Personalization

Have you ever started a new job, only to discover that no thank yous had been sent for months? Or even—(gasp!)—years? I ran across that very situation in what I fondly refer back to as my last “job-job...

Whatever you do, keep it manageable and affordable for yourself. And make sure that the donor is okay with you recognizing them in the ways you promise them you will. Once you create these promises, you can start listing it whenever and wherever you promote the program...

People on voluntary sector boards have heavy workloads—so what’s the best way to share the burden? Sub-committees may not seem exciting, but if used properly, delegating tasks will help your board to be brilliant. Here are my six top tips on how to get the most from your sub-committees: 1. Let them delve into detail…

It may sound hokey, but try to keep a gratitude journal. Not just any gratitude journal, but a donor-gratitude journal. Write down five things each week about why you’re grateful to your donors. You can be grateful to specific donors or to donors as a group. Just get in the habit of thinking about what you’re specifically grateful for...

This old dog challenges you to think about that old fundraising standby, the telephone, in a new way. Just maybe there’s a stronger donor relationship that will result from a telephone call and a genuine word of appreciation...

Being online is a critical part of your donor’s life. It’s also a critical part of their experience with your organization. So your year-end campaign must be online, too. In fact, to succeed in today’s environment, year-end campaigns must be multichannel — not just direct mail, but also email and social media.

One trip, three brands and personal communication that went in opposite directions...

Is there one single narrative that can entirely define your organization, its mission and your donor experiences from both sides of the giving equation? Doubtful. One thing I don’t doubt, though: Storytelling is important. In fact, emotionally compelling storytelling is the foundation of every successful fundraising program...

Recognition is at the heart of everything Turnkey provides for peer-to-peer clients. Recognition manifests in many forms—products, personal outreach, social media call outs, thank-you notes and more. The whole point of recognition is to install and reinforce a self-label...

There’s a sweet spot for personalization, and the big news is that you don’t have to have an expensive automation-marketing tool…