This BLOG is intended to help conservation organizations and land trusts pursue excellence in all aspects of their conservation endeavors. I welcome your comments and feedback to these posts.
In nearly every strategic planning exercise with which I have been involved over the past 20 years, someone has added a strategy or a goal that has something to do with “educating the public.” The underlying frame of reference is that the public doesn’t know...
So, without throwing the baby out with the bathwater, let me suggest that we find other ways of recognizing (and equally valuing) other contributions. Listing everyone who gives to a special project, for example, without regard to how much they gave. Recognizing volunteers (major gifts...
“Donor-Centric” fundraising is fundraising that brings the donor into the center where the action is. Instead of being “out there” supporting the stuff “we’re” doing, Donor-centric fundraising invites donors into the center. And I think that’s a good thing. ...
This might even be the single most important criteria. It is always a mistake to recruit a board member and hope that they fall in love with the organization later. Giving money is a big clue, though it’s not the only one. People who self-select...
The systems you have in place right now either were created or evolved on their own to support the current status quo. If you want to change the status quo, you’re going to need to change the systems that support it – first....
Premiums are different than benefits. Premiums are offered to incentivize a particular action or activity – like upgrading to a $100 membership, for example. They are only given the first time someone does something. Benefits are things that accrue to members at certain levels –...
5. When cuts are necessary, have a very clear projection, activity by activity, of what will be spent and what the projected return will be. Instead of reducing expenses by some arbitrary percentage across the board, reduce them by eliminating a particular activity entirely. ...
Membership is not a “fee” or a “cost” and therefore can’t be “discounted” by definition. Think of it like a birthday gift to a close relative. You would be completely confused if they told that they were giving you a “deal” this year by allowing...
• You should NOT help the donor establish value by including an estimated value in the acknowledgement letter. I don’t even recommend that you enter estimated values with in-kind gifts in your donor software programs. The value of a donated asset is used by the donor...
Donors are NOT motivated to give because of how little you spend on fundraising. They are motivated to give because of how MUCH you accomplish. Focus on THAT in your communications and stop bragging about how little you spend on overhead. You’ll likely raise more...