Acquisition

For too long, nonprofit marketers and fundraisers have decided how to communicate based on thinking grounded in direct marketing and economics. The problem with this approach is that it assumes people are coolly logical and make their decisions about supporting a cause based on a rational, linear thought process. We've laid out the cases for why our causes matter based on facts and numbers.

As the recession has deepened, acquisition of new donors through direct mail has become more difficult. In a session titled “Keep the Acquisition Ideas Coming: List Optimization" at the recent DMA 2010 Washington Nonprofit Conference, four speakers provided techniques to refine selection of prospect lists to improve acquisition results.

Miriam Isserow
development consultant/
former development director
Women Empowered Against Violence

Truth be told, it was this nomination from Lauren Hines, development director at the Council for Court Excellence and a colleague of Miriam Isserow's, that prompted us to go with the "superhero" theme for this year's awards.

Matthew Bregman
director of development
El Museo del Barrio

Since Matt Bregman's arrival at El Museo del Barrio in spring 2006, private giving has soared from $2 million in FY02-05 to more than $6 million last year. But as impressive as those numbers are, it's not always just about numbers. According to Julián Zugazagoitia, director and CEO of El Museo del Barrio, Matt's leadership made it possible to reopen the museum to the public after a $35 million renovation.

Christina Johns
senior manager of DRTV and social networking
International Fellowship of Christians and Jews

Christina Johns came onto FS' radar last year when she pitched an idea to write about social networking in regard to nonprofit organizations. We were impressed with how 
comfortable she was with a subject that was so new to the sector and one that was causing all kinds of angst among even the most 
daring fundraising pros. She has an impressive and easy grasp of (and genuine passion for) the social-
networking milieu — its possibilities, its limitations and the strategies needed to make it work.

We're calling a new rector for my church. This entails creating a detailed profile of our institution, assessing our ministries, analyzing our finances, and praying and reflecting on our next "calling." It also entails letting some ministries go.

Lynn Edmonds, president, L.W. Robbins Associates
Loyal donors are being conservative but holding on. Since the spring, we have seen a slight increase in giving in some audiences but not all. And in certain cases, we have been able to reactivate lapsed donors by decreasing the gift asks.

The economy has wreaked havoc on organizations large and small, local and national. But the economy isn't the only thing that can mean turbulence for organizations. Natural disasters, heated election cycles and a shift in public perception of a cause, among other things, all can rock the boat. No matter what the cause, there are things fundraisers can do to get through tough times.

Remember the story of the boy in Holland who noticed a hole in the dike? Fearing a leak could flood the entire town, he shoved his finger into the hole, potentially avoiding a major disaster.

In the Network for Good webinar "Broadening Your Fundraising Net: Diversifying Your Fundraising Channels to Build a Financially Healthy Organization" in late April, Cindy Adams, president and CEO of GrantStation, discussed how organizations can diversify fundraising income streams to help become financially healthier. She looked at how and why organizations should assess their existing revenue streams, ways to boost the bottom line by building on what you already have, and best practices for developing a funding plan. She also recommended some practical assessment tools.