Considering doing a donor cultivation event? Smart decision! According to fundraising expert and author Penelope Burk, 67% of respondents attending a donor cultivation event credited it as the reason why they made their gift. The number one thing donors want is to know they make a difference. Donor cultivation events [...]
Do you know your organization’s donor retention rate? I’d bet not. According to the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ 2020 Fundraising Effectiveness Project (FEP), only 43.6% of the donors who made a gift in 2019 made another gift in 2020. That means more than half of donors who made a gift [...]
There’s a hotel in Hollywood where the rooms are dated, the furnishings are sparse, and the walls are bare. Its name is the Magic Castle Hotel, but it’s not a castle. It’s a 1950s converted 2-story apartment complex painted canary yellow. Next to its small pool is a cherry red [...]
Your donors are the ones who make your organization’s mission possible. They fund your programs and ensure you’re able to continue the amazing work that you do on a daily basis. With all they do for your organization, are you thanking them thoroughly enough? Nonprofits that don’t adequately show appreciation [...]
Our Ask An Expert series features real questions answered by Claire Axelrad, J.D., CFRE, our very own Fundraising Coach, also known as Charity Clairity. Today's question comes from a fundraiser who isn't sure if they should maintain an existing legacy society as they reboot their planned giving program. Dear Charity [...]
Okay, 2020 is over. Your year-end fundraising blitz is over. Now what? Do not simply take the money and run -- consider nonprofit gratitude. Think of January as “Thank You Month.” Shower the donors you love with love… show them the way that you feel… things are gonna get much better [...]
In Part 1 of this two-part article, Secret Nonprofit Donor Thank You Advice: Always Add a Tip, I encouraged you to ‘tip’ your donors with extra gratitude right now. Your donors deserve this, and it will pay off for you in the short and long run by encouraging more donations [...]
You know what the word ‘tip’ means right? Commonly we think of it meaning “to improve performance,” though it really stands for giving something to another. And, if you’ve read my articles here, on Clairification, or some place else, you know I often say “If you want gifts you must [...]
Before this crisis, I would have told any fundraiser the best way to build a meaningful relationship with your donor is to be meaningful to them. Fast forward to today. We’re in a global pandemic. It’s terrifying, sure. There is a silver lining though (says the town crier for donor [...]
In today's digital-dominated world, personal touches like handwritten notes and phone calls can break through the noise. Though mostly anecdotal, top fundraisers and consultants have espoused the power of such personal touches, particularly the use of the phone. We even have some data to back it up: McConkey-Johnston International in [...]
Just. What a loaded word. It implies something isn’t quite what it should be. Something is barely sufficient. It’s judgmental. And not in a good way. Do you judge your donors in this manner? If you’ve worked in fundraising for more than a nanosecond, I’ll wager you’ve heard someone say [...]
What about counting the ways for your donors this year? Or at least for a subset of your donors who have the potential to give you the lion’s share of your philanthropy? We talk a lot in the sector about donor love and gratitude, but how do we practice it? [...]