Category: cultivating-donors

Major Donor Strategy: How to Build a Major Gift Fundraising Program

Inside Look... This guide will cover the following topics: Keep the Value of Monthly Donors Top of Mind Don’t Keep Your Monthly Donors Waiting. Steward them early! Be as Committed to Your Monthly Donors as They are to YOU ACT Before Monthly Donors Leave Add Credit Card Account Updater Encourage Electronic Funds Transfers Test Call Your Organization Ensure You and Your Staff are Passionate about Monthly Giving Review Your Join and Retention Processes Look at Your Numbers Introduction! “FIGHT TILL THE LAST GASP.” — William Shakespeare, Henry VI

This is probably one of the most common questions I get whenever I’m presenting a webinar or an in-person session or workshop: “How do I best recognize, thank, cultivate and retain my monthly donors?” That’s why I’ve put together some common best practices. Of course, every organization is different, but most of these are very easy to implement. They don’t cost a lot of money and certainly they don’t take up a lot of your time. The more you can do and prepare before you launch your next monthly donor appeal, the better off you are. Here are three very important things to remember: The more you do in the Recognition, Thanking and Cultivation stage, the higher your monthly donor Retention....

Let your donors know their gifts have impact Nonprofits often deal in large numbers, raising millions of dollars to feed hundreds of thousands of starving children or saving thousands of homeless animals, or rebuilding whole communities after a disaster. But for most people, those numbers don’t resonate. We hurt for those in need, but we wonder how much our relative drop-in-the-bucket donations can help. You know that every dollar matters. Your job is to let your donors know that, as well. Part of the solution is helping donors think in digestible numbers. This campaign does a really nice job of that. Texas-based nonprofit Artist Boat promotes awareness and preservation of coastal prairies,...

A quick word of advice: Don’t panic! Times are tough, but it’ll be OK Sometimes you just need a little assurance that everything’s going to be OK. That may be especially true for you, for fundraisers and change-makers, during these chaotic times. Here’s a bit of advice from fundraising maven Ellen Cobb Church, CEO at Thrive Marketing Group Virginia. Ellen has been a fundraiser for more years than she probably cares to say, so she has a pretty good feel for the heartbeat of the sector these days. “Don’t panic,” Ellen is quick to advise. “Yes, we are living in an unprecedented time for fundraising. And just as we have in other difficult times, nonprofits will continue to connect with donors...

Inside Look | This guide will cover the following topics: 01 Introduction 02 Outline Your Nonprofit Storytelling Ambassador Plan 03The 6 Best Types of Stories for Nonprofits to Share 04 Conclusion 01 Introduction What is nonprofit storytelling, what does it do, and what does it matter for your nonprofit? Storytelling should be actionable - inspiring listeners or readers to take an action on your behalf, whether your goal is to get more members, donations, event attendees etc. It should also make readers want to share the story with others. Let me start with two scenarios. SCENARIO 1: You receive a dry-form letter in the mail from a breast cancer research charity that bought your name from...