November is moving us closer and closer to the final days of year-end fundraising where our fundraising plans turn into fundraising actions! It is important now to look at what we’re doing now and what we might add to make this year of 2017 our best fundraising year ever.
Category: Fundraising 2017 Studies and Results
Avoid These Common Year-End Fundraising Mistakes
Here are 7 common fundraising mistakes you must avoid for year-end success.
10 Facts You Should Know About Year-End Fundraising
NEON is a great fundraising resource and you need to review these ten year-end fundraising facts now! 10 facts sure to help your results!
The Power of Year-End Segmentation
The Power of Segmentation for Year-End Success is Amazing!
Donor Segmentation for maximum fundraising results
First things first: What is segmentation?
Segmentation is the act of dividing your donors into groups based on specific criteria. It is critical that you are able to segment your donors. A donor database with CRM (customer relationship management) technology will help you do this.
So how should you segment your donors?
There are hundreds of ways you can segment your donors: by zip code, gift size, age, and even (if you’ve kept very careful data) what day of the week they have made a donation. Here are some of the most useful methods of donor segmentation.
AFFILIATION AND INTEREST
Segment on how your donors are affiliated based on your mission, organizational structure and community involvement. Which programs and causes is this donor interested in? This will tell you what to focus on in your appeal letter to get the best results.
ENTITY TYPE
What type of entity is this donor? This type of segmentation is critical in creating a strategic plan and forecasting so you can plan for gifts coming from individuals, corporations, government and foundations.
GIVING CHANNEL
How is your donor making their gift? You want to make sure you are offering your donors the opportunity to make a gift in the manner that is most convenient for them. Know when to use mail and when to use email or social media
GIVING LEVEL
Segmenting by the annual giving level will help you know what gift amount you should be suggesting to your donor. Make sure you are ethical and courteous but you must also be careful not to insult or disrespect the donor’s ability or capacity. Remember it is imperative not to ask for too much or too little
GIVING STATUS
Another important segment to look for is giving status. An appeal to a new donor should have a different focus and message than one to a lapsed donors. Retained donors can be segmented too – ones who have increased gifts, decreased gifts, or stayed the same.
Final thoughts
Segmentation gives you creative, intentional ways to engage your donors. It helps you craft your message in a way that your donor will find appealing and personalized. And we all know that the more your donor feels cared for and connected, the more likely they are to make another donation for your cause!
WHY DONORS GIVE MORE
Want to know why Donors Give More? The Burk Donor Survey provides some revealing answers!
Want to know why Donors Give More? The Burk Donor Survey provided some great info about donors and guess what? 21,000 donors completed this survey and 1/3rd of those donors said they could give more! Better watch for some handy tips as you get ready now for year-end fundraising!
Why Donors Give More
We can really boost our fundraising with a little insight into our donor’s minds. Fortunately, The Chronicle of Philanthropy reported the results from The Burk Donor Survey. The report includes some great information about why donors give or don’t give and how to inspire them to give more.
21,000 donors completed the survey and a third of them said that they could give more!!!
Research
Your donors are researching what you are doing. Here is where they are finding their information:
• 54% look at your website.
• 42% consult an online charity watchdog.
• 27% search online for information about your group.
• 26% ask people they trust about your organization.
• 23% review news media reports about your group.
The research your donor’s conduct has a big impact on their decision to make a gift.
• 41% decide not to donate after seeing a charity’s website.
• 41% say a charity’s results determine whether they make a gift.
Donor Quotes
“I would prefer to give more to fewer causes where I can see the results.” Donors want to make an impact!
“Non-profits would do better focusing on success stories … then by trying to make those of us who are considering donating feel privileged and guilty.” Stories are important!
“I dislike being bombarded by donation requests.” Be strategic in your appeals!
“A number of causes left me feeling personally unappreciated.” Saying thank you is essential!
Giving MORE
So why do donors give more? Here are the two biggest reasons donors gave:
• 41% were impressed with the efforts of the nonprofit.
• 26% responded to a special request for support.
How can you inspire your donors to give more? Here are the top five answers:
• 22% would give more if the charity demonstrated an extraordinary need for support.
• 22% would give more if they saw reduced administrative and fundraising expenses.
• 21% would like you to stop sending unwanted gifts and trinkets.
• 19% would give more if the charity sent fewer solicitations.
• 15% would like more information on what gifts accomplish.
Remember, 31% of donors said they could have given more. And 41% of donors under the age 35 said they could have given more. Don’t leave this money on the table! Every little effort – your stories, your website, your donation page, your thank you notes – it all adds up and will pay off.
Is Your Donation Page Frustrating Your Donors? – Mistake #2 Asking For Too Much Information
A blog I read and admire struck a chord with this short blog. Here are 9 Donation Page Mistakes you need to be certain you’re not making (the link to the blog is below). Today we explore Mistake #2 (Asking For Too Much Information) and how to fix it!
#SUMMERLEARNINGSERIES
IS YOUR DONATION PAGE FRUSTRATING YOUR DONORS? Mistake #1 Hard to Find Donation Buttons
A blog I read and admire struck a chord with this short blog. Here are 9 Donation Page Mistakes you need to be certain you’re not making (the link to the blog is below). Today we explore Mistake #1 (Hard to Find Donation Buttons) and how to fix it!
http://www.futurefundraisingnow.com/future-fundraising/2017/06/9-ways-you-might-be-chasing-donors-away-from-your-donation-pages.html
#SUMMERLEARNINGSERIES
ARE NONPROFITS FACING TUMULTUOUS TIMES IN 2017?
https://youtu.be/PiFhsdP1z_A
Do you think you nonprofit is facing tumultuous times in 2017? Are you uncertain of the future, what to expect next and what to do about it? Recently in Medford, OR a group o nonprofit peeps were called together by the prestigious Oregon Community Foundation to discuss major potential challenges to local nonprofits and here’s what they had to say about the current times for nonprofits in Southern Oregon. How about your area of the country? Would love to hear your thoughts!
GIVING USA 2017 DATA POINTS TO BUILDING DONOR RELATIONSHIPS
Invest 80% of your Development Time & Efforts in Building Better Donor Relationships! That’s the main Takeaway from Bloomberg on the recent release of the Giving USA 2017 Philanthropic results of 2016 that were just released yesterday! Watch these Relationship Building Secrets now!
Are You Taking Advantage of Opportunities the Top 2017 Fundraising Trends Offer?
https://youtu.be/vPDdvNvQGO8
Is your NonProfit taking great advantage of the 2017 top fundraising trends?
Watch this video for top ten review and ways you can act now to take action for fabulous 2017 fundraising results!.
Thank you CauseVox for your Top10 Trend List! More help here: https://www.causevox.com/fundraising-plan-calendar/
Why Do Trends Matter to NonProfits?
The National Council of NonProfits has this to say Nonprofit Sector Trends
“Trends in the economy, demographics, technology, communications, and even how we spend our leisure time, can affect the core capacities needed by every charitable nonprofit to be effective and sustainable.
It is our hope that by shining a light on nonprofit trends, those who lead charitable nonprofits, as well as those who invest in their missions, will be armed with information useful for decision making and planning for the future.”
– See more at: https://www.councilofnonprofits.org/nonprofit-sector-trends#sthash.Lot9vsos.dpuf
HOW EFFECTIVE IS OUR FUNDRAISING? AND THE SURVEY SAYS
The 2017 FEP Giving Effectiveness Report, (http://afpfep.org), which I read last weekend prompted this video and the video seems very somber, but so is the news! I personally trust this report due to the fact that 4 superstars, Bloomerang, DonorPerfect, eTapestry and Neon put it the data together with nearly 11,000 nonprofits participating! Fundraisers, you need to read this report and adjust your fundraising! We are certainly not making forward-like fundraising strides!
https://youtu.be/FzhAD5JhqKc