Marketing + Fundraising = LOVE

But oh... so often we've fallen out of love, and we go about begrudging the existence of the other, believing they just don't "get it."

Here's the thing. Marketing and fundraising are intricately entwined. One simply can't be at it's best without the other. Here's why.

The first question your prospective donor will ask is - "Does it matter?" 

"Yes" gets your envelope or email opened. It gets your phone call answered. "Yes" happens because your marketing team effectively built awareness of the value of what your organization does.

The next question is - "Does it matter enough for me to give?" 

Here "Yes" is found inside the fundraising strategy, the message, and the offer - it's inside your ability to persuade and convince a multitude of individuals to act now in support of your cause.

At the most effective organizations, fundraising and marketing teams work together. They respect the difference in their strategies, techniques and goals. They openly share ideas. And they focus on collaboration rather than control.  

Not inside your organization? It only takes one bold person to to ask for that first date. 
Maybe it's you.

The baby and the bathwater...

There are two ways to change things... little by little... or all at once.

Most successful direct mail programs are built on the "little by little" approach. Find a package that works, then tweak it, one element at a time. Keep the elements that improve the package. Remove the ones that don't.

Yet, sometimes it's easy to get frustrated with a slow decline in results... or bored with a package you've sent out "forever"... or tempted by the elusive silver bullet.

This is a fact. Most new packages don't work. Here's the reason. They completely ignore all the years of "little by little" intelligence gathered from actual responses. In order to make a bold move, everything gets thrown out.

So, if you're going to make a go of it, do it for the right reasons. Aim for the ideal, but know the difference between the baby and the bathwater. Approach your creative and strategic efforts with an analytical mind, solid reasoning, and strong evidence in front of you to ensure the best chance of success. Who knows, you just might find the treasure we all seek.

We, you, and us

When it comes to copy that persuades, small words can have a big impact.

Version 1:

"Contribute now because we give children access to learning and opportunity."

Version 2:

"Contribute now because you want children to have access to learning and opportunity."

The first version is organization-centric. The second version fully acknowledges and connects with the values of your reader. And it gives you a better segue to "us" -- to how "we" make things happen together.  

Here's how it might end up:

"Give now because you want children to have access to learning and opportunity. Together, we can keep this vision alive. Your donation is the first step."

A good day for dreaming

"They didn't come for Martin Luther King. They came for themselves." 

True. Martin Luther King had the courage to give his brilliant vision away. He shared it with people so they could turn it into their own dreams, their own values, and their own actions.

Today, we work to save the earth... help people learn... create art... build healthy lives... seek justice... all manner of good things meant to make our world a better place. 

Yet, in our daily efforts to protect our organizations and our expertise, is it possible that we hold it all too close, and keep our determination, struggles, successes and pride to ourselves?

What would happen if we decided it was our job to inspire people not just to contribute or participate, but to believe? What if we knew we could only do that by openly inviting everyone to share in our satisfaction, joy, concerns, and even setbacks?

How would that change the way we think and the way we work?

10 minutes a day -- YOU

To grow your program... climb the ladder... or take the next step -- you must invest in yourself.

What do you want to learn?
How will you approach it?
Who can help you make it happen?

Use your time to think... or read an article... or call a colleague to chat about an idea.

No matter what you do -- whether you choose to learn something, seek ideas, plan for the future, or just sit and let your mind go where it will --10 minutes is a simple, easy way to start down the path of giving yourself more knowledge and tools with which to approach your work even more successfully.

Enjoy your time!

10 minutes a day -- ideas!

Get ideas. It's perhaps the easiest and snazziest way to spend your 10 minutes.

Where do you get them? Anywhere and everywhere. Books... magazines... movies... commercials... video... billboards... conversations.... restaurant menus... things overheard... websites... blogs....

Jot down the stuff you like. Then use it to jump start your creativity when you need it.

This cute Reading Rainbow remix is a great example of something you might stumble across. It's chock full of ideas that can be turned into a story about your organization or an inspiration to connect or give.

Here's what we saw:

Your gift is your passport to... 
You bring it all to life... 
Big or small... it doesn't matter because it comes from your heart... 
Your gift helps create our road map to the future...
Imagine how you can turn dreams into reality...

You never know when you can turn a small idea into something with big impact. 
Happy hunting!

10 minutes a day -- prepare

What about using your special ten minutes to identify potential challenges and "what if's."

What could happen inside your organization that might impact your program?

What could happen outside your organization that might impact your program?

What can you do to prepare?

Put it on your radar. It's grounded. It's rational. It's practical. All good things.