Burgers and marketing: Years ago, you would have hopped in the car and searched for a restaurant with a full parking lot and plenty of local license plates. Now you start surfing the internet using Yelp and TripAdvisor. So what? Did you know that your donors are doing the same thing… going online, looking for donor testimonials?
How does your organization retain its donors? Do you stay in touch frequently, letting them know what’s happening in your quest to make the world a better place. Do you show them how their support is changing lives? Do you keep the bond you initially created with them strong? Do you send thank-you cards or postcards “just because?” Here’s how to really focus on donor stewardship.
The relationship between fundraisers and donors is like dating. And, just like the dating world, in fundraising, there are duds, and there are keepers. Which kind of fundraiser are you?
You know the saying, “The only two things certain in life are death and taxes.” Even after your lifetime, there are many taxes you can avoid. When it comes to taxes and funeral expenses (your final invoice), planning now will go a long way to help your family and friends.
In 1900 they predicted that C, X and Q would vanish from our alphabet. 10 years later it was predicted we would have flying bicycles. The U.S. Congressional Calendar predicts that philanthropic incentives may be legislated out of existence sometime soon. That’s not going to happen. Philanthropy is here to stay!
An effective donor story elicits a natural identification in your prospects. “That’s me!” is their response as they read it.
As nonprofits share best practices and reveal their most coveted success stories, you don’t often hear the word “competition.” Wake up. Fundraising competition is here and it is only going to get more intense.
Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree. ~ Martin Luther
“But we want the cash, now,” we often hear. Well, we would have had the cash now if we had not deferred it in the first place. Get started now! Don’t defer planned giving.
Good judgment comes from experience. Unfortunately experience comes through bad judgment.