Is Your Website Ready for Year-End Donors?
Before you send more people to your website this fall, experience it the way a donor does. Here is a simple assignment. Take out your phone, go to your organization’s website and make a donation. Don’t just look at the donation page. Start where a prospective donor might start. Visit the home page. Find the […]
Your Year-End Stories Start Now
The best December fundraising stories shouldn’t be discovered in December. What story will you tell donors this Thanksgiving? What about Giving Tuesday? Christmas? Your December year-end appeal? If you don’t know, now is the time to find out. Stories are among the most powerful tools available to nonprofit fundraisers because they turn an organization’s mission […]
The Reporter Called. Now What?
How your organization responds can determine whether the media calls again. Last month, we encouraged organizations to begin cultivating relationships with local reporters before the busy fall season arrived. What if the phone rings tomorrow? Getting media attention is valuable, but being prepared to respond when an opportunity presents itself is just as important. Reporters […]
Don’t Let Summer Donors Go Cold
A thoughtful cultivation plan can turn a first summer gift into a lasting relationship. Take a look at the people who made their first gift to your organization this summer. Some may have responded to an email. Others may have attended an event, supported a friend’s fundraiser, encountered you on social media or simply discovered […]
Meet the Media Before You Need Them
This is a great time to start building relationships that can help tell your story this fall. When nonprofits think about media relations, it is often because they have something they want to publicize. An event is coming up. A fundraising campaign is launching. Giving Tuesday is approaching. The organization has an important announcement and […]
The 48-Hour Thank-You
A prompt acknowledgment tells donors their generosity matters, and so do they. Someone makes a gift to your organization on Monday. How long should it take you to generate a receipt? Ideally, no later than Wednesday. Generating a receipt and acknowledgment within 48 hours of receiving a gift is a good standard for nonprofit organizations. […]
Welcome New Donors Like They Matter
Every year, missions invest significant time and resources acquiring new donors. Yet once that first gift arrives, many organizations immediately shift their attention to the next campaign. The challenge is that donor retention doesn’t begin with a second gift. It begins with the first experience a donor has after making the first one. Think about […]
The Story You Need Tomorrow Is Happening Now
One of the most common conversations I have with clients begins with a familiar concern: “We don’t have a story for this appeal.” The problem usually isn’t a lack of stories. It’s that no one began collecting them until the deadline was approaching. The truth is, your next great fundraising story is probably unfolding right […]
Start Building Fall Success Today
Ask almost any fundraiser when their busiest season begins, and most will answer, “The fall.” They’re right, but only partly. While September often marks the beginning of Thanksgiving appeals, Christmas campaigns, Giving Tuesday planning, and year-end fundraising, the organizations that consistently achieve the strongest results understand that those campaigns begin during the quieter weeks of […]
The Message That Matters Most: How a Thoughtful Thank You Can Shape What Comes Next
For many organizations, the work of an Easter campaign feels complete once the gifts have been received. But one of the most important moments is just beginning. The thank you. Too often, the thank you process is treated as administrative. A receipt is sent. A confirmation is delivered. The box is checked and the organization […]