Fundraising is Beautiful: Recent Episodes
Steven Screen, Jeff Brooks
In this podcast, Steven Screen & Jeff Brooks give you super-actionable information for how you can make your next fundraising effort raise more money.
You'll be equipped and inspired by this interview with Jen Love and John Lepp of Agents of Good in Toronto. They are powerful spokespersons for the idea and practical expression of loving donors. You'll learn how Courier font is a practical tool for donor love, why innovation in fundraising so often doesn't work, why ugly powers great fundraising, and how fundraisers can take care of themselves in our sometimes emotionally draining work.
We asked two new fundraising (and very successful) writers who have been doing some very great work what they know about fundraising that's making them succeed.
Here's what they told us:
- Write as one person connecting with one person.
- Avoid the word "we" -- unless it very clearly means you the reader and I the writer.
- Start your first draft with this phrase: I'm writing to you today because...
- Use the word you a lot.
- Articulate the fundraising offer early and often.
- Tell a story of need, not success.
- Ask clearly for money. (Don't hint around!)
- Write at a 6th grade reading level.
- Include a P.S. and restate whatever is the most important thing in your message.
- Have a deadline, and mention it often.
- Keep the organization out of the way -- make it about what the donor can do.
If you're new to the work, or feel intimidated by it, this list can push you way up your learning curve, and fast!
Program #110
Play: 11 amazing fundraising truths discovered by new writers (right click or "save as" to save the file for later).
Or subscribe via iTunes here:
Time: 24:29
Steven shares his short poem, "A Benediction for Fundraisers" (based on "Christ Has No Body" by St. Teresa of Avila [1515-1582]).
We hope this very brief podcast inspires you to love the important work we do when we motivate donors to give.
Program #109
Click the link to play: A Benediction for Fundraisers, or right click and "save as" to save the file for later.
Time: 3:24
This is a powerful and super-informative interview with Greg Warner, founder of MarketSmart who also hosts a great podcast called Engagement Fundraising.
The secret to accelerating your fundraising program is this: find the right level of engagement and giving for every donor, especially:
- Those who will leave your organization a bequest.
- Those with the capacity to become mid-level or major donors.
How do you discover this? Some combination of science and magic?
Or just ask them?
You'll love Greg's energy and passion as he describes all the love we're missing by not asking -- engaging with -- donors.
Program #108
Play: Engagement fundraising -- how you raise the big bucks from the happiest donors (right click or "save as" to save the file for later).
Time: 23:10
We all know how important it is to tell great stories in fundraising. Those stories almost never drop out of the sky! We have to go and get them.
In this quick discussion, you'll get some great interviewing tips, including:
- Know what you want to get what you want.
- Dealing with language barriers and working with translators.
- "Lead the witness."
- The "Columbo" technique.
And more. Don't miss this opportunity to collect the best stories.
Program #107
Play: How to conduct interviews (right click or "save as" to save the file for later).
Time: 8:28
The most important thing you can learn about fundraising -- the one thing that can make the difference between mediocrity and big-time success -- it's this: It's not about you. It's about your donor! It's so easy to talk about how great our organization is ... and to forget that donors don't give because you're awesome. They give because they are awesome. That's why successful fundraising is about donors, not about us.
We've looked at a lot of nonprofit websites. More than is good for our mental health, frankly.
And we've found three things to be wrong with nearly all of them:
- Your website doesn't present some kind of need that the donor can meet.
- The idea of giving is not clear and strong.
- You've created it to make your leadership and board happy.
We'll show you how to fix these common issues and transform your website into the fundraising vehicle you want.
Program #106
Play: 3 things that are probably wrong with your nonprofit website (right click or "save as" to save the file for later).
Time: 13:06
We take a look at the ways photos can emotional depth and measurable pull-power to your fundraising ... or undermine your message entirely!
Take note of this:
A picture is worth a thousand words. So choose your pictures carefully!
We take a look at the ways photos can emotional depth and measurable pull-power to your fundraising ... or undermine your message entirely!
A good fundraiser knows when to use "negative" images and when to use the positive ones we prefer. Find out in this episode the rhythm and balance of images that motivate donors to give. And to keep giving.
Program #105
Play: How to use photos in fundraising (right click or "save as" to save the file for later).
Time: 9:29
What's the subtext of your donor-communications stream? That is, what's the overarching message they're getting, even though you might not be saying it out loud? We'll show you how to change your subtext into one that thrills and involves donors -- and keeps them giving.
What's the subtext of your donor-communications stream? That is, what's the overarching message they're getting, even though you might not be saying it out loud?
For many organizations, it's:
- We've got this.
- We're taking care of the problem.
- You can partner with us if you like.
But for the really effective fundraisers, the subtext is more like this:
- There's a problem.
- We're looking for great people like you to help solve it.
- Are are helping solve it!
This is the basis of donor love. The big message you communicate with them.
We'll show you how to change your subtext into one that thrills and involves donors -- and keeps them giving.
Program #104
Play: Does your fundraising subtext tell donors they matter, or that they don't? (right click or "save as" to save the file for later).
Or subscribe via iTunes here:
Time: 21:01
A lot of nonprofit thank-you messages say something like this: "Thank you for being our partner...."
That's about as thrilling to the donor as telling her she has nice elbows.
Donors don't give in order to be our partner. They give to have a positive impact on the world in some specific way. And that's what you should thank them for.
Not for what they did in their relationship with you. It's another way to put yourself in the donor's world and not your world. Which leads to better results every time!
A lot of nonprofit thank-you messages say something like this: "Thank you for being our partner...."
That's about as thrilling to the donor as telling her she has nice elbows.
Donors don't give in order to be our partner. They give to have a positive impact on the world in some specific way. And that's what you should thank them for.
Not for what they did in their relationship with you. It's another way to put yourself in the donor's world and not your world. Which leads to better results every time!
Program #103
Play: The right way -- and wrong way -- to thank your donors (right click or "save as" to save the file for later).
Or subscribe via iTunes here:
Time: 8:46
Scott Harrison, founder of charity:water (and a fan of this podcast) reveals some of the thinking behind this innovative nonprofit that came on the scene 10 years ago and his virtually re-written the fundraising playbook in many ways.
Get the inside scoop on:
- How charity:water takes its donors on a journey -- every time
- How they manage and market their promise that 100% of a donor's gift goes to the field
- The power of "productizing" (which anyone can do!)
- Charity:water's biggest challenge and how they're tackling it
We learned a lot from Scott. You will too!
Program #102
Click the link to play: Interview with Scott Harrison of charity:water, or right click and "save as" to save the file for later.
Or subscribe via iTunes here:
Time: 39:05
Scott Harrison, founder of charity:water (and a fan of this podcast) reveals some of the thinking behind this innovative nonprofit that came on the scene 10 years ago and his virtually re-written the fundraising playbook in many ways.
Get the inside scoop on:
- How charity:water takes its donors on a journey -- every time
- How they manage and market their promise that 100% of a donor's gift goes to the field
- The power of "productizing" (which anyone can do!)
- Charity:water's biggest challenge and how they're tackling it
We learned a lot from Scott. You will too!
There are two opposite impulses that almost all fundraisers fall prey to at some time or another. They are:
- Educating donors
- Abstraction
They are guaranteed response-crushers. And the temptation to do both are powerful.
With real-life examples, we'll show you how to avoid both errors and keep your fundraising strong.
There are two opposite impulses that almost all fundraisers fall prey to at some time or another. They are:
- Educating donors
- Abstraction
They are guaranteed response-crushers. And the temptation to do both are powerful.
With real-life examples, we'll show you how to avoid both errors and keep your fundraising strong.
Program #101
Click the link to play: Two super-common errors that can kill your fundraising, or right click and "save as" to save the file for later.
Or subscribe via iTunes here:
Time: 16:19
Some of the strongest fundraising is connected to specific holidays.
Some of the most ineffective fundraising is also connected to specific holidays.
The special edition podcast will show you how to put holidays to work for you. And when not to do it at all.
The most impactful element of any direct mail project is the teaser -- what you put on the outer envelope.
We'll share what works, what never works, and the surprising "most likely to succeed" approach.
We'll also discuss email subject lines -- a closely related topic with some strong similarities to direct mail teasers.
Houses of worship are a powerhouse of the fundraising world. But even they face new challenges in getting their people to donate.
We take a practical and realistic look at the challenges churches face and what they can do to motivate their people to give generously.
Most fundraisers know that telling stories is the way to reach donors' hearts and minds and motivate them to give. But what's the right story to tell?
It's the donor's story. The story she'll tell after she gives.
This podcast takes a look at what we fundraisers can do to give each donor a story to tell. That's the foundation to lasting relationships with donors who love to give to you!
How is fundraising likely to do during the Trump administration? We take a look. We believe it will mean very different things to different organizations. Find out what you can expect in the coming months and years. And what you can do to maximize revenue and donor engagement.
Every piece of content in every donor newsletter should fit match this model. When you do that, you'll have a newsletter that raises funds, and improves donor retention by improving your donor relationships!
Everybody knows that donor-focused fundraising is good. But what is it, actually? Listen to discover a new and more effective way to understand -- and create -- donor-focused fundraising
Ever been told Stop acquiring new donors until you've improved your retention rates? It's bad advice. We'll take a close look at the important dynamic between acquisition and retention and show you how to arrive at the right balance for your organization.
For most fundraisers, your donors are a lot older than you think. We'll look at why this is so and what it means for you: How do you communicate with these people? About what? And in which channels?
Knowing hold old your donors are -- and responding appropriately -- is the key to success in fundraising. Knowledge is power!
Most fundraisers experience a drop in giving during the summer months. Here are some tips for minimizing the pain by maximizing summertime revenue ... and other ways you can profitably use the summer months to improve your fundraising all year 'round.
It's one of the most common experiences in fundraising. You've created a powerful fundraising message. Then you show it to your boss -- and she hates it. We can't ignore bosses (and board members and other authorities) -- and they often dislike our best work. Because it's not aimed at them!
Here's how to gently make your case with your boss that whether she likes it or not isn't relevant -- and in fact, her dislike is a pretty good indicator that you've done it right! Practical steps that will help you put the good stuff out their and raise more money!
Here's an info-packed interview with the Superb Tom Ahern. We discuss how and why you can raise a lot of money with donor newsletters. Learn what's working and what's not, what most often goes wrong in donor newsletters, and what the heck is up with email newsletters? All from Tom's new book Making Money with Donor Newsletters. This podcast could change your fundraising forever!
There are two fundamentally different approaches fundraisers can take to their donors: One stays in the background and empowers the donor to be the hero. The other stands in front and tells the donor to be a good side-kick -- keeping the hero label for himself.
One of these raises a lot more money than the other. Do you know which? And do you know which of them you are?
Your donor gets nothing in return for her donation. Nothing but your communications.
Your communications have a big job to do: To show her something she may have no way of knowing otherwise: What her gift made possible.
That's how you cross the gap from a donation being a random, one-time event to building a meaningful and mutually beneficial relationship with your donor.
Learn some practical, no-nonsense things you can do in your donor communications that will fill your donors' hearts and minds with reasons to keep on giving.
Recorded on Friday afternoon, October 23, 2015. Hurricane Patricia was barrelling toward the coast of Mexico, and we didn't yet know if it was going to be a humanitarian disaster or not. (Thankfully, it wasn't.)
Some disasters give us advance warning. Others, like earthquakes, don't. Some disasters get the attention of the whole world. Others are only noted by a local area (like unusually cold weather) or even a neighborhood (the local school burns down).
In this podcast, we look at ways you can be relevant and useful with disaster fundraising. When to do it, when not to, and how you approach a disaster so your donors are moved to help.
Here are seven common storytelling sins that make your story ineffective:
- It's about you, not your donor.
- It doesn't have conflict.
- The problem is too big.
- It's a story about success, not need.
- It's over-written.
- It's too hard to read.
- It's aimed at the wrong audience.
This podcast is a preview of the presentation we'll be making at the Nonprofit Storytelling Conference, November 12-13 in Seattle. Seats are filling up fast, but there may still be room for you!
Listen to an excerpt from the new book, How to Turn Your Words into Money: The Master Fundraiser's Guide to Persuasive Writing by Jeff Brooks, reading the chapter titled "The Evil Cousin of Fundraising."
Learn about the all-too-common practice of fundcrushing -- using large numbers and overwhelming facts as the means for coaxing donors into giving. The truth is, it rarely works.
Find out what to do instead of fundcrushing that will motivate donors to give. (It's not that difficult!)
How to Turn Your Words into Money: The Master Fundraiser's Guide to Persuasive Writing, is available at:
- Amazon
- The publisher (best bet if you're ordering in bulk)
The most common and destructive error fundraisers make is aiming their messages at themselves -- creating what they believe would motivate them to give.
They should be aiming at their donors. And donors are very different from you in nearly every way.
Here's help for aiming your work in the right direction so you can raise more money for your cause.
What story does your fundraising tell? Is it Bad News -- the problem and brokenness that you want your donors to help you change? Or is it Good News -- the promise of what can happen when your donor steps up and gives.
Or maybe there's a third, more perfect, way.
We'll show you that way, the approach to fundraising that avoids the revenue killing errors of either good news or bad news fundraising.
Most of your donors don't care that your organization has been around for a nice round number of years. That's why Give to us because it's our 25th and we're awesome is a lousy way to raise funds.
But there are some things you can do to leverage your anniversary into more revenue. We discuss four cool things you can do that will turn that otherwise meaningless milestone into good things.
Many organizations believe that their uniqueness is the main reason donors will choose them for their charitable giving. That's a revenue-crushing mistake.
Successful fundraising starts where the donor is -- not in the organization's uniqueness -- and makes a clear, simple case.
"I'm looking for an organization to support that's completely unique," said no donor, ever.
Your uniqueness is important. But it can drag down your fundraising if you over-focus on it.
How often we hear someone say: I will never use that fundraising technique because everyone does it!
We see something again and again and think it's hackneyed, out-of-style, and ineffective.
Actually, it's usually the other way: Those fundraising "techniques" you see again and again are the things that work.
This special podcast for fundraising nerds only includes the cheapest way to get a powerful fundraising education.
We're taking a look at one of the most destructive forces in all of fundraising: The need we all have to make ourselves the audience for our messages: Fundraising From Yourself -- or FFY.
It's the quick and sure path to failure.
We'll show you the three signs that FFY is happening in your organization and give you the tools for avoiding this common problem that costs nonprofit organizations millions of dollars every year.
Consider this: Most nonprofit organizations want "real relationships" with their donors. But they communicate with donors as infrequently as possible, and when they do, they tend to talk only about themselves. What kind of relationship-building is that?
We'll examine three ways to walk the talk if you really want to build relationships with donors:
- Communicating frequently enough.
- Talking to donors about donors.
- Reporting back to donors about the impact of their giving.
Donor acquisition -- in any medium -- has a fundamentally different "ecosystem" form donor cultivation. Knowing the difference will make you far more effective in both.
We discuss the differences in response numbers, cost, messaging, and long-term impact between acquisition and cultivation.
Before you know anything else about fundraising, there are three basic assumptions you should know about it:
- Fundraising is all about specificity. It's the specific change you're asking the donor to help make with their gift. Abstractions and generalities fail to move donors to action.
- Fundraising is about building relationships. Don't think of donors as ATMs that dispense money from time to time. Think of them as friends who do cool things with you. It's a two-way relationship. Both sides give and both sides receive.
- Fundraising transforms donors. When you know they amazing things that happen in their lives when they give to you, you'll enjoy fundraising a lot more. And you'll do a better job.
Working with these basic truths is the key to success.
Here are 12 fundraising tips -- most of them super-easy and ready to try immediately -- that can boost your fundraising results, this holiday season or any other time of year.
The coming weeks are the probably the most important of the year for your fundraising. Here are practical tips for both direct mail and online fundraising that can make the most of the generosity your donors feel as the year comes to an end.
A donor writes a letter to the president of the organization. It's an articulate critique of what the donor dislikes about their fundraising: It's simplistic, repetitious, and emotional. What do you do? What do you say? We read an actual letter from a real donor and talk through the right -- and wrong -- response. There's a disastrously bad response that many organizations make to letters like this. There's also an affirming, correct, and revenue-enhancing response.
Storytelling that persuades donors to action isn't magic. You just have to make sure your has these elements:
- It's about the donor (not about your awesome organization)
- It leads to the donor taking action -- entering the story
- It's unfinished -- you want to donor to create the satisfying end to the story.
Do you ever wonder if your donor communications are truly donor-focused? Check what you're saying against this list:
- Donors are the heroes of most of the stories you tell.
- Donors get prompt, detailed, and frequent information about the impact of their giving.
- Donors has control over how you communicate with them.
- Design is appropriate for donors -- not aimed at internal audiences.
Your nonprofit website does a lot of things. If you want it to be helpful to your fundraising, make sure it has these three elements:
- Information that tells them than can trust you.
- A clear statement of what you do.
- Easy-to-use donation form(s).
That's not a complete list of everything you should have -- just three musts you' shouldn't let slip. These things will help you raise more money, both online and offline.
Are you getting too much fundraising revenue? Do you need fewer donors to support your work? Here's how you can help solve that problem:
- Write and design for your coworkers (or yourself).
- Change the subject between your acquisition and cultivation messages.
- Educate your donors.
- Develop your website differently from your offline messages.
- Have sloppy donor data.
Here's an excerpt from the new book The Money-Raising Nonprofit Brand: Motivating Donors to Give, Give Happily, and Keep on Giving.
Find out what branding can and should do for your fundraising, and why it often doesn't. Learn how fundraisers are like forklift drivers, and what you can do to build a money-raising brand for your nonprofit.
The Money-Raising Nonprofit Brand is available at:
- Amazon
- Amazon UK
- Wiley (best bet if you're outside North America or Europe)
Everyone knows that direct-response testing is the path to the truth in fundraising. There's just one problem: The large majority of nonprofit organizations cannot do direct-response testing. Their quantities are too small and/or they don't have the budget to pay for testing.
Here are three ways to learn the right things to do when you can't test:
- Read books about fundraising.
- Read blogs about fundraising. (See our blogroll over there to the right for some of the best fundraising blogs.)
- Donate to larger national organizations so you can observe how they do it.
Survey research can lead your fundraising badly astray. Focus groups can kill the strongest fundraising programs. If you use them wrongly. There are great ways to use qualitative research to best your knowledge and inform your strategies. Find out some of the pitfalls as well as the gold nuggets of surveys and focus groups.
In this ear-opening interview with radio veteran Scott Wilder of TrueSense Marketing, you'll learn what it takes to find donors and raise funds using the radio. In some ways, it's just like fundraising in any other medium. In others, it's a whole new world! But chances are good you can make this powerful medium work for you.
Understanding the problem can lead us to the solution. Here are four of the most important causes of donor attrition:
- Increased competition -- more organizations are asking.
- Donors are consolidating their giving -- more money going to fewer organizations.
- Generational change: Boomers are rapidly replacing the WWII Generation as donors, and their needs are different -- more difficult for fundraisers to meet.
- Professional dilution. Not enough experienced, well-trained professional fundraisers to meet the growing demand.
Keeping your donors means developing relationships -- two-way "conversations" with each donor about your cause. Follow this simple framework, and you'll keep more donors for longer:
- Ask often and well.
- Thank promptly and well.
- Report back on the impact of the donor's giving.
- Repeat the first three steps over and over again.
This is your path out of the recession and the retention problems that are plaguing fundraisers everywhere.
Donor retention is down across the fundraising industry. Here are five of the most common causes of donor attrition -- and what you can do to overcome them:
- Poor receipting
- Not enough communication
- Not enough reporting back
- Online and offline communications out of sync
- Acquisition and cultivation out of sync
The good news: You can change each of these attrition-driving things!
How much fundraising is too much? How much is too little? There's no single right answer to these questions, but we can help you move toward what's best for your organization.
If you increase your number of appeals, you will see more net revenue, and improved donor retention. Really! Embrace this truth, and throw off your limited-revenue shackles. It works.
Five quick, easy-to-understand, easy-to-implement pieces of advice that have transformed our work over the years:
- Donors fund outcomes, not processes.
- If you like it, it probably won't work.
- There are many best practices in fundraising that will probably work for you.
- Sell the sizzle, not the steak.
- Fundraising is good for donors.
Learn how these short bits of wisdom can transform your fundraising. Plus at least one bonus piece of advice!
A lively and useful interview with Jeff Schreifels of Veritus Group and co-author of the excellent Veritus Group Blog.
We talk about the differences between raising funds from major donors and raising funds in general (there aren't many differences). Also, the "secrets" of major-donor fundraising are hardly secret at all.
Peter Drucker said "What's measured improves." Want to improve your fundraising? Here are the two most important things to measure:
- Net revenue
- Donor retention
There are a lot of other key performance indicators in fundraising, but if you measure (and thus improve) these two numbers, your fundraising program will be in fine shape.
Don't miss these insights from the front lines of fundraising!
I know Roger Craver. Roger Craver is a friend of mine. And frankly, we are no Roger Craver.
But we think you'll get a lot from this podcast nevertheless, as we'll show you how to stop wasting time, money and energy jumping from one fundraising tactic to the next and instead focus on what matters: Your relationship with your donors and your fundraising offer. When you understand those two things, you'll be better at choosing the right fundraising tactics, and you'll be much better at making any tactic fulfill its promise.
In this not-to-be-missed interview, fundraising legend and co-editor of The Agitator discusses donor retention, the importance of social media in fundraising, and how things have changed in our profession over the years. This discussion will fill your brain with ideas. Note: somewhat salty language!
Why do your donors leave? For the most part, it's your fault -- the things you do (and don't do) drive away donors. But there's a lot you can do to keep donors happy, engaged, and giving. We look at some of those smart fundraising moves in this podcast and the previous one.
We are looking at donor retention research posted here: Why donors stop their support.
Why do your donors leave? Here's the bad news: It's mostly your fault. The good news: There's lot you can do to keep them engaged and giving. We look at some of those smart fundraising moves in this podcast and the next one.
We are looking at donor retention research posted here: Why donors stop their support.
After an embarrassingly long hiatus, we take a look at the new book The Fundraiser's Guide to Irresistible Communications: How it can help you raise more money for your cause, and why it may be the most important book ever published. The book is available at:
- Amazon
- Amazon UK
- Emerson & Church (go here if you're ordering in bulk)
Are you creating fundraising that looks great or that gets results? Often, you can do one or the other, not both. In this look at the power of the odd, unattractive, and unfashionable in direct mail, broadcast, and online, we'll show you how the quest to make your fundraising aesthetically pleasing usually leads to lower results. Mentioned in this podcast: Monday Morning Memo by Roy H. Williams.
If the purpose of your website is to raise funds, why is fundraising limited to a couple of "DONATE" buttons? Here's a look at how you can maximize online revenue by making your website relevant, useful, and easy for donors.
Websites mentioned in this podcast:
- World Vision
- American Cancer Society
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
- The Jimmy Fund
- The Online Giving Study
The over-focus on the amount nonprofits spend on fundraising and administration (as opposed to accomplishing their mission) is throttling many organizations, keeping them artificially poor and less able to do what they exist to do. We talk about some alternatives to focusing on that fundraising ratio.
Listen in as an executive director of a nonprofit and his enthusiastic brand consultant change the name and look of an organization. Warning: Satire.**
For the sixth installment of our State of Fundraising series, we look at steady stream of innovations for nonprofits that happen all the time. How do you deal with it all? How do you know what to ignore and what to get involved with? Here's a framework that can help you get it right.
For the fifth installment of our State of Fundraising series, we take a look at survey research and how fundraisers can get value from it -- without being led dangerously astray. Surveys seem (and often claim) to report the truth. In reality, they reveal something else that's often far from truth.
For the fourth installment of our State of Fundraising series, we interview Sean Triner, founder of Pareto Fundraising, who blogs at Sean Triner's Blog. Sean shares some of what's happening in fundraising outside the US, based on his experience in Australia, Asia, Europe, and Canada. The way we do it in America is not the only way!
For the third installment of our State of Fundraising series of podcasts, we interview Katya Andresen, Chief Operating Officer at Network for Good, who speaks frequently about online fundraising and blogs at Katya's Nonprofit Marketing Blog. She touches on many aspects of fundraising on the web, from what's on your homepage to what you should do on Facebook. And don't miss the one thing you can do that will make the biggest difference for your online fundraising -- it's surprisingly easy!
For the second installment of our new State of Fundraising series of podcasts, we interview Bill Jacobs of Grizzard, whom you can frequently read at Grizzard's Blog. Bill talks about two massive changes that are hitting the fundraising industry: The arrival of Boomers in their prime giving years and the way donors now respond to our fundraising as they please -- not necessarily in the ways we want them to. (Up to a third of response to direct mail comes in through channels other than mail!) If we don't respond to these huge and growing trends, we are in deep trouble in the coming years.
For the first installment of our new State of Fundraising series of podcasts, we interview Jon Van Wyk of TrueSense Marketing and blogger at Fundraising Growth Now. Jon enlightens us about some of the generational and technology changes we must pay attention to if we're going to keep raising funds in the coming years.
Two years ago, they had a great year-end letter that raised a lot of money for the cause. Last year, the committee was full of ideas for improving the letter. The result: a 50% drop in giving. Using two real year-end fundraising letters from a real organization, we reconstruct the scene of the crime. Don't let this happen to your fundraising!
Warning: Satrical content. Do not take the advice you hear on this podcast!
The good fundraiser knows that not everything you do makes good fundraising. We bring donors on board with the stuff that makes their heart sing. We don't insist that they fully get it before we'll accept their donations.
If you've been paying attention to what information donors respond to, you know what to say and what not to say. Editing happens all the time. Just take a listen to this podcast. It's edited from our previous podcast -- and it's just as true.
It's also the work of our now-former editor, Peter Li. We consider it some of his best work.
Direct mail, the life-blood of most fundraising programs, has different design conventions from other types of design. It's less pretty, more old-fashioned, and almost messy. Here's a look at direct mail design and packaging: Everything you need to create successful fundraising appeals -- from fonts, to photos, to underlining.
Effective fundraising has some characteristics that you might find odd or off-putting:
- It's simple.
- It's about only one thing.
- There's an obsessive call to action.
- It's built around stories.
- It suggests specific amounts for donors to give.
- It's all about donors (not about the nonprofit).
This action-packed program will help you know what should be in your fundraising messages -- and why.
Fundraising is a specialized form of communication. It's just plain odd in many ways. In this first part of a three-part series on the conventions and norms of fundraising, we look at the the way fundraising copy is written, and why it contains so much of these things:
- Urgency
- Emotion
- Low-grade reading level
- Repetition
- A P.S.
- Length
- Conversational approach
- Direct style
If you're someone who must okay fundraising copy, if you're writing fundraising copy, or if you hope to do either some day, this podcast will be a goldmine of practical information for you.
It's pretty simple, really: Fundraising works when it's relevant to donors. When it's not relevant, people ignore it. Using the recent Haiti earthquake as an example, we look at what makes a situation relevant, and what you can do to increase that relevance to your donors -- even if you don't raise money for natural disasters.
A look at what's going well, what's not, and what we need to know as the nonprofit world responds to the catastrophic January 12 Haiti Earthquake. Includes ideas for fundraisers who are not connected to the disaster.
Here are four truths about fundraising that can transform the way you approach this beautiful profession:
- Fundraising is good for donors.
- Fundraising is a lot like courtship.
- Fundraising is about your donors, not you.
- Fundraising is a science.
(The facts we cite about the impact of giving on giver are taken from the book Who Really Cares by Arthur C. Brooks.)
Happy Holidays, and the best to you in the coming year!
Here are ten practical things you can do -- starting today -- that will make you into a better fundraiser:
- Donate.
- Send and receive snail-mail.
- Sign up for lots of email from other nonprofits.
- Participate in online social networking sites.
- Hang around with older people.
- Become aware of the cultural context of your audience.
- Go to church.
- Read the popular press.
- Pay attention to how you ask people for favors.
- Work at becoming a better writer.
You can start doing some of these things today. Don't miss this super-practical podcast!
In this episode we interview Chris Doyle, President and CEO of American Leprosy Missions, an organization that's leading the fight against leprosy around the world. Back in the mid-90s, when Doyle joined, the organization was in an accelerating downward slide. Learn about the steps Doyle and American Leprosy Missions took to turn the corner and return to health. It's an inspiring story that shows what you can do by getting the basics right.
Okay, you've cried, you've pleaded, you've made your case. But there's no way around it: You have to cut your fundraising budget. Find out the area you can cut with little damage to your program, the areas where cuts would be devastating, and areas where you can make meaningful savings. We can't make the cuts feel good, but we can keep them from hurting your program too much.
Don't miss this interview with fundraising legend Mal Warwick, author of the recent book Fundraising When Money Is Tight (as well as many other books on fundraising). Find out how to survive the recession -- including the biggest mistake you can make.
An interview with Cass Wheeler, former CEO of the American Heart Association and author of the new book You've Gotta Have Heart: Achieving Purpose Beyond Profit in the Social Sector (available at Amazon and at Powell's). Don't miss what this wise CEO has to say about people who are good at fundraising, how to make sure you get the right people, how to set bold goals, and how the right people with audacious goals can radically change a whole organization.
An interview with Troy Stremler, CEO of Newdea, a company that helps nonprofits measure and report the impact of their programs. Troy sees a big change in the new generation of donors: They don't want to be "marketed to" -- they want to be partners with the organizations they support. If he's right (and we think he is), that means we're going to need a radical new level of transparency, being able to report on the impact of their involvement, rather than trying to motivate them with the tired old stream of branding activities and low-involvement fundraising tactics we've relied on. This program will encourage and/or terrify you!
Working with the right fundraising consultant or agency can take your organization to undreamed-of heights. Having the wrong partner can be as rewarding as a long afternoon with a hungry, sleep-deprived two-year-old. In this podcast we share the three things you should think about when choosing the right fundraising partner.
We're back -- after a delay we're attributing to the economy and a house-fire -- with practical hints for planning your upcoming fundraising campaigns in a way that will help keep you out of trouble in these hard times.
The entire Fundraising Is Beautiful staff gathers for a holiday party and to wish our listeners and friends (especially those who are both) some good things for the coming year.
The year is nearly over, but there's still time to do a go to your donors online -- in fact, the next couple of week are prime time for online fundraising. We'll lay out a basic schedule and give some tips for the last, crucial impacts of the year.
We continue the discussion on how your brand can help or hurt your fundraising and reveal the top branding error that torpedoes so many nonprofits. And don't miss a rare disagreement between Steven and Jeff -- tensions rise over dueling analogies. Listen to find out if the argument erupts into fisticuffs!
How does the discipline of branding help your efforts to raise revenue for your cause? How does it hurt? How do you decide how to spend your marketing dollars? Get ready for a feather-ruffling, controversial look at this difficult topic.
There's really only one thing you need to be afraid of during this economic crisis. Find out what it is, and discover many other tips for surviving hard times -- and maybe even turning it to your fundraising and long-term advantage.
In almost every nonprofit organization there's tension between program people (those who do the organization's mission) and fundraising people (those who raise the money to make the work possible). This podcast reveals some things you can do to ease the tension, keep the peace, and move forward in a way that brings about the most good for everyone.
Now that you believe in producing a newsletter for donors, here are some of the little-known and seldom-done best practices for making your newsletter bring in net revenue even while it improves the health of your file.
Did you know that many donors ask for newsletters from the charities they support? A great newsletter can improve donor retention and upgrading and bring in revenue while it does it. Find out how you can benefit from the power of a donor-centric newsletter.