Future Fundraising Now

Here's why to keep it simple

As a card-carrying Boomer, it pains me to admit it, but it seems some of us are already experiencing cognitive decline. (I thought it was from reading too many blogs; apparently it's just plain old aging.)

A study recently reported at the Neuromarketing blog says Keep it Simple for Boomers & Seniors.

Using fMRI scans to examine younger and older adult brains during memory tasks, the researchers found that both young and old brains were able to activate their brains effectively for building memories, but the older brains were far worse at suppressing irrelevant information.

Since most donors now are Boomers and older, that's who you're talking to. Folks who have to work harder than you do to tune out distractions. Don't raise barriers for them! The study makes these recommendations:

• Keep the message obvious.
• Use an uncluttered layout for copy and images.
• Include some white space around the message.
• On the Web, avoid distractions like running screens, sounds, and animations.

Oddly enough, while these recommendations are meant to make messages clear for older brains, they're really recommendations for clear effective marketing to any ages.

We've known all along that simplicity works best. Now we have a brain-science reason behind it -- that makes Boomers feel uncomfortable. Win-win!

Who's talking to whom when you're raising funds?

The voice of direct-response fundraising should always be one person talking to one other person.

Forget the reality that you're creating a mass-produced message to a large audience. That's what you see. You're aware of the large number of people you're addressing.

What the donor should see is something more intimate. Not an organization talking. It's an individual speaking for the organization. And not a crowd receiving the message. Just one person.

This is important, because if your fundraising sounds like an impersonal organization addressing a crowd, you're going to leave your donor feeling cold, detached, and less clearly connected to the issue. That kind of communication is almost like those horrible situations where crowds witness a crime or accident and don't do anything to help. The crowd dynamic releases each of them from responsibility. That's not how you want donors feeling while they consider whether to send you a gift.

Be very careful that "you" is always singular. Don't slip and say things like "some of you" that place the reader in a crowd.

Remember the puppy

From the webcomic Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal. If you can make a big problem look like a solvable problem, you can get people excited about solving it.

Ways to get that envelope opened

The most impactful part of a direct mail piece is the carrier (outer) envelope. More than anything else you do, the carrier determines success or failure.

Here are some hints from AH&A's Industry Voices blog on ways to improve that envelope: What are YOU Afraid of?

1. It's called a teaser not a lead -- keep it brief and interesting.
2. Break Expectations -- move away from the DM standards.
3. Humor is subjective -- tread carefully.
4. If you use graphics or photos, don't overdo it.
5. Steal smart.
6. Slick often does not work!
7. If you are sending renewals, you better add the word "renewal" to the carrier.

(More details at the original post.)

These square with my experience. The only thing I'd add is this: Consider putting nothing on the envelope. It often beats anything else.

Do you believe in your cause?

Here's a great suggestion from The Far Edge of Promise blog: The Believe First Rule.

It's like the "Give First" rule that some organizations have, where fundraisers are expected to give to the cause themselves -- you shouldn't expect others to do something you haven't done yourself:

In order to increase the number of donors who "get it," we have to first "get it" ourselves. We must believe that giving is a joy. We have to first evidence a generous, positive spirit.... If you want to increase the number of donors who "get it," start with the one you know best. Yourself.

I agree. If raising funds is your job and nothing else, you are a shadow of what you should be. Giving to a charitable cause is not an intellectual exercise or a mere financial transaction. It's an act of the heart and the spirit.

Don't expect donors to open their hearts before you can.

Podcast: It's all about editing

The good fundraiser knows that not everything you do makes good fundraising. We bring donors on board with the stuff that makes their heart sing. We don't insist that they fully get it before we'll accept their donations.

If you've been paying attention to what information donors respond to, you know what to say and what not to say. Editing happens all the time. Just take a listen to this podcast. It's edited from our previous podcast -- and it's just as true.

To listen, click here to download the audio file or visit the Fundraising Is Beautiful page here, where you'll find several listening and subscription options.

Or subscribe with iTunes:

The amazing power of organizational stupid

Let's hope your organization is not like American Airlines, in at least one important way. Here's the sad tale...

A blogger named Dustin Curtis got frustrated with the cruddy, busy, over-complex design of the American Airlines website. He did a quick, simple redesign of the site, and posted it, along with an open letter to American, asking why they couldn't do something like that.

Then something funny happened. A web designer from American wrote to Dustin, basically saying "Give us a break; our website is like that because there are too many people involved."

The group running AA.com consists of at least 200 people spread out amongst many different groups, including, for example, QA, product planning, business analysis, code development, site operations, project planning, and user experience. We have a lot of people touching the site, and a lot more with their own vested interests in how the site presents its content and functionality.

Then, as if things weren't surreal enough already, the web designer who wrote to Curtis got fired. It seems his 30,000-foot-level description of the AA web mess constituted a violation of his nondisclosure agreement. The 200-tentacled monster was protecting itself from even the hint of a threat.

It's a crying shame that it's that way. It's a complete mess -- and everyone knows, but nobody can fix it. It's an organization full of smart people (presumably), but the organization is shockingly stupid.

Is your organization like that? If it is, and if you know you can't change it, maybe it's time you found a smarter organization where you can put your energy to work doing effective, useful, excellent things.

You may not be doing anyone a favor (including yourself) by staying with the ineffective organization that turns your smartness into stupidity.

Thanks to TomorrowToday for the tip.

Stories can align your donors' brains

Do Want to help your donors really get it?

Tell them stories.

That's what I get from a brain study reported at Neuromarketing, Stories Synchronize Brains.

The main point is this: "...when one person tells a story and the other actively listens, their brains actually begin to synchronize."

If one can engage the audience or sales prospects to the point where their brains are mirroring (or even anticipating) one's own brain activity, they are clearly fully engaged. In this condition, one is far more likely to be successful, whether the objective is to inform or convince.

You've had this experience. When you and the another seem fully connected; your thoughts are the same, you finish each other's sentences.

It's hard to do with the written word. But it's possible.

Stories are the best way to get there.

Here's the original study: Speaker–listener neural coupling underlies successful communication (PDF).

What it takes to blog

A blog is a beautiful thing that can do a lot of good for an organization. But that doesn't happen automatically. You still have to do it right.

Beaconfire Wire takes a look at blogging for nonprofits at Your nonprofit doesn't need a blog, which says before you launch a blog, you need answers to these questions:

• Will one person be in charge of updating it?
• Can you update often?
• Do you have good content to post?
• Do you have an audience in mind?
• Will you allow comments?
• Will you monitor comments?
• Will you promote your blog?

I think Do you have an audience in mind? is the most important question there. Is what you have to say of interest to people other than you?

You may have noticed that the web is littered with abandoned blogs. It happens when people don't consider questions like these. A blog is a lot of work. It takes passion and long-term commitment.

Free new e-book for fundraisers

Here's something from Network for Good that you might profit from: It's a new e-book titled How to Raise A Lot More Money Now - 50 Great Ideas from 11 Top Experts. And I'm one of the contributors.

(I'm thinking a more accurate subtitle would be "50 Great Ideas from 10 Top Experts and Jeff Brooks." But I'll go with what they came up with.)"

Download the free PDF here (registration required).