I receive a lot of questions about annual fundraising appeal best practices. You’ll find a lot of tips in this free, downloadable “Annual Appeal Checklist.” But today let’s look at some of the thornier questions I receive. Q. What if your mailing list isn't really that great? A. There’s no [...]
Ultimately, the goal of every appeal letter is to get a resounding “Yes!” With the right number of positive responses to your annual fundraising appeal letter, you can get the support you need for your mission. You could even surpass your short-term goals, giving your nonprofit the ability to focus [...]
The last six weeks of the calendar year are make or break time for nonprofits. In fact, nearly 30% of nonprofits raise 26-50% of their annual fundraising in November and December – when folks are feeling their most grateful and generous. So you really want to be firing on all [...]
In 1984 Robert Cialdini wrote a groundbreaking book, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, outlining principles of influence that affect human behaviors. Today these principles have been well documented. Trail-blazing research added by behavioral scientists like Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky supports and expands on Cialdini’s principles. No matter how much technology advances, the triggers [...]
While some donors upgrade their giving without being asked, most donors wait to be asked – or at least to be offered a darn good reason to give more. In Part 1 of this three-part series – your “Donor Upgrade Roadmap” -- we took a deep dive into monthly giving [...]
This is a three-part series to help you raise more money from current donors. In Part 1 we covered monthly giving programs. Today we’ll cover DIY (do-it-yourself) P2P (peer-to-peer) programs. Finally, we’ll look at some additional upgrading strategies in Part 3. First, let’s define our terms. What is DIY [...]
There are two annual fundraising strategies I recommend you add (or rev up) this year. Seriously, if you prioritize even one of these strategies you will see significant growth in giving. They’re the best ways I know to move the needle in improving your mid-level giving program, and they also [...]
In Part 1 of this three-part series about developing your unique, essential “Case for Support.” I introduced the concept of the nonprofit mission, values and vision triad. Together they’re how you are known in the community. They become your brand. In Part 2 we dove deeper into what constitutes your [...]
In Part 1 of this three-part series about developing your unique, essential “Case for Support.” I introduced the concept of the nonprofit mission, values and vision triad. Together they’re how you are known in the community. They become your brand. “A brand is the essence of one’s own unique story… [...]
Mission. Values. Vision. Organized, they become your brand, and your singular and compelling case for support. Together they drive everything your nonprofit does today. And everything you will do tomorrow. They are your body, heart and soul. Combined, they define your essence. They are how you are known in the [...]
If you’re not actively engaging with folks online in today’s digitally-revolutionized zeitgeist, you’re missing a huge opportunity. One of the best ways to engage with folks online is through content marketing. In Part 1 of this three-part series we looked at how you can create a value-for-value exchange with [...]
Ask not what your donor can do for you, but what you can do for your donor. The donor is always right. The donor’s priorities are our priorities. These are adages for the modern age in which nonprofits compete with for profits in a service-oriented digital economy. It’s one of [...]