Did you know that 50% – 60% of your nonprofit’s direct mail results comes from whom you are mailing to? Target audience is crucial, and segmentation is just as important. But, to determine the best target audience for your nonprofit’s direct mail, you first must determine the goal of your appeal. For Any Nonprofit Organization There Are Only Three Ways To Grow Your Overall Fundraising: You must bring in new donors to keep supporting your...

Last week, I was talking to a prospect about how to best set priorities when it comes to monthly giving. She wanted to know how crucial it is to only focus on monthly giving compared to other activities. They had fewer than 5,000 donors to work with. They have a small staff and a separate communications department that’s not that fundraising focused, which, in my experience, is (sadly) very typical. A few months ago, I started talking to an...

To start the year and decade off right, I thought I’d share 20 ideas and intentions to help you grow your monthly donor program to the next level. No matter what your current number of monthly donors is, you can always use more. No matter what your current overall communication schedule is, you should be able to fit these into the mix. No matter how many donors you have, you can always apply these tips. Virtually, all of these are low in cost;...

If you haven’t started focusing on monthly and sustainer giving yet, think again. At the start of the new year, it’s a good time to take a fresh look at this tremendously sustainable way for donors to make a difference to your organization in ways that are most comfortable for their budget. When I ask monthly donors the question, why they like giving that way, most indicate they like to support the organization. They care about the mission....

As you’re going into the next decade, it might be a good time to take stock of some old ideas that can be new again. But how do you find those old ideas? Go back to some of your old packages and emails, and retest them. See what happens. When I worked at Reader’s Digest in Amsterdam several decades ago, we took two approaches that worked over and over again: We had a huge stock room of samples of prior campaigns. And every seven years or so,...

As you know, I’m always looking for statistics, especially on monthly giving. And as someone who has raised money internationally for a number of years, I’ve found that it’s always good to look at international fundraising trends. Yes, cultures and languages can be different. Yes, fundraising channels may be a bit different, but overall: What works in one country, typically works in another. Because you’re raising funds from individuals, and...

Blog by Michael W. Kahn, Nacha Did you finally clear out your inbox from Giving Tuesday? Congratulations. And if you helped a cause or two that’s near and dear to your heart, good on you! But now’s a great time to take the next step and help those charitable organizations make the most of Giving Tuesday. That means converting one-time donors into sustaining donors who give more frequently by ACH. Some experts in the field of giving believe the...

Every weekend, I go through my mail from the week before. It’s also when I create a swipe file of direct mail packs and ideas I like. I scan in what I like and toss the rest. This past week, I had a bunch of holiday cards. Some recognized my ongoing monthly gifts; others did not. If you have a holiday card on your direct mail production schedule, I highly recommend to include your monthly donors this time of the year. It’s a good time to say an...

I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving! It’s a great time to reflect on the small and large people and things in your life. I always find myself making my resolutions for the new year early. Why? Because there’s never a moment to waste. Because there’s something magical about resolutions. It helps you be better prepared for the next phase in whatever it is you’re looking to be prepared for. Just think about it: Giving Tuesday is tomorrow, and you...

You’ve most likely read that giving days/year-end/holidays are a really good time to ask your monthly donors for an extra gift.  It’s true, especially with that special personal touch. But that brings up the next question: Should you send a thank-you letter to your monthly donors for that extra gift? You’re most likely not sending thank-you letters for their ongoing monthly gifts now. My recommendation is an unequivocal YES. Do send a thank-you...

As we’re getting ready for Thanksgiving, I wanted to talk about something not often talked about:  how nonprofit clients move from one fundraising agency or consultant to another, and how this can be a smooth transition or a difficult one. I’m very fortunate that I was recently asked to start working with an organization where its “old” agency was extremely gracious, supportive and forthcoming with any and all information. It made the...

I’m not going to write about monthly donors for a change. Instead, now is the time to get as many one-time gifts, which will help feed your monthly donor program next year. The year-end appeal season is here. The clock is ticking… The mail pile is growing… The inbox is overflowing… The question is: How do you stand out from the crowd? The second question is: Must you stand out from the crowd, or is it more important you get my attention at the...

There are many opportunities to generate monthly donors, if you’re willing to use them. I’ve given you several options in past blogs, but here is one of the BEST ways to make a real splash and generate a substantial number of new monthly donors in a very short period. It’s by using a MATCH.  It literally sets your program on fire! A match is a special gift you’ll receive if you reach a certain fundraising goal.  A match will help motivate...

During a recent webinar, someone asked me: “Does the timing of the launch of your monthly giving program make a difference? Are there certain times of the year that are better to start a monthly giving program?” My answer is twofold: If your organization is really gung-ho about monthly giving — as in, you almost care more about generating sustainers than one-time gifts — then by all means, go for it! There is really no bad time to launch your...

Guest blog by Raviraj Hegde, the director of growth at Donorbox.   For nonprofits of any size and type, reaching out to donors and prospects is key. But, what outreach strategies should your nonprofit focus on each month? The more you involve your community in your organization, the more support you’ll receive. An effective outreach strategy can encourage the community to donate to your cause.  Implementing these strategies monthly can...

Fundraisers are fascinating. Sometimes, they want to try something new and forget about proven approaches and channels. Other times, they are too afraid to even consider something new. I get it. If you’re worried that you’re not going to make your goals, you’ll put on the brakes. If you think that your donors might get upset about what you’re trying to do, you’ll walk on eggshells. Most times, you’re scared because someone who doesn’t...

Article written by Erica Waasdorp and Naseem Saloojee Let’s start with the definition first: Face-to-Face (F2F) is a term originally coined in Europe. According to the UK Institute of Fundraising, “Face-to-face fundraising activity enables charities to engage with the public in an effective and compelling way to reach new supporters.” F2F is not to be confused with major gift fundraising in the U.S. You’ll see that the key words in the F2F...

Last week was a tough week. My father-in-law passed away after five days in hospice care and three weeks of going in and out of the hospital with an infection. Before that, he was quite healthy and very much with us. He told the most amazing stories of his World War II fighter pilot flights in Germany and France, especially as a young airman. He lived to be 95 — a very full and incredible life — serving our country for more than 40 years. And...

This is one of those recurring questions I get whenever I present on monthly giving, so it may be time to address it again.  Organizations often “agonize” about the name for a monthly giving program. Many are holding up the launch of it. Do yourself a favor: Don’t delay. You can always recognize donors later! Before you start thinking about names (and possibly stalling the start of the program), consider this: On your online form, your...

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I’m always looking for ways to help you convince your boss or board that it’s time to put a bit of time into generating more monthly donors. Time is really all it takes now, because the tools are already there. You just have to make the monthly gift option easy to find and start directing your donors to go there. You may also know that I always recommend annualizing the value of monthly gifts....

By Erica Waasdorp , Paul Tavatgis and Sherry Bell Retention. It’s something every single one of us struggles with. And no matter how a new sustainer came on board (digitally, direct mail, telephone, face-to-face, TV or other), the first three months after sign-up are critical to retaining new sustainers. But when it comes to recurring donors acquired via face-to-face (also referred as F2F, street, canvassing, door), retention becomes even more...

I hope you were convinced from one of my earlier blogs that direct mail for nonprofits is still the most effective way to generate donations from your existing donors and generate new donors. The next question you might ask yourselves then is how often and how can you best reach out to your donors, so they’ll be most likely to respond. Let’s Start With How Often You Can Reach Out To Your Donors, So They’ll Continue To Love You. It’s always one...

As you’re getting ready for Giving Tuesday — or the campaign season starting before Thanksgiving — this question comes up often: Should I include my monthly donors in my Giving Tuesday campaign?  My answer is: Yes! Absolutely, BUT… Why do I recommend including your monthly donors? Because this is an exciting time to give, and you’ll leave money on the table if you don’t ask. Many Giving Tuesday (or Giving Day) campaigns have a match challenge...

Part One of a Two Part Guide: Boosting Donor Retention From Day One – Top 10 Tips for Professional Fundraising Agencies By Paul Tavatgis & Sherry Bell, Professional Face-to-Face Fundraising Association and Erica Waasdorp, A Direct Solution. Introduction Face-to-face fundraising is one of the best ways to inspire people to make an ongoing and sustained donation. You may also hear terms like canvassing, street, F2F, door, etc.  All mean that...

You probably know by now that monthly giving is not a one-shot deal. It’s a matter of “chipping” away at it. And if you’re a golfer, you know, it’s those chip shots that can make all the difference. With monthly giving, it’s all about consistency. It’s about a continued and committed focus. It’s about finding ways to build in a monthly giving ask wherever you possibly can. There are numerous (almost endless) online opportunities, but don’t...

As a monthly donor, I support many organizations. Frankly, until I sit down at the end of the year to prepare for my taxes, I don’t even know how many great nonprofits I give monthly to. Organizations I support fall into the categories of animal welfare, environmental advocacy, human services and religion. I have a hard time remembering why I started supporting every individual organization, but I know it was for a good reason and the...

If you’ve heard me speak or read some of my blogs, you already know that I always advocate for the following:  The more opportunities you offer donors to give monthly, the more monthly donors you will find!  But for most organizations, there is always that fine line of having to bring in one-time short-term funds versus long-term sustainable monthly giving revenue. I get it. Trust me, I’ve been there. Let’s Start With A Monthly Giving Case...

As I’m getting ready for my second cataract surgery this week, it has started to dawn on me the tremendous eye-opening results I’ve already experienced from the first one. For me, going to the beach and swimming in the ocean was never an option, because I wouldn’t be able to find my spot unless there was nobody else there. Snorkeling was not possible, because I simply wouldn’t see anything. Now hopefully all that will be possible. I may have...

Donor-advised funds — a lot has been written about it.  Especially with the changes in tax laws, more and more donors have “flocked” to it. Just a few quick facts about donor-advised funds (DAFs): You don’t need to be super rich to start one — $5,000 is all it takes. A DAF is easy to set up. If you already have investments with an investment firm like Schwab or Fidelity, you’ll be able to create a DAF there, and it can all be done online in...

Take a look at this beautiful Word Cloud. It’s based on the answers to an exercise we recently did in a sustainer workshop. (Thank you, Cameron Popp, for organizing the exercise). I certainly think the outcome is fascinating. Because what you see is that the most important reason why people give monthly is because they care about the mission. They want to help! It’s less about the convenience. And nowhere does it say that a donor gives monthly...