Monthly Archives: March 2011

Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match

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By Bobbi Bosch, Executive Director, Corporate and Foundation Relations at Indiana University Foundation

As a professional fundraiser, it’s my job to raise money. Daily. Weekly. Monthly. Annually. You get the picture. To some, asking for money is an overwhelming and frightening thought. To me, it’s fun and extremely rewarding. When done properly, fundraising is matchmaking. What you want is a long, happy and mutually satisfying relationship. Yet, too many times, fundraising conversations are more like bad blind dates where one side talks too much about themselves and then wonders why their calls go unreturned.

The normal model we use in fundraising is straightforward. Establish the scope and focus of your project, do your research to determine potential funders, and convince the donor to make an investment in your organization (well, it’s a bit more complicated than that, but for the sake of argument, go with me here). But before you head out the door with talking points that tell your potential donor how great your organization/program/project is, I suggest you stop. Take a deep breath, and … throw your list of talking points away. Change your thinking, and approach potential funders with a list of “question points.”

Below are a few of my favorites:

  1. What is the impact the donor wants to make with their giving?
  2. What previous gifts have been the most successful in their mind? Why?
  3. Which of their program areas do they feel are strongest? Are there any they wish were stronger?
  4. Are there things in the community that they would like to accomplish, but have not yet found the right partner?
  5. What organizations do they admire?

What organizations that they already work with provide the best stewardship? What about that particular organization’s efforts are most appealing?

These questions offer you insight into the prospective funder’s goals, perceptions and preferences. Is your organization/program truly a good fit philosophically with what the donor wants to achieve? Is there potential for a long-term relationship?

The questions above aren’t just for your courting/cultivation phase, either. It makes great sense to periodically check in with your donors – no matter how well you think you know them and they know you. A donor recently told me that for all the hardship that the recent economic downturn brought to his organization, he appreciated how the economy made his organization focus — on their strategy and their priorities. They had to cut funding to a lot of good organizations, simply because there was no longer strategic alignment. He noted that in many cases, this came as a “surprise” to those organizations, even though the funder had tried diligently to be transparent.

We all want to find long-term, committed donors. And while lasting relationships take time, I believe we set the tone for the relationship from the very beginning.   In order to succeed, we need to stop thinking of our donors merely as funders and start thinking of them as true partners.

Building Buzz and Creating Connections

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By Jessica Journey
Achieve Guest Blogger

 

One of my favorite social media activities is live tweeting at nonprofit events, like fundraisers and conferences.

I enjoy tweeting as the event is happening because I can connect with other tweeps in attendance, create buzz for a cause that I’m passionate about, and document important nonprofit happenings.

As the host organization, you have the opportunity to empower attendees to live tweet. Then, your nonprofit can benefit from the buzz and the connections developed through social media.

To encourage live tweeting at your next event, I recommend establishing a hashtag and communicating it with attendees.

When establishing a hashtag, be sure to:
  • Keep your hashtag short and simple. That way, tweeps can remember it and can use those precious, limited characters for content.
  • Search Twitter for the hashtag’s availability over a period of time. This keeps unrelated tweets from polluting the conversation.
  • Go green by crafting a hashtag that can easily be recycled for next year’s event with a simple change of number. Why throw out a perfectly good hashtag?
When communicating the hashtag, be sure to:
  • Introduce and re-introduce the hashtag on Twitter before the event. It’s your job to reinforce its meaning and its relevance.
  • Include the hashtag and your username on every promotional vehicle you already plan to use. This includes print and online methods.
  • Highlight the hashtag and your username in the event program, in rolling projection slides, and other on-site pieces.
Ready to get fancy? These suggestions are for nonprofits ready to take it to the next level.
Connect with your tweeps well in advance of the event:
  • During registration, request Twitter usernames of attendees, speakers, exhibitors, sponsors, and special guests.
  • Follow these folks on Twitter, create a list of these individuals, and mention them with a welcome and the hashtag.
  • Recruit local influencers to live tweet at your event.
Connect with your tweeps during the event:
  • Integrate tweets’ usernames in event nametags and the program.
  • Showcase the live tweets on a projection screen. Tweeps will love seeing their tweets up on the wall.
  • Create a special area for your tweeps. Include electrical outlets for charging mobile devices, provide iPads for their use, and give stress balls to stretch out their hands!

Remember, it’s your nonprofit that ultimately benefits from the buzz and connections created by live tweeting.

Which is Better – A Frequent Flyer Program or Your Donor Club?

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I have the fortunate and unfortunate opportunity to be a Gold level flyer with a major airline.  The fortunate side – upgrades, free bags, and from time to time a few more smiles.  The unfortunate part – I cant believe I traveled that much and away from home on that many segments.  Sometimes my wife will ask me if I need directions from the airport home.

The first frequent flyer program, American Advantage, was established to recognize and provide repeat customers with certain levels of benefits.  Like most frequent flyer programs, it is based not on the most expensive ticket you spend but rather how often you fly.

The program, like many others, is meant to build loyalty to the brand while encouraging repeat business.  It can also serve as an affiliation component.  If you ever talk to someone at a certain level, they immediately say – oh I am an elite member on.. (Fill in airline).  This builds a little peer marketing help  – although this definitely would be a secondary outcome.

These programs have changed through the years and not necessarily for the better.  In fact, benefits have been reduced and restrictions have been put in place to prevent airlines from losing revenue on the loyalty program.  The move to reduce the frequent flyer from reaping the awards of constant travel is something that does not win fans.  Just like in a membership association, when you start stripping away benefits, people begin to remember that instead of the other benefits you provide.

Let’s translate this kind of loyalty to the fundraising field.

Some organizations have established recognition programs, donor clubs, to provide special benefits for top tier givers.  It is based on the amount of the gift not the number of gifts or any other measures of engagement.  For instance, if I was a donor that gave 10 gifts of 10 dollars in one year, guess what, I probably wouldn’t qualify for much.  But, how much more loyal could I be to the organization?  I mean 10 gifts in one year?  Not too bad – well not good enough for some.

This is the downfall of donor clubs. Today’s clubs need to look at different measures than just gifting levels.  It goes beyond just the amount you give – it should be the holistic sphere of engagement.  There are donors who give smaller amounts that are just as loyal as your big donors and your organization should be celebrating them and providing benefits too.

Furthermore, donor clubs lack that ability to tailor donor wants with donor benefits – in other terms – a choice on what is important to the donor.  When they are designed, there is an assumption that all donors that reach a certain level will like certain benefits.  This is not the case for all donors.  Just because you offer a special event ticket doesn’t mean they want it.  An exclusive to see something before others is nice but is it a donor necessity?

So is the frequent flyer program better than your donor club?  One awards and provides benefits for repeat loyalty the other based on how much you give or if this were a for-profit it would be based on how much you spend.  They both need help but there is hope for your donor club program to be better and here is how:

Recognize Overall Engagement:  Move beyond just gifts.  Create donor levels or clubs that recognize donors beyond just the amount but also if they volunteer, peer fundraise, network on your behalf, or even provide their expertise to your organization.  Take a philanthropic approach – recognize all time, talent, and treasure.

Multiple Gifting:  Donors that make more than one gift in one year should be celebrated and recognized while receiving additional benefits.  These donors are invested no matter what the amount.  They have taken an interest in your organization throughout the year that goes beyond just episodic giving.  Honor that act of support and give extra attention to their interests in potentially helping more.

Tailor Donor Benefits:  Lets not assume that the whole group wants to take advantage of the same benefits.  Provide options for donors to decide which donor benefits they want to take advantage of in the future.  Create an opportunity to sit down with your donor after their gift and walk them through the menu of options.  This kind of attention can greatly impact future gifts.

Recognize Low Level Gifting:  Begin to recognize all levels of gifting.  If someone donates to your organization at $30 what do they receive?  What options to get involved do they have?  Communicate this as a level if you have a donor club.  Help donors feel like they are a stakeholder with you.  Remember, they see you promote all the other levels in your donor communication, fundraising appeals, website, and marketing materials.  Let’s not make them feel excluded because they are not able to gift at higher levels right now.

So if you decide to develop a donor club, think all levels of engagement – move beyond just gift amount.  Provide the benefits that donors want not what you assume they care about.  With a concerted effort on the part of your organization, your donor club will definitely be better than a frequent flyer program.

Now it is time to close my laptop and prepare for landing.  Because this article is literally being written on a flight home.