Want to improve your direct mail fundraising? Here’s one easy way. I should say in fairness, this is easy in concept but not easy to do. Ready? Here goes: The best way to improve your direct mail is to get your envelope opened. I can see your eye roll now. “Well, duh, of course if […]
1 easy way to raise more money in direct mail Read More »
Hey there, I know you’re busy. Me, too. So why are you asking me to attend your regular, business as usual fundraising event? Better yet, why are you even having an event? Ok . . . so that’s harsh — and Hoots and I actually do love being a part of several fundraising events each year. But
3 rules for great fundraising events Read More »
Donors are bored . . . OK, that’s not completely accurate. Really donors are busy, distracted and bored. You know that. But in the middle of the battle to create marketing, fundraising or development messages, it’s easy to lose track of this reality. If your message isn’t earth-shaking, world-changing and life-altering, you’ll be ignored. I’m
your donors are bored Read More »
OK . . . so maybe the USPS isn’t quite dead yet, but it’s not getting better either. To solve a $15.9 Billion shortfall (yes, that’s $15.9 billion) last year alone, our USPS announced it intends to cut $2 billion in expenses by eliminating deliveries on Saturday. We’ve already seen a raise in postage in
direct mail fundraising: sorta dead Read More »
So what’s your one startling fact? What’s that one statistic that would so shock and surprise your donors that they’d be ready to take action? Here are some examples of what I’m talking about: 2.8 million children run away each year in the US. Within 48 hours of hitting the streets, one-third of these children
you have to startle your donors Read More »
There’s a formula that works in direct response. It worked 60 years ago, and it still works today. (If your fundraising isn’t utilizing this formula, we need to talk. Really.) It goes something like this: 1. There is a big problem (homelessness, human trafficking, insert your organization’s mission here) 2. We know how to solve
fundraising: the secret ingredient Read More »
Everyone knows about and even some of us use “to do” lists. Today we’re talking about thinking about “stop doing” lists. Or as I sometimes tell clients is the “Scarlett O’Hara swear”. That’s when after further review you solemnly swear that as Scarlett said “As God as my witness, I’ll never do that again.” OK,
improve fundraising results part 2: filters and boundaries Read More »
You made it through the December madness — Christmas and New Years. Wahoo! Hopefully you’re seeing the results you worked hard for. Even bigger WAHOOS!! But as 2012 is closed out and put to bed, you need to take a few actions to make 2013 even better than 2012. Start by digging through your files
improve fundraising results part 1: year-end reviews Read More »
I’ve become a fan of “automatic” and I think you should become one too. It wasn’t long ago that anything operating on “autopilot” or “automatic” was automatically bad in my mind. I would have said, “If it’s important, put your hands on it and make sure it happens right. Automate only the unimportant tasks.” Well,
automate what’s important Read More »
You’ve certainly heard of the wonderful visually-based social media tool called Instagram (assuming you’ve had electricity in the last 6 months). But have you heard about the “instastorm” (my term)? Word bubbling through the web and social media is that come January Instagram will beginning selling your children’s photos! Scary! But stay with me .
social media fundraising: the instagram instastorm Read More »
There’s one fundraising mistake I see repeated over and over and over. I’ve read it in a bunch of direct mail letters. I’ve heard it on a phone-campaign call I took last week. I’ve seen it in at least 2 in-person presentations by nonprofits this year. Really, I guess there are a lot of mistakes
a tragic fundraising mistake Read More »
If I asked you what’s the most important week for your ministry’s online giving, what would you say? The week of Thanksgiving? Christmas? Maybe even #GivingTuesday? The largest giving week is the week between Christmas and New Year’s. In fact, it’s not even a week. According to the Network for Good’s online study of over 66,000
online fundraising’s two big days Read More »
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