Marc A. Pitman's Blog, page 26

Improve Donor Stewardship with These 5 Proven Strategies

To successfully retain donors, nonprofits need to invest time into cultivating and maintaining long-lasting relationships, from the first donation onward.

With a concrete donor stewardship plan in place, donors will feel more valued and invested in your nonprofit.

While you may understand the importance of donor stewardship, it’s not always clear how to take the best course of action. This article will go over five strategies to improve your donor stewardship.Understand your donors and track results.Create a donor stewardship plan to organize communications.Craft a recognition system to reward continued support.Use engagement strategies outside of fundraising.Build a membership program.

Let’s get into the different strategies!

Not every donor is at the same step in your stewardship program, so it doesn’t make sense to send out the same content to your entire donor network. And with so many donors to manage, it’s impossible to always give each individual personalized communication.

Striking a balance between general and personal content will become much easier once you segment your donors.

By segmenting your donor base into groups, nonprofits can tailor their communication strategy to different types of donors. This allows for some level of personalization and makes the process efficient for organizations to undertake.

Separate similar donors into categories so they can receive the communication that is relevant to them. Know where each donor stands in the process, and keep a record of his or her status.

Use the donor pyramid for guidance.

What categories should you segment donors into? The number of categories and subcategories will depend on the size and needs of your nonprofit.

The donor pyramid is a helpful visualization tool to better map out your categories.

The donor pyramid shows the range of donors, from prospects to major gift donors. Categorizing donors like this will help you decide how to approach your donor stewardship at each stage on the donor pyramid.

Disclaimer - In recent years, there has been a general move away from using the donor pyramid. Since the rise of digital fundraising, the structure of the pyramid is no longer as effective in defining donors’ giving behaviors.

Although the donor categories don’t truly exist in the pyramid structure anymore, the categories themselves still exist; that’s what we’re focusing on for the purpose of this argument.

The categories on your modernized version of a donor pyramid could include:Prospective donorFirst-time donorRecurring donorMajor donor

By categorizing your donors in this way, it will help you determine what message to provide and at what point you should provide it in the donor’s relationship with your organization.

In addition, you can further divide donors into other groups, such as:Communication frequencyPreferred giving channelGiving historyInterests (personal and within the organization)

Grouping your donors in this way ensures that your correspondence is relevant to the donor because every message won’t apply to every donor at the same time.

Spend time researching current donors to determine what category each donor best fits in.

Keep a record of each donor.

Having a record of each donor is about more than just keeping track of your supporters’ progress, starting from the first gift. It’s also about tracking your communication. You can easily refer to past communication with a donor to avoid sending repeat information and refresh your memory on donor’s interests.

All the information you track for each donor can be stored and updated using donor database software.

Database software can improve donor stewardship because it allows you to organize all your donor relations. A donor database captures the multifaceted relationships you’ve built with donors and stores them for future fundraising initiatives.

Donor databases can provide more insight into your donors’ interests and preferred communication channels.

With all your donors’ information easily accessible, you can create a more personalized communication plan, which is crucial to improving your donor stewardship.

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Key point: Your donor stewardship will improve if you have a solid understanding of your donors and an organized way of tracking them.

Donor stewardship starts the moment a donor makes a donation, so every step of the way needs to be mapped out and organized to optimize how you communicate with donors at each stage in the process.

The Qgiv donor stewardship and cultivation guide recommends preparing how, what, and when you’re going to communicate to create a donor stewardship plan.

First, come up with an agenda of any major events for the year. Your schedule could include:Stewardship events,Walkathons,Auctions,A Gala,And more.

These are all things that you want to base your communications around.

The donor’s stage in the stewardship process will help determine what topics will be most relevant to each donor. For example, with a first-time donor, it’s too early to mention membership programs, but it would be appropriate to mention it to a frequent donor.

Once you have your year mapped out, decide how and when you’ll communicate with donors.

Determining how your donors get content is another area where knowing your donors comes in handy. Some donors may prefer different means of communication over others.

For instance, social media is a great way to inform recurring donors about a fundraising event because they already have a relationship with your nonprofit. They probably follow you on social media and are more inclined to share or respond to content you post.

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Key point: Organize a communications plan that is clearly in line with the needs of your donors so you can connect with all levels of supporters during the stewardship process.

A recognition program lets you show your appreciation for donors in a public way.

Unlike acknowledgment letters that are promptly received after every donation, recognition is something usually reserved for highlighting supporters who have gone above and beyond in helping your nonprofit succeed.

Showing donors recognition makes them feel like a crucial part of your nonprofit and also offers an aspiring figure for other donors to look up to.

Your nonprofit can have multiple or just one program recognizing supporters for their:Recurring support,Major donations,Volunteer time,And more.

Your donor recognition system can include multiple different ways to show your appreciation. For example, you can highlight one of your donors on your website or include a list of major donors in your nonprofit newsletter.

If you can, send out an email survey to your existing supporters to see what ways they would like to be recognized. The last thing you want is a recognition program that donors don’t see any value in.

However you decide to structure your recognition program, just make sure that there are a variety of ways and levels for donors to feel included.

This will give donors who can only give smaller amounts a chance at being recognized too.

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Key point: Recognition is a simple way to showcase those who have made significant or continued donations for your company.

In order to build meaningful relationships, you can’t always ask for donations. Donors are expecting other types of engagement to keep them involved.

Creating strategies outside fundraising lets donors know that you’re seeking real relationships and looking for more than just their financial support. Below you'll find a short list of engagement strategies you can use to do just that, starting with stewardship events. Host stewardship events.

Face-to-face interaction is a great way to build relationships with donors. Hosting a stewardship event puts all your most loyal donors in one place so you can build more personal relationships.

Events let loyal donors know that you appreciate them and value their support. And, no matter what special event you decide to plan, the focus should be on the donor and their achievements.

Offer volunteering as an option.

Make donors aware of other ways they can support your nonprofit. Donors can take a more active approach by volunteering.

By getting donors to volunteer, they will see your nonprofit in action. They can also interact and build relationships with staff and other volunteers.

Building a community within your network of donors will make them a part of the team and help them develop more emotional ties to your nonprofit, which could motivate them to donate more in the future.

Share results.

Share your success with your entire donor base because it will make them feel like the accomplished heroes they are.

Let donors know that their efforts were successful by sharing results. When you tell donors about your success while keeping it donor-centered, you’re boosting their moral and proving that your nonprofit has the means to be successful.

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Key point: Many donors are seeking a deeper connection to your nonprofit, so engage them in ways that focus on more than just fundraising.

Creating a donor membership program will be beneficial to nonprofits in many ways.

The program rewards donors who are already making enough of a contribution to be a part of the program and also motivates donors just under the mark to donate a little more to become members.

A membership program means that donors will contribute money or time to become more closely affiliated with your nonprofit for a certain period of time—usually a year.

If donors are contributing money to enter a membership program, the cost to join is usually based on an annual fee or a certain donation amount.

The program should include some advantages to motivate donors to join like:Free parking at nonprofit eventsNonprofit gear (i.e. shirts, hats, and other accessories)Updates and news before everyone else

A donor membership program will create a network of supporters that are advocates of your cause and may encourage donors to get more involved.

As you establish your membership program, make sure you focus on community and philanthropy.

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Key point: A membership program is a way to give donors incentives to up their donations while still focusing on the cause at hand.

With these core strategies, you have the tools necessary to improve your donor stewardship.

No matter what stage your donor is at in the stewardship process, building relationships will help to increase your donor retention, resulting in more valuable supporters.

The post Improve Donor Stewardship with These 5 Proven Strategies appeared first on FundraisingCoach.com.

A truth about major gift fundraising

Major gift fundraising can be a wonderful experience for donors and for the nonprofit. The results are great - both for donors and for the nonprofits. But an unseemly truth about major gift fundraising is: it's hard. There are times of long, disciplined waiting.

I recently talked to Bill Littlejohn about leading fundraising efforts. He said that fundraising plans seem to go wrong immediately after we start them. He had a great way to frame the work. He reminds people to "Honor the Process."

You can listen to the entire podcast here:

The interview with Bill is part of the new Concord Leaders Podcast. You can hear his episode and subscribe to all episodes on iTunes, Stitcher, or TuneIn at: http://concordleadershipgroup.com/003-honor-process/Listen to the Concord Leaders Podcast on your favorite podcast service

    

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Is #GivingTuesday worth it?

I've been getting alot of questions about #GivingTuesday. So here are some thoughts and some links to more insights.

A few weeks ago, Farra Trompeter and I discussed #GivingTuesday as part of a year end effort on Blackbaud's #NoFilter Podcast. (You can listen to that podcast at: http://nofilternonprofit.blackbaud.com/h/i/278309430-episode-15-end-of-year-giving-who-s-really-driving-it-ft-marc-pitman-and-farra-trompeter)

And more recently, I interviewed crowdfunding expert Dana Ostomel. I chose to ask her really tough questions about crowdfunding. And boy did she have great answers! (You can listen to that presentation below.)

Each the #GivingTuesday chicken, spit out the bones

If you've ever been coached by me, you've heard me repeat my mentor's saying, "Eat the chicken, spit out that bones." Take what is helpful and toss out the rest. As I see it right now, Giving Tuesday is generally helpful.

#GivingTuesday isn't about luck

One thing that turns me off a bit about GivingTuesday is the "win the lottery" type hype surrounding the day. Too many seem to think that simply adding the hashtag #GivingTuesday to a tweet will help them gain a large part of the $116 million raised last year. #GivingTuesday is not Powerball. Success takes intentional effort and planning. (Click here to tweet that.) In fact, before deciding to participate in #GivingTuesday, be sure to check out Joe Garecht's reasons why your nonprofit should avoid #GivingTuesday like the plague.

Won't #GivingTuesday cannabalize year-end giving?

One of the biggest fears I hear about GivingTuesday is that it will cannabalize year end fundraising. One colleague chose not to participate in it. Her nonprofit was used to getting 5- and 6-figure gifts in December so #GivingTuesday's lower average gifts (reportedly around $140-150) would jeopardize their work. In our podcast, Farra Trompeter acknowledged that fear but says the studies show that isn't happening. Even though participating in #GivingTuesday, donors are still making their normal year-end gifts. They simply see this as a one-off event.

More interestingly, people participating in #GivingTuesday found they were actually "acquiring" new donors to the nonprofit, not engaging existing donors. Couldn't we all use new donors? Once a person has given, they can then be cultivated like a normal donor, growing in their giving.

Making #GivingTuesday work for you

I've found that any online fundraising benefits from being treated as a special event. It's never about "just" putting up a web page or posting an update. It takes the effort of:

Assembling a team. In our conversation below, Dana Ostomel calls it a "street team."Setting deadlines for when things will be accomplished (dedicated landing page functional, soft launch, messages drafted, etc.)Finding a matching gift. Even two. In my experience, matching gifts are incredibly motivating. (This can be a great way to involve a board member or volunteer wanting you to run a #GivingTuesday campaign. Ask them to provide a matching gift!)And it takes monitoring all day. Social media campaigns aren't just set-it-and-forget-it. People should be monitoring your emails and updates, ready to reply to everyone who responds. And you should have a broad set of people ready to immediately like, retweet, comment on, and share your updates.#GivingTuesday's going to happen anyway

One of the reasons I lean in favor of #GivingTuesday is that it's going to happen anyway. So often, fundraising involves us trying to get people into a giving conversation. But on #GivingTuesday, the hype and hoopla has people already talking about giving. So why not ride that wave?

Another way to benefit from #GivingTuesday is to work with local media. #GivingTuesday gets national, and even international, coverage. So local media outlets often are looking for local stories about national trends. You could be that local story.

For more, about how #GivingTuesday might fit into your year-end giving, listen to my conversation with Dana. (For some reason our faces weren't recorded during the live broadcast, just the slides. Don't let that stop you from learning from Dana!)

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Have you written off someone as a lost cause? #followupfriday

A coaching client just told me a powerful story of following up.

For about six months, he was following up with three supporters. Each had made small donations in the past, less then $1,000 each.

After about five months of following up, one donor said he'd make a gift "this quarter." The by "this quarter" he meant by the end of June.

Well June came and went.

So did July. And August.

Following up even when it become awkward

As many of you have experienced, following up can become incredibly awkward after someone has made a verbal pledge but has not yet actually made the gift! Rather than pushing through the uncomfortable feeling, many of us simply stop following up. It's easier to just figure they aren't going to take action. To assume they are a lost cause.

But this man didn't stop. And he continued working on getting meetings with the other two donors.

Last week, they all responded! The first donor apologized for not making the gift in June. And he let my client know that rather than the few hundred he'd given one time before, this time his gift is going to be almost $6,000. Later in the week, both of the other two people let him know they had decided to give $2,000 each.

No lost causes

It's amazing how much fewer "lost causes" we have when we push through the uncomfortable feelings that persistent, long-term follow up can create. The discomfort is usually more about us than it is about the donor. In my experience, donors are grateful for polite, predictable, disciplined follow up. They really do want to give. Giving is simply not "top of mind" for them.

Our consistent following up helps them act in ways that make them proud. (Click here to tweet that.)

And at times, persistent follow up can result in an almost $10,000 week! That is a very big deal for his organization.

Who are you calling a lost cause?

What about you? Who have you written off as a lost cause? It's #FollowUpFriday. Perhaps today you should take some time to make a list of your "lost causes" and reach out to a few.

There's no telling where those calls will lead!

A version of this post was originally sent to subscribers to our #FollowUpFriday email reminders. You can join for free at: http://FollowUpFriday.org/. For more on the power of following up, check out the quick video I recorded for nonprofit CEOs called "The best thing for a nonprofit CEO to do" at http://concordleadershipgroup.com/best-thing-nonprofit-ceo/

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Is crowdfunding the right fit for your nonprofit?

I've been fundraising since before Facebook. Even before Google existed!

I've seen a lot of fads, tricks, and solid strategies in my time.

Two of the most persistent seem to be bake sales and crowdfunding. (Seriously, a startling number of well meaning supporters still consider holding a bake sale to be a solid nonprofit fundraising strategy!)

Back in the day, crowdfunding was putting change in a jar. With the rise of the internet, crowdfunding has become much easier. And can be much further reaching.

But is crowdfunding right for your nonprofit?Get Your Crowdfunding Questions Answered

On September 12, I'll be interviewing crowdfunding expert and Nonprofit Academy faculty member Dana Ostomel.

Join us to get your crowdfunding questions answered in this live, no holds barred conversation. I'll asking her tough questions like:

"Should nonprofits really participate in #GivingTuesday?""How does a nonprofit know if crowdfunding is a bad fit for their fundraising?" and"Why do many nonprofit crowdfunding campaigns fail?"

The best part? If you register (it's free), you'll get to ask your own questions!

So join us by registering at http://www.firespring.org/fundraising-coach-crowdfunding-2016-09-12/

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How to use a job analysis to get the salary you want

As a trained salary negotiation facilitator, I’ve presented facts, resources and strategies to many individuals across the globe to help them enter into and walking away successfully from negotiation conversations. Today, I want to provide a tool specifically for professionals who want to remain with their current organization but know in their hearts and minds that they deserve a raise or recognition for the work and results they contribute.

Even in nonprofit jobs.

The "job analysis" is a resource I have found particularly helpful. It helped me uncover what I wanted and needed next in my career. Between Spring 2013 and Spring 2015, my department had been through several leadership changes, the loss and subsequent increase in new staff members, and an increase in expectations not only from our senior leadership but also the media regarding best practices in our field.

Needless to say, we were under the microscope and we all needed to step back, assess what our jobs are and should be, and determine our individual investments in the future of the department. So in the Spring 2015, my company’s HR department asked that all staff in my department complete a job analysis.

What is a job analysis you ask? Well, a broad strokes definition of the two parts are:

Part I: A detailed examination of what your work requiresPart II: A detailed examination of how it is workingThe 2 Parts of a Job AnalysisPart I: A detailed examination of what your work requires

In the first part of a job analysis, you give a detailed examination of the

tasks that make up a job,the conditions under which they are performed, andwhat the job requires in terms of potential for achievement, behavior characteristics, knowledge, skills, and the physical condition of you, the employee.Part II: A detailed examination of how it is working

The second part of the job analysis includes

determination of the most efficient methods of doing a job,enhancement of the employee’s job satisfaction,improvement in training methods,development of performance measurement systems, andmatching of job-specifications with the person-specifications in employee selection.

At first I could only think about how completing this exercise would serve the institution. But later I realized that it was helping me learn more about what I need and want out of my role and, ultimately my career. In salary and raise negotiations, it is imperative that we first consider our needs. Then we consider what the market is willing to pay us. It is the combination of those two factors that give us the foundation for a productive conversation with our current or future employer.

What the Job Analysis Showed Me

I’d never had the opportunity to spend this much mindful consideration about how and where I was spending my time in my current role. It showed me that I had outgrown the work. I realized I like being part of strategic conversations, but I wasn’t able to in my current role. And at a time when the institution was reconfiguring positions, the job analysis gave me the courage to talk about what I was discovering with my supervisor. When my supervisor later reviewed the results of my job analysis, she agreed that I had outgrown the position and offered me a promotion for a position that had been written into the budget but she had waited to fill. I even had the opportunity to help her write the job description, pick my title, and advocate for the work I would do in the role!

Because the job analysis is an objective, deliberate evaluative process, the exercise productively moved me away from the negativity surrounding my professional situation. Evaluation happens for most professionals either at both the mid-year or end-of-year mark. But I highly recommend that you complete this exercise now (no better time than the present) and prior to at least one of your evaluations.

Get Your Step-by-Step Job Analysis Guide

So let’s dive in! Download this step-by-step guide to Rai$e Your Awareness, Rai$e Your Salary by signing up for my newsletter. Complete it before you join us for the You Deserve a Raise Today: Getting What You Want in Salary and Raise Negotiations webinar on September 6th 1-2:15pm. In that training, you will learn about the resources and strategies to share what you’ve learned with your supervisor. Including specific phrases to use in that conversation.

Hint: I would give yourself a week to complete it so you have time to let what you discover percolate and can ask colleagues for feedback if you find it necessary.

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Fundraising Events: The 10-Step Guide to Planning Your Own

Most of us like to believe that we’d give to charity purely out of the goodness of our hearts. It’s also what we’d hope to be true of our donors.

100% altruism. Philanthropy without expectation of reciprocation.

But the world doesn’t work that way. That’s why, as fundraising professionals, it’s a large part of our job to entice donors and incentivize giving.

And the best way to get people excited about doing something is to entertain them. And how do you entertain dozens or thousands of people at once?

With a fundraising event, of course!

To make the actual planning and execution of a fundraiser a little more smooth and manageable, I’ve compiled a step-by-step guide to planning and pulling off just about any fundraising event.

Curious about the steps before we dive in? Here they are, all 10 of them:

Step 1: Decide the type of event that’s right for your nonprofit.

Step 2: Gather together committees, staff, and volunteers.

Step 3: Choose a date, time, and venue for the fundraising event.

Step 4: Secure a sponsor or sponsors for your event.

Step 5: Promote your fundraiser online and offline.

Step 6: Send out formal and informal invitations.

Step 7: Perform prospect research on event attendees.

Step 8: Do a practice run-through on the day of the event.

Step 9: Enjoy the fruits of your hard work!

Step 10: Follow up with and thank your attendees.

Looking for a little more in-depth information about fundraising events and what you need to plan your own? Take a peek at this helpful guide.

No time to waste, friends! Let’s go ahead and get started.

Before you can start calling caterers and stressing out about deadlines and invitations and donation receipts, take a step back.

The first item on your long to-do list is to decide the type of event that’s right for your organization.

According to research conducted by a third party, 82% of nonprofits host the traditional fundraisers such as fun runs, galas, and golf tournaments.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with going the traditional route. In fact, it might actually be beneficial to stick to the status quo.

People love things that are familiar to them. That’s not to say that you should host a stale gala with no point of interest.

That wouldn’t help your organization or your donors.

While it’s crucial to have some element of recognizable structure to your event, it’s also incredibly important to get creative with it. (If you want some ideas for spicing up your event and raising more, check out NeonCRM’s creative ideas).

The second piece of the puzzle is to choose an event size that matches your nonprofit’s present capabilities.

Keep in mind that elaborate events may have large returns on investment, but the initial investment is also quite sizable.

Smaller events, like fun runs (ones that don’t require road closures or special permits) may not take as much planning or cost as much to pull off, but they also might not help you reach your loftiest goals.

Therefore, the first two things you’ll need to decide are:What is our budget?What are our goals?

From there, it should be clear the range and scope of events you should host.

How to know you’re ready for the next step: Do you know what kind of event you’re going to be hosting? Make sure it’s in line with your budget and your fundraising goals.

With a firm, clear idea of the type of fundraiser you’re hosting, it’s time to rally the troops.

But who exactly do you need?

Great question. Let me break down the answer into three easy parts: The Planning Committee The Event or Host Committee Staff and Event Volunteers

I’ll explain a bit more in the following sections:

The best venues fill up quickly.

If you’ve ever tried to host an event that requires a lot of planning before, you know this is undeniably true.

That’s why it’s important to start planning your event at least 6-8 months in advance.

Not only will you be more likely to land the venue that you’re after, you’ll also be less stressed out about:

Meeting deadlines for paperwork,Sending out invitations,Securing caterers,And all the rest.

Speaking of sending out invitations, there’s another great reason for planning your fundraising event at least 6 months in advance.

Especially if you’re trying to host an event during the busy holiday season, you want to make sure that people have your fundraiser down on their calendars as early as possible.

You can either have your heart set on a date and then backtrack at least 6 months so that you have enough time set aside to plan— or you can start planning right away and choose a date at least 6 months in the future, whenever that may be.

In either case, it’s equally important to choose a day of the week and a time of day that work well with your venue (most venues charge more for weekends) and the type of event you’re hosting (5Ks work best during the day; galas dazzle most at night).

As soon as you’ve decided on a few dates that would work well for your organization, it’s time to start looking into venues.

You’ll want to be able to be a little bit flexible when it comes to your dates and times, so come prepared with a few options that suit you.

Where you don’t want to be too flexible, though, is your budget.

The whole point of the event is to raise money, not spend it all on a fabulous location. Your event venue will likely be the largest cost, so plan accordingly and don’t budge or bend if you don’t have the room to do so.

In the end, the time, date, and venue will be major determining factors in the success of your event. Thus, choosing an appropriate (yet still cost-effective) location could make or break the fundraiser. As could picking the proper time and date.

For example, if you’re hosting a fundraising carnival, you don’t want to choose an abandoned parking lot that’s inconvenient to most of your donor base. You also wouldn’t want to try to host it in the dead of winter to cut costs.

It’s all about finding a happy medium.

How to know you’re ready for the next step: If you have a time, a date, and a venue all set, then you’re officially equipped to court some sponsors!

Simply put, a sponsorship is not an act of charity. A sponsorship is a deal.

Your organization receives funding and support for your event, and the company that’s sponsoring you, in turn, receives marketing opportunities.

They get exposure in front of your donors and the positive press from being associated with your nonprofit.

And that basic principle is precisely how you land a sponsorship. It’s all about knowing who is looking for some positive marketing and what you have to offer them.

Do you have the type of audience that a certain business is trying to entice?

Are they looking to add a more philanthropic spin to their branding?

The art of the deal rests on what each party has to offer one another.

Thus, the first step is to suss out businesses in your area that have sponsored nonprofits like yours in the past— but currently have no other obligations that might overwhelm them.

You can check out resources, like LinkedIn, that can give you insights into businesses’ philanthropic interests and affiliations.

Next, you’ll want to figure out their marketing objectives. It helps to know someone on the inside, so if you have any connections or any strings to pull, now is the time to pull them.

If you don’t have anyone you can ask directly about a company’s marketing objectives, you can make an educated guess based on their current marketing tactics.

Once you’ve figured out what it is they’re looking for, you must then decide how you can fulfill it.

Package up what you can reasonably offer potential sponsors, practice your pitch, and be prepared for some of them to say, “Yes! We would love to sponsor your event!”

But also be prepared for some rejection.

In any case, make sure you thank all potential sponsors for their time and consideration.

How to know you’re ready for the next step: Have you secured at least one sponsor for your event? If so, you’re good to go — to start promoting your event!

In this day and age, it’s almost unthinkable to promote anything without at least considering social media.

Gone are the days when you could get the word out about your event solely without the use of the internet.

But that’s okay. Because, as you may or may not be aware, email marketing is 245 times less expensive than direct mail.

When you employ online marketing tactics, you’re effectively increasing your return on investment for the whole event.

That’s not to say, though, that you shouldn’t use any offline strategies. It’s about striking the proper balance between offline and online promotion.

For online, you might consider trying out:Creating a Facebook event,Registering an event hashtag,Launching an Instagram campaign,And sending out email blasts to your mailing list.

As far as offline promotion, you may want to look into:Placing an ad in the local paper or magazine,Telling key influencers about your plans,Passing out flyers around town,And making press release.

Whatever tactic you choose (or rather, whichever combination of tactics), be sure that you keep your branding consistent and let people know the most important details, like:Time,Place,And cost.

If they’re aware of those key facts, they’ll be more likely to take a peek at their calendars (and pencil you in!).

How to know you’re ready for the next step: Promotion is an ongoing activity. You’ll only really be done once all of the tickets have been sold and all of the attendees have been confirmed. But if you’ve got a plan for promotion in place, feel free to move on to the next step.

You may be in the midst of promoting your event, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t still send out invitations.

Depending on the kind of event that you’re hosting, you may want to send out both formal and informal invitations— meaning paper invitations as well as e-vites.

For instance, if you’re hosting a gala, you’ll definitely want to send out nice, formal invitations.

Be sure to include a way for invitees to RSVP, purchase tickets, or make a donation.

If you want to expedite that process, you can always send out a follow-up email that provides a link to your donation and/or registration page.

The key is to make it as easy as possible for potential attendees to respond and donate.

When do you send out a formal invitation? And when do you send a follow-up message?

Fantastic questions! The simple answer is: give your recipients more than enough time to respond— but not enough time to forget.

The most common best practice is to mail invitations 6 to 8 weeks before the event.

A month and a half to two months will ensure that guests have enough advance notice to tack their invitations up on the fridge, make arrangements to be there, and send back their replies and checks without having to sweat about postage time.

How to know you’re ready for the next step: As soon as the responses start rolling in, whether they’re electronic or paper, it’s time to start performing prospect research.

In the grand scheme of things, major donors are unquestionably the most important donors your organization has.

Major gift donors provide roughly 80-90% of most nonprofits’ funding, and they only comprise 10-20% of most donor bases.

But how exactly do you know which 10-20% they are?

The most straightforward answer is: prospect research.

For those of you who may not know, prospect research is a technique used by nonprofits to learn about donors’:

Past giving habits,Philanthropic tendencies,Wealth and willingness to donate,And overall capacity to give a major gift.

Most nonprofits that conduct prospect research do so using online tools.

As you’re receiving RSVP’s, you’ll want to start mining that data for potential major donors. Input the names of those who have confirmed their attendance into whichever tool or tools that are most pertinent to your organization.

Keep in mind that philanthropic indicators are just as important (if not more than) as wealth markers.

So while a donor may have millions of dollars in the bank, it won’t make any difference to your nonprofit if they have no history of charitable giving.

That’s why it’s crucial to conduct thorough research and make sure you touch on multiple indicators of major gift affinity.

How to know you’re ready for the next step: You may not find any major gift prospects in your invitee pool, but then again, you might find several! In either case, the way you’ll know that you’re ready for the next step is when you feel satisfied that you’ve turned over every stone.

It’s finally the day of the event.

Before you can relax and enjoy the fruits of your labor, you must first do a final practice run of your event proceedings.

Of course, this will look different for every type of event. If you’re hosting a 5K, you don’t actually have to run 3.1 miles in preparation (although, I suppose it couldn’t hurt to warm up!).

But for something like a benefit concert, you’ll definitely want to test out all of the equipment and run through all of the staging and processions.

Leave enough time to fix any issues and work out any kinks.

There’s nothing worse than a technical glitch in the middle of an awesome, inspiring concert. It can really take donors out of the mood.

Don’t let that happen to your fundraising event attendees.

To prevent this kind of eventuality, you can employ an event checklist, one that will remind you to:

Check the sound system and speakers,Run through the main event at least once,Ensure that volunteers know what they’re supposed to do,And generally double-check every last detail of the event.

As you’re running through the event and checking items off your checklist, it’s important to keep notes so that you can make any last minute changes.

How to know you’re ready for the next step: You’ve practiced running through the event at least once, and you’ve worked out all of the little issues that arose. Now all that’s left to do is have fun!

This may seem like a fluffy step. Something to round this list out to 10 steps.

But trust me, whether you realize it or not, your donors are looking to you for how they should be reacting to any given moment during the event.

That’s why it’s paramount that you make a good show of how much you’re enjoying the event.

Of course, you should also try to actually have fun— and why not? You’ve spent upwards of 6 months planning and sweating and stressing out; you deserve to let loose and get your groove on.

To encourage more giving during the event, you should be actively participating and engaging with attendees.

If they see that you’re off in the corner, biting your nails and worrying about whether or not the event is being pulled off without a hitch, you can guarantee they won’t leave thinking it was a success.

They’ll leave with the impression that your organization:

Doesn’t know what it’s doing,Or doesn’t believe that the cause is worth giving to.

Alternatively, if they see you jumping in, having fun, and talking passionately about your organization, they’ll walk away thinking:“I should be that passionate and involved.”“How can I make a difference?”

When you express your joy, it’s sure to spread. Which can only mean positive things for your organization.

How to know you’re ready for the next step: The event has ended, and you’ve had a great time— and so have your supporters!

The event itself may have ended, but your relationship with your attendees has only just begun.

In the 48 hours following a fundraiser, your event attendees are expecting two things:Acknowledgement of their attendance and contributions. A thank you, essentially,And some kind of record of their donations, like a donation receipt.

On that second point, donation receipts are essential to fundraising event success.

Not only do they afford your donors the opportunity to write off their charitable contributions in the coming tax season, but it also helps your organization keep track of donations over $250.

While donation receipts are crucial for tax and record-keeping purposes, it’s the acknowledgements that will make all the difference in the end. The difference between a major gift and a hard pass. The difference between a lifelong supporter and a one-time donor. The difference between funding a great project and scrimping for operational costs.

The point is: it never hurts to thank your donors and event attendees.

Thus, in the two days following any fundraising event, it’s crucial to send out a thank you, whether it’s:

A quick “Thanks!” text,An email thank-you note,Or a formal acknowledgment.

It could even be a combination of all three.

You can never say thank you too often or too fervently.

Now that you’ve reached the final step: It’s time to do it all again. A fundraiser’s job, after all, is never done!

From beginning to end (and beyond), we’ve explored the steps it takes to plan and execute a successful fundraising event.

Regardless of the type of event you choose, it’s important to keep in mind that the best and most successful endeavors are those that come from the heart. The ones that are centered around passion and attainable goals are those that have the most lasting impact.

Here’s hoping you all find that kind of success in whichever events you choose to host next!

The post Fundraising Events: The 10-Step Guide to Planning Your Own appeared first on FundraisingCoach.com.

Do you wish you had the time to educate your board?

Do you ever wish you had the time to educate your board on the field of fundraising and what really works?

Now you don't have to! Watch this quick video to see why:

Learn more about this done for you course at: http://101.fundraisingcoach.com/Hurry! Registration closes this Friday!

The post Do you wish you had the time to educate your board? appeared first on FundraisingCoach.com.

Taming the Special Event Monster

You know it’s there, lurking in the shadows of your workload. You try to avoid it, but sooner or later it must be dealt with. Your organization is relying on you to step in and be the hero.

Now is the time to take a stand and conquer your fears. It is time to take that first step towards planning your special event.

Am I being overly dramatic? Not really; we all know that producing fundraisers is stressful. Last year Careercast.com tagged event planning as the 8th most stressful job in the world – no wonder you find creating special events intimidating!

I am here to assure you that you are completely capable of creating successful events, and once you know the systems used by professional event planners like myself, you will find it simple to raise more money with far less stress than you ever thought possible.

My clients tell me they find the sheer volume of work involved in creating a fundraiser intimidating. That is understandable, and I help them ease their jitters by giving them the SMART System of event planning.

The SMART System allows you to create successful events with far less stress than they have experienced in their past event planning attempts.

Here are the 5 components of the SMART System:S = StructureM = MonetizationA = Assessing AssetsR = Run of ShowT = Thank Yous and Follow UpStructure

At the start of your event planning, create a master timeline, as well as templates and agendas, to effectively communicate with your entire event planning team. Build a strong foundation for your event by setting realistic goals. Base these goals on your organization’s past fundraising history and current untapped assets. Finish off the solid structure by carefully choosing your event planning committee, putting two “Queen Bees” in the co-chair positions to draw in new supporters from their social circles.

Monetization

Look beyond simple ticket sales and auctions for event revenue streams. Creating appealing sponsorship packages that offer high visibility along with VIP perks can fully fund your event before you even open the doors. Be creative with fun raffle ideas, and never overlook the income-producing power of a Fund-A-Need.

Assessing Assets

Boost your event’s bottom line by looking beyond dollars and cents. Your community is brimming with a surprising amount of freebies and in-kind donations. Consider having a local community college’s in-house shop donate the printing your invitations and event programs. Get your wine or drink mixers for free in exchange for promoting their logo on your step-and-repeat. You might find a tech savvy high-school student willing oversee your event’s social media plan for little to no cost to you.

Run of Show

An engaging and compelling event doesn’t happen by accident. A lot of thought goes into creating a program which will resonate with your audience. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you need to fill up every minute of your event with programed messaging. Give your guests ample time to relax and socialize before asking for their attention. Most importantly, keep your stage program short and sweet. Nothing is a bigger snoozefest than a too-long parade of presenters and honorees. Engage your audience early on in the program, and present your appeal while all eyes are glued to the stage.

Thank Yous and Follow Up

Say it loud and say it often, but always say it from the heart. Thank yous are an integral part of any fundraising event. From acknowledging auction donations, to thanking guests from the stage, to sending thank you emails after the gala - always take the opportunity to show your appreciation in any form. And don’t drop the ball after the warm glow of the event’s success has faded. You should be following up on a regular basis to let the sponsors and guests know the impact they have made on your organization’s mission and its beneficiaries.

Special events will no longer be a monster!

These five elements are fundamental to the success of any event. When these are put into play, you will be able to reap the long-term financial and engagement benefits of planning the smart way.

Now that you have the weapons to slay that special event monster, go forth and enjoy your much-deserved success!

If you want more on the basics of successful fundraising events, check out AJ's Special Events 101 in The Nonprofit Academy at: https://thenonprofitacademy.com/vault/special-events/

The post Taming the Special Event Monster appeared first on FundraisingCoach.com.

Your fundraising letters helped by zombies

Have you ever struggled with the active voice vs. passive voice in your fundraising letters?

It's so easy to slip into the passive voice, thinking it sounds more "objective" or "business-like."

But active voice is easier to read and is better at accomplishing your goal: getting donors to take action!

While it's best to have two or three others read the fundraising letter before you send it, sometimes those people miss things too.

A handy way zombies can help your fundraising letters

I just ran across this handy test on Pinterest.

Quite funny, isn't it? But it's true!

Use this test the next time you write a fundraising letter and let me know how it works!