Top Three Fundraising Tips for 2014

According to Atlas of Giving, preliminary reports indicate a 12.9% increase in charitable gifts in 2013. Here are three suggestions for ways to keep your fundraising momentum going in 2014:

1. Market monthly donations: Do you have an easy option for donors to make monthly contributions? Your supporters - especially those who are younger - might have a hard time coming up with an annual $100 donation, but if you ask them for $10 a month it instantly becomes doable. After all, that's about the cost of two lattes at Starbucks and less than it costs to see a movie. Of course, you'll want to provide plenty of giving options, listing dollar amounts from large to small. And don't forget to thank your monthly donors at the end of the fiscal year with a personalized letter acknowledging their total annual contribution. The best two things about monthly donations? They are unrestricted and provide secure ongoing cash flow.
2. Know your donors: Does your donor wish to remain anonymous? Hate phone call asks? Love to give funds for scholarships? Volunteer regularly? Only like to give once a year? All of this information - and more - should be noted in your database. The more you know about your donors, the more effective your fundraising efforts will be. And here's the other thing - you also need to know your donor personally, through regular contacts via phone, email, meetings, invites to events, conference calls. Building a donor is like building a friendship and should be treated as such.
3. Tell your story: Face it - it's a digital world, and people have short attention spans. If you want folks to contribute to your cause, you need to capture them quickly and personally. And the best way to do this is with a (very short) story. People quickly tune out when you're reciting facts and figures; a personal story draws them in, invites their empathy, and motivates them to take action. I started using storying as part of my fundraising training sessions after a conference in which I was asked to recount how I got involved in the nonprofit world - in 90 seconds. It's amazing how focused you get when you have a time limit, and how much information can be packed into that minute and a half. It's also amazing how engaged the listener comes. Now I use this technique to train nonprofit boards and staff in making fundraising asks. I have participants practice telling a story about why they care about their organization or about a special success story. You should use the vehicle of story not just in direct personal contacts but also through video on your emails and website.

One crazy note: Atlas of Giving and Giving USA are in the midst of an amusing internet quarrel about who has bragging rights for charitable giving statistics. So - we may see different numbers in upcoming weeks, though both agree that giving has indeed increased. Stay tuned...

Get Organized for the New Year

It's that time of year for New Year's resolutions. Is one of yours to be more organized and productive at work? Here are a few out of the box suggestions for you:

1. Exercise: Take a short brisk walk, do some yoga stretches, do a quick workout. Exercise reduces stress, and when you're less stressed you are better able to focus and get your work done efficiently. Researchers in Sweden discovered that people who take exercise breaks are more productive even when they work fewer hours. They are also healthier (sitting for extended times is not great for your health), and this translates into reduced rates of absence due to illness.
2. Schmooze: Turns out folks who develop friendships with work colleagues are happier, communicate better, and work harder. A study from Tel Aviv University found that people who socialize at work are not only more productive, their bodies release hormones that contribute to better health. So go ahead - chat with your co-workers, tell a joke, share a potluck lunch - it's good for you and for your nonprofit.
3. Stand up: When you stand, whether while talking on the phone or at meetings, you get to the point faster and make decisions more efficiently. And your meetings and phone calls will be shorter. You could even try the latest fad - a standup desk.
4. Listen to music: Believe it or not, research from the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that listening to your favorite music improves job performance - because it makes you feel happier plus drowns out external noise and commotion. Case in point: problem solving and accuracy improves when surgeons listen to their own favorite soundtracks.
5. Break things down: Do you tend to put big difficult tasks at the bottom of your to-do list? All of us have jobs we just don't like to do, or that feel too daunting to begin. Don't put them off forever. Instead, get motivated by breaking challenging jobs into smaller, more manageable pieces. All of a sudden, that big job will begin to feel possible - and you'll get the satisfaction of crossing something off your list.
6. Manage your emails: Are you drowning in email? Send fewer emails - and you'll get fewer in return Do you check your emails constantly throughout the day? Plan designated time slots for checking email, and resist that compelling email ding at all other times. Resolve to be specific and strategic about your email communications this year. Don't let email manage you - manage your email so you can focus on important jobs and goals to further your nonprofit mission.

Happy newly organized New Year to you all!

Giving Thanks: Do's & Don'ts

"Ask them, thank them; ask them again, thank them again." That in a nutshell is the essence of fundraising - and of building sustaining relationships with donors. The thanking part is equally important yet frequently given short shrift. Here are some important tips about how to do it right:

Do: 

• Thank everyone. No matter what the size of the donation - every dollar counts, every door counts. Small donors may become steady supporters, increasing their contributions incrementally over time. They may even surprise you with a really significant donation (or bequest) after they have gotten to know your organization and its work.
• Thank your donor promptly. I cannot stress this enough - make it standard practice to respond with a thank you letter (hand-addressed and sent via first class mail) within a week of receiving every donation. Not only is this simply courtesy; nonprofits that thank their donors promptly are more likely to meet their fundraising goals.
• Use the correct language. Include a date, the amount of the donation, language that indicates the gift is tax-deductible as allowed under tax codes, and this disclaimer: "we received a gift in cash, for which there were no goods or services provided in consideration, in whole or in part, or for which the goods and services provided were of insubstantial value."
• Add a personal touch. Include a handwritten note of thanks. For major gifts, make a phone call to thank them personally. Invite them to become more involved as volunteers. All of these small gestures will help strengthen your relationships with donors.
• Make sure your information is correct. Is the gift amount right? Are the names spelled accurately? If the donor has asked to be anonymous, have you noted that in your letter? Especially for letters to top donors, it's a good idea to have someone else proofread.
• Continue to thank and communicate with your donors throughout the year. Use email, newsletters, letters, postcards, published donor lists, a thank you phone-a-thon, an annual donor appreciation event, and outreach to encourage donor participation and feedback.

Don't:

• Use the wrong salutation. Is it Jim and Jan, or Mr. and Mrs. Smith? Do your homework and make sure to get it right.
• Treat stock gifts like cash gifts. So many organizations simply indicate the cash value of the stock, but this is not what the IRS requires from a donor. You need to state the date of transfer, amount of stock, and exact name of the stock.
• Bother with perks for ongoing donors. My experience (and every study I've seen) shows that perks are useful for drawing in new donors, but they are not a motivator for people who are already connected and contributing.
• Send a form letter to a major donor. Donors who make significant, thoughtful gifts expect and deserve a respectful and thoughtful personal thank you letter.
• Forget to thank your Board: Your Board members are a key part of your fundraising team (and hopefully all donors as well). Know that even the smallest gesture of appreciation will make them feel appreciated, foster greater collaboration, and encourage ongoing financial and fundraising support.

Saying thanks is both common courtesy and good business. Be sure to do it right.