Easier Said than Done: Fundraising in the Age of Cynicism

And while you're making those receipts relevant, send them out quickly. Nothing says "sloppy, disengaged, possibly fraudulent organization" like a receipt that takes weeks to arrive. If you don't have your receipting down to 24-hour turnaround, you aren't where you need to be.

Open the doors with a donor newsletter
You do have a newsletter, don't you? It's the one type of communication donors actually want from you.

A good newsletter is about donors and the impact of their giving. Secondary content can be about other opportunities to get involved. Don't send a newsletter that's about how efficient, cutting-edge, famous and cool you are. None of that matters. The donor is the story.

A newsletter isn't the only way to report back. Consider special progress reports about ongoing projects they support. Surprise donors with information about their impact. Lavish them with thanks and updates.

These things give evidence that your work is real, that the donor hasn't been tricked. They show her that her support matters and is appreciated.

That's how you fight cynicism. You'll know it's working when you see better donor retention, more upgrading and great word-of-mouth in the marketplace.

Jeff Brooks ?is creative director at TrueSense Marketing (truesense.com) and keeper of the Future Fundraising Now blog (futurefundraising?now.com). Reach him at ?jeff.brooks@truesense.com