From your solicitations to your newsletters, to your updates and thank you letters, the importance of communicating warmth, openness, and a sense of momentum is magnified during this important season of giving....
One client, who reacted skeptically to my suggestion that he consider trusting the science and mailing a four-page appeal letter, is organizing a classic A/B test. He will write a letter that fits on a single page. I will write a letter that carries on...
If you’ve managed your work well this year, you should get to spend a great deal of time between Thanksgiving and the Superbowl party writing Thank You letters. As a refresher, here’s what I suggested way back in February: Remember that your thank you...
How much money will you raise for operations in 2016? Can you predict with any kind of accuracy? You can if you’ve been paying attention and if you follow the Steps. Here’s how: Step 1: Segregate your board members for separate consideration...
Your major donor cultivation work is arguably the most important work of your year. Make sure you create space on the calendar to do it well. 1) Assign donor responsibility to board members. Let them choose their own donors within reason, but make sure...
By November, you should have most of your fall fundraising pretty well dialed – hopefully, anyway. So now it’s time to start looking ahead to 2016. BEFORE your program people come to you asking if you can raise X or increase giving by Y%, here...
OK, so as a practical matter, this is the last week you can drop the first letter of your Fall Appeal if you intend to drop three letters. (I actually prefer that the first letter get dropped in early October.) Mailing this early means that...
The forecasting question is simply this: Given what I know right now about what foundations, corporations, and individuals have committed, and what I know right now about what requests are still out there, and what I know right now about the requests I will yet...
What are you doing to show appreciation for your donors? I have helped many organizations create donor clubs and appreciation events. Here are some lessons I’ve learned along the way...
Are you keeping track of your lapsed members? This is one of those five-Wednesday months I referred to in April , which means it’s a good time to review where you are with your 2015 renewals. Looking back on all the individuals who gave you...