As someone who works in the marketing intelligence world for nonprofits, I continue to be surprised how many organizations don't use the important channel of telemarketing or — even worse — have used it before and stopped using it.
Here are five direct-mail packages that have a history of success across a wide range of nonprofit organizations. Adapting them to your mission and message can help reduce the some of the risk that goes along with testing.
When it comes to direct-mail and email copy intended to raise money for a nonprofit, adding a camel to the fundraising team is dangerous. In other words, the more people who edit the copy, the less likely it is that the end product will accomplish the original intent. There are three “camels” fundraisers should avoid when possible — and when that’s impossible, at a minimum go on record as being opposed to.
Nonprofits know they must emotionally connect with their constituents. Now, for-profit brands are focusing on emotional marketing, or as Fast Company calls it, "sadvertising."
When you're writing a fundraising letter, the last thing you want to do is write the fundraising letter. I mean that literally. The letter is the emotional core of your package. So before you dive in, ask, and answer, these five questions.
Telemarketing is a critical piece of the multichannel fundraising puzzle. So, how can an organization leverage telemarketing to remind its donors why its work is so important? Here are three things to remember.
One year ago this month, I wrote an article that detailed what may be one of the boldest moves by a top brand in the nonprofit industry. Today's blog is your reminder of all that went into that decision by the American Cancer Society (ACS). Why am I reminding you? Because in two weeks, I will be providing you an update on where things stand and the progress ACS has made on its goals.
Right now is a great time to get out your fundraising stethoscope and give your program its summer checkup. Like people, cars and many other things, a fundraising program works best with some routine care.
Successful advancement must be strategic and integrated. It relies on the understanding of what each discipline is — and is not — and how together, the disciplines become a beautiful orchestra creating a masterpiece yielding a great donor relationship and experience, plus many more dollars raised to achieve the organization's mission.
Are you inward-focused or outward-focused with your marketing and fundraising?
