Using modern technology to show gratitude!
Sponsor: Network for Good
…who invites everyone to join the Facebook Group: Nonprofits Unleashed, sponsored by NFG as a discussion space for Network for Good members and other interested people.
Alyssa Wright is a consultant working with organizations in the NE, currently living in Maine. She was a major gift fundraiser focused on bringing together artists and activists for social justice work prior to opening her own firm. Her company focuses on effective collaboration between non-profits and donors. They work to instill an “abundance framework” – they believe that there IS enough out there!
https://www.alyssafwright.com/
“People may not remember exactly what you did, or what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou
Why do our personal stories as fundraisers matter when it comes to donor appreciation?
Alyssa’s story:
Alyssa raised money to run a road race for a charity. A particular donor put Alyssa’s fundraising over the goal line by making a $50 contribution, and wrote a meaningful note on the “leaderboard” where the donors were donating and writing.
Alyssa wrote her a thank you note on Facebook, and she (the donor) wrote back a lovely note and then asked to friend her on Facebook. They had more interaction over the year, and Alyssa was able to tell her more about the race and the charity that it was fundraising for.
When the race came around again the next year, Alyssa invited her to donate again. The night before the race, Alyssa watched her leaderboard, and about an hour before the end of the fundraising time period, she had $1500 and was happy to have exceeded her goal and increased her contribution for her second year of participation. This particular donor waited until 5 minutes before the end of the donor time period, and then DOUBLED (matched) the amount Alyssa had already raised, taking her to one of the top places in the fundraising race.
Long story short, this donor and Alyssa met, Alyssa told her more about the charity, and Alyssa heard from the donor that she had recently come into a large inheritance and really was looking for guidance as to how to steward her resources. Alyssa and this donor have now been friends for 10+ years, and the donor has given sums in six figures to organizations that Alyssa really cares about, and has turned into a motivated and focused donor with her own philosophy of philanthropy.
MORAL of the STORY:
It’s not about soliciting anymore, it’s about inviting people to share in your story. Don’t say “I wish you would give $20K this year, so that we can reach more people with our mission.” Instead, say, “What will your donation of $20K do for you, toward your personal goals and values?”
Donor Appreciation:
Where do we fail? Why do we fail?
“Organizations often pin their hopes and dreams for fundraising on one person – the development director. Yet studies find high turnover and long vacancies in this position, leading to issues throughout the donor pipeline.” – Haas Jr Fund “Underdeveloped” 2013
STEPS:
- Prospecting
- Cultivation
- Engagement
- Solicitation
- Appreciation – if you want to build something that will outlast you, then the people who make their initial gift must be appropriately thanked and stewarded!!
- Stewardship
- Upgrading
Brave and Creative Donor Appreciation:
As a sector, we can:
- Create lasting partnerships
- Influence philanthropy
- Change the definition of fundraising success
- Enjoy our jobs
Time to Be Brave:
Say, “Thank you so much for your gift and congratulations! You are now a part of an amazing community and movement.”
- Express gratitude for their partnership, vs. gratitude for their charitable giving.
- How you choose to thank your donors can directly impact the way in which you, as a fundraiser, can influence philanthropy.
Time to Get Creative:
Say, “I am so excited to have you in our donor community! I’d love to offer this _______ connected to our mission as a way to express our gratitude!
10 Creative Ideas for Donor Appreciation:
- SEND: Books with highlighted chapters to donors: “I thought you would be interested in how your gift is related to _______.”
- SEND: Articles with highlighted sections
- Offer new connections
- Personalize email communications with story
- Share exclusive events/opportunities
- Send notes from influencers
- Include cumulative giving in their thank-you
- Quantify their time/talent along with their treasure
- Gift them experiences, NOT things
- Handwrite cards, but not only written by development staff
Millenials LOVE to give skills back to your mission (gifts of time, talent, and treasure!). They say thank you for the experience that sharing their time/talents has given them! They say they have been INSPIRED….
How can you offer those experiences to people?
Talking about Tech
So, where does technology fit into all our new found bravery and creativity?
ALERT: Know your donors! Ask permission! Be sensitive to what they want shared publicly. Ex: Ask donors upon making their gift if you can share their name, gift amount and story publicly and on which platform. Document this info for your team.
BEST PRACTICE: Share the donor stories widely that match your ideal donor profile and are giving in the way that is most supportive of your mission. Ex: Share the undesignated giving amount, the giver, and why you are most grateful for that gift!
Personalized Emails:
Best Practice: Start a conversation
- an upcoming event
- an impact report
- a story
- a question (and if they attend the event, tell them they will explore the answer or the solution!)
Social Media Engagement:
Best Practice: Showcase Your Community
- Thank them on the platform that they use the most, tag them, and help them build connections
- With campaigns, build momentum
- “Sara and Jack stepped into today to bring our campaign to $1500 and to provide ______. Who will step in next to help us get to the next level of ________?”
Newsletters and Email Marketing:
Best Practice: Make It Personal —
Research is showing that people don’t click and read through email or print newsletters!
Most effective ways to express gratitude:
- Profile Donors
- Share Cumulative Giving
- Share Overall Impact
Ex: “We’ve had 10 people step in over the last decade and make ______ happen. Here are their stories: ____…”
Crowdfunding platforms and/or giving pages
Best Practice: Build Momentum
- add videos, photos, and creative content
- incentivize donors to share and meet other donors
- ask your host about functionality, they can direct you to specific offerings
- add movement and always personalize as you see fit
Mailings:
Best Practice: Get them back online! It will get them back onto your website and immerse them in your world!
- Add links to exclusive contect (videos on Vimeo) or groups (Facebook/LinkedIn)
- Add QR codes to thank you mailers – donors can send and receive personalized messages
- Most people who open or respond to mailings (which are expensive) are OVER 55!!!
- If you want to reach younger audiences, think about other ways:
- postcards featuring exclusive video to which only donors have access
- exclusive opportunities
For real now:
SEND LIVE Thank you’s from:
- Board meetings!
- Fundraising events
- Field work
- Advocacy events
- Running errands
- Meetings
“I wanted to be in touch as soon as I saw your gift come in. I’m LIVE from downtown NYC today and appreciating YOU immensely!” – this is a real message that Alyssa and her partner got from an organization that they recently donated $1000 to (which was a big gift for them). This shows personality and energy, and expresses gratitude in a live way.
Making it all work: How do I do it all?
Time Management Tips
- Schedule it (appreciation of donors) in. Daily. Weekly. Monthly. (You can’t do it one day a month – you have to build it in a little bit every day or every 2-3 days.)
- Ask for help. Advocate for yourself.
- Engage the board, volunteers and other staff. EVERYONE needs to be involved – it’s not the domain of just SOME of your organization’s people.
- Slow down. Set up systems. Measure and evaluate. Change and evolve. We need to send out that annual appeal letter, but we also need to be sure that we will be here in 10-15 years.
- Enjoy it! Make it fun.
What does a written donor thank-you look like?
TEMPLATE_donor-thank-you-Template – from nonprofitssource.com
Speech and Singing 