Elizabeth P. Fitzgerald's Blog, page 3

Increase Online Giving

The easiest way to increase online giving at your website is to tell donors what you need by posting your gift range within or near your donate now button.

Here’s a quick tutorial:

1. Plug in your fundraising goal at GiftRangeCalculator.com

2. Post the gift levels provided by your calculation on your website, in your donor solicitations, and use them to encourage your board.

3. Combine your gift range levels with donor ranking to know how much to ask each donor without leaving money on the table.

As always, I am hoping for your every success!

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Building Loyalty – 12 Tips

Build Loyalty for your Nonprofit Charity Organization…

Here are 12 ways to continually provide board members, donors, staff, and clients with good reasons to stay with you.*

Create an organizational culture that makes retention of “human capital” everybody’s top priority.CEO, Board members, senior staff – never eat lunch alone.  Phone a donor to join you.Have your staff/board members spread out at events, sitting at a different table amongst your members/clients.Board members, sit with someone you don’t already know at events.CEO, meet with one major donor per month at their place of work.Request feedback at the end of events, hand out a card they can fill out before they leave.Make it easy for those you serve to let you know if they are not happy.Have board members call dropped members to ask why they are leaving.Offer a foot-in-the-door, less expensive option for participation.Answer the phone on the first ring and be ready to serve.Don’t lose an involved member for the sake of marginally involved member.Celebrate your staff and donors for their loyalty by acknowledging 2, 7, 10, 20 years or more.

People have choices.  Encourage them to choose you and your organization.

*Most of these ideas are from David K. Aaker, IOM.

As always, I am hoping for your every success!

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7 VIDEOS INVITE ENGAGEMENT FOR YOUR NONPROFIT

Connecting virtually with people who care about your cause is more important than ever.  Casting the vision, asking for larger online donations, and building trust with your team: these short, purposeful videos are here to strengthen the bond!

#1 – DONATE NOW VIDEO

This video is strategically placed beside your donate now button.  The “Thumbnail” image greets your potential donor with your director’s face and a caption asking “How much do you give?”  When your guest clicks on the video, your director guides them through a self-ranking toward their largest personally appropriate gift – inviting further conversation, building trust, and increasing the size and number of online donations for your organization. 

“Businesses that use video make money 49% faster.”  – Impact Production Services

#2 – THE WELCOME VIDEO

A nonprofit school has a welcome video that starts automatically when you arrive on their website.  No sound, no text; just wonderful moving pictures of their mission in action. 

This video unexpectedly sweeps website guests into your world, reflecting the culture of your organization, introducing your team and mission, and sharing your proudest accomplishments.  Use this video to introduce your cause and invite your guest to come in and get to know you better.

“Websites with video get 41% more traffic.”  – AnimationDoc

#3 – FAQ

Motivating and educational, in retail and manufacturing they call this the 80% video.  You know the questions people ask about your organization.  Use as many of this type of video as needed to answer frequently asked questions about your mission, services, products, fundraising, and/or project update.

#4 – SUCCESS STORIES

Share inspiration. Build trust. 

People impacted by your cause share their experiences, progress and growth.  When those outside your organization tell how you have helped them the message is very powerful.

“User-generated content holds more influence over 90% of customer (and donor) decisions than emails and search engine results.” – TurnTo Networks

#5 – HOPES & DREAMS

As your “Living” vision statement, this video features your clients, students, or patients sharing their hopes, dreams, goals, and personal visions for the better future your charity is facilitating. 

Donors and volunteers are inspired when they see that this is what your organization is accomplishing.

#6 – VIRTUAL TOUR

Whereas the WELCOME VIDEO is an introduction to your mission, team and culture, the VIRTUAL TOUR showcases your facilities, staff and clients at work, current building project, your art workshops, etc.  Show your virtual guest the “inside story”; a behind the scenes tour of the unique and exciting work you do. 

#7 – DEEP DIVE WITH YOUR DIRECTOR AND EXPERT WITNESS

In a “major gifts” style, peer to peer, conversation about your mission, long-range strategic plans and fundraising needs and goals, your director chats with an expert witness for your cause.  This video speaks to the donor who wants to know more but may not reach out to ask for a meeting. 

Place this video on your Giving and About Us pages, and your YouTube Channel.

Which video does your website need most today? 

“Projections show video will make up 82% of all consumer (i.e., your donors) internet use in just three years.” – Cisco Visual Networking Index: Forecast and Methodology, 2016–2021

With each of these videos you invite guests to get to know you better; to increase the bond of love.  After all, philanthropy is love for our fellow man.

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5 Grant Writing Tips

You will find that different grant applications ask for some of the same information, in different order and detail. Build a set of files, your grant “parts and pieces”.  Include a list of board members, your organization’s history, mission, project summary, community need, etc.  Personalize each answer, but don’t start from scratch.As you research grant opportunities you will come across some that offer event sponsorships.  Build a list along the way.  Then, you will be ready to apply for your future events.Apply multiple times for the same grants.  I was at a nonprofit meeting in 2019 where the presenter represented a funding organization and the audience represented many organizations in need of funding.  He told us that his organization receives 12 times more applications than they can fund in each grant cycle. Collaborate with other nonprofits: The same man said that if their foundation received a joint application from several organizations that application would go straight to the top of the pile.Especially when you are applying for local funding, ask for an appointment with someone on the grant-making team to discuss your proposal.  You will likely get great advice and make a friend for your organization.   Bring a couple of different project ideas that need funding; ask which best fit their current focus.  Once you receive one grant, you may receive funding for some number of consecutive years.

As always, I am hoping for your every success!

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Finding and Keeping Volunteers

Volunteers bring you their time, treasure, and talent.

Good volunteers amplify the productivity and reach of your organization, advocate for you in the community, and often become your most loyal donors. 

Where do you find them? 

 Ask for recommendationsPost on a platform like VolunteerMatch.comApply for AmeriCorps Vista and NCCC teams to help you with a wide variety of projects like administrative assistance, building and renovation, staffing special events, establishing community gardens, etc. Http://www.americorps.gov/about/progr...

Once you find them, how do you keep them? 

Manage your volunteer relationships well from the start:Keep your relationships professionalProvide a job descriptionUse an application formCheck referencesComplete a criminal history background check before work begins

A volunteer once told me she could not make a cash donation at the time but she was leaving her house to that nonprofit in her will.  Wow, how generous!

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Nonprofit Board Officers’ Roles

Board Member Responsibilities Overview

Elect officers even if your meetings are informal.  Board members can serve in multiple roles; only the secretary and chair should not be the same person.

Chairperson:

o             Oversees and works closely with your director

o             Serves as the public voice for the organization, or delegates this duty to one person

o             Sets the agenda and tone for your meetings  – a excellent leader once advised me to limit board agendas to two or three topics, so each can be discussed thoughtfully. 

Chair-elect:

o             In training the year before taking the office of chairperson

o             Fills in when the Chairperson is absent

Secretary:

o             Records and manages meeting minutes, freeing the chair to facilitate the meeting 

o             Keeps licenses and official documents current

Treasurer:

o             Monitors and keeps the board informed on the organization’s financial situation

o             Provides financial reports to help the board with decision-making

o             Whether you conduct an informal internal audit or have an outside company conduct one, your treasurer will review findings and report them to the board.

o             If you need a finance committee, your treasurer chairs that committee

Note:  If your board is a new, one of your first discussions will be on decision making. Many nonprofit boards make decisions by consensus, and when needed, by majority vote.  Decide before a need arises if you will allow absentee voting.  If a topic is controversial, politically or emotionally charged, offering a written vote can help.  It’s healthy for boards to have open, respectful debate.

As always, I am hoping for your every success!

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The best Nonprofit Board Members do these 7 Things.

Share responsibility for the success of the organization

Ask when needed, “How does this topic relate to our mission?”

Encourage transparency within the board meetings regarding board member donations.  The generosity of one can spark greater generosity in others.

Support the group’s decisions by presenting a united voice to the community

Express your concerns within the board meetings.  A healthy board makes decisions in the boardroom; not in the parking lot.

Are ethical:  Ask, “If this were made public, would we be proud of it?

Keep learning.  Ask around to find excellent board leadership in your community, and build a personal network of successful nonprofit leaders.  Visit excellent boards and bring ideas back to your organization. Join LinkedIn nonprofit groups.  Attend programs offered by your local Association of Fundraising Professionals.

As always, I am hoping for your every success!

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How to Conduct a Strategic Planning Session

Strategic Planning for your nonprofit helps you reach your desired destination.

The strategic planning process is visionary, simple, and galvanizing for your team. 

Here’s one way* to proceed:

Decide who should attend & set the date.  Include people who can help move your organization forward.  To capture the best ideas and visions, plan for full participationEnlist a volunteer from outside your organization to facilitate so your group can focus on the discussion. The facilitator documents ideas and keeps the schedule.Ask participants to fill out a questionnaire before the meeting request their input on topics to include.   The facilitator and board president review responses and define agenda and schedule. At the meeting, invite participants to share their best ideas under each agenda topic.When each topic has been explored, participants cast three votes per topic for the ideas they like best. Take a break while the facilitator and board president identify the most popular ideas narrowing the choices for a second vote.Participants vote a second time casting three votes per category.  (Use a different kind of mark for the second vote so the results aren’t confused with the first.)The top idea(s) under each heading become your organization’s goals.  The work of turning these goals into action steps will be organized at board and staff meetings over time.  Schedule progress reviews. 

Strategic planning sessions can be held annually, every three to five years, or as needed.

*This example is based on a Rotary International model.

As always, I am hoping for your every success!

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Direct mail fundraising

Diversifying Revenue Streams…

One of the financially-strongest nonprofits I know in a midsized city has a very successful direct mail campaign.  They ask and receive thousands of donors in small donations several times each year.

After your annual campaign, direct mail is a great way to ask individuals to support your cause.  Add this revenue stream when you have the funds and staff to manage the initial costs and workload.

Alan Sharpe wrote an excellent book on this topic, “Mail Superiority: How to Run a Profitable Annual Direct Mail Fundraising Program”. Ignore the “Mail Superiority” part of the title – this book systematically walks readers through starting, managing, measuring, and growing a direct mail campaign. 

Remember, too, that many baby boomers have money to donate and they still like receiving paper mail.  If they care for your cause – and Alan tells you how to strategically select your recipients – they will support you!

As always, I am hoping for your every success!

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Build Donor Loyalty and Retention – 5 Tips

Thank people within 48 hours of their donation.  I worked with a nonprofit that had not thanked their donors in years, and had lost a vast majority of them!Share good news, photos, and success stories via social media.Use your regular newsletter to encourage your supporters and to show your care.Continually build your relationships in the community:  I once met an expert fundraising colleague for coffee.  At the end of our meeting he said, “Let’s get together socially; do something fun together some time”.  He was practicing genuine relationship building; not just doing business together.  He offered me his friendship.  When we said, goodbye, I noticed that he stopped to chat with someone he knew; not missing the opportunity, once again, to show care.Track your data – be intentional about growing your donor base.

As always, I am hoping for your every success!

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