In the big funnel of fundraising, we often spend much of our focus on how many prospects we turn into donors.
There's also the issue of speed - how quickly we can funnel people from interested person into committed donor.
When speed is the focus, communication is the priority.
Speedy donor conversion comes from building an engaging experience... connecting early and often... and creating a collaborative marketing and fundraising program that brings high visibility to your appeals.
More donors faster goes far beyond just asking more. It's a commitment to connection.
Unlike direct mail, which can be held up for a day or two in a busy post office, you have ultimate control over when to send your emails.
A recent article in the Chronicle of Philanthropy reports that Tuesday
is the most lucrative day for online giving, while Thursday sports the
highest average gift, and Monday, the highest number of gifts. Weekends are decidedly lackluster. Additionally, 60% of online giving occurs during workday hours.
So should we all just start sending emails out on Tuesdays at 10am?
Not necessarily, because email doesn't stand alone. Other fundraising efforts still drive the majority of online giving.
Instead, combine this data with what you know about your own program and the other initiatives you have in play, in order to make the best choices for your situation.
Always keep in mind that email is there and gone in the blink of an eye. The more informed your strategy is, the better chance you have to generate traction.
As several more athletes recently got caught up in doping violations that made the finish line just a little easier for them to reach, it's a good time to note that in fundraising, there is no performance-enhancing drug.
Long-term success in our race can only be found in doing the work... learning... creating... putting your campaign in the race... collecting the results... learning more... and doing it again and again.
This is how a program builds, improves, and creates the traction and loyalty that generates solid, increasing net revenue.
Your easy, sure-fire idea simply won't work if you haven't built a strong foundation of messaging and technique over time.
And when the time comes that you actually need to sprint to the finish to fill a funding gap or avoid a fiscal crisis, it's only your foundation of solid work that will ensure that your supporters will come along with you to help you finish that final homestretch with success.
Chances are, other organizations do similar work, and your marketing and fundraising efforts target many of the same people.
Success often comes in helping people see how your organization is special and distinct.
It's not likely to be found in what you do.
It's more likely to be found in how you do it, where you do it, or who you serve.
This is a great summer exercise. Gather some colleagues, have this conversation, then turn your answers into copy and campaigns that truly set your organization apart from the rest.
On any given day, a multitude of people could be delivering a message about your organization. Do you know what they're saying?
Whether it's your board... volunteers... donors... your customer service team... organization staff... telemarketers... event partners, and more....These people have a passion for your organization. They want to talk about you. And they're more than willing to fill in the details if they haven't received them from you.
Here's what you can do:
Launch a new habit of sharing key messages and developments with all stakeholders on a regular basis, either annually, semi-annually, or at the launch of important campaigns.
Make it a priority.
Make it part of your process.
Make it simple to absorb, easy to get behind, and specific to their needs.
When people feel that they're an important part of your communications team - when they feel informed and inspired - when they know not only what you want them to say, but why you want them to say it - they can help keep your message strong and targeted out in your community.
Great fundraising spins your story in a multitude of ways across the year.
But the foundation of true effectiveness is repetition.
Repetition of ideas. Repetition of phrases and slogans. Repetition of techniques.
Your story builds emotion and connection. Your repetition delivers the power that drives action.
How many times have you written that sentence? Said that catch phrase? Are you tired of it?
That's exactly how you want to feel.
You can use repetition effectively by mapping out your organization's key ideas, words and phrases onto a one-sheet and using them every time you write.
Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
If yours is the kind of organization that cares about your brand, and prefers that people interact with you on your own website, you may see things like Kickstarter as a threat to the way you want to do business.
However, at this point, it seems fairly certain that online cause and project fundraising is here to stay. So what do you do? Jump in!
Why? First, the downside risk is actually very slim. Second, it's likely that there are far more people clicking around on big social media and crowd funding sites than on your website. And third, unless you try, you'll never know the answers to questions like these:
- Will some of your fans be more inspired by a special project than they are by your traditional fundraising appeals?
- Will this bring new donors to your organization?
- Could this bring your current supporters even closer because they get to participate in something very concrete - something that becomes their own?
- Are these gifts sustainable over the long-term?
- Does it matter if they're sustainable, or is there something else going on here too?
Yesterday, I ran across a Nature Conservancy facebook post that led to this page for their "Plant A Billion Trees" campaign. The execution isn't perfect. The video could have been more compelling and less traditional. The copy could have done a better job connecting me, here in Oregon, with that threatened forest very far away. Also, there's a bit of a disconnect between the dollar-a-tree idea... the billion trees planted idea... and the fact that the goal for this particular campaign is only $10,000.
But still it's there. They took the plunge. They're out in the world with it. Their brand isn't wrecked. They haven't lost all control. They will make money. Only time will tell whether it was worth it in the end, but at least they'll know.
That's how intelligence is gathered. That's how change happens.
