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Analyzing a New Fundraising Campaign

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During a recent Development Directors Roundtable, a participant expressed disappointment that a new fundraising campaign, which she had been excited about and had high hopes for, was yielding low returns. A discussion ensued about whether to bolster efforts—or throw in the towel.

While everyone agreed the campaign seemed like a strong idea, it was suggested that some further analysis was necessary.

I found an article from OneCause that offers a few reasons why taking time to analyze your fundraising campaign or event is worthwhile:

  • It helps you track how your campaign is doing so you can make adjustments and improvements along the way.
  • It tells you how well the campaign performed against your goals.
  • It puts benchmark data in place that you can use to improve future fundraising campaigns.

HERE are their 5 Tips for Analyzing Your Online Fundraising Campaigns.

Rethinking Charity

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Recently I received an announcement that our local chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals is having a showing and discussion of Uncharitable, a feature-length documentary that “exposes the dark side of philanthropy and introduces a radical new way of giving.” That intrigued me. I learned the title comes from a book of the same name by Dan Pallotta, which led me to this TED Talk.

It’s fascinating and I wanted to share it! See what you think.

Beyond the Thank You Letter

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We all have some way of thanking our donors formally for gifts to our organizations. It might be an email or a postal letter. But then what? Are you done? Not if you want that donor to make the next gift.

Gillian Cole-Andrews recently shared ideas for making an annual calendar for continuing to engage your donors.

  • January. No one wants to give money in January. Send a “pre-tax letter” that thanks the donor for gifts made during the year, with a total figure of what was given.
  • February. This is the “lybunt” and “sybunt” month. That means you will write to your donors who gave to you last year but not this year, and those who gave to you some year but not this year. Write and thank them.
  • March. It’s “tour month.” Find a way to bring significant donors to see what you do, whatever it is.
  • April. Event month. Well, according to your organization’s calendar it might be a different month, but take advantage of whatever annual event you do to engage your donors in ways that reinforce their understanding of your mission and your work. If you have a big party, make it mean something in terms of what you do.
  • May. This can be your “annual appeal” in contrast to your end-of-year appeal.
  • June, July , August. Can you celebrate an anniversary? Of your organization’s existence? Of a program?
  • October. Send your impact report. Remind people that you exist and what you do and accomplish.
  • November. Tie a solicitation to something happening this month. Thanksgiving? Susan B. Anthony? Military Family Month?
  • December. This is your end-of-year annual appeal.

Certainly you can juggle some of these around or substitute different activities. The point is to create a annual plan for yourself to make donor appreciation and cultivation manageable.

For further reading:

Contracting for Fundraising

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We recently had the question at Spokes, “What are the pros and cons of using independent contractors for fundraising and basing their fee on the amount of money raised?” Good question!

The answer? Well, when done correctly, it is legal, but there are lots of steps that must be taken. In addition, there are ethical and practical issues that you really need to consider before taking this route. If you or your board is considering this approach, Spokes recommends you carefully review the following references, in order.

Compensating Nonprofit Fundraisers – this is a good overview that gives pros and cons.

Professional Fundraising Consultants and Grantwriters  – Pay particular attention to the section, “Did you know?”

California Attorney General’s Guide for Charities – California is a state that does require both the fundraising professional or company to be registered and the charity/nonprofit to follow specific procedures as to contracting, etc. See Chapter 9 beginning page 68.

AB5 issue. – Finally, be aware that California now has very stringent rules with regard to employees versus independent contractors. Basically, a person is an employee unless “proven otherwise.” There is a list of exceptions that includes “grant writer” but not fundraising consultants.

Post-Pandemic Fundraising

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As we watch the world slowly return to a new normal after a global crisis, it’s important to assess which fundraising strategies we have used during the pandemic are worthwhile to continue. Traditional and long-standing fundraising plans have been replaced with more flexible and innovative ideas. Some nonprofits enjoy and find value in online fundraising while others anxiously await in-person events. 

Did the pandemic strengthen or strain your organization’s online presence? No matter how your nonprofit decides to fundraise post-pandemic, here are five resources that may offer ideas and guidance. 

The European Fundraising Association surveyed over 800 charitable organizations on the skills they have relied on to persevere during the pandemic and reported that digital fundraising capabilities and strategic financial planning are two of the most crucial skills to maintain in a post-pandemic world. 

The Chronicle of Philanthropy covers what fundraisers hope will stick post-pandemic, which could mean changing the traditional rules of fundraising and relying on donor trust to fundraise for unknown potential and possibilities. 

NonProfit Pro provides examples of innovative uses of online fundraising and how they can remain useful post-pandemic. Volunteers of America Illinois utilizes Facebook for donor acquisition, United Service Organization conducts virtual fireside chats to connect with donors, and the Boys & Girls Club of America has begun to evolve their fundraising messaging to be more strength and equity based. 

Nonprofit Tech for Good lists fundraising trends which resulted from the pandemic such as virtual events, recurring giving, strong connections with other organizations, and more. 

AFP outlines fundraising planning in 2021 and preparing for a new era with suggestions such as holding hybrid in-person and online events, re-examining your donor database, and remaining intentional about increasing diversity in all aspects of your nonprofit. 

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