Fundraising copywriting is one of those professions that everyone thinks they can do better than the person trained in fundraising copywriting.
I’ve been writing fundraising copy for long enough to now need training on how not to do eye rolls when I get ill-informed feedback on our work. (Note I said ill-informed feedback - I welcome feedback that corrects factual errors or makes the creative stronger.)
Seasoned fundraisers know the type of thing I mean. ...
Following on from my post about donor complaints, I promised some positive ways to deal with donor complaints.
Because it's always unpleasant having to deal with a donor who is unhappy.
But first, I should point out there are some complainers who are actually loony. For example, they think some key person associated with your organisation is a member of the Illuminati. Yes, truly, I have heard of this.
Or they have an agenda and the mail you sent them somehow set them off on a rant. I could give examples but am a little concerned that it ...
Would you change your fundraising based on 8 complaints? It seems like a lot when you’re the person who’s copping the angry donors… but in the case of my client, it was 8 complaints out of 42,000 people mailed. That’s 0.019%. ...
When we start working with a new client, we often work on direct mail because that is a pressing need for the non-profit or charity. When we begin talking to clients about fundraising strategy… this is NOT primarily about direct mail. Although direct mail is a tactic used in the execution of a fundraising strategy, it’s not the strategy itself. It’s not about taking a calendar of direct mail appeals and newsletters and calling that a strategy. Developing a fundraising strategy is first about looking at your organisation’s strategic plan. Yes, the overall strategic plan. Not the fundraising strategic plan. ...
I believe the poverty mentality of non-profits is one of the biggest killers of fundraising success.
It makes it impossible to succeed in fundraising because the overarching goal of the organisation becomes:
How can we spend as little as possible?
Instead of:
What do we have to do to achieve our mission?
Below are three major warning signs of the poverty mentality.
If your non-profit exhibits this kind of behaviour, I strongly suggest some mindsets need to change.
You urgently need a shift from a poverty mentality to a stewardship mentality.
You may be familiar with the parable of ...
I’ve been discussing acquisition with various clients this year.
And the importance of following up – FAST – on any new donors you get.
Because if you don’t do this, the lifetime value of those donors will remain low.
In fact, you may never recoup the cost of acquiring them… if they never give to you again.
Today’s lesson is: if you’re going to invest in acquisition, have a plan to steward and upgrade your new donors.
Here are the numbers on lifetime value.
A new donor who never gives again has a lifetime value of their first gift only. ...
With Christmas appeals in the works, here's my list to push up the dollars you raise.
1. Your core messaging does NOT include “changing lives” or “transforming lives”. This is a pet hate of mine. See why here. I see it so frequently that I’ve made it No. 1. (Although I will concede the very, very occasional only use of these phrases for brevity.)
2. Send donors more than one communication. I always recommend more than one Christmas direct mail appeal pack. One DM appeal plus a reminder. A DM appeal and a ...
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