Segment Snapshots
3. Make sure you use at least 12-point, serif type.
One of the truths about aging is that eyesight usually diminishes. Make sure your copy is readable.
4. Fundraising strategies that are good for younger donors are also good for mature donors.
These include telling stories, opportunities to engage, prompt and relevant thank-you letters, good stewardship — just to name a few.
5. With longer lives, philanthropic decisions become family decisions.
Not only are those families multigenerational, but they are also increasingly multicultural and inter-religious.
6. Boomers will long be with us.
Though the World War II and silent generations are declining in numbers and will soon disappear, the baby boomers and especially the leading-edge boomers who are turning 65 this year will be with us for two decades or more.
Even with the downturn in the economy and the significant loss of wealth this group has suffered, these individuals will be our core givers for the foreseeable future. They have "grown up" giving through the mail. Multichannel strategies certainly work for some, but abandoning the mail as a cost-saving measure is a mistake when it comes to fundraising from this group.
Phyllis Freedman is president of SmartGiving and author of the Planned Giving Blogger. Reach her at pfreedman@smart-giving.com
African-American Donors
by Tracey Webb
FundRaising Success: Describe African-Americans as donors in three words.
Tracey Webb: Collective, responsive, purposeful.
FS: Which types of organizations are most attractive to African-American donors?
TW: Ones that have a focus on education, health and social issues impacting the black community. In addition, high-profile donors are increasingly giving to the arts.
FS: Has fundraising marketing to African-American donors changed in the past few years?
TW: Yes, organizations are tapping in to the millennial generation for prospective donors. In recent years, many young adults have formed giving circles and philanthropic networks to support nonprofit organizations in their community.
