If you have some monthly donors now, congratulations. Please allow me to share some recent statistics with you on why these small recurring donors are so powerful: Average monthly gift between $24 and $36, that’s between $288 and $432 a year! Typical way monthly donors pay: 80% credit card, 10% [...]
One of the most classic episodes of the (superior, don't @ me) American version of The Office is "Christmas Party," in which Jim finally gets up the courage to profess his love for Pam. For the "Secret Santa" / "White Elephant" gift exchange, Jim prepares a teapot filled with some small [...]
At this point, it may be safe to say that we know the value of content for our organization’s fundraising program. Content – especially for annual giving donors – helps us build relationships by thanking, stewarding, and cultivating donors. It’s content that does the legwork when we can’t make personal [...]
It may be 2019 but in case you've been living under a rock, I'll take this opportunity to remind you that relationships are still essential for fundraising. Yes, even in this digital era of fundraising that many of us are operating in relationship building must be at the forefront of [...]
Through the introduction of text-to-give, social media fundraising, and online giving, combined with the chance to reach thousands of your targeted demographic with $20 in Facebook ads, people wonder if the time-consuming efforts of getting to “Know-thy-donor” and relationship building are still worth it. Can’t an organization raise more just [...]
The early months of the calendar year tend to be when nonprofit staff turn their minds towards donor cultivation. The year-end fundraising frenzy has abated and the time feels ripe for hosting house parties, behind-the-scenes tours, getting-to-know-you coffees, and cultivation events. Noble pursuits. But… don’t lose sight of why you’re [...]
Steven Shattuck recently gave us an update on an experiment he did with monthly donors. He made a gift to ten different organizations and then saw if they received any special treatment on Giving Tuesday. Spoiler alert: only one out of the ten did something special. Only one of them [...]
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Let this favorite love poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning be your template for sending a little #donorlove to your supporters this February 14th! Valentine’s Day offers the perfect opportunity for donor stewardship! And you’ve still got time to send a [...]
Would you apply for a job without researching the company? When looking for a new job, we scour the company website for information and history. We check LinkedIn to learn more about the people we’ll be meeting in the interview process. We check review sites to learn what other employees [...]
If we want donors to understand us, we have to start by understanding them. Donors give for their reasons, not ours. Doing great discovery dramatically deepens donor relationships and sets up a successful ask. That's why I've teamed up with Bloomerang to put together this free guide: The Lucrative Art [...]
How to be a better leader, AND get better donor relationships? It’s all about the questions. Recently I was chiding a friend of mine for not asking better questions. THEN I realized that I had been ashamed myself, for not asking better questions, for literally years. I had a friend [...]
In article #1 of this four-part series on donor retention and gratitude we discussed the benefits of thanking donors in a manner that resonates with them personally. In article #2 we looked at what will make your thank you stand out. In article #3 we looked at how donor retention [...]