Our previous post was about what to do to raise money during the Noisy Spring of a presidential election year.  Today let’s talk about how you can make it through The Summer Slump (July – August). And remember – if you make this year’s fundraising plan based on what’s worked best in previous presidential election years, this COULD be one of your best fundraising years since the pandemic. The Summer Slump So… you already know that fundraising tends to slow a bit during the summer months. But that slowdown will in all likelihood be larger this year because of the intensity of election cover ..read more

Fundraising during a presidential election year can be tricky. But if you base your plan for this year on what’s worked best in previous presidential election years, this COULD be one of your best fundraising years since the pandemic. There are four distinct phases of the election cycle that will impact your fundraising efforts: Phase 1: The Noisy Spring (that’s right now!) Phase 2: The Summer Slump Phase 3: The Election Storm Phase 4: The Year-End Rally Today’s post shows you what do NOW, during the Noisy Spring (April through June).  Our next three posts will be about the next three pha ..read more

When you’re in a band, it’s much more enjoyable to walk onstage when you know how to put on a good show.  But when your band performs its first shows, you don’t know yet how to put on a good show.  You need to perform a lot of shows before you get good, before you have that “earned confidence” when you walk out in front of a crowd. It’s the same thing with your fundraising materials; it’s much more enjoyable to send out a letter when you know it’s a good appeal. But when you send your first appeals, you don’t know yet how to write or design a good appeal.  You need to send a lot ..read more

Here’s a quick public service announcement: the sooner you get in touch with your printer about your fall mailings, the better. A lot of mail is going to be sent: In the couple of months before the election by both sides  In the couple of months after the election by the losing side So contact your printer now.  Tell them your drop date, your mail quantity, your paper needs. When you start hearing stories about nonprofits not being about to send out their mailings on time this fall, your future self will thank you! The post Time to get in touch with your printer… appeared first on ..read more

Does your organization have a simple and clear way for your donors to donate stock or other investments? If not, you’d be smart to get started! Here’s why this is important… Most wealthy donors have some of their money in cash (checking and savings accounts). Think of this as a small bucket. But MOST of their money is in investments (stocks, bonds, IRAs) where it can earn them more money. Think of this as a large bucket. And right now, this large bucket of investments is likely doing well. If you only accept cash gifts from donors, they will likely donate from their small bucket of cash. But i ..read more

Interested in listening instead of reading?  I’ve been a guest on a number of podcasts lately, and here are the top three if you’d like to take a listen… Build Good with Mike Duerkson This conversation was mostly about fundraising offers – what they are, how they make your fundraising more inclusive (and raise more!), and how to build one for your organization.  Here’s a 3-minute clip that got a lot of attention. Confessions with Jess and Cindy Just released last week – such a fun conversation!  This was mostly about the business-side of The Better Fundraising Company.  Lis ..read more

I had the opportunity to work with an incredible fundraiser at a nonprofit I used to work at.  And one of the things he taught me (among many others) was that colors aren’t visible to everyone the same way. He showed me how, on our website, the two colors used in our organization’s marketing were difficult for him to see. We realized that our fundraising could reach so many more people who cared about our mission if we made a few adjustments. Here are some beginning ideas to make your online content more accessible to your donors – especially to your donors with older eyes. Use high-cont ..read more

Finding an accessible offer for an annual giving donor can be one of the most difficult challenges in fundraising.  Here’s why: Your annual giving donor doesn’t have all day to read about all your programs. She might have just $30 to contribute, AND she still wants to make a difference. An accessible offer will show her the incredible difference she can make with just her $30 and a few minutes of her time.  An accessible offer is: Direct – It’s a clear solution to the problem presented. Specific – It tells her exactly what her gift will do. A Good Deal – It’s affordable, and the don ..read more

We want to help you create appeal letters that are accessible for your donors. You may have heard that the average donor is a 65-year-old woman.  She receives a LOT of mail.  To get through it all, she’s scanning and in a hurry.  But that doesn’t change the fact that she wants to make a difference. The easier it is for a donor to read and understand your appeals, the more accessible your appeals are, and the more likely your donors are to give. Here are some ways to make your appeals more accessible for your donors: Use font size 12 and up. Indent the beginning of each paragrap ..read more

Here’s a goal for your fundraising in 2024 – make it more accessible. The ethical reasons are clear: we should not make unnecessary design and language choices that make it harder for people to see, read and understand. Additionally, the financial reasons are clear: When more people can easily read your fundraising, more of your fundraising will be consumed, and you’ll raise more money. When more people can quickly understand your fundraising, more people will keep reading, and you’ll raise more money. Our next three blog posts will be full of tips for how you can make your fundraising more ..read more