The crux of Russell Conway's famous essay, “Acres of Diamonds,” actually translates to one of the greatest secrets of fundraising ever revealed. It’s been my experience that virtually every organization fails to fully mine the innumerable diamonds hidden within its own database. So how can you find “Acres of Diamonds” within your own organization? Focus on developing a positive, forward-thinking attitude...
Your major donor has given in the last month or so, and you now are turning your attention to the donors on your caseload who have not given so far this calendar year. This is good. But you may be missing an opportunity to ask your major donor for another gift. “What?” you say. “Ask again? I can’t do that! It would not be right.” Well, let me present a different point of view...
No one likes to be scolded. Yet most nonprofits make a practice of regularly admonishing supporters to give "where most needed." You probably think this is a good thing. After all, it gives you the greatest flexibility. Right? Wrong. You’ll have a lot more flexibility if you raise more money. And you’ll raise a lot more money if you stop thinking about you and your needs and think more about your donors and their needs...
If you’re looking for a quick, easy, affordable and dynamic way to thank donors this holiday season, then check this out: Make and send a thank-you video. It’s super easy to shoot. Just use your smartphone. No fancy equipment or skill needed (isn’t that a relief?). With YouTube being one of the biggest social media…
The fact is all of us work extremely hard to cultivate, solicit and secure donors but have trouble retaining these donors, a large percentage of them “gone with the wind” each year. So, what do experts have to say about donor retention?...
I heard a client struggle today in trying to figure out her organization’s value proposition. “What is it that we do that makes interacting with us worthwhile, something people can’t do without?” Being something that people feel they can’t do without is a high bar, but attainable. But then I thought, if I were selling high-end sneakers, would my athlete buyer respond to the same value proposition as my fashion buyer? Sometimes yes, but sometimes no...
Like many of your donors, I hope, I have been actively doing some year-end giving. That included mailing gifts to 19 organizations that had responded to my article earlier this year, offering to make a donation to the organizations of the first 10 people who responded. (I just couldn’t stop at 10.) ...
This has been my first ‘year-end’ with Shift and it’s been … fun. Nothing like starting your business in the busiest time of the year—when the pressure is highest to deliver results, on time. But with the majority of the craziness behind me, I’ve been able to catch up on some of my favorite blogs,…
Recent data shows that "the pattern of retention for cash giving in the U.S. has worsened, with some organizations experiencing upwards of 70 percent attrition between the first and second gift." Your organization’s thank you letter is not the be-all, end-all to ending donor attrition. But it is an important first step in creating loyal, lifetime donors. Does yours have all 10 essentials?...
According to the Fundraising Effectiveness Project, first-time donor retention is a measly 19 percent. While repeat donor retention is much better at 63 percent, that still means one in three current donors don’t give again. Overall, the median donor retention rate is just 43 percent. It’s not a huge mystery as to why. Donors want…
