Phone It In

In the old days of fundraising, one central channel was primarily used for both communication and fundraising. For good or bad, those days are long gone. New communication channels emerge at warp speed and are positioned side by side to increase donor touchpoints.

Today more than ever, telephone marketing is still the purest form of marketing. Although some consider it "old-school," it's the only channel that allows you to get real-time feedback from donors and a yes/no answer after each call. At its best, telefundraising is a priceless tool that brings in more than donations — it brings you loyal donors with immeasurable lifetime value.

Today everything is all about personal contact, which is the driving force behind successful fundraising campaigns. The phone is still the preferred way people choose to communicate — the one-to-one personal touch of speaking to a live person remains strong even with the advent of new technologies. However, coupling the phone with other channels is 
necessary to stay competitive. More channels mean more ways to reach more people.

The phone offers personalized and high-impact interactions not offered by any other fundraising tool. So how do you integrate it into your multichannel marketing mix? Remember these six tips, and your donors will be happy and your organization financially strong.

1. Take advantage 
of timing and frequency 
to drive success.

Regardless of their success with telefundraising, many organizations only utilize the phone for one or two appeals a year because they have self-imposed "too much" limits or refuse to shift budgets from other tactics. This is a critical error. If you have momentum with a phone campaign, you should build on that excitement.

Donors don't stop giving because you ask too many times — if you've built a strong relationship. Your donors want to support you and will as often as they can, so don't be afraid to ask.