Future Fundraising Now

How to show your donors they aren't alone

Social proof is among the most persuasive elements for fundraising: The sense that other people, lots of them, have already given. That I'm not the only one considering this decision to give. That when I give, I'll join a tribe of smart, wonderful people.

From The Daily Egg, 5 Social Proof Tactics You Can Use Right Now:

1. Testimonials (donors telling why they gave)
2. The Results Earned or Clients Served (information about beneficiaries)
3. Case Studies
4. Press mentions
5. Tell your own story

Use these things in your fundraising to help your donors see that giving to you is something people really do.

The key -- and often missing -- ingredient in nonprofit stories

How often have you read a fundraising message that included a "story" like this?

Everything is going great for "Jim." He used to struggle with alcoholism, but ever since he came to Awesome Charity, he's been sober, and loving his life.

It has the form and appearance of a story, but it's not really a story at all.

That's because a real story -- the kind that sinks into the heart and mind and stirs people to action -- features conflict.

The Storytelling Non-Profit blog, at C Is For Conflict. And isn't:

... in non-profit stories ... the conflict is quickly rushed through and sometimes not even discussed. We are introduced to a character. In one sentence we are told what that character's problem was. Then we are plunged in to the resolution of that story and are told how great the non-profit and its services are to have solved this person’s problem. Then we are asked for money.

In psychological terms, a "story" like that is the equivalent of an intentional walk. That's a baseball metaphor, and it means purposely avoiding action.

A fundraising story should be about someone who is in a bad situation. And the resolution should be in the hands of the donor -- not yet in the story itself!

In a report-back story, such as a newsletter article, you tell a complete story, with conflict and resolution. And you credit the donor with making the resolution possible.

The key point for fundraisers is this: If you want to engage donors with stories, you must have conflict, trouble, problems, brokenness. We aren't telling happy bedtime stories. We are trying to change the world by moving donors to action.

Your donors will remember how you make them feel

Here's a great quote, from Clairification at Heed Maya Angelou to Retain More Donors:

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

Maya Angelou

Here are some ways to make donors feel good about giving to your organization:

• In the first place, make your fundraising about what they can do to make a better place. Not how they can help you make the world better. Give them the action! They aren't your sidekick -- you are their sidekick.
• Thank them. Really thank them. Specifically for what they did, and with just as much passion, emotion, and storytelling as you used when you asked for the gift. Make it as personal as you can possibly afford to make it.
• Show them what happens because of them. Close the loop. Let them see the difference they made. Be as specific as possible. Newsletters. Special reports. Letters. Videos. Make sure they know what their giving does.
• Don't brag. Your brand may have told you to constantly go on about your awesomeness. That's a waste of time and it doesn't make donors feel better. Give donors the credit for the awesomeness.

That's how you'll get more donors -- and keep them. Donors are searching for charities that make them feel good. Not enough of them are doing that. You'll be on the short-list of standouts when you do.

Why the cancer charity scam matters to you -- and what you can do about it

If the recent news about the scam cancer charities getting caught has you feeling smug because yours isn't a scam organization -- you need to think differently about it.

Charity scams hurt all fundraisers.

Because each scam, even a perceived scam, feeds one the top two reasons people don't give to charity: Why should I give? They'll just waste all my money!

The ugly, ugly doings of the Cancer Fund of America and its sibling organizations play right into that narrative, and it rubs off on all of us. Because people don't remember the names of the four specific organizations in the current story. They just remember charities committing sleazy acts that victimize both donors and the people they want to help.

Someone out there thinks you did those things!

There's not a lot you can do about it, but here's what you should do:

• Say something about the scams. Let donors know it outrages you as much as it does them. Don't make too big a deal of it, but go on the record with it.
• Show donors how they can see for themselves that you are not a scammer, and how it would never be possible for such deals to happen in your organization.
• Go hyper-transparent. Make your 990s, your audited annual report, and other financial documents available. Work with all the relevant watchdogs and government agencies.
• Use social proof: endorsements from the press, relevant celebrities, and ordinary donors to say you're a worthwhile organization for donors.
• Thank your donors quickly and specifically when they give.
• Report back on the impact and importance of their giving. Prove you're using their money right!

These things are especially important if you are a cancer charity -- or any health charity. But every organization needs to excel in these ways. Because every scam story -- whether it's true or a distortion -- nudges donors away from you.

Read also The Agitator's take.

Another day, another list of everything you need to know

Here's a great list of the things that make fundraising work, from The Agitator at The Keys To Successful Fundraising.

Here's the list:

• An appealing case
• Competent agency management
• A reasonable objective
• A friendly, well-informed constituency
• Timeliness
• Numerous points of contact
• An unhurried period of preparation
• An adequate scale of giving
• Substantial preliminary gifts
• Tested methods
• Competent direction

It's not magic. It's not going to solve all your problems in three easy steps. It's not going to save you from the agony of hard work (In fact, it'll probably force you to do more work). But that's how you succeed.

Study that list and your fundraising will work!

How important is your organization's anniversary to donors?

Congratulations for working at an organization that's been around for at least a year. The more years, the bigger my congratulations. Organizational longevity is (mostly) a good thing.

But let's keep that between us, okay?

As the Claxon Marketing blog says: No one cares about your anniversary:

Should you celebrate milestones? Sure. But make sure you're clear on what you're really doing and why. Don't waste resources celebrating something that other people don't really care about.

Every word, every pixel, every square millimeter of paper that you spend proclaiming your anniversary is that much space not? used telling your donors how awesome they are. Which is the real job of fundraising.

How important is your organization's anniversary to donors?

It's not important. Some donors are happy to know if you've been around a long time. But the anniversary itself is a big fat nothing.

Far better to congratulate each donor on the anniversaries of her first gift to you.

How my writing almost skidded right off the road

I was writing some fundraising advice. Basically, Write to your donors on their terms and in their language, not yours.

In my example, I used the term, "Skid Road." Not "Skid Row." Because Skid Road is correct.

The term originated in pioneer-era Seattle. It was a road on a steep slope that went from the thickly forested hills down to the waterfront. Logs were literally skidded down this road to a sawmill. In typical pioneer fashion, it was named Skid Road. (Now it's Yesler Way. The TrueSense Marketing Seattle office is on this street.) As the mill town grew into a city, the area around the mill became the rough part of town. Skid Road was what people called the neighborhood. As the term spread to other cities, it became Skid Row.

But I call it Skid Road, because I'm a good citizen of my city. You probably call it Skid Row.

Then it hit me. I was failing to follow my own advice, and doing so for a completely lame reason.

The vast majority of the people I was writing to have never heard of "Skid Road." And I doubt the small group who know the real story are going to be confused by the "incorrect" Skid Row. The only reason to use Skid Road is to be "right" -- right in a narrow and pointless way

It's tempting to put our knowledge on display when we write, even in fundraising. Terms like "food insecure" or "internally displaced persons" are correct and precise. But hardly anybody knows what they mean. They're insider jargon, and they subtly tell the reader who doesn't know them "You're an outsider."

That's not how you should treat the donors who make your work possible.

Stay away from those correct insider terms. (And I'll try not to use Seattle jargon.) Write to your donors on their terms and in their language, not yours.

Why fundraising looks the way it looks

Why is fundraising so "ugly"?

Personally, I find it hard to call activities that power so many of the world's good deeds ugly -- but I understand the question. Most effective fundraising has a clunky, out-dated, not-so-pretty look.

Some people who come to our field without experience think it's because we're just kind of clumsy and don't know how to make it nicer-looking. That's not it, at least not most of the time.

Here's a good explanation from Seth Godin, at Pretty websites:

...the worldview of people who are likely to sign up, 'like,' share, click, act and generally take action instantly is not the same worldview of people that convert into long-term, loyal customers over time.

Unattractive high-response sites aren't usually the result of a lack of taste or talent on the part of the designer, they're optimized for one worldview.

On the web or in the mail, fundraising is in that "unattractive high-response" category. I know people who spend their entire careers pounding their head against that wall, trying again and again to get response by making it "pretty."

It doesn't work. And I can't imagine how soul-crushingly frustrating it must be.

Why fundraising is hard -- and how that's our big opportunity

Nonprofit employees who dislike fundraising usually dislike it for one main reason: It's depressing.

It's all about need and problems. It shows things at the lowest point. It doesn't talk about the incredible impact we're having on the situation.

It's that way for a reason, and that reason is: that's what gets most people to give.

The Fundraising Fundamentals blog tackles this issue at Fundraising Myth Busters: Hope gets better results than need:

Happy photos and stories communicate that the problem is already solved (and if the problem is solved, you don’t need your donors).

Showing need is a critical element to your direct response fundraising success. Focusing only on success doesn’t inspire donors to give.

It's true. Most donors give to solve problems, not to keep good programs going.

That puts us in the sometimes uncomfortable position of showing situations we don't like to see. It feels like we're proclaiming failure. But that's because we are not our donors.

Every form of effective communication and persuasion involves understanding your audience's hearts and minds -- and going to them, not trying to drag them to where we are.

Fundraising, maybe more than any other kind of marketing, forces us to drop our own needs and focus on our donors' needs. When you do that, you stand out in the crowd of others who are seeking support.

The right way to thank your donors

Are you taking good care of your monthly donors? Check out this post at the Network for Good Nonprofit Marketing Blog: 4 Thank You Musts for Monthly Donors. In short:

1. Be prompt.
2. Be personal.
3. Be genuine.
4. Be specific.

These are musts for any kind of donor thanking. And it's important, because you should know these things about most of your donors:

• They give to other organizations, so it's easy for them to forget about you.
• They care about their giving and seriously want to know they're making a difference.
• They're somewhat nervous that your organization might be a scam.

Thanking them right is critical to keeping and upgrading donors.