What's your best lead for year-end giving? A reminder about tax deductions?
We don't think so. While there's no real hard evidence to prove it, this is our thinking.
Consider first, the fact that less than fifty percent of Americans itemize their taxes. Of course, the itemization rate increases as income goes up, but it's not wise to assume that all of your donors have large incomes. People in lower income brackets actually tend to contribute a greater percentage of their income to charity than people in higher brackets.
Then consider the people you are likely to reach at this time of the year.
The procrastinator: This person is well aware of your organization... they are aware of tax deadlines... they may even already have a list of organizations they plan to contribute to at year-end. Yet they haven't found their perfect moment to sit down and take action. Your regular presence in their mailbox or in-box is the best way to win them over to action. But they need to be reminded not of the pesky stuff like taxes, but rather about why your organization is important and deserving of action.
The planner: This person does care about tax deductions and probably already has a plan in their head about how much they intend to contribute at year-end. Your goal here is to convince them that your organization belongs on the list. Possibly your goal is to be even more convincing, and get them to give more than they had originally planned. The tax deduction case then, is also not your best lead here.
The lover: This person loves what your organization does, probably supports you already, and feels great about the world in this "season of giving." They're walking around with a do-good spirit, just waiting to make a difference. Your powerful, passionate, and emotional case can inspire them to do more. Your reminder about tax deductions will probably leave them feeling flat.
The tester: This person knows about your organization, maybe follows you on social media and receives your emails. But they have yet to support your organization. They still need to be convinced, which means that you need to make a strong case for the power of their gift, and the importance of your goals and deadlines, then follow with the tax reminder as an added benefit.
Now is a good time to double-check your year-end efforts before they hit mailboxes and in-boxes in the weeks ahead.
ARE YOU PERSONAL? People connect with and contribute to people. "You's" and "I's" should fill your communications rather than the more formal "our supporters" and "we's."
ARE YOU TARGETED? This isn't the time for an "everything but the kitchen sink" story about all you do. Build your communication around one key message. Stick close to your theme and develop it well.
DO YOU ASK FOR THE MONEY? Ask directly, succinctly and with power. Ask more than once. Don't ask questions (will you consider a gift?) or be less than assured (we hope you will contribute). Be bold: Your support right now is vital to the future. Make your important contribution today.
Up next: Your hook. How heavy should you go with tax and deadline messages?
Successful fundraising, marketing and PR pitches have one thing in common: FOCUS.
Here's a simple trick to help you build a focused story.
1) Get out a piece of paper.
2) Write "The End" on it.
3) Just above "The End," write your final sentence - your story's defining idea.
Now, begin your story, and point everything you write towards that end.Stay focused!
Consider the platforms available on which to raise funds.
On-air has power because it involves human faces and voices making a direct, heartfelt appeal. Direct mail has power because it is personal, and has a physical presence. And then there's online - with our ubiquitous "Donate Now" buttons in the top corner - that nut we can't quite seem to crack.
Here's what we know: On the average day, the vast majority of people who come to your site do not come with the intent to donate - just as the person who turns on their TV or radio in the morning is not expecting to be persuaded by a fundraising pitch, and the person who opens the mailbox is not expecting a letter from your organization.
And yet they give.
So why aren't we converting more people to donors online?
Perhaps we haven't caught up
with the power of the online platform to inspire action.
Think about it like this: You wouldn't ever simply put a "donate now"
button up in the corner of the TV screen and actually expect it to
deliver results. And you wouldn't simply send a reply form in an envelope
without taking the opportunity to enclose a personal letter sharing why support is important.
Yet this is what the vast majority of our online fundraising does.
What's there to catch attention? What's there to inspire? Where's the human pitch? Where's the personal appeal?
- What if you started simple, and made more of your donate button real estate. Add a short, powerful slogan like, "You keep this alive" or "Your support is critical" for example.
- What if you added a video of a recognizable person from your organization making a powerful appeal for why funds matter -- and you linked to it from multiple pages.
- What if you created your own set of bold advertising buttons and banners and changed their content to match each section of your site.
- What if you built and launched an actual online campaign that uses many of these techniques and more, and lasts for a week or two.
It can be done with imagination and bold action..
