that I would have completely forgotten if I hadn’t written it down. You need a thing—a physical object to remind your donors about how meaningful their stories are. At our company, we create something called the Book of You, which incapsulates someone’s wisdom, memories and personal philosophy. You could create something similar or you could print up their story and send a framed copy to them. Think about a tangible way to remind the person of their meaningful connection with your organization and the kind of legacy they’d like to leave behind.Make it easy to share with family and friends

Hold events which feature the stories of your donors—invite their friends and families. Or feature them on your website and ask them to share with friends and family. A story—told from the unique point of view of someone you love—has a much better chance of igniting emotion and helping others to see the significance of the cause than a story from a stranger.Involve the family

A topic that usually comes up in legacy planning is what kind of legacy the parents would like to leave to their kids or grandkids. This is especially true if they have a substantial amount of money. The good news for you is that many families are concerned about how their money will be handled by the next generation and use philanthropy as a tool to teach their children responsibility and gratitude. Talk with estate planners and legacy planners about how you can make your organization appeal to families who give through donor advised funds, foundations and other structures.

When you help your donors uncover stories based on what connects with their hearts, their sense of significance soars, along with the value of your nonprofit.

 

Laura A. Roser is the founder and CEO of Paragon Road, the leading authority in Meaning Legacy planning (passing on non-financial assets, such as values, wisdom and beliefs). Get your free subscription to her Legacy Arts magazine at www.legacyartsmagazine.com

Laura leads the Nonprofit Academy session Legacy Development for Nonprofits.

The post [Guest Post] The Science of Giving: Why Your Brain Craves Meaning appeared first on FundraisingCoach.com.

5 Ways Nonprofit Tech Can Improve Your Donor Stewardship

In order to be successful, your nonprofit needs to create a balance between fundraising and developing relationships with existing supporters.

Think about it this way: your nonprofit may be an expert at encouraging first-time donors to contribute. However, if you can’t retain these contributors, you’ll have to expend even more money and resources to keep attracting new supporters to your cause.

By creating a foolproof stewardship plan you can retain the donors you’ve cultivated. These donors will not only be more invested in your mission because they’ve developed a relationship with your organization, but they will also donate in the future, participate in fundraising events, and even spread the word to their friends and family.

The benefits of retaining donors are endless, but the process is easier said than done. Luckily, it’s not impossible!

Your organization can use its existing nonprofit software and fundraising tools to steward donors by:Personalizing communications with segmented lists.Hosting more meaningful (and engaging!) fundraisers.Optimizing your online giving methods and donation process.Managing and promoting your membership program.Maintaining an efficient follow-up strategy.

Let’s dive deeper into how nonprofit technology can help you build long-lasting relationships with donors and raise more money!

5. Maintain an Efficient Follow-Up Strategy

The last way nonprofit technology can improve your donor stewardship is by simplifying your acknowledgement process.

A huge step in retaining donors is showing your appreciation. Whether a donor has contributed for the first time or the tenth time, your organization needs to show donors that you value their support (not just their donations).

The key to a successful follow-up strategy involves three important points:

Timeliness. Donors should always receive a thank-you letter right after they give—whether you’re sending via email or direct mail. Sending a prompt thank you will ensure that supporters remember their donations and your organization.Ways to stay involved. While the cardinal rule is to never ask for another donation in your thank-you letters, that doesn’t mean you can’t suggest other ways for donors to get involved! Ask donors to follow you on social media and mention any upcoming events or volunteer opportunities you might have.Donor-centric focus. It can be tempting to focus the thank-you letter on all the wonderful achievements your nonprofit will make, but keep your acknowledgement focused on the donor. Show them that their contribution will make a difference and reference past support to show that you’re aware of all they’ve done for your nonprofit.

Creating a personalized thank-you letter that hits all the points we mentioned above can be a lot to manage, especially if your organization receives hundreds of donations a month.

Luckily, your nonprofit CRM is equipped with the tools to help your team perform these tasks efficiently.

Make use of your CRM’s calendar feature to track exactly when donors should receive an acknowledgment. Additionally, you can use automated email tools to send out a thank-you letter immediately after a donor gives.

Further, your team can use information—donor name, giving history, interests, etc.—from your constituent profiles to create a personalized acknowledgement that will really make your letter stand out.

Following up with supporters in a timely and personal way can have a lasting impression, which can lead to better relationships with your donors.

As you can see, nonprofit technology can help you gain deeper insights into your donors’ giving behaviors and streamline your stewardship processes. Best of all, your nonprofit doesn’t have to invest in expensive software; you can make use of the nonprofit tools you already have to build better donor relationships.

The post 5 Ways Nonprofit Tech Can Improve Your Donor Stewardship appeared first on FundraisingCoach.com.

He's rich. Now what?

I've been getting the same type of question from a wide variety of nonprofit leaders in many different sectors. The question goes something like this:

"This guy is rich. What's my next step?"

Part of me wants to applaud them. These leaders are doing the hard work of trying to expand their fundraising.

But most of me wants to scream. The assumption is there must be a perfect "thing" to do that will cause them to give money. The implication is the "rich person" is really only a slot machine or ATM. Push a few buttons, pull a lever, and they'll spit out cash.

It's as if they're looking for a magic sign.The magic? Hard work

The real money comes from the "magic" of doing the hard work of the Get R.E.A.L. framework:

Research,Engage,Ask, andLove.1. Research

First, research your organization: what are you asking them for? Most nonprofits leaders asking this question seem to want to get as much money as they can. That is 100% the wrong approach. Muggers just grab as much cash as they can get. Fundraisers look for places where values line up and donors can invest in causes that matter. (Click here to tweet that.)

So that means we have to be clear on what we're doing and why we're doing it. We have to know what we're inviting donors to give to. Are we:

Inviting them to buy a ticket to an event?Fund payroll for the week?Help transform some aspect of a community or cause for the quarter?Save lives year round?

Look at your nonprofit work. Not the budget, but the outcomes. What are you getting done. What are you doing that a donor might love?

Then, research the donor: find out if what you're doing in any way aligns with the donors interests. Being "rich" in no way obligates them to give to you. Your job will be easier if you are able to find out if they:

are generous - do they give to nonprofits and politics?are interested in causes like yours - do they support and get involved with organizations that operate in the same space as yours?

These aren't foolproof ways of know if the person will give to you. But knowing a person is a giver helps move them from a "suspect" - someone you suspect might give - to a "prospect" - someone worth following up on.

You can use tools like DonorSearch or iWave to do this research. Or you can use simple tools like Google. Three searches to try are:

a person's name,a person's name and the state or city they live in,their name and a word like "supporter" or "donor."2. Engage

Once you have a sense of where what you offer and the person's interests may intersect, you can move to the next step: engaging the person. This is where you test your assumptions. You find out if you're right that you and they are a good match.

You can engage by showing up at public events that they are at. Things like business chamber events, galas, and the like. Or you can engage by calling them up and setting up an appointment. You might say:

"Hi [person's name], I'm grateful for the work you've done in [the sector you work in]. I think we have common interests and would love to buy you coffee to find out. I'm sure you get inundated with calls and I want to respect your time. Would we be able to get together for 20 minutes this Thursday or next Tuesday?"

Use your own words but consider making these points:

You're interested in what the person values, not just that the person has money.You're aware they are busy.You're not asking for a lot of time. Or even for a gift (if you aren't going to ask for a gift).

This wording isn't perfect. It won't get past every gatekeeper or get you onto every influential person's calendar. But it will get you on more calendars than if you didn't ask.

And don't get caught up on how to communicate. Some people respond to calls, some to notes in the mail, some to tweets. So mix it up. And if you have a lot of people you're trying to reach, experiment with calling some before office hours, some during office hours, and some after. Find out what works for you and the people you want to engage in.

Even of the people you meet, most probably won't be interested in giving. Some gift charts suggest you need five prospects for each gift. So keep looping the research and engage cycle until you find the people who you can ask.

3. Ask

Do you see how much clearer your ask will be now that you've researched your cause, researched your project, and engaged the donor. You now have a mission-centered ask to invite the donor into. You have something to offer them that you have reason to believe they may be interested in.

Two of my favorite phrases to use when asking for money are:

"I'd like to ask you to consider a gift of _______" and"I have no idea if this is even reasonable, but would a gift of _________ be in the ballpark?"

The point is, make a specific ask. Not a vacuous "would you support our cause." You need to make it ridiculously easy for the donor to know what you mean. State a dollar amount or a gift club. "Would you consider a gift of $10,000?" or "Would you consider joining our President's Club?"

And consider politely asking for more. Not manipulatively. Not like a thug. But a person who's gotten this far in the process is likely interested in your cause. Or aspects of it. So consider stretching yourself when politely asking them to consider a gift.

4. Love

There are dozens of posts on this blog to show donors you love them. The goal is:

An immediate acknowledgement of the transaction - often generated as the credit card or check is processed.A thank you note or telephone call within 48 hours.And an impact report showing them how important their gift was within 90 days. (Often this is done through a truly effective donor newsletter.)This is the sign you've been looking for

Some will be frustrated with this post because it's a process. It takes a lot of work. It involves having the integrity to treat people like human beings. And honoring their decisions.

The donors you earn this way will love investing in your organization. And the ones that don't may refer others to you anyway. Because you are respecting them while you're pursuing your goals.

The power in this process is that you aren't a victim. As a nonprofit leader, you don't have to hopelessly wait until people figure out to give to you. There is always something you can do.

Will you honor the process?

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7 Key Ways Online Giving Has Changed Over the Past Year

As all up-to-date fundraising professionals know, online giving has become one of the most important sources of revenue for nonprofits in the past few years. Online donation forms allow supporters to donate securely and quickly from anywhere in the world, on their laptops and their mobile phones, without licking a single envelope.

Of course, online giving didn’t stop evolving at the invention of the online donation form. The field is constantly changing alongside technology and society, and the past year alone has brought with it major advancements in how nonprofits accept online gifts.

To make sure you’re getting the most out of the latest iterations of online giving trends and strategies, you need to know how they’re changing. We’ve made it easy for you! Here are seven key ways online giving has grown over the past year and how your nonprofit can take advantage of these trends to perform better in the new year:

Increase in mobile givingAdvancement of online giving technologyImpact of social mediaSuccess of #GivingTuesdayEvolution of corporate givingInfluence of contemporary causesProliferation of crowdfunding

Ready for the online giving year in review, compete with suggestions for incorporating these lessons into your fundraising planning? Read on!

7. Proliferation of crowdfunding

More than ever before, it’s not just possible but actually easy to start a campaign that can reach a large number of people quickly.

Of course, we’re talking about crowdfunding. As the past year taught us, it’s not just for individuals looking for help with a college fund or medical expenses — nonprofits use them to!

The great thing about crowdfunding is that it can spread beyond the contacts in your mailing list. All you need are a few loyal supporters to start spreading the word to their own social circles, and the news will radiate outward from there.

Many crowdfunding platforms are built specifically for nonprofits, including features like:

Easy social media integration.Campaign page customization and branding options.Low processing or platform fees.Fundraising consultation.

As you sit down with your leadership team, keep the lessons of the past year’s online giving trends in mind. With the past to guide you, the future looks bright!

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The new tax bill's aftermath doesn't need to be the end of your nonprofit

There are dire warnings in the United States press about the huge drop in charitable giving coming in 2018. Even groups who should know better, like AFP - the Association of Fundraising Professionals, is saying the sky is falling. (Full disclosure: I am on the board of my local AFP chapter. That doesn't mean I agree with everything from the main office.)

I am sure they have their reasons. But it's appalling to see how these warnings are filling nonprofit leaders with despair. They're looking to slash their budgets, lay off staff, even considering closing up shop.

While fiscal responsibility is a great thing, the warnings are overreaching. Especially about nonprofits losing billions of dollars.

That doesn't need to happen! These models are based on rational economics. But giving has never been rational. (If you don't believe me, check out the great neuroscience studies shown in the recent Emotionraising training in the Nonprofit Academy. (The link is https://thenonprofitacademy.com/trainings/emotionraising/ - you do need to be a member to view.)

I recently recorded a video with this reminder to give hope to nonprofit leaders in the aftermath of the tax bill. Over on Facebook alone, this video has received more than 10,000 views - by far the most viewed video I've posted.

Feel free to share it with your boards and others. And commit to getting excellent at telling your nonprofit's story in terms you donors understand.

A message of hope for nonprofit leaders in the USA in the aftermath of the recent tax bill

 

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Should you tell event attendees how much was raised?

I often get asked by event organizers if we should talk about money in our event follow up. It's a great question because these people are wanting to be transparent but not wanting to hurt future donations.

So should you mention how much was raised at the event? Especially if it was very successful?

Yes! If your event was a success let your guests and sponsors and donors know about it!

There should be three "thank you" touches after the event

Each event should be followed up with three "thank you" messages.

All of three of them should be donor-centric, letting them know that they are the heroes whose support makes all your work possible. All three should be very specific about how the money you raised will help your organization's mission.

The first touch should reference the amount of money raised. If you don't know the exact amount raised, it is fine to give an estimate. The first email/letter/phone call (depending on the donor's level of giving at event) should be within three days of the event if possible. If you don't have all financial info at that time just let them know you will be following up with details and give them a ballpark number.The second thank you should come about three to four weeks after the event. This one should thank the folks again, as well as give specifics on how the money raised will be used to further your mission.The third thank you should be two months after the event and thank them again and follow up on how your organization's mission has benefited from the money raised.

I know it seems like a lot of work, but it is truly worth the effort at this makes your guests feel a part of your organization's success and keeps the good feelings and engagement flowing.

If you need an idea for the first touch, here is one of my favorite "thank you" letters sent by a client after a recent super successful event. The guests and donors absolutely loved this. I actually heard that other nonprofits had showed this to their boards as an example of an engaging thank you letter from a gala.

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2 types of nonprofit stories – and the one that drives donations

I've just getting back from the Nonprofit Storytelling Conference so it’s likely no surprise stories are on my mind.

At the conference this year, I noticed talk about 2 types of nonprofit stories. I heard talk about "institutional stories" and "donor stories."

Institutional stories are just that – about the institution. These are necessary and good. They have their place. Institutional stories are great for staff and board orientations. They educate and inform. But institutional stories don't drive donations.

The story that drives donations is donor story.

The surprising reason behind the donor story

This sounds illogical, doesn't it? Won't donors make gifts only after they learn about our organization? How great we are at what we do?

The thing is, donors aren't looking for a new charity to support. Donors are looking for a way to support what they care about. Not charities they care about. Values. Issues. Causes.

So be that cause.

As you make your calls to donors, just before you pick up the phone pause to think about what they may want to give to. Identify where your work intersects with their mission. Then call and meet them there.Keep it fact, don't create a fictional story

I've worked with nonprofit leaders long enough to know that I need to add this qualifier: this "donor story" post is not about "mission creep." Do not create programs simply to please donors. Instead, identify what the individual is interested in and find commonalities in what your organization is already doing.

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