One of the quickest ways to make sure a would be donor doesn’t give is to ask them to do something so big they can’t possibly do it: “We need $17 million to build the new wing of the museum.” For all but a very small group of donors, the answer will be, “Good luck with that!” It’s almost as harmful to ask a donor to do something too small. That is likely uninspiring, and looks like you assume they’re stingy: “We need $2 to fill the paper-towel dispenser in the 3rd floor mens’ room.” The large majority of your donors are able and willing to give somewhere between $2 and $17 million. Your job a ..read more

Everyone wants innovation. Because things could be better. And every innovation creates the need for more innovation. Fall asleep on the job, and you could find yourself caught in a trap. I recently came across a wonderful article in Mental Floss that tells us a thing or two about real-world innovation: The History of CTRL + ALT + DELETE. In the spring of 1981, a programmer named David Bradley was working on IBM’s personal computer project. Five months into the project, he created one of the most important keyboard shortcuts every: ctrl+alt+del. “It was five minutes, 10 minutes of activity,” B ..read more

When you see this direct mail envelope that showed up in my mailbox, you might ask, “What were they thinking?” The thing is huge. 11″ x 13.75″. It had to be folded in half to fit in the mailbox. In direct mail, big envelopes do well. This one is not for a nonprofit, but something like it could work for us. (See Wacky envelopes work in fundraising) Big envelopes stand out in the mail. Here are some sizes you might consider using: #11: Just slightly bigger than a standard #10. You’d easily mistake it for that unless it’s next to a real #10. It stands out in the mailbox. #12: Looks like a #10 i ..read more

A couple of weeks ago, I told you that the basics of a fundraising offer is these three things: Problem Solution Invitation Today I’m going to tell you a few more things to on that foundation: Cost As often as possible, connect the problem and its solution with the donor’s pocketbook. (It’s not always possible.) You’re asking for money; you need to talk about money. That means putting a ”price” on tangible items, like meals, shoes, nights in a shelter, books … whatever it is your do. This is not always possible. It may be your work doesn’t do tangible things. Or maybe the cost of your tangi ..read more

Book Review: How to talk About Legacy Giving: Your Guide to Creating Inspiring Legacy Message by Aimée Lindenberger My alma mater keeps sending me this fancy, nice-looking newsletter that’s all about “planned giving.” They’re hoping I’ll include them in my will. So far, so good. That’s a smart strategy for any fundraiser. But the bulk of the newsletter is about other planned giving products. Like charitable gift annuities, remainder unitrusts, donations of appreciated securities … and on and on. I’m sure those things are all good and strategic ways to support my dear old alma mater. But they ..read more

If you ever took a psychology class, you may remember Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. It looks like this: The “low” physical needs are at the bottom. The “high” emotional and spiritual needs above. I’m not going to argue with Dr. Maslow. But I do have a problem with the way his pyramid is often interpreted in fundraising. I can’t count how many times Psych 101-educated fundraisers have told me that the “low” levels on the pyramid are less important, less worthy, even less moral than the “high” ones at the top. Thus fundraising offers that are about food, shelter, or other basic body nee ..read more

The missing ingredient that causes more fundraising to fail than probably any other: It doesn’t actually ask people to donate. No matter how important your cause … no matter how strong your brand and visibility … no matter how connected your donors … If you don’t say Please donate, you’ll get fewer donations. You can’t assume that just because you’ve sent donors your Summer Appeal, they know that you want them to respond with a donation. Here are some statements from fundraising that don’t quite ask: Your support is appreciated. Join the movement to help children in need. Thank you in advanc ..read more

Here are the 5 most-read Future Fundraising Now blog posts in the month of June: 5 serious fundraising mistakes that you might be making Good fundraising is much more than well-written copy The dark secret of “churn-and-burn” fundraising How to prevent donor burnout Does your fundraising mean anything at all to your donors? Looking for some really good (and specific) advice for your fundraising? Book a FREE consultation with Sean Triner of Moceanic. Sean knows his stuff, and can help you find your way forward ..read more

You’ve probably heard of “churn and burn” fundraising. It sounds like something bad. And it is. Here’s what “churn and burn” isn’t: High-frequency asking. (At least, it’s not just that.) High-frequency asking can be a part of a smart fundraising strategy for some organizations. Churn and burn is more insidious. It’s fundraising that makes little attempt to build relationships with donors. The primary goal is to send as much mail as possible. In its worst form, churn and burn is not a fundraising strategy. It’s a print and mail strategy. It usually happens when a large (but unsophisticated) non ..read more

Is the big fundraising pie getting smaller? It seems like it is, at least to some people. The general downward trend in donors and revenue, with the exception of a big pandemic uptick for many organizations, is almost relentlessly down. But not for everyone. Some organizations are growing. What’s the difference between those caught in the trend and those flying free from it? Read about it in this LinkedIn post by Mark Philips. Mark looked at individual donor fundraising for a lot of organizations between 2016 and 2022. Adjusted for inflation, a lot of those organizations have income sown 40% o ..read more