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#GivingTuesday Magic For Year-End Fundraising

#GivingTuesday gives you the gift of a fabulous opportunity to kick-off your year-end fundraising!


Did You Miss This #GivingTuesday Live from Blockbuster? Lots of good tips! www.givingtuesday.org is a super resource right now with toolkits to make it all so doable no matter your staff or time. Ck Out the free ‘text to give’ resource in this Live and more!

#GivingTuesday Tips

What is #GivingTuesday? #GivingTuesday is a counterpoint to the consumerism of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It started with just a few hundred nonprofits in 2012 and it has since blossomed into an international day of giving around the globe. In 2015, the total donations for the day were up to $116.4 million from $45.6 million a year before!

#GivingTuesday is the launch of your year-end giving season. It starts the energy and excitement to carry you through December 31st. Think of #GivingTuesday as an online kick off.

#GivingTuesday Goals
Your giving Tuesday goals can be about more than just dollars raised. Here are some different goals to set:
• Number of donors
• Number of new donors
• Number of volunteers/hours (if you are including an activity)
• Number of recurring donors
• Percentage participation among key groups like staff, board, alumni, or clients
This is a chance to tell fresh stories, attract new younger supporters, accelerate your social media presence or diversify your fundraising channels.
Essential DIY Tools
Network for Good provides an ultimate #GivingTuesday checklist
Make a plan
You need a concrete plan with goals and a calendar timeline. You won’t know if you’re on track without a detailed plan!
Inspire your donors to give
Use wonderful stories and an easy to use donation page with a prominent donate now button.
Show your gratitude
Have an instant thank you letter to send to your donors. Have a system in place to welcome new donors so they feel valued and appreciated right from the start.
Set goals
It is imperative to have a clear goal that you, your team, and your supporters can rally around. If you had a #GivingTuesday campaign last year, you can use those results as a benchmark. Another great goal setting tool is to use a giving pyramid. Map out what you will need to get to your goal. One or two donors at the top level with more donors at the lowest level.
Try a new idea
This is the perfect chance to try something new. Your #GivingTuesday goal will probably be a smaller one and you’ll be attracting lots of new donors, so this is your best opportunity of the year to try new ideas.

Rock Your Year-End Storytelling

Your non-profit story is your most valuable asset. Your heartfelt story will inspire action and create change. If you can tell your story like a feature movie, your donors will never forget it. And, even better, they’ll share it with others and you’ll be a rockstar.

Rock your storytelling! Your non-profit story is your most valuable asset. Your story can inspire action and create change. If you can tell your story like a feature movie, your donors will never forget it. And, even better, they’ll share it with others.

Important Story Components

A Character
Stories that draw people in are stories in which people care about, identify with or are fascinated by a character. You’ve got to put your characters front and center. Who is the person who needs your donor’s help?

A Hero
You need a hero. Ideally, this would be your donor!

A Threat
What is your donor saving your character from? What will happen without your donor’s help?

The Head and The Heart
You need to balance this combination. Don’t just give the facts and figures. To really tell a story well you have to be able to hold someone’s pain.

Top 10 Insights from the 2012 Nonprofit Technology Conference
#1 – The best stories are the ones that you remember. That move you to share and take action.
#2 – People will forget what you told them, they’ll forget what you did, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel through stories. Make your story about your case and the character who will be helped.
#3 – Your storytelling doesn’t have to live within your marketing team. Your donors can contribute by sharing.
#4 – Keep recording stories! Talk to your donors and other staff and figure out some great stories to tell.
#5 – Consider your medium. Tell stories in direct mail, email, and also in video form.
#6 – In your video stories, make sure to not just have talking heads and keep your video to 1-2 minutes.
#7 – Don’t forget, a story has a beginning, middle, and end.
#8 – Use an image to touch heartstrings.
#9 – Simple stories are the best.
#10 – Don’t be afraid to fail!

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!

12 Year-End Fundraising Checklists

12 fundraising checklists that will take your year-end fundraising to huge heights so you’ll definitely want to review and check off each detail!

Blockbuster is all about bringing all the very best fundraising tips to one place where you can spend minutes a day, reviewing, refreshing and learning from the most excellent fundraising leaders globally available. Today’s Facebook LIVE presents 12 fundraising checklists that to be best you want to review and check off each detail! Save and watch in October so your plans are complete and completely super ready for fab 2017 success!

AWESOME ANNUAL APPEAL IDEAS

Resist surrendering to the good news compulsion in your annual appeal. You have to make people want to help you. Your job is to convince them that you need their help.

Annual Appeal Suggestions and Who better to take annual appeal suggestions from than the Dean of Direct Mail? Jerry Huntsinger from the Showcase of Fundraising Innovation and Inspiration (SOFII) gives these nine great tips for winning appeal letters.

Tip #1 – Good news?
Resist surrendering to the good news compulsion. You have to make people want to help you. Your job is to convince them that you need their help. So if all you talk about is good news, they might think you don’t need their help.

Tip #2 – Talk about yourself
Don’t be reluctant to say “I.” Your donors want a letter from a real live person who is compassionate and cares about their mission. Don’t make it stuffy and institutionalized. Keep it real and personal.

Tip #3 – Surprise!
Don’t let your donors anticipate what you’ll do next. Keep them off balance; keep them guessing. Every fundraising package they receive from you should contain an element of surprise. Check your format and make it unique. You don’t want your donors anticipating your every move.
Tip #4 – Stories
Tell more stories this year about the needy people or animals you are helping. Your donors want to help real people and not an organization.

Tip #5 – Graphic Excitement
Put more graphic excitement in your letters. People are busy and save time by scanning the page and then deciding if the material deserves more of their time. Use bold font and underlining, short paragraphs, more attention grabbing statements, and more headlines.

Tip #6 – Loooong letter
Rethink your prejudice against long copy. This letter has to do a lot of telling and asking so you want to take your time. Make it longer and more compelling.

Tip #7 – No worries
Stop worrying about donors being offended by your fundraising appeals. Worry more about convincing them to send money! They want to hear from you. Don’t be shy. Just write a great letter with great stories.

Tip #8 – Getting to know you
Get to really know your donors specifically. Who signs the checks? Read the positive letters they send in. Every week call three donors at random and talk to them. Tell them you are trying to get to know your donors better.

Tip #9 – Thinking of you
Donors don’t think about you nearly as much as you think about them. They think about you when you call and when they receive a letter from you. So make it good! The better your communication with them, the more fondly they’ll remember you.

ULTIMATE DONOR THANK YOU CHECKLIST

You’ve got the donation, but your work is not done. Sending a great thank you letter is the most important step in keeping your donors for the long term.

Thank you letter checklist

You’ve got the donation, but your work is not done. Sending a great thank you letter is the most important step in keeping your donors for the long term. Lisa Sargent has compiled an essential thank you letter checklist for the Showcase of Fundraising Innovation and Inspiration website, www.sofii.org.

Here are some important questions to ask about your thank you letter. Hint: All your answers should be “yes!”

1. Is your letter personalized? Do you mention the gift amount?
2. Do you start with something other than “Thank you for your gift”? Use an exciting lead.
3. Do you tell your donor when and how they will next hear from you?
4. If this is a repeat gift, do you also thank the donor for their past generosity and continued contributions or support?
5. If this is a gift membership, do you thank the giftee and talk about what this kind of gift makes possible? And do you send a thank you letter to the giftor as well?
6. Do you say something new or timely in the PS? Upcoming opportunities to meet with you make a perfect PS.
7. Do you include a contact number or email for your donor to use if they have a question?
8. Do you need to thank them for something specific? Examples of this include a membership, a holiday gift, or a memorial.
9. Do you reference something specific such as a gift you’ll be sending or a certificate you have enclosed?
10. Do you mention your Facebook or social media page in your letter? Include a call to action directing them to your page.
Now that you have confirmed that you have included all the essential information, here are some additional guidelines for writing a successful thank you letter.
1. Keep the letter short. It should be three to four paragraphs plus your PS.
2. Include required tax deductible language.
3. Use the word “you.” Don’t use “we” or “our,” because they make it happen and your thank you should focus on the donor.
4. Thank them more than once in the letter.
5. Proof your letter. Read it out loud and have someone else check it for grammar and spelling.
6. Hand sign them all if you can. If you have too many donors, determine the dollar amount that you will hand sign. Phone calls are also great additions when thanking your top donors!
7. DO NOT include an additional ask or a request to upgrade to monthly giving. Instead, it is acceptable to include a reply envelope.

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.

Setting Up Your YearEnd Fundraising Plan

Steps a nonprofit must take now for year-end fundraising success.

Originally a Facebook Live Presentation, setting up a plan for year-end giving for your nonprofit with less than 100 days left for 2017 fundraising.

Here are steps you can take now for year-end blockbuster fundraising success.

Why Monthly Giving Should Top Your To-Do List Now

Make Monthly Giving work for in time for year-end success!

It’s never been more important to put Monthly Giving ‘front and center’ in all your donor communications! Learn how to make it work for you and your year-end success!

Landing the Big Major Gift Now

Major Gift Success Tips In Time For Year-End Success

Major Gifts Success

With only 90 days left in the year, do we still have time for major gifts? Of course! But you need to start now.

Your annual giving program is the primary source of major gift prospects. Five to twenty percent of all donors who give by direct mail really have more than $1 million in liquidity and gift capacity. This means there is a treasure trove of prospects right there on your mailing list. You just need to find them and start cultivating them.

A great source of major gifts information is the book Rainmaking, the Fundraiser’s Guide to Landing Big Gifts by Roy C. Jones and Andrew Olsen.
Here are the steps you need to take now to have major gift success this year:

Step 1: Review
First, review last year’s numbers. Who were your biggest donors? Are there donors on your list who could be giving more?
Step 2: Prioritize
Now you can decide who your best suspects for becoming major donors are. Move these individuals to prospects. This is called moves management.
Step 3: Get on the phone
The next step is to make phone calls! These calls must be important, scripted, and purposeful. Make a calling plan and stick to it. Your goal for these phone calls is to secure a meeting. Likely, it will take a lot of time and phone calls to reach this goal. To simply talk to 10 people, you have to dial the phone over 50 times and leave over 20 voicemails. Talking to those 10 people will yield you about three meetings. Yes, it’ll take you 50 phone calls to get just three meetings. So start calling!!!
Step 4: Meeting preparation
Now that you’ve got some meetings set up, the next step is to attend the meetings, right? Not so fast! You need to seriously prep and plan for the meeting first. Put a customized cultivation plan together for every donor you are going to meet with. Make sure you know what you are going to talk to them about, which of your programs interest them most, and what you are going to ask them for. The more prepared you are, the more likely you are to have a successful meeting.

SUCCESSFUL 7 STEP MAJOR GIFT PROCESS

Borrow these seven steps for Major Gift Success

Major gift fundraising isn’t rocket science! That is what major gift fundraising experts Jeff Schreifels and Richard Perry from the Veritus Group tell us in their blog. They do acknowledge that it is very hard work and it does require a process. Fortunately for us, Jeff and Richard developed a brilliant major gift process.

Here is their process broken down into seven steps:

Step 1: Cultivate the right donors.
You should have a qualified list of donors right now. These are donors that you plan to present to before year end. Now is not the time to chase unqualified major gift donors. Keep your list updated and organized.
Step 2: Have a revenue goal for each donor.
Setting goals is necessary to success. It gives you your destination. Look at each donor individually and determine a realistic goal for each.
Step 3: Have a strategic plan for each donor.
It is important to carefully plan how you’re going to achieve each goal. If you don’t have a roadmap you aren’t going to be able to stay focused and accountable. Your plans should be donor focused, so take time to identify and ensure you are serving the interest and passion of the donor.
Step 4: Meet face-to-face.
Half of your time now should be spent face to face with your prospects. You’ve already done the research and know all about them so now you need to meet in person.
Step 5: Be donor-centric.
Match your program ask with the hopes, dreams, and desires of the donor. Know exactly what about your mission that they are passionate about and be sure you are focusing on that anytime you talk to them.
Step 6: Thank your donors.
When they give, thank them immediately. Make sure it is heartfelt and personalized. Have leadership in your organization call them in addition to the standard letter.
Step 7: Report back.
Make sure they know they made a difference and understand their impact.