Tag: philanthropy

August 15, 2011 DonorDreams Fundraising

Fundraising volunteers speak out: Part 1

Again … the survey was anonymous because I wanted the truth, the whole truth and nothing up the truth. Here is what the today’s highlighted survey respondent said:

Question: Using the comment box below, please write a paragraph or two about your most rewarding solicitation experience (e.g. when you sat down eyeball-to-eyeball with someone else and asked them to consider making a charitable contribution). Why was it so rewarding for you? How did you feel going into the meeting? And what made you feel comfortable enough with doing such a solicitation?

Answer: A CEO of a local company reached out to me to learn more about our cause and how their involvement could benefit us. My initial meeting was a fact-finding session with their senior leadership team and was followed up by a personalized tour of our facility outlining all of the items we discussed in the initial meeting. The visit culminated with a comprehensive proposal that addressed their areas of interest. The outcome – score! They are now funding several different initiatives and we have developed a mutually beneficial long-term relationship.

Question: Understanding you are probably a very busy person, what does the charity that you’ve made some solicitation calls for need to do (or show you) in order to renew your commitment as a volunteer solicitor in the next fundraising campaign?

Answer: Provide me with the facts and outcomes of our program so that I am armed with answers to potential questions the funder will ask. And follow-through with the donor as requested after the solicitation . . . providing great stewardship.

Here is to your health!

Erik Anderson

Owner, The Healthy Non-Profit LLC

August 12, 2011 DonorDreams Fundraising

From the mouths of donors: Wrap-up

For the last four days, we’ve heard unfiltered responses from real, live donors with regard to who they give to and why they give as well as what they are looking for in order to continue giving. So, the question now shifts to: “What are you going to do about it?”

I’ve had an opportunity to soak-up this week’s blog series, and here are a few ideas if you want to make this input/feedback actionable:

Call a few board members and recruit them to go with you on face-to-face stewardship visits with your top 25 donors;
Call a few donors and ask permission to visit with them and videotape their story about why they give to your organization. Edit and replay these stories in your board room.
Organize a few donor focus groups on any number of different subjects. Click here to read a great online article about how and why to do this.
Develop and launch a donor survey. Penelope Burk has made a career out of asking donors why they give and what makes them tick. Click here to read the executive summary of Penelope’s 2011 donor survey results. Doing the same might just give you some insights you never had about your organization or your resource development program.
Start a volunteer management program and squirrel some money away in next year’s budget to hire a volunteer coordinator.
Start an alumni chapter and get the old gang back together. Remember that people don’t have time to belong to a “name only” group. So, make sure your alumni efforts have purpose and meaning (e.g. a stated project, etc).
Organize a storytelling project where you ask current clients and alumni to talk about how your organization made a difference in their life. Capture these stories either via digital audio or digital video and upload it to a special place on your organization’s website. Don’t know where to get started? No problem … click here and check-out NPR’s “StoryCorps” project for inspiration.
Create a training for volunteer solicitors that is designed to help them understand that asking for a charitable contribution is the “art of happiness” and an act of helping people’s vision for the world around them come true.

OK … I’ve got the ball rolling with a few simple ideas. Now it is your turn! What are you planning to do to make this week’s blog series actionable so that your organization can become more donor-centered? Please use the comment box below to share your ideas because we can all learn from each other.

Here is to your health!

Erik Anderson

Owner, The Healthy Non-Profit LLC

August 11, 2011 DonorDreams Fundraising

From the mouths of donors: Part 4

After more than 60 posts to this blog over the last few months, I’ve decided that many of you are probably tired of hearing me pontificate day-in-and-day-out. So, this week I am changing things up a little bit. Last week I launched an anonymous online survey via various social media channels and my email address book. I’ve picked four really awesome responses to share with you this week that I think provide excellent lessons for non-profit and fundraising professionals. Enjoy!!!

Again … the survey was anonymous because I wanted the truth, the whole truth and nothing up the truth. Here is what the today’s highlighted survey respondent said:

Question: Using the comment box below, please write a paragraph or two answering some of the following questions. Of the charities to whom you currently donate money, which one is your favorite? How did you first learn about this charity? Why did you make that first contribution? Why are you still contributing? How do you know that your contribution is making a difference? What does the charity do to demonstrate it is having an impact?

Answer: United Way, Youth Outlook, American Red Cross, American Cancer Society, Heifer Foundation. I was contacted by mail or e-mail, and the charity mission resonates with me personally. They are all my favorites. I really believe that, “For it is in giving that we receive” and in some way I feel good about me giving. I wish I wasn’t so shallow, but it really is about me. I feel good about me buying a gaggle of geese or a goat to help a “real family” support itself. I know they don’t really do that, but I give anyway.

Question: Understanding that these are tough economic times and no donor’s contribution ever should be taken for granted, what does your favorite charity need to do (or show you) in order to renew your support and/or increase the size of your contribution?

Answer: Ask. Tell me a story. Don’t make it too sappy, though. I won’t trust that.

Hmmm … can you tell what kind of real happiness that charitable giving brings to this person’s life? Here is what struck me about these responses:

I am reminded that there have been scientific studies looking at why people give to charity, and they echo what this very smart donor said: “…I feel good…” Click here to read more about this phenomenon. Hmmm … maybe we need to teach our volunteer solicitors about this ground breaking research so they might stop being so fearful about asking for contributions.
In this donor’s second response, I am reminded of an online interview I read with Jim Grote. It was the first time I ever heard of the concept of “Narrative Philanthropy”. In a nutshell, good fundraisers are good storytellers. Click here to read that interview for yourself. I promise that it may change your life! I am also reminded that stewardship doesn’t have to be about fundraising professionals “telling” donors stuff, but it can also be about “asking” for feedback and input.

How does your organization train volunteer solicitors to become awesome storytellers? Do your fundraising volunteers see their jobs are “arm twisting” or do they see themselves as “dream-makers”? What do you do to help your fundraising volunteers with these paradigm shifts? Please use the comment box below to share because we can learn from each other.

Here is to your health!

Erik Anderson

Owner, The Healthy Non-Profit LLC

August 10, 2011 DonorDreams Fundraising

From the mouths of donors: Part 3

Again … the survey was anonymous because I wanted the truth, the whole truth and nothing up the truth. Here is what the today’s highlighted survey respondent said:

Question: Using the comment box below, please write a paragraph or two answering some of the following questions. Of the charities to whom you currently donate money, which one is your favorite? How did you first learn about this charity? Why did you make that first contribution? Why are you still contributing? How do you know that your contribution is making a difference? What does the charity do to demonstrate it is having an impact?

Answer: My favorite charity is the Wounded Warrior Project. They came to Bethesda Naval Hospital when my son was injured and that is how I heard of them. I see what they do for other soldiers and marines, and I know my money will directly help them and their families. This organization helps not only the soldiers and marines, but they help the caregivers of the families by sending them on trips to network with other injured marines families. They also, send the caregivers to workshops (ie writing workshops, learning to start small business, etc). Then they get the wounded together for outings like fishing tournaments, sky diving events and biking events so that the wounded get out and network themselves. This is a great organization!

Question: Understanding that these are tough economic times and no donor’s contribution ever should be taken for granted, what does your favorite charity need to do (or show you) in order to renew your support and/or increase the size of your contribution?

Answer: When I get involved in an organization, it is usually because someone I know has benefited from it. I see first hand what this organization has done. I guess it would be great to have a website to see where the money is going. The wounded warrior project had some of the wounded soldiers speak and that has made a huge impact on me. Hearing first hand what a difference an organization made in someone’s life helped me see where my money is going.

Hmmm … can you this donor’s passion for their charity’s mission? I think I have goose bumps … that is awesome!!! Here is what struck me about these responses:

I am reminded of how many people donate to a charity because they were personally touched by that charity’s mission. I cannot tell you how many times I talked to an alumnus of a Scouting program or a Boys & Girls Club and found they were chomping at the bit to “give back” to a program that gave them so much. I can only imagine how much more powerful that must be for veterans and their families.
In this donor’s second response, I am reminded of the power of testimonials. Donors want to see “return on investment” and hearing directly from the people whose lives were changed is more powerful than any data point you share.

How does your organization reach out to alumni? Do you use testimonials as part of your stewardship program? What successes or challenges have you experienced? Please use the comment box below to share because we can learn from each other.

Here is to your health!

Erik Anderson

Owner, The Healthy Non-Profit LLC

August 9, 2011 DonorDreams Fundraising

From the mouths of donors: Part 2

Again … the survey was anonymous because I wanted the truth, the whole truth and nothing up the truth. Here is what the today’s highlighted survey respondent said:

Question: Using the comment box below, please write a paragraph or two answering some of the following questions. Of the charities to whom you currently donate money, which one is your favorite? How did you first learn about this charity? Why did you make that first contribution? Why are you still contributing? How do you know that your contribution is making a difference? What does the charity do to demonstrate it is having an impact?

Answer: My favorite Charity is Boys & Girls Club of Elgin. I am still contributing to BGCE because they keep the kids off of my lawn.

Question: Understanding that these are tough economic times and no donor’s contribution ever should be taken for granted, what does your favorite charity need to do (or show you) in order to renew your support and/or increase the size of your contribution?

Answer: I know it is a buzz word, but “sustainability” [is something I want to see in order for my gift to be renewed]. I mean that in a holistic sense. Can they find the next great CEO, can they keep up the good fundraising work, and can they take their fundraising to the next level?

Hmmm … how interesting that this donor is looking at their charitable contribution as an investment? Here is what struck me about these responses:

I am reminded that every donor has a unique reason for giving, and it doesn’t always match-up with your marketing and stewardship messages. Here is where listening to your donors might allow you to become a more donor-centered organization. I bet this donor would love to see some outcomes data on how after-school programming reduces juvenile delinquency and improves school behavior and performance.
In this donor’s second response, I am reminded that one reason organizations that are seen as being “poorly run” (and I am looking at both board and staff) don’t do as well with fundraising because donors don’t like to throw their money away.

How does your organization demonstrate sustainability to donors? What tools do you use to measure and then report your organization’s health? Do you track how successful these tools are? If so, how did you do that? Please use the comment box below to share because we can learn from each other.

Here is to your health!

Erik Anderson

Owner, The Healthy Non-Profit LLC

August 8, 2011 DonorDreams Fundraising

From the mouths of donors: Part 1

Again … the survey was anonymous because I wanted the truth, the whole truth and nothing up the truth. Here is what the today’s highlighted survey respondent said:

Question: Using the comment box below, please write a paragraph or two answering some of the following questions. Of the charities to whom you currently donate money, which one is your favorite? How did you first learn about this charity? Why did you make that first contribution? Why are you still contributing? How do you know that your contribution is making a difference? What does the charity do to demonstrate it is having an impact?

Answer: I really don’t have a favorite. I learned about most of mine by working at them either by a job or volunteering at them. I made my first contribution by being asked. Yes, I still contribute to most of the places I’ve worked at or volunteered.

Question: Understanding that these are tough economic times and no donor’s contribution ever should be taken for granted, what does your favorite charity need to do (or show you) in order to renew your support and/or increase the size of your contribution?

Answer: I think most of the charities I give to do a good job thanking me for my donation. The size really wouldn’t change too much since I’m not too rich.

Hmmm … what a humble donor, but aren’t most of them? Here is what struck me about this person’s responses:

They reaffirm something that I once learned from a co-worker, which is that volunteers make great donor prospects. If you want to grow your annual campaign or special event, look no further than the volunteers working throughout your organization. If they think highly enough of you to volunteer their time, then they most likely think highly enough of you to make a contribution. What is the harm in asking? In the end, it is their decision. Click here to read what “The Chronicle of Philanthropy” has to say about “Turning Your Volunteers into Donors”.
In this donor’s second response, they seem to be satisfied when their charities of choice do a good job of thanking them for their contribution. Now, you’re probably thinking this practice is common place, but Penelope Burk found in her donor research that only 39% of respondents ALWAYS receive a thank you letter. This means that 61% only received a recognition letter MOST OF THE TIME or SOMETIMES (Source: Donor Centered Fundraising, pg 38)

If you don’t have an organized, well-run volunteer management program, it sounds like you might be missing out on something.

How does your organization reach out to volunteers? What lessons and best practices can you share? Have some of your volunteers become donors? What has been your experiences? Please use the comment box below to share because we can learn from each other.

Here is to your health!

Erik Anderson

Owner, The Healthy Non-Profit LLC

August 5, 2011 DonorDreams Donor-centered fundraising, Fundraising

Friends With Benefits?

Have you ever read a blog post that bothered you so much that you saved it in your email inbox? It happens periodically for me, and this phenomenon occurred two weeks ago with a blog post from Jeff Brooks who writes Fundraising Future Now.

So, there I was drinking my morning coffee and clicking through emails on July 27th, when I came across Jeff’s blog titled “Not all donors are seeking a deeper connection“. Since I consider myself a “disciple” of Penelope Burk (thought leader behind donor-centered fundraising ^TMand author of Donor Centered Fundraising), my first response to the blog’s headline was “WTF?” Then I clicked open the email and read this:

“We should be prepared to admit that not all donors are as absorbed in our causes as we are. Some of them — maybe most of them — just want to give and be done with it.”

Looking back on the moment, I have to laugh at myself because I was genuinely disturbed and almost had the same reaction as the person in this YouTube video. However, I composed myself and hit the button titled “Mark as Unread” and stewed about it for this long.

I’ve come to this conclusion: Sometimes the human experience allows us to get swept up into an idea so much that it becomes a truism to us (much like Penelope Burk’s idea of donor-centered fundraising ^TMhas become for many fundraising professions).

Even though I’ve come to this conclusion, I still love Penelope Burk and all of the donor research she conducts and shares. I think I’ll even remain in her camp for a little while longer. However, I think I’m going to rent the DVD of Justin Timberlake’s movie “Friends with Benefits” and do some research over the course of the next year. I am open-minded to Jeff Brooks’ hypothesis about some (possibly many) donors only loving your non-profit mission enough to toss you a contribution from time-to-time.

Until I sort through this philosophical fundraising mess, I guess I am going back to the only truism that hasn’t steered me wrong, which is:

“KNOW THY DONOR”

Are you a Penelope Burk disciple? What is your reaction to Jeff Brooks’ blog post? If you run a non-profit organization or interact with donors on a daily basis, what are your thoughts? How do you walk the fine line between donors who want to get married and those who only want to be friends with benefits?

Here is to your health!

Erik Anderson

Owner, The Healthy Non-Profit LLC

August 4, 2011 DonorDreams Fundraising

Colbert SuperPac: Not a fundraiser’s alterative universe

On June 30th, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) voted to approve Stephen Colbert’s (a comedian and host of the Comedy Central Colbert Report) application to form what is called a “SuperPac”. According to NPR and other various report, Colbert left the hearing room, went outside to a throng of supporters, and started accepting people’s credit cards. He used a credit card swipe machine attached to an iPad to process contributions from enthusiastic supporters.

In the wake of the ruling, Colbert launched his Colbert SuperPac website, started taking online contributions, and now scrolls the names of his donors along the bottom of the television screen during his shows.

Over the last month, I’ve watched this fundraising drama unfold and found myself wondering: “Is this some kind of bizarro, alternative fundraising universe?”

What I thought I was seeing was average people pulling out their wallets and throwing money at an organization that didn’t have a mission, vision, or case for support. Go to the Colbert SuperPac website, click around and try to find any of that information. It doesn’t really exist. What does this organization stand for? What will this organization support? How will it support those things it believes in?

You will find no answers. As a matter of fact, Colbert interviewed political analyst Matthew Dowd on his show about this very subject, and in the end he concluded that he would ask his donors what his SuperPac should symbolize and support. As a non-profit fundraising professional, it took me a long time to wrap my mind around the idea of going to a donor, asking for a contribution, and then asking the donor what they think your mission, vision, case for support, and programming should be.

My Dad has said I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer; however, after many walks and conversations with my dog, I have come to the conclusion that this is NOT a bizarro, alternative universe for fundraising professions.

There is a very witty and satirical case for support that Colbert’s super-smart audience understands. It isn’t written in a case for support document or a glossy solicitation brochure. The SuperPac’s case for support is embodied in a series of “comedy bits” that Colbert has been airing ever since the Supreme Court’s controversial “Citizens United” decision in 2010.

In a nutshell, the Colbert SuperPac’s case goes something like this: “Making a contribution to this undefined political action committee will allow us to demonstrate to the FEC, policymakers, and the Supreme Court that there are dangers and unforeseen consequences of such a decision. Your contribution also helps test a hypothesis that unlimited ‘free speech’ can have adverse consequences on democratic institutions. In the end, your contribution might even save our American democracy.”

Now THAT is an amazing case for support, which must be why so many people are lining up to give Colbert SuperPac their money.

OK … now that I’ve convinced myself that the fundraising universe hasn’t been turned upside down, I see all sorts of fundraising lessons for non-profit organizations and fundraising professions such as:

Your organization’s case for support needs to be POWERFUL if you want to be serious about raising money.
Your fundraising efforts will benefit greatly if you find the right voice to talk about your case for support.
People will contribute only if you ask them. So, stop beating around the bush and dropping hints.
Allowing donors to swipe their credit card will help inspire spontaneous giving.
Taking contributions online via your website needs to be supported by multi-channel cultivation, solicitation and stewardship activities.

Well, you’ve been watching the same things I’ve been watching . . . what are your observations? What fundraising best practices are you seeing? Is there a moral to the story for fundraising professionals? Please use the comment box to share your thoughts because we can all learn from each other!

Here is to your health!

Erik Anderson

Owner, The Healthy Non-Profit LLC

August 2, 2011 DonorDreams Uncategorized

ePhilanthropy: Mission Possible

Last week, I dedicated the entire week’s worth of blog posts to exploring ePhilanthropy related topics. However, I still have a few thoughts that slopped over into this week. Today, I wrap-up this ePhilanthropy series by looking at how non-profits (especially under-resourced organizations) might begin preparing for the future.

Executive directors and resource development professionals don’t need to walk down this road alone. There are people who serve on your board of directors who work in the for-profit sector and are light years ahead of us when it comes to e-commerce. Additionally, there are so many people who are tech enthusiasts in your community who would love to volunteer for you just so they can play some more with technology.

The first step for any organization is to recruit people and build a team to help you. I don’t think you should make this a committee of only tech-minded people. Try to recruit volunteers who have the following skill sets: 1) technology acumen or curiosity, 2) an understanding of and love for your mission, 3) a personal track record of donating to other charities online, and 4) some basic understanding of how resource development works (or a willingness to learn).

It is always a best practice for a committee or work group to collaborating on creating a written “annual work plan” before rolling up their sleeves and getting to work. For this particular group, I suggest the work plan for Year One of this project involve the following discussion items:

Review and recommend to the board of directors that they adopt Network for Good’s ePhilanthropy Code of Ethics.
Evaluate your website and make sure your evaluation process includes asking donors to weigh-in on content and functionality.
Make a plan for redesigning your website and incorporate action items that transition your site from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 (include installing and using data analytics ). If you have the capacity to start implementing your plan in Year One, then charge down that road gleefully. Try to include a blog (one that you use weekly) and video to tell your organization’s story to online donors.
Look at your email house file and how your organization encourages supporters to provide their contact info. Make a plan with measurable goals for increasing the number of emails in your database and put it into action. (See yesterday’s blog about email)
Create a simple e-newsletter that drives readers back to your website by encouraging them to “click-through” using html hyperlinks. Make sure you’ve purchased an email service provider and use it to distribute your e-newsletter. Also make sure that you are using the built-in data analytics that come with these services. Experiment with different things and see what results in better traffic. (Remember: this means that your website content needs to be updated regularly)
Make a plan for social media that includes Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. It should answer the simple question of how you plan on using each platform and which target audience you hope to speak to. The plan also needs to address how you plan on building an “online following” as well as what content is shared (how often and by whom). Above all, it needs to look at the idea of creating an “online conversation” with target audiences. This isn’t just about shouting marketing and fundraising messages into cyberspace.

Phew … that probably seems like a lot of stuff to accomplish in Year One for some organizations. If so, no problem … break some of these initial work plan items into multiple years. Walt Disney summed it up best when he said, “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” It doesn’t matter how slow or fast you move. The important thing is that you start moving!

Keep in mind that engaging your donors (via surveys, interviews, focus groups, recruitment to the committee, etc) is a great way to be “donor-centered” and ensure that your ePhilanthropy plans will meet their needs.

So, what is your organization doing to position itself for ePhilanthropy? Have you learned any lessons? If so, please share using the comment box below. We can all learn from each other.

Here is to your health!

Erik Anderson

Owner, The Healthy Non-Profit LLC