Communicating with Donors Move them to Give Again and Again

Some Assumptions You have donors In a data base You have a budget You are already doing some fundraising

Quick Survey

Don’t Panic

Session Objectives Why do people give and stop giving How many times should you ask How do you build donor loyalty How do you get donors to give even more

State of Fundraising According to Atlas of giving through June of 2013: Year to date total giving = $ Billion YTD Giving is up 8.3% from 2012 Giving in May alone was $33.18 billion June giving decrease of 0.7% from May

Is their ever a good time to ask?

Giving USA 2012 individuals, bequest, and family foundations amounted to 86 percent of total giving in 2012

Why do people give?

Bank of America 2010 study on Affluent donors Top motivators for giving were: 72% Being moved by how their gift made a difference 71% Giving to an organization that will use their donation efficiently 66% supporting the same causes or organizations annually

Bank of America 2010 study on Affluent donors Top why donors stopped giving: 59% too frequent solicitation – asked for inappropriate amount 34% decided to support other causes 29% organization changed leadership or activities

How do you move donors Treat donors as people Take time to cultivate Make appropriate asks Send consistent, meaningful communications Keep donors engaged / giving

Donor Cycle Builds Loyalty

Loyalty starts with the 1 st gift Acknowledgement Have a new donor process Welcome letter/packet Credibility letter (within 2 months) Newsletter

Deepen donor relationships Phone Call – by board member Personal visit Ask questions and listen Learn their interests Tour of facility or camp Connect similar donors Report use of gift Plug in to volunteer opportunities

Don’t over solicit

When to ask again Donors expect 7 touches before you ask again “78% of individual donors said they would definitely or probably give again to a charity that provided them with prompt personal gift acknowledgement, followed sometime later with a meaningful update on the program they funded.” Penelope Burk Thanks! A guide to donor centered fundraising

Communicate

Effective Appeals Emotional – Puts a face on your service Compelling – Shows a valid need Responsive – Clear call to action Multichannel – Meets donors where they are Easy – For donors to respond

Give them what they want Develop a schedule for interacting with donors several times a year with information that is of interest to them Prospec t Name Affinity Stage Product Capacity Gift Sought Lead Staff Natural Partner Secondary Volunteer Interest Action #1 January Action #2 February Action #3 March Action #4 April Action #5 May Jim Davis K75K Jones Tom Smith John King Camping Lunch Annual Dinner Newsletter Phone Call Camp Invitation

Fundraising challenge The Fundraising Bucket: Acquisition and Retention We lose 5 donors for every 6 we obtain A 10% increase in donor retention can increase the lifetime value of the donor database by up to 200%

Get donors to give again (and more) After proper cultivation and stewardship: Ask Again Ask for Upgrades Identify and Ask for Major gifts

Keep you fundraising alive Philanthropy Continues even in a bad economy Donors are People – you have to build trust with effective communication and interaction Retention is KING – spend your time with your donors – they’re worth it.

Questions