Marc A. Pitman's Blog, page 9

It’s weird to ask for money in January, isn’t it?

January can be a hard month to make fundraising calls in. As the leader of a nonprofit, you are acutely aware of all the work that went into your organization’s fundraising last month. So it can feel “too soon” to get back to asking.

It’s not to soon.

All of your work last month was the focus of your attention. But it wasn’t necessarily the focus of your donor’s attention. If a “good” response rate for direct mail is 1% – and that is considered good in the industry – then 99 out of 100 people did not respond to your appeal.

So have confidence calling. Especially if you need to meet payroll or revenue projections for your board.

And if that still feels odd, keep on calling people on the phone to thank them. Feel free to call anyone who gave in the last 12 months. You might say something like:

“Hi [name]. This is [your name] from [your org]. I was calling to say
‘thank you.’ As we start a new year, it’s inspiring to see who’s supported [the mission/the impact]. Thank you.”

No, it’s not an appeal. It’s not even an attempt to get them to an event. Just sincere thanks. But the action of getting yourself on the phone will help you get out of the inertia of not calling.

I bet you’ll find yourself much more open to asking people who you expected to give last year but didn’t. Those folks you can definitely ask.

Sure, you could email thanks. But if your open rates are 20%, that’s only 1 in 5 people actually opening your email. (Not necessarily reading your email. Only doing something that triggers an “open” notification.) Are you ok with 80% of your people not realizing you appreciate them?

An earlier version of this was sent to Fundraising Kick email subscribers. To sign up for these weekly coaching prompts, go to: https://fundraisingcoach.com/fundraisingkick/

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Surprises for New Nonprofit Leaders

At a recent “Exactly What To SayTM for Nonprofit Leaders” session at the Nonprofit Storytelling Conference, I asked attendees:

When you took on a new leadership position, what surprised you most?

While there were responses like “the great impact I get to make” and “how much I loved it,” the majority of the responses were phrases like:

The lack of communicationHow hard it wasHow lonely it is’How much everyone expected me to do without helpHow often the urgent crowds out the importantEveryone wants your time, not just your direct reportsHow hard it was to lead everyone because they want different information to feel includedLack of training on how to actually manage peopleHow much time you spend coachingDo you orient those you promote?

Vulnerability and isolation are common for people who get promoted. Too often, we promote a very competent employee to get some work off our desk. Delegation is important. But just because someone is a great individual contributor does not make them a great manager or leader.

Do you promote people and leave them on their own. Is your “development” more akin to throwing a kid into the deep end of the pool, expecting them to figure out how to swim?

Or do you have intentional systems or resources to help new leaders make the shifts necessary to lead?

Leadership growth is a shift of confidence

As we move up in leadership, we need to shift the focus of our confidence. In the first stages of our career, we grow in our personal confidence and ability to deliver results. But as we move to managing and then leading people, we need to shift that confidence from our ability to deliver results to our team’s ability to deliver results.

That shift is so hard. My executive coaching clients often say that this shift feels like they are being irresponsible. Almost like they’re cheating.

A key to confidence is remembering your new position is expecting you to deliver results through your team. Sure, you could do it all yourself. But that would demotivate your team and overwhelm you.

The new job is figuring out how to work with people, seeking ways to align their goals with their job expectations. As you do that, the team will typically be able to do far more than you ever could on your own.

Like the comments above, good leadership involves coaching skills and people skills. The good news? These can be learned.

If your organization doesn’t provide orientation for your new leadership position, create one yourself.

Look for people that have been in similar positions and interview the ones you admire.Look for books and podcasts on leadership, people skills, and managing. (One excellent podcast is Kim Nicol’s “The New Manager Podcast.”)And if there are conferences or leadership courses that look like they’ll help, making a case to your organization for investing in them.Taking charge of leadership growth

In many cases, our nonprofits are so used to “making do” that they won’t offer an orientation. So growing as leader is taking charge of your own professional development. The investment of time, and even expense, is worth it. These skills are those you’ll keep with you, wherever you go. And they’ll help you bring the most out of those on your team.

And while you’re learning, take notes. You just might be creating an orientation program you can use as you promote members of your team!

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What do we do now?

You’ve made it. It’s after GivingTuesday. Your year-end fundraising letters are written, edited, and stuffed. Your year-end fundraising emails are scheduled.

Your fundraising systems are in motion.

Now what do you do? This is supposed to be the biggest month of the giving year, isn’t it?

2 Things To Do When All Other Fundraising Is Done

Here are two things to do this month. Well, three.

Congratulations. Enjoy it. First, congratulate yourself. That feeling of a “pause” is actually the sign that you’ve done things correctly. We are so used to the stress and adrenaline of getting everything ready that we forget stress and adrenaline is just for sprints. Neither should be constant.Make phone calls to ask. Then, look at all the people who’ve given in the last two years but haven’t given yet this year. Determine who to call. Many of us find it helpful to look at the larger gift amounts first. The ask can simply be “Would you consider doing that same gift again this year?”Make thank you calls. Another great thing to do this month is to look at everyone who’s already given this year and call them to say thank you. The wording could be “As we close out the year, I wanted to say thank you for your gifts this year. This work wouldn’t happen without you.” 

Making phone calls is key.

Donors will be getting a slew of emails and a box full of direct mail. Hopefully many of those emails and letters are yours.

A phone call sets you apart. Even if they’re on the mailing list for those emails and letters.

Set Realistic Call Expectations

It’s easy to look at a list of 30 people and think, “I’ll knock these calls out in a half hour.”

But that’s not how it works.

Give yourself enough time. And non-judgmentally track your time.

I find I can make about 6-10 calls per hour. So if I have a list of 30 names, I know it could take me 5 hours to look up the phone number in the database, make the call, leave the message or have the conversation, and to log the action into the database.

Figure out what your average is.

Not Hustle Culture – But Effective Actions

This isn’t about trying to get stressed again. This is about effective actions you can do now to make sure December fundraising is the best it can be. And about giving yourself the peace of mind to know you’ve done all you can.

The best part? It’s being kind to donors too. Calling them to invite them into the work your team is doing or to thank them for being part of that work lets them know that you see them as people. Not just “giving units.”

What About You?

I’d love to know, if you’ve tracked how long it takes you to do calls, how many calls per hour can you make?

Leave us a reply in the comments.

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Across the Generations: 5 Tips for Fundraising to All Ages

Nonprofits are currently in a unique position, interacting with as many as five different generations at any given point (from the Silent Generation to Gen Z). Each generation is as different as the next, meaning your organization requires a strategic fundraising approach to effectively engage with supporters from all demographics.

It’s not enough to create a one-size-fits-all fundraising and marketing strategy to use for all supporters. With careful planning and research, your nonprofit can craft a targeted strategy that engages each generation using messages that resonate with them. 

This guide will explore the following tips to boost supporter engagement and fundraise more successfully across generations:

Research your target demographics.Stay up-to-date on current events.Recruit ambassadors from all generations. Use a variety of communication methods.Offer multiple giving methods.

Societal changes mean each generation was raised in a drastically different atmosphere and as a result, has unique motivations and interests. Keep this in mind as you work to incorporate the following tips into your fundraising strategy. 

1. Research your target demographics.

It’s critical to start any major fundraising initiative with research, whether you’re conducting a planning and feasibility study ahead of a capital campaign or creating a plan for marketing to different generations. 

By researching your target market, you can understand what your largest demographics are and create a plan based on your organization’s unique audience. 

In this process, you’ll use a variety of internal and external data sources. Your internal sources will help you identify your largest demographics. Then, you can use external sources to discover the best ways to market to those demographics. 

Your internal data resources might include: 

Your donor database. Use this tool to identify the largest age groups within your donor base based on birthday data. Social media engagement metrics. Explore these statistics to learn more about the demographics of your social media audience.  Website demographics . You can identify these metrics through Google Analytics and use them to understand your website user demographics on a deeper level. 

Once you understand the general makeup of your audience, you can use external studies and data resources to learn more about each demographic. Start with these resources: 

Classy’s generational giving infographic can help you understand the giving attitudes and philanthropic behaviors of each generation.Forbes explores the giving trends driving younger generations of Millennials and Gen Z.Nonprofit Pro also explores generational giving trends and influences, which can help you get a handle on the spending power and major influences for each generation. 

Look over these resources and incorporate the insights into your fundraising strategy. For example, you may discover that your primary audience is composed of Millennials and Gen X. Then, you can use a few external resources to determine the types of causes each demographic tends to support the most, what drives them to give, and other insightful information about your audience members.

2. Stay up-to-date on current events.

All generations appreciate when their favorite nonprofits are actively following current events. Keeping up with current events and trends shows supporters that your nonprofit isn’t out of touch.

This is especially true whenever you’re fundraising in uncertain times, such as an economic recession or a global pandemic. Charitable giving likely isn’t the first thing on supporters’ minds when they’re worried about these types of external factors. 

Being aware of current events allows you to approach your supporter communications with empathy and understanding, showing supporters of all ages that you care about them as individuals. 

Stay up to date on the political and societal issues that matter the most to each generation and how recent events will shape their philanthropic attitudes. 

3. Recruit ambassadors from all generations. 

Ambassadors are highly engaged and well-connected supporters that your nonprofit recruits to spread awareness and support for your mission. These individuals can expand your organization’s reach by tapping into their personal networks and spreading the word to new audiences. 

Younger generations might refer to these ambassadors as “influencers” — people they follow to learn about what’s trending and popular. 

By recruiting ambassadors or influencers from all generations, your nonprofit can reach each demographic in your target audience more effectively. Your ambassadors can engage with their own age group and even promote opportunities that appeal to each generation. 

For instance, here are a few types of ambassadors you might recruit: 

Peer-to-peer fundraisersVolunteer group leadersSocial media ambassadors

Equip your ambassadors with training to help them get comfortable with their roles. Provide fundraising training for your peer-to-peer fundraisers, leadership training for your volunteer leaders, and advocacy training for your social media ambassadors. 

NXUnite offers a comprehensive list of training resources you can explore. Many of these resources are free and available online, making training more accessible for your organization’s ambassadors.  

4. Use a variety of communication methods.

Each generation has different communication preferences, so using a multi-channel strategy is your best bet to reach them all. 

However, don’t assume only young people use digital communication platforms, and only older people prefer direct mail. Many young people value nostalgic or throwback experiences. Millennials and Gen Z are bringing back previous trends, like vinyl and 80s jeans. 

In a tech-obsessed world, younger generations are expressing appreciation for tangible things. That means that sending a letter or postcard could be an engaging way for your nonprofit to break outside the digital noise and make an impact on young donors. 

On the other hand, younger generations aren’t the only ones using digital platforms like social media. 68% of Baby Boomers (those aged 58-67) are on Facebook. Plus, members of this generation have around five social media accounts each, on average. 

Therefore, it’s helpful to use a variety of communication methods to reach each demographic in your supporter base. To maximize engagement with different generations, it’s well worth it to expand your reach to multiple channels, like social media, direct phone and mail, and digital ads. 

5. Offer multiple giving methods.

Along with using a variety of communication channels, offering multiple ways to give helps appeal to different audiences. 

Some older audiences, especially older Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation (those aged 77-94), aren’t as tech-savvy as your younger supporters. These individuals would likely prefer to give using direct mail. Those aged 66 and older are part of the age group that uses checks more than any other. Offering a way for supporters to give via direct mail allows you to appeal to this generation. 

For younger generations, especially Millennials and Gen Z, optimizing your online giving is critical. The future of nonprofit giving is guaranteed to be almost fully online, and studies show that Millennials and Gen Z overwhelmingly prefer online giving. 

For younger supporters who are still in school or just starting their careers and don’t have a high giving capacity, indirect giving methods might be appealing. For example, volunteer grants can be a great way for younger supporters to help your cause. Instead of donating funds, they can volunteer their time and have their employer give on their behalf. 

The more flexible giving options you can offer supporters, the better you’ll be able to appeal to multiple generations. 

Wrapping Up

If you’re struggling to understand your nonprofit’s unique audience, don’t hesitate to reach out for assistance. There are plenty of free resources to explore that can provide insight into how to research your audience and strategize your multi-generational marketing approach. It can also be helpful to work with a fundraising coach or consultant who can offer expertise and customized advice. 

Philanthropic attitudes are common across generations, whether your main audience trends younger or older. Engaging with each demographic using a personalized approach will increase your nonprofit’s chances of earning and retaining loyal supporters. 

About the Author

Bob Happy

Bob Happy brings nearly 35 years of experience providing expert leadership and direction to clients across the not-for-profit sector to his current role as President of Averill Solutions. Before forming Averill Solutions, Bob served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the nation’s largest fundraising firm. He has mentored hundreds of professional fundraising practitioners and many have joined him at Averill Fundraising Solutions.

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Marc’s Donor Communications Panel with NXUnite: Key Takeaways

According to NXUnite’s Nonprofit Fundraising Training guide, written and oral communication are two of the most important skills that any fundraising professional must have. While it might seem obvious, communication is at the core of fundraising, and nonprofit professionals should constantly be working to better their communication skills. 

Communication, and donor communication in particular, is essential to gaining supporters for your mission— if potential donors do not understand what your nonprofit does or how they can support it, then all of your nonprofit’s efforts will be wasted.

In September, Marc Pitman, CEO of Concord Leadership Group, was joined by Charlotte Fedders at EverTrue, Joe Duca at OneCause, and Lynne Wester at Donor Relations Guru for NXUnite’s “More Than a Call for Donations: Donor Communication Strategies and Why It’s Important.” The panelists encouraged the audience to focus on their mission first and foremost within donor communications, being confident in their missions without being afraid to take risks while, at the same time, remaining intentional about how often to communicate with donors and through which channels.

Listen, Learn, and Focus on Your Mission

According to Marc, donor communication is “not about you; it’s not about your nonprofit; it’s not about your spiel;” it’s about human connection. Once nonprofit professionals understand that donors and potential donors are fellow humans hoping to help other humans and better the world we all live in, then they can begin listening to what these donors have to say.

According to Marc, donor communication is “not about you; it’s not about your nonprofit; it’s not about your spiel;” it’s about human connection.

If you want to learn more about your donors and how they’d be willing to support your mission, “Ask!” Marc stated that it’s essential to sit down with donors and really have a conversation with them. These conversations don’t have to be confident or stressful, and nonprofit professionals should maintain a certain confidence in the fact that donors care about your mission and want to hear more about it.

But ultimately, Marc said, donor communications shouldn’t be centered around the donors themselves. Instead, your nonprofit should find the space where donors’ interests and values align with those of your mission. This way, you’ll ensure that the work that your nonprofit does always comes back to the mission.

Don’t Be Afraid to Fail or Take Risks

As nonprofits prepare for the future, it can feel overwhelming— we’ve been through a pandemic, each generation has different interests, and technology is evolving so quickly it can be difficult to keep up. But, Marc assured his audience, the future is where your donors are, and your donors are what’s actually gonna move the mission forward. Don’t get caught up in the frenzy of all the new tools and trends because you can’t do everything, even if you want to. Maybe you don’t need a Tiktok account or a flashy billboard, especially if this isn’t what your donors want.

What’s more, nonprofits shouldn’t be afraid to communicate with their donors. While you don’t need to do everything, your team shouldn’t be afraid to try new things! Let your communications team fail, test new things, and see what works. As OneCause states in the results of their Donor Experience Survey, “It’s important that the giving experience evolves and keeps pace with changing donor expectations.” So try new things, figure out what works, don’t be afraid to evolve, and stay flexible if you do fail.

Be intentional

When asked how often nonprofits should be communicating with donors, Marc noted that there’s more tolerance from donors in being communicated with than we might think. Just as your communication team should be willing to fail, you should also be willing to feel like you’re doing too much. It’s better to thank your donors “too much” than not enough!

However, nonprofits shouldn’t communicate with donors often just because. Instead, they should be intentional with each communication. Joe suggested segmenting donors as a way to better understand them and personalize your communications to particular audiences. Be sure, Joe went on, that your organization isn’t pummeling with emails that won’t get read or huge chunks of mail that will get thrown away. Instead, send a simple postcard that is quick to read or a text update about a really exciting project your organization is working on. 

Panelists on NXUnite’s “More Than a Call for Donations: Donor Communication Strategies and Why It’s Important” discussed donor communication, boiling all its complexities and nuances down to 3 key points: 

Listen to your donors but center your mission firstTake risks in your communication but don’t forget your organization’s capacitiesMake sure your communications are useful to your donors.

Donors are the backbone of every nonprofit organization, but your nonprofit’s mission is the heart. Thank your donors and don’t forget how important they are, but at the same time, allow your mission to guide everything that you do because, ultimately, your mission is what draws your donors in and keeps them around.

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Digital First Impressions: Your Nonprofit’s Homepage

Your homepage is the face of your nonprofit. While marketing appeals will likely be supporters’ first impression of your nonprofit, your homepage tells supporters everything they need to know about your nonprofit (whether it’s intentional or not). To improve visitors’ experience on your homepage, learn how to build and maintain an accessible homepage with a modern design that reflects the sophisticated nonprofit behind it. 

If you don’t have experience in web design, upgrading your website can seem like a monumental task with the potential downside of breaking core functionalities. To help you confidently lead your nonprofit’s homepage development, this article will go over:

Homepage FeaturesHomepage Design Website Maintenance Steps for Improvement 

The first three sections will discuss key aspects of your homepage, allowing you to take the first steps towards creating and maintaining a better nonprofit website. The last section will then discuss actionable steps you and your team can implement to continually improve and upgrade your website. 

Design trends change, and while your current supporters have a clear idea of what a website should look like now, their expectations may shift in the future. Once you design your website, continue to keep up with technological and design changes in the nonprofit sector in order to have your homepage consistently make a good first impression. 

But first, you’ll need a solid grasp on the essentials. Let’s dive in.

Homepage Features 

When visitors come to your website, what do you want them to see first? Nearly every nonprofit should have a few core features on its homepage, but the order and presentation of those items will affect how your visitors engage with your website. 

Here are a few must-have features for your homepage:

Basic information about your nonprofit. Basic information includes the name of your nonprofit, your contact information, and an abbreviated mission statement or summary of what your organization is. Additionally, consider spotlighting a project your nonprofit is currently working on or has recently completed. Keeping regular news updates on your website gives visitors examples of your work, while also assuring them your nonprofit is still active. Navigation bar. Your navigation bar should be near the top of your homepage, should be obvious to visitors upon first glance, and should contain links to key pages on your website. Put yourself in your homepage visitors’ shoes as you consider the labels on your navigation bar, especially if you have nested items. Conduct user testing by having users practice navigating your homepage to be sure they are making the right assumptions about what content is under each label. Link to your donation forms . Donating should be as easy as possible for visitors. Many nonprofits have large, brightly colored donation buttons located somewhere near the top of their homepage. Others have the donation form already open in a sidebar or over their hero image to let visitors input their donation information without navigating off their homepage.Link to your volunteer/contact forms. Similar to your donation form, your homepage should feature a “Work with Us,” “Get Involved,” or “Volunteer,” link somewhere above the fold (or near the top of the page). Be sure to differentiate your volunteer form from your careers page, if you have one. Careers and job opportunities tend to be linked in your webpage’s footer if you are recruiting. Logo. Your entire website should represent your nonprofit’s brand, and placing your logo front and center will make it clear to visitors what homepage they are on. Your logo should make an appearance on every page on your website (usually in the upper right or left corner), but can be bolder or take center stage on your homepage. 

Consider your audience and how your audience interacts with your nonprofit as you begin the design process. Are your supporters from a specific area? Do they have specific jobs? Are they from a specific generation? Take the time to research your audience and conduct user interviews in order to understand who your website should appeal to. 

Homepage Design 

While expertise helps, you can create an attractive, modern website without being a professional website designer. You’ll just need to follow a few standard best practices and carefully consider how design will impact your users’ experience.

Your website’s design should enhance the information on your homepage rather than being incidental. Decide what you want to draw your visitors’ eyes to as you consider your design choices for:

Images. Your website should have high-quality photos, graphics, or other visual media. Along with your logo, consider creating a main hero or banner image that evokes emotion while also informing visitors about what your nonprofit does. For example, an environmental nonprofit might have pictures of volunteers planting trees or eye-catching graphics showcasing how many trees they have planted over the past year. Colors. Choose colors that align with your nonprofit’s brand. In addition to coloring menu bars and section dividers, consider implementing gradient overlays to give your homepage a consistent color palette. However, be sure to leave white space in margins and between sections to give your visitors’ eyes a chance to rest. Text. Text design includes your headers, paragraph line-length, and use of bullet points and numbered lists. Strong text design includes clear headers, short line lengths, and gives readers breaks between blocks of text with white space and listed content. Layout. As mentioned, consider what order to put your features in. Some websites use vertical column layouts to display lots of information at once, while others act like a social media feed, allowing visitors to scroll until they find the content they want. Your layout affects how viewers navigate your website, so prioritize navigation and convenience above all else by reducing clutter and ensuring your navigation bar is always accessible. 

As you add design elements, take the time to make sure your website meets accessibility guidelines. Add alt-text to images, transcripts for videos, and ensure necessary fields on donation forms are marked by another visual aid than just color alone. 

Homepage Maintenance 

After building your nonprofit’s homepage, you will need to conduct regular maintenance on it. You should regularly add new content to your website in order to show your activity to your supporters, but adding new pages without proper maintenance can lead to broken links, confusing website hierarchy, and long load times. 

Not all website maintenance requires you to have knowledge of coding (though it can help), and there are many routine operations you can complete yourself. Cornershop Creative’s guide to nonprofit website maintenance provides a checklist of items that includes:

Replacing outdated links. Outdated and broken links can make visitors doubt your website’s security, which may cause them to hesitate when inputting their financial information into your donation form. Click all regularly used links and test links to new pages to keep your visitors on your website and away from 404 Error messages. Checking loading times. If your homepage takes longer than two seconds to load, visitors may not bother to wait, losing you website traffic and potential donations. Long load times can be caused by large image files or unnecessary plugins. Check out this guide for more information about what you should look for (and avoid) in a WordPress plugin. Actively testing forms. Practice entering your information into your donation, volunteer, and registration forms to ensure information is flowing through to your CRM properly and that there are no unnecessary steps slowing down the process. 

Staying updated on website and online best practices requires time and routine research. If your homepage has a problem you are not equipped to handle, reach out to professional website consultants for advice. For example, serious issues like a security failure require immediate attention and warrant bringing in outside help to protect your donors’ security and your reputation. 

Steps for Improvement 

Implement the practices in this guide as a first step towards forming a better digital first impression. Remember, though, that creating and maintaining an up-to-date website requires consistent research on new technology and web practices.

As you improve your website, start looking into additional improvement strategies such as:

Attending training courses. As nonprofit technology evolves, the list of things to learn grows along with it. Training courses can teach you how to make the most of the tools you have and potentially start tackling tasks in-house that  you previously had to outsource. Hiring a consultant. You may decide that your nonprofit doesn’t have the time and resources to build and design your homepage. In this case, look into web design consultants specialized in nonprofits to discover what you need and what options are out there. If you’ve never worked with an external expert before, this guide to nonprofit consultants outlines essentials to keep in mind.

Keep your budget in mind as you get to work on your website. Designing, coding, and maintaining a website can quickly become expensive, so be sure to create a list of must-have components and a budget to ensure nothing vital is forgotten without spending more than necessary. 

Your homepage’s visitors are used to modern web design and will approach your website with specific expectations of what a homepage should look and act like. While you want to give these visitors a unique experience, ensure they find your website easy to use, modern-looking, and secure. 

Design your website with convenience of use and your brand identity in mind, and regularly update it to make sure the effort you put into its creation never goes to waste due to loading times or broken links. With a solid web design foundation in place, you’ll be able to start bringing all of the other pages on your site up to speed, too. Best of luck!

About the Author

Ira Horowitz

With 15 years’ experience, Ira is an expert in nonprofit online communications and online fundraising. His work has resulted in increased funds and resounding supporter engagement for hundreds of organizations.

Ira oversees our project management team and works with clients to provide our clients with the best possible final product. He also manages all of our strategic engagements and helps guide nonprofits to determine their long-term strategy goals for online communications.

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Pleasant Persistence (it’s boring but effective)

One of the hard truths about fundraising is that: fundraising isn’t always fun.

Good fundraising is

tedious,meticulous,regular,pleasant persistence. (Even when you don’t feel like being pleasant.)

If you’re not getting the results you want, look at your own activity. For example, if “no one” is getting back to you, are you really attempting to connect with people? Or are you just making a couple calls? The Veritus Group reminds us it can take six or seven attempts to actually connect with major gift donors.

Or maybe you’re not even reaching out. Sometimes it feels safer to have a long prospect list without any “no’s” than to actually reach out to people. Maybe it’s time to get a bit uncomfortable by reaching out to them.

The good news? Activity does produce results. Don’t think you’ll wait until the fall. Or until year-end. Every time of the year has people who’ll give.

Don’t grow weary in doing the right things. It’s our job to keep in front of them and be ready for the people who are ready to give now.

It’s our job to continue to be pleasantly persistent. Sometimes it’s boring. But it’s the foundation of good fundraising.

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3 Tips for Fundraising in a Recession

One of the interesting things of being an active blog for twenty years is you get to cover things like fundraising in a recession. Multiple times. A quick search shows blog posts on recession proof fundraising going back at least 14 years. Including “10 Tips for Fundraising in a Recession.”

The experts seem to be debating about whether we’re technically in a recession or not. But we as fundraisers are working with human beings and emotions. No matter how strong an economy might be, rising inflation and falling stock markets shake donors. And can make nonprofit fundraisers timid about asking for donations.

Timidity is a death sentence for fundraising in a recession. We don’t have the right to decide whether a donor gives or not. And not asking is not even honoring donors enough to make a decision.

Respect your donors enough to ask. There is nothing compassionate about not asking.

3 Tips for Fundraising in a RecessionKeep asking

One of the biggest mistakes I see nonprofit leaders make is confusing not asking donors with being compassionate. Leaders may take peek at their retirement account and get scared. Or talk to a board member who is nervous about the future. Being scared or uncertain about the future is normal. But don’t let it get in the way of asking for support. If we are in a recession or heading toward one, your staff needs to know their paychecks are secure. And your mission is likely needed even more in recessions than in normal times. If you keep asking, one of the amazing things you’ll find is that in a world spinning out of control, giving to nonprofits can be very centering for your donors. In every recession I’ve fundraised through (four at this point), donors have thanked me for allowing them to give!

Look to DAFs

As you’re asking, look through your database for donations from donor advised funds (DAFs). Donors who put money into a donor advised fund have already gotten their tax benefit. They’ve already given the money away. It’s just sitting there, waiting to be released to a nonprofit. A recent article states that there is more than $140 billion just sitting in donor advised funds right now. If you’re asking a donor for a gift and they say they’d love to give but can’t right now, you might pull a Columbo and ask, “Oh, one more thing. Might you be able to give out of a donor advised fund?”

via GIPHY

Donors get it

One of the most amazing things about recessions is that it’s one of the few times when you don’t have to educate your donors. They get it. They know it’s hard out there. And they know people are more in need. So this is a time when people step up and give in, frankly, surprising ways.

Recessions are hard. But not necessarily fatal.

Fundraising in recessions does take more effort. Both at convincing ourselves people really do want to give. And at getting the message of hope and impact through all the messages of doom and gloom.

But humans are generous. Especially when clearly asked. And we’ve learned from past recessions that the nonprofits that stop fundraising take a much longer time getting back to normal fundraising levels.

So keep on asking. Remember: there’s nothing compassionate about not asking.

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5 Ways to Level Up Your Volunteer Program

Volunteers are key to helping nonprofits stay up and running. From donating their time to help out with vital programs and initiatives to lending their professional expertise and skills, volunteers help keep nonprofits on track to complete their goals.

As a nonprofit professional, you understand the challenges of managing a robust volunteer program. Hurdles like volunteer recruitment, volunteer burnout, and disorganized training can make your program less effective. A strong management strategy can combat these issues and make your volunteer program a more positive and productive experience.

In this guide to improving your nonprofit’s volunteer program, we’ll discuss five strategies for managing your volunteers and improving their experiences with your organization: 

Invest in volunteer management software.Make the experience engaging.Explore volunteer grants.Schedule social events.Show your appreciation.

Improving your volunteer program should be an ongoing process for your organization that involves accepting feedback and adjusting accordingly. Let’s get started by discussing how volunteer management software can streamline your management process. 

1. Invest in volunteer management software.

One of the best ways to level up your volunteer program without adding several new responsibilities to your to-do list is to use management software. For example, your organization might already use membership management software. This software can streamline tedious administrative tasks and make it easier to send communications to all members.

Investing in management software for your volunteer program holds similar benefits, and it can even help build loyalty and long-term relationships between you and your volunteers and increase engagement.

Many nonprofit professionals have packed schedules, entire lists of important responsibilities, and little time to devote to volunteer management. This can make it challenging to juggle the various tasks of managing a volunteer team, and outdated or hard-to-use management methods can just exacerbate these problems.

The right software can help nonprofits better manage their volunteer program to make for a more engaging, positive experience that will keep volunteers coming back to work with your organization. For example, volunteer management software can close communication gaps around activities like scheduling and training, resulting in a smoother experience.

In addition to improving communication efforts, volunteer management software can also standardize training and provide a central hub for data like your volunteers’ contact information, skills, and availability. The right software can also blend seamlessly into the systems you already use. 

Software like Salesforce allows nonprofits to integrate multiple applications into one system so your organization can easily connect volunteer management tools to your communication system. For nonprofits using Salesforce, research native apps to find a volunteer management solution that will integrate with your current software. 

2. Make the experience engaging.

Just as engaging fundraising ideas drive donations, engaging volunteer experiences drive long-term support.

Building an engaging experience for volunteers doesn’t mean you have to turn each step of the process into an exciting event. For example, giving volunteers the skills they need to participate in the activities they signed up for can be enough to cultivate high volunteer engagement. 

To make the volunteer experience more engaging, employ the following strategies:

Train your volunteers. Set your volunteers up for success by training them in the skills they need to complete their assigned tasks. Not only does this cut down on miscommunications and mistakes, but it also makes volunteers feel like they’ve gained something valuable by working with your nonprofit.Clearly designate their responsibilities. Outline the tasks you want your volunteers to do so there is no confusion about what they should be helping out with. Remember to delegate—help your leaders and staff focus on the most important tasks while volunteers handle the day-to-day ones. Ask for (and listen to) their feedback. Check-in with your volunteers regularly to gauge how they feel about the program. You can implement an anonymous survey system to ensure you receive honest answers or have volunteer managers ask volunteers for feedback directly to give them the space to expand on their answers and respond to follow-up questions. Be sure to acknowledge any feedback you receive and identify recurring trends in feedback to make positive changes to your volunteer program.

An engaging experience will make volunteers feel more motivated to continue working with your nonprofit, particularly if they feel like communication between them and your organization is a two-way street. 

3. Explore volunteer grants.

Volunteer grants can benefit any organization with a reliable volunteer program. Double the Donation defines volunteer grants as “corporate giving programs that encourage volunteerism in communities where employees live and work.” In other words, volunteer grant programs encourage eligible community members to support local nonprofits, knowing that their work will be accompanied by a monetary contribution from their employer.

Volunteer grant programs benefit your nonprofit by:

Increasing funding. Employers with a volunteer grant program will donate to the nonprofits their employees volunteer at. This means nonprofits are able to earn funding from the work that their volunteers may have planned to do anyway. Encouraging volunteerism. A volunteer grant gives local employees an incentive to volunteer with local nonprofits. Because these grants give the nonprofit additional funding based on the time the employee spends volunteering, they may feel more compelled to volunteer to boost their contribution to the cause.

Many of these grants go unclaimed because volunteers aren’t aware that their employers offer them. A strong volunteer management system can help your organization identify these opportunities by centralizing donor data (such as employer information) and opening channels for communication. That way, you can more easily ask donors to check their volunteer grant eligibility.

4. Schedule social events.

One popular reason for volunteering is meeting new people with similar interests. Setting up social events that allow volunteers to get to know each other can help facilitate these relationships.

While nonprofits can host social events like holiday parties or dinners at local restaurants, your organization can encourage new friendships during the volunteering process as well. For example, you could schedule a group of volunteers to work on a campaign at the same time so they have the opportunity to chat with one another.

Encouraging your volunteers to socialize can:

Strengthen community ties.Help them meet new people with common interests.Get them excited about volunteering because they will look forward to meeting up with new friends.

If your organization has a strong understanding of its volunteers’ interests and personalities, you may be able to form groups or pairs of volunteers who are likely to hit it off. Another strategy for facilitating relationships between volunteers is to group them based on demographic factors like age. For example, younger supporters tend to enjoy working with others, and they may have more in common with volunteers in their age group.

If your nonprofit has a large volunteer program but struggles to build a strong community, volunteer management software can help. Software that can host volunteer profiles, help manage events, and record volunteer engagement can provide your nonprofit with accurate volunteer data that will inform how you facilitate volunteer socialization opportunities. To build a strong network of volunteers, your organization may need to consider switching to a CRM with the functionality you need.

5. Show your appreciation.

Stewarding relationships with volunteers by staying connected with them is just as important as stewarding your donors. Just as your donors help you stay up and running with financial contributions, your volunteers give their time and energy to furthering your mission. Plus, these areas overlap quite a bit with volunteers donating ten times as much money to nonprofit organizations than those who don’t volunteer.

Taking the time to show that you value your volunteers can go a long way toward building deep, personal relationships that encourage years of dedicated support. A few ways to show your appreciation for their hard work include:

Saying thank you. Send your volunteers messages expressing gratitude such as thank-you letters or emails. To make these messages more personal, consider calling volunteers on the phone and thanking them in person each day after they finish their shifts.Recognizing volunteers publicly. Identify your top volunteers by honoring them at your next fundraising event or highlighting them on your organization’s social media account. The best way to track their hard work is through volunteer management software that can record their hours worked, note their responsibilities, and track other preferences that may be useful for determining how you’ll recognize them.Participating in volunteer holidays. Holidays such as National Volunteer Week and International Volunteer Day are dedicated to recognizing the work volunteers do. Plan a fun weekend event with games and snacks for your volunteers and their families to honor their contributions.

Showing your volunteers that you appreciate them is key to cultivating a personalized connection with your organization. As Fionta’s guide to engaging volunteers highlights, stewardship is an essential part of retaining any of your supporters, not just donors. Use your CRM to connect your messaging tools and volunteer profiles, allowing you to easily reference specific details that will make each thank you message unique. 

While it can be difficult to juggle tasks related to your volunteer program with other responsibilities, maintaining a robust volunteer program is crucial. Without a crew of dedicated volunteers, your intense year-end fundraiser or elaborate capital campaign wouldn’t be possible. Choosing volunteer management software that helps you organize data and streamline the volunteer process can help you create a strong program your supporters will want to return to.

About the Author

Karin Tracy

Karin Tracy, VP of Marketing at Fíonta, is a seasoned designer and marketer with a passion for serving nonprofit organizations and being a small part of bettering the world. She is a certified Pardot Consultant and Marketing Cloud Email Specialist, a fan of automation and reporting, a lover of animals, and devourer of popcorn.

At Fíonta, Karin drives marketing efforts for all internal and external projects. Her direct service work is focused primarily on marketing strategy and automation for Fíonta’s MCAE (Pardot) clients.

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Low-cost or free fundraising training

Upcoming Fundraising and Nonprofit Trainings

If you’re looking for free or low-cost, high-quality fundraising training, here are three events to check out! And each are being recorded so even if you miss them live, you should be able to access them later!

Social Media Marketing for the Nonprofit Leader with no time and zero budget  () Tuesday, September 27 at 1 pm Eastern social media expert David Pride is coming to The Nonprofit Academy to show us how to do social media when we don’t have budgets for social media staff. You can pay $47 for this training or get it as part of the “All Access Bundle” for just $19. More information is at https://www.nonprofitacademy.com/course/social-media-marketing “ Leadership and the Surprising Gift of Doubt ” – Wednesday, September 28 at noon Eastern. I’ll be speaking with Blackbaud Institute’s Ashley Thompson as part of their virtual fireside chats. This chat is free and information is available at: https://hello.blackbaud.com/Blackbaud-Institute-Fireside-Chats.html “ More than a Call for Donations: Donor Communication Strategies & Why It’s Important ” Thursday, September 29 at noon Eastern. I’ll be joining OneCause’s Sarah Sebastian, ThankView’s Charlotte Fodders, and the amazing Lynne Webster (aka Donor Relations Guru) as we discussion comprehensive communications with donors. (Hint: You don’t need to pack everything into your ask!) More information on this free event at: https://nxunite.com/webinars-and-panels/better-donor/

Hope to see you on one or all of these!

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