Master Class on Donor Acquisition and Retention - Part 1 Find and Acquire 23 rd December 2011, India Islamic Cultural Centre, New Delhi 1 WORKSHOP ON DONOR ACQUISITION AND RETENTION PART I Finding and Acquiring lifetime donors in an age of suspicion and multi-channel communication

Master Class on Donor Acquisition and Retention - Part 1 Find and Acquire 23 rd December 2011, India Islamic Cultural Centre, New Delhi 2 Introduction This master class is mainly about communication: communication for fundraising, not for information This master class is not just about direct mail. Most examples are from direct mail, but applies almost equally to face-to-face, telemarketing and internet. This master class is not about fundraising in India. It is about donors everywhere. There are some differences.

Master Class on Donor Acquisition and Retention - Part 1 Find and Acquire 23 rd December 2011, India Islamic Cultural Centre, New Delhi 3 Five Rules No note taking…only to write down questions. Questions at any time Discussion is invited. Contribute what you know or believe Tell me when you think I am wrong

Master Class on Donor Acquisition and Retention - Part 1 Find and Acquire 23 rd December 2011, India Islamic Cultural Centre, New Delhi 4 Basics 1. Planning 2. Searching 3. Acquiring (Recruiting) 4. Welcoming 5. Reporting 6. Renewing 7. Upgrading 8. Converting 9. Reinstating 10. Evaluating

Master Class on Donor Acquisition and Retention - Part 1 Find and Acquire 23 rd December 2011, India Islamic Cultural Centre, New Delhi 5 Highlights 1.Why is everyone so suspicious? 2.How do we fight suspicion? 3.Emotions vs. Reason 4.Pig in the Middle 5.Credibility and “Verisimilitude” 6.Getting people’s Attention 7.Provoking Interest 8.Creating Desire 9.From Desire to Action 10.Some Abbreviations about Communications

Master Class on Donor Acquisition and Retention - Part 1 Find and Acquire 23 rd December 2011, India Islamic Cultural Centre, New Delhi 6 1.Why is everyone so suspicious (and maybe also cynical)? General uncertainty resulting from speed of change in all countries Publicity given to corruption in many sectors of society. Lack of concrete results from years of investment in development. Bad experiences dealing with NGOs they have supported? Poor servicing of donors by NGOs? Low overall expectations of performance by NGOs

Master Class on Donor Acquisition and Retention - Part 1 Find and Acquire 23 rd December 2011, India Islamic Cultural Centre, New Delhi 7 2.How do we fight it? Thank donors within 48 hours of receiving a donation. Put the donor in the spotlight. Everyone is interested in “me”. Communicate our successes more effectively Move from impulse giving to relationship giving Give donors more opportunities to take control of the relationship Just forget about the skeptics? We only need 1 of 100 people to succeed

Master Class on Donor Acquisition and Retention - Part 1 Find and Acquire 23 rd December 2011, India Islamic Cultural Centre, New Delhi 8 Why most fundraising doesn’t work (Katya’s Non Profit Marketing Blog) 1. We’re not our audience  If an appeal appeals to you, question it. Is it also going to appeal to your audience?  If an appeal appeals to you, question it. Is it also going to appeal to your audience? 2. Our audience doesn’t think like us  Do you explain what you do as you think (from the inside of your organization out) or as your audience thinks (from the outside in)? 3. Our audience doesn’t take action without guidance  Don’t assume people know how to help. Ask clearly and boldly. Guide them to action.

Master Class on Donor Acquisition and Retention - Part 1 Find and Acquire 23 rd December 2011, India Islamic Cultural Centre, New Delhi 9 3.Emotion vs. Reason People give from emotions, not reason. Don’t explain the need for support! Show the need for support! Donors don’t want to know how; donors want to know why. Numbers do not raise emotions; stories do. HEART MIND

Master Class on Donor Acquisition and Retention - Part 1 Find and Acquire 23 rd December 2011, India Islamic Cultural Centre, New Delhi 10 4.Pig in the middle Do you remember the children’s game called “Pig in the middle”? Two players matter most: the donor and the beneficiary. NGO must stay in background. Make sure the donor is the hero, not your NGO. Bring your beneficiary in virtual touch with your donor. Whether it is in the newsletter or in the appeal or in your annual report, avoid too many facts, numbers and jargon. Put the donor in command.

Master Class on Donor Acquisition and Retention - Part 1 Find and Acquire 23 rd December 2011, India Islamic Cultural Centre, New Delhi 11 Exercise Imagine you are writing to a group of people asking them to support your cause. Write down in 2-3 sentences, why you think they should be supporting your organization.

Master Class on Donor Acquisition and Retention - Part 1 Find and Acquire 23 rd December 2011, India Islamic Cultural Centre, New Delhi 12 Evaluation Did you use emotions to describe your cause? How many times did you use the word you? Did you use five letter words or less? Did you use five-word sentences or less? Did you stress achievements rather than actions? Did you explain the benefit to the donor?

Master Class on Donor Acquisition and Retention - Part 1 Find and Acquire 23 rd December 2011, India Islamic Cultural Centre, New Delhi 13 5.Credibility and “Verisimilitude” Herschell Gordon Lewis World’s greatest living copywriter Beware the “Pro Bono” Trojan Horse! Run like mad from “generous” advertising agencies. Things that have been told to me in India “I never read long letters”. (True, but irrelevant) “People do not commit to monthly donations in India” (Not true. At least 5% do. Often many more.) “People want to know that we spend only 5% on costs”. (True. But we need to remind them that performance matters more.)

Master Class on Donor Acquisition and Retention - Part 1 Find and Acquire 23 rd December 2011, India Islamic Cultural Centre, New Delhi Getting Attention “Surprise me! Tell me something new!” What are the Two most popular words in advertising? and “You” and “You” Premium or not? Good and bad premiums. Use a “Memorable Package”. People will remember it – and you. Use teaser copy that teases Do you want many small donors or fewer big ones? If you want “upscale” donors, use an “upscale package”.

Master Class on Donor Acquisition and Retention - Part 1 Find and Acquire 23 rd December 2011, India Islamic Cultural Centre, New Delhi 15 Four Reasons Why Donors Might Not Read Your Fundraising Letter (from Futurefundraising now.com) You start out by talking about your organization Your letter doesn’t look and “feel” personal Your letter sounds like it was written, not spoken. Your letter cannot be easily “skimmed”

Master Class on Donor Acquisition and Retention - Part 1 Find and Acquire 23 rd December 2011, India Islamic Cultural Centre, New Delhi Developing Interest “Tell me a story!” About something I care about About something I don’t already know. No matter how sophisticated we are, we all love a little bit of gossip, but only about something that we can identify with.

Master Class on Donor Acquisition and Retention - Part 1 Find and Acquire 23 rd December 2011, India Islamic Cultural Centre, New Delhi Generating Desire Every acquisition device, whether a letter, a phone call or a face-to-face conversation, must generate the desire to help. There are 135 emotional triggers that can generate desire to help. Among them are: EMOTIONCAUSE AngerHuman Rights ExclusivityArt, Theater or Music FearCancer, Heart Disease FlatteryNamed Hospital Wing GreedAny premium/gift GuiltPoverty SalvationReligion

Master Class on Donor Acquisition and Retention - Part 1 Find and Acquire 23 rd December 2011, India Islamic Cultural Centre, New Delhi 18 What Makes People Give? In Advertising: “Attributes inform. Benefits convince.” In Fundraising: “Activities tell. Accomplishments sell.”

Master Class on Donor Acquisition and Retention - Part 1 Find and Acquire 23 rd December 2011, India Islamic Cultural Centre, New Delhi Moving to Action “Emotional Twin Sets” - Proposed by Tom Ahern (World’s 2 nd greatest copywriter) What we feelHow we can change it Anger (Injustice)Retribution (Justice) Fear (e.g. of Cancer)Hope (Cure) Disgust (Cruelty to Animals) Exhilaration (Save) Flattery (I am great)Exclusivity (Elite Group) Greed (I have so much)Sharing (By Giving) Guilt (I have too much)Relief (By Giving) DutySalvation

Master Class on Donor Acquisition and Retention - Part 1 Find and Acquire 23 rd December 2011, India Islamic Cultural Centre, New Delhi 20 SOME ABBREVIATIONS WORTH KNOWING K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple, Stupid E.C. Eye Contact M.E.G.O Mine Eyes Glaze over A.I.D.A. Attention, Interest, Desire, Action A.N.I. Action Not Information

Master Class on Donor Acquisition and Retention - Part 1 Find and Acquire 23 rd December 2011, India Islamic Cultural Centre, New Delhi 21 Discussion Read the two letters you have been given. Which one do you find easier to read? Which one would you be more likely to respond to? Which do you think is the better fundraising letter?

Master Class on Donor Acquisition and Retention - Part 1 Find and Acquire 23 rd December 2011, India Islamic Cultural Centre, New Delhi 22 Richard M Pordes, LLC 99 Dolphin Cove Quay Stamford CT A-34, Hauz Khas New Delhi PordesLLC.com THANK YOU!