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How your direct mail appeal letter typesetting can help your letter raise more money

One may think that the content or copy of a direct mail appeal letter is King (or Queen), but studies have found that there is something else as equally or maybe even more important than what the letter says.

What is that one thing?

Typesetting.  And, typesetting does matter when it comes to direct mail appeal letters.

Typesetting refers to how one presents information on a page.  Eye-motion studies have found that readers don’t read word for word all that is on the page.  Reader’s eyes are drawn and attracted to what is on the page through the strategic use of photos and captions, liberal uses of white space, and formatting emphasis such as bolding, underlining, and italicizing.  Today, this is becoming more of the case as we rely on social media such as Facebook and Twitter for 140 characters and snippets of information.

Here are some of my top tips to help your direct mail appeal be the best that it can be.

  1. Readers skim. So, photos with captions (and a caption that points out how the donor is making a difference), and underlined and bolded text all help to keep the reader skimming and highlighting the key points you would like them to learn. Ensure that photos are of high quality and show faces, especially emotive eyes. People connect to one another, even on paper, with eyes.
  2. A two-page letter does test better than a one-page letter. Since donors are skimmers, repetition is essential. It may seem redundant to keep repeating things over and over, but, donors do not read all that your write. So, keep repeating your core message and “ask” throughout the body of the letter with again using formatting for emphasis.
  3. Keep letter format consistent regarding type size, font usage, etc. Anything that makes it difficult or confusing for the donor to read, decreases readability.
  4. Keep your paragraphs short and concise. The reader may lose their place, focus, and tend not to finish a story that they are in the process of reading if there is too large of a block of text.  And, you certainly do not want to have the reader miss important stories and other critical letter components.
  5. Make sure it is as easy as possible for the donor to give to you. Odds are they will not go too far out of their way should they wish to donate. Include the direct link to donate or make it as streamlined as possible.
  6. Lastly, don’t forget a P.S., invite the donor to speak with you directly, remind them that you are available for questions, or welcome their suggestions. Direct them to give online here. Just make it compelling with a direct ask, a deadline, and a call to action. Research shows that no matter what is in the body of the letter, the P.S. draws one’s eyes in.

So, though you may think that what you say is key, think again, a well-typeset letter has the power to get your letter read especially in this day and age of 140 characters of less.

For your next direct mail appeal letter, why don’t you take the six items listed above and incorporate them into your writing?  Doing these six things alone has the potential to significantly increasing the response rate of your letter.  And, don’t we all want letters that speak to our donors in ways that they will read them?

Email me here to get a sample of one of my very own direct mail appeal letters!

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How you can find prospective donors for even your small nonprofit

One may think that there are only a limited number of donors to go around, but think again.

In my work, I assist small to mid-sized organizations in running their first capital campaigns. Many do not have established donor bases to tap into for an already existing pool of major donors. So, I assist. And, I am here to say that yes, you too can, even in your small nonprofit, develop a list of 25 or more possible major donors to your organization.

I am going to take you step by step on how to begin establishing that prospect list for your nonprofit organization and then share with you some next steps on how to prioritize that list.

Here are the steps you can take to develop your prospect master list:

  • Use informal organizational networks including organizational friends and family members i.e. Board members, staff, volunteers, etc. to identify prospects within their respective networks who have both wealth and affinity for the cause.
  • Ask your current donors when meeting with them if they know of anyone else who may support the cause.
  • Research prominent donors to other similar organizations who may be making small gifts to your organizations. It is helpful to obtain copies of their annual reports, newsletters, and even event programs to see the giving levels of the prospective donors. Annual reports may be found online or hard copy by request.
  • Research who has been attending your events. There are folks here who already know of your mission and may be willing to deepen their relationship with you.
  • Research others who live in your community who might give to you using voter, property (Grand), the local chamber of commerce, houses of worship, and other lists.

So now what do you do when you have all this information?

Here is what I recommend:

Cull through all these lists to create a Master List of prospects whom you think “make the cut” regarding any possibility of capacity, affinity, or connection.r

Let me define these for you.

  • Capacity – ability to give
  • Affinity – philanthropic to a similar cause or interest
  • Connection – involvement in your organization

Once you have this Master List developed then work with the fundraising/development committee, Board of Directors, or other volunteers (they should know folks in the community) to rate and rank each donor during a rating session to determine potential giving capacity, interest, and affinity.

Then, organize lists of donors into tiers of giving to decide who is approachable first, those needing further cultivation, etc.  I just happen to like this worksheet right here!

And, from there you have a Master List of the top 20-25 prospective donors to your organization.  Even the smallest of non-profit organizations should be able to come up with a Master List of at least 25 potential donors after following these steps.

And, if you need someone to help build your prospect list for your next fundraising campaign, Development Consulting Solutions is always here for YOU!

 

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How a gift range chart can help you raise more money even in your small nonprofit

One might think that gift range charts are just for large projects such as capital campaigns or for significant fundraising efforts.  And, while, yes, there is some truth to that, gift range charts can be used effectively in even the smallest of fundraising shops.

A gift range chart will tell you exactly how many gifts AND prospects you need at each giving level to reach your goal. And, it also shows you the potential to reach your fundraising goal.

So, first, how do you create one?

  • Well, you can use any online calculator to do so.  I highly recommend the simple and easy to use Blackbaud gift range calculator.  You can find that tool here.
  • A gift range chart calculator is only going to provide you with an estimate. If you want to be more accurate, you may want to create the chart on your own using the given realities of your organization.  So, how do you go about creating your own?  Well, you will want to identify the highest level gift to your fundraising efforts.  That will probably be somewhere in the area of 20% of goal.  Estimate 3-5 prospective donors per gift.  Fill in your chart downwards based on what you know about your donors and their capacity.  Gift amounts go down, and the number of donors increases.

So, here is what a $100,000 fundraising goal would look like: https://www.blackbaud.com/nonprofit-resources/gift-range-calculator

How do you now use this information to inform your strategy?

  1. I would first look at the top gifts needed.  Here in this example, you would need 1 – $10K, 1 – 7.5K, 2 – $5K, and 3 – $3.5K for a total of $38K.  There are several options, right? You could write several grants.  In this case, you would need 28 grant possibilities, or you could approach a few major donors.
  2. Then if you look at your next tier of gifts, you would need $34K in gifts.  Perhaps you have a fundraising event, or maybe a direct mail campaign or a series of direct mail campaigns.  Or perhaps you continue to ask for gifts at this level.
  3. Maybe you look even further down and realize that you have a series of direct mail appeals, or that one appeal will do it for the remainder of the $28K or so.

The fact of the matter is that any possibility of a strategy will work, as long as it is realistic and fits for your organization. The key thing to remember is that you want to secure the top gifts first.  If you don’t raise those, then you need to readjust all the lower levels of the gift range chart below to “make up” for the difference.

Then, you can use this gift range chart as a monitoring and reporting tool. Let’s say that you are not hitting your “lead” gift targets.  Well, you can certainly adjust this gift range chart mid-course and make the necessary adjustments to your strategy BEFORE your fundraising efforts get too far off track.  And, this would be a great tool to share with your Board of Directors to educate them on the process of raising money and how your particular efforts are progressing towards projections.

So, though you may think that gift range charts are for the “big shops,” think again, a gift range chart can provide even the smallest campaign with focus and goals based on actualities and realities.

So, this next fiscal year why don’t you first start by creating a realistic gift range chart for your annual fund campaign and develop strategies to get you to your goal.

 

 

 

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How to run a successful Mother’s Day fundraising campaign

At the start of Spring, our thoughts turn to flowers, sunshine, and our Mom’s!  And, for many nonprofit organizations, this is a great direct mail theme and just in time for a Spring appeal.

So, how can you maximize this appeal to give your donors the best experience?

Well, for one, if your organization has moms or caters to mother’s, you can certainly use this as a theme.  But, if not, you can still create an engaging direct mail campaign.  

Here are some of my suggestions to start you off on the right foot:

  1.  Consider tying your appeal to “honor your mother or special mom.”
  2. Feature a mother as part of the theme of your appeal letter.  Share her story.
  3. Allow for “in honor/ memorial” giving and make this a central theme.
  4. Instead of sending your traditional “in honor/ memory” letter to the recipients, why not have your clients create a handcrafted card that you can send instead.
  5. If you are a park or other facility, considering things such as helping to plant a garden for mothers
  6. Host an event for that special mom i.e. a special mass, Sunday brunch, ceremony, etc. where you invite and recognize all the “honored” mothers.
  7. If you have mothers at your facility or even grateful clients, consider having them sign “lift” notes that you will place on the appeal letters before you mail them.
  8. Consider having folks share their stories about their mother’s.
  9. Consider expanding the campaign through “Peer to Peer” social media, in-person outreach, etc.
  10. Use Mother’s Day to provide a sense of time-sensitive urgency to your appeal.

These are just a few simple suggestions to get you started thinking about how Mother’s Day can become a central fundraising campaign theme for your organization.

Have you run a Mother’s Day campaign before in your organization?  What worked, what didn’t.  Share with us in the comments below.

And, if you need someone to pen your campaign letter and help structure your campaign, Development Consulting Solutions is always here for YOU!

 

 

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What’s next after your capital campaign feasibility study?

So, your consultant has just finished your capital campaign feasibility study.  The report is sitting on your desk, and you are wondering, where do I go from here?

Here are some possibilities:

The report may recommend that the organization takes some time to prepare its fundraising infrastructure before going into full campaign mode. Preparation may include things such as strengthening volunteer leadership, identifying campaign chairs, enhancing their fund development office, etc.  The organization should take the time to heed these recommendations and work either internally or with the/a consultant to strengthen some of the key identified areas before mounting a full capital campaign effort.

In some cases, the report may recommend that the organization move into full capital campaign mode.  In that case, the agency should seek to hire outside counsel either the firm that conducted the feasibility study process or another fundraising firm specializing in capital campaign management.

This report should be presented to the Feasibility Study Committee for review and once accepted by this committee; the committee should then give the report to the organization’s full Board of Directors for approval.  Once the Board approves, it should move to act on the recommendation found in the study.

In no shape or form, should this study be allowed to slip away or be placed on a shelf somewhere.  Time for action is now.  You do not want to lose the interest of donors and other key community members who have been part of the process and in some senses cultivated for a capital campaign effort.

In fact, the organization should share an abbreviated format of the study with these key donors and community members, and seek their opinions and possible engagement in the findings and campaign next steps.  The worst thing that can happen is that momentum is built through the study process and then grinds to a halt.

Accept the report, begin recommendation implementation, and engage key stakeholders throughout the process.

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Donor cultivation and stewardship – it’s all unique and one-of-a-kind!

I often get asked from my clients, how many touchpoints do you need to give to a donor at a certain level?

And, my answer – it varies.

There is some science to the whole matter.  In fact, after I conduct a rating and ranking session, I will combine all of the numbers and come up with a formulaic cultivation quotient.  The number of touches estimated for a particular donor’s rating score and ranking.

To me, that is a guide.  What we must remember is that each donor is an individual.  They have different motivations for giving, different ways that they would like to be recognized, and different things that they are interested in giving to support. And, that means that they all have different cultivation and stewardship needs as well.  So, while I could say that the cultivation quotient for Mrs. Smith came out to 20 touches per year, she may not want to be contacted or that involved with the organization.

I advocate that each necessitates a thorough review and a particular strategy custom and unique for them.  And, often, it takes a wise fundraiser who has been in conversation with the donor to recognize what is or is not important to them.

Now, I am not advocating that we throw the “moves management” system of relationship-building out.  However, what I am recommending instead is that we seriously advocate instead for a very donor-centered process that takes in the uniqueness of each donor into the “moves management” equation when developing strategies for cultivation and stewardship.  Let’s not reduce our donors down to formulas, quotients, or tactics.  They are people – unique and compassionate!

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Characteristics of a good development director

Technical skill or personality, which is most important when hiring a new director of development?

That is a great question.

And, while ideally, both would be great, that is not always a guarantee.

So what do you look for in this case?

While just about anyone can have the skill set of a fundraiser, not everyone can have the temperament to be a superior director of development. It takes personality to make a professional difference. And, let’s be honest, not everyone has personality.

What kind of personality?

Well, development professionals must have a temperament suited to serving people’s needs. They must be attentive, persistent, and flexible. They need to have a thick skin and be willing to give others credit. A huge piece of the job is making others look good while taking the back seat to their ego. When they do their job well, no one knows it. They make an indirect not a direct contribution to accomplishments and very rarely if ever take the credit.

The best development professionals are servant leaders, putting the needs of the organization and those that they serve ahead of their very own. They are the voice of the donor within the organization and as a profession as a whole.

Since they are that voice for the donor, I then ask, what is it that donors expect in that person?

A recent article published on Guidestar stated that donors want someone who is passionate and enthusiastic about the mission, has high standards of integrity, authenticity, self-confidence, and most importantly someone who loves their work and shows it by their willingness to pay the price to get the job done with joy.

So don’t hire based just upon skill sets or certifications alone. You might not be satisfied with what you get. Delve deeper to determine if this person has the right attitude, temperament, and belief that will take your organization to the next level and meet the needs of your donors.

Shall I dare say, good development directors are not as easy to find? But bad ones are!

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Do you SWOT before accepting a job offer?

How do you make that decision to accept your next position?

Do you go by with what your heart feels?  Well, there is some importance to listening to your “heart,” “intuition” or “gut” when making decisions like this, there is also an important thing you can do, and that is due diligence.

You want to be able to assess where an organization is at in each of these key category areas:

  • Customers: First line, customer chain, end users, influencers
  • Collaborators: Suppliers, allies, government/community leaders
  • Capabilities: Strategic, organizational, operational, financial, technical, key assets
  • Competitors: Direct, indirect, potential
  • Conditions: Socio-demographic, political/government/regulatory, economic, market

And, do a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis of each key category areas.

For instance,  how satisfied are the constituents who attend the organization’s programming?  What do the families have to say?  Does the organization have strong collaborative partners?  Do they work with the organization to meet constituents needs?  Do government leaders support the organization’s efforts?  Does the organization have good relationships with its vendors?  Who are the organization’s main competitors?  How do they differ or not?  How ahead or behind of the organization are they?  What is the organization’s competitive advantage in the marketplace?  What is going on economically in the general community and on Wall Street?  Are those conditions favorable or not?  What internal capabilities does the organization have regarding human resources?  Are there certain weak links in staffing?  What is the overall culture of the organization?

What is the overall culture of the organization?  What about recent business performance?  What have been some recent trends?  What are some positive and negative drivers within the organization?

Are you clear on how your strengths can enhance or detract from the organization?  How do your cultural preferences compare with the organizations set culture?  Is the job right for you regarding your strengths, motivations, and fit?  And, do you understand the risks and can manage those risks?

You must sit down and evaluate each and every component before saying “yes” to the proposal.  Don’t just idly say yes.  Be strategic about your decision, but let it have some heart too!

 

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More than just a monetary number – the capital campaign feasibility study

There are quite a number of groups seeking to test the feasibility of a possible capital campaign.

And, so naturally being a consulting firm catering to small fundraising shops, I tend to get asked to talk about these, and I am currently in the midst of one now.

What I find is that groups think that feasibility studies only test for one thing and that one thing is a financial goal.

I assert that there are many different types of things that a feasibility study tests for as a result.  Financial goals being just one.  In fact, more importantly, feasibility studies look at both internal and external perceptions and find areas of opportunities and challenges for an upcoming campaign.  Things such as “what about that large endowment the organization has?”  or “it doesn’t have strong fundraising leadership?” or “you need to ensure that so and so is on board and committed to launching a full-scale effort.”

Through a feasibility study, a group also finds out about potential campaign leadership, which by the way, can make or break a proposed capital campaign, other competing campaigns currently or just recently completed within the same community, and potential prospective donors to a capital campaign.  Also, a capital campaign feasibility study will unearth the general economic outlook both nationally and locally and how will that impact the success of a capital campaign.

So, as you can see, a feasibility study done correctly will provide lots of data that can then be used to refine the case for support, determine if it is time for the organization to mount a significant campaign, and what is the recommend campaign plan based upon findings as part of the study.  Oh, yes, and what fundraising goal will be feasible.

If you or your group is considering an upcoming capital campaign, I urge you NOT to skimp on the process of conducting a feasibility study.  You will learn more than just – can this campaign make a go of it.  You will find out exactly how much and how it can or cannot!

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The revolving fundraising door at our organizations

What is going on out there?

For the past year, I have watched development jobs come and go on the job boards.

I lamented that folks like myself with over 20 years of experience, certifications, and education were getting passed up for the lower paid, less experienced, “greener” young ones.  And, there might be some thread of truth to that.  I can’t be all wet behind the ears.

But, the funny thing is lately, after a year of scanning job postings, I started to notice something very, very interesting.  The same postings were coming up.  A place down in Newport, a place in Dorchester, the same job, needing the same person.

It is so costly to keep having staff turnover.  Expensive in many ways.  Not just because of having to fill a vacancy, but costly to the organization as its donor base is disturbed.  Development is all about relationships, and if high staff turnover continues, those relationships are never truly built.

Another thing that I have noticed is that some organizations are being a bit more proactive.  Seeking out referrals for qualified candidates and then actively recruiting instead of waiting for candidates to apply and come to them.

The smarter move, I might add.

I guess I pen this manifesto for all those development professionals who have spent years in the field honing best practices and in some cases even developing them.  It is time that organizations stop looking for the cheapest, youngest, idealistic help.  It doesn’t serve the organization to cut the budget by hiring inexperienced newbies for its top position, particularly when it comes to fund development.  Can you afford to take a chance on someone who is “green” behind the ears to figure it out as they go along?

I think naught!  If you think differently, leave me a comment below.

 

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Oh, the woes of a nonprofit fundraising database!

So, let’s talk database.

What? That seems like something so mundane. Well, it may be, but it is so critical to fundraising.

Throughout my professional career, I have been victim to bad databases, and I have been asked to work with bad databases.

One thing is for sure, without an initial thought out structure, problems are inevitable. I often come into organizations that have no rhyme or reason as to what they call their Campaigns, Funds, and Approaches. You know, one year it is called Spring Appeal 2016, and the next it is labeled the Mother’s Day Appeal.

Consistency is key. I see so much inconsistency that why bother having a database, to begin with at all. The way names are entered i.e. Mr. and Mrs. Smith or Bob and Laura or even Robin and Smitty or Robin & Smitty.

It drives me mad.

Having a database procedural manual developed with consistent data entry standards specified is critical. How do you pass this institutional information along when staff transition or do you? Do you let them sink or swim?

Hey, garbage in is only garbage out.

The most important thing is the question of who has access to this database? Who does the main gift entry? Moreover, I pray that your answer is a development staff person. Please, do not say that it is a member of the finance department, or even worse, a volunteer or an intern.

Provide those using the database with training in the software itself and budget for it every year. Moreover, don’t think that a cost saving is ignoring software updates and the resulting costs.

I cannot stress enough how important the database is to your fundraising efforts. It will allow you to be donor-centered in your work regarding recognizing donors and their giving the exact way that they want to be recognized. It lets you accurately report on giving and make comparisons that will affect the future of your fundraising efforts, and it will allow you to become more strategic in your endeavors through segmentation and greater personalization.In all of my career if I had to answer the question of “What impacts the success of fundraising THE most, besides the Board, of course,” I would have to answer, the database.

Moreover, folks EXCEL is not a database; it is a spreadsheet tool used by those in the finance department. Please don’t say that you cannot afford a database. Some great databases are available for a very fair and affordable price.

Pay close attention to your database – this is the brain behind your efforts.

 

 

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New “DCS” interim development services

Development Consulting Solutions is announcing NEW interim and project-based service offerings:

Who is “DCS”?
There are limited Certified Fund-Raising Executives (CFRE) providing outsourced fund development services and serving as interim fund development staffing. What most organizations need is someone who can do the work for them!

“DCS” recognizes this need and has provided this service to a variety of small to mid-sized nonprofits throughout the New England region. Some of these nonprofits have included Malta House of Norwalk, CT, Friends of Buttonwood Park of New Bedford, MA, and United Methodist Elder Care of East Providence, RI.

“DCS’s mission”
“DCS” does not engage with everyone! We have a rigorous eligibility requirement and screening process and only work with four select clients at a time.

What are our requirements? We only work with small to mid-sized organizations that are ready, receptive, and willing to take their development program to the next level through outsourced assistance. These organizations have an engaged Board of Directors, an open-minded and willing staff, and leadership ready to support the organization.

We only work with organizations that are willing to invest in their development function, value established service costs, heed professional advice, and strategy, and act respectfully in the client and consultant relationship.

By selecting those clients most ready to embark on taking their organization to the next level, “DCS” provides you with the tools and staffing to raise more money in support of mission!

Why “DCS?”

  • To provide outsourced development expertise to organizations that do not want to hire someone in-house.
  • To assist busy executive directors with taking a few things off their plates.
  • To reassure donors during a transition or vacancy in your development office that your fundraising efforts will continue
  • If time is needed to do a search for a permanent development director, and you do not want to be rushed to make a selection
  • When you are seeking a new executive director and you want to be sure that this leader has an opportunity to select the permanent development director
  • Because as interim development director, I can have more candid conversations with the executive director, board, and other leaders about why there are problems with keeping development staff or staff is underperforming
  • When your organization has never had a development director and needs an experienced professional with a proven track record to start up the development office and pave the way for a more junior development officer to be successful.

Here is what “DCS” can do for you:

  • Assess current fundraising activities and make recommendations to improve strategy
  • Improve your fundraising efforts
  • Model what a good development officer does
  • Enhance systems and processes within the development office
  • Troubleshoot development problems
  • Coach the Executive Director and Board in fundraising to boost confidence and skill
  • Help with the hire of a permanent development director

“DCS” helps with:

  • Major Gifts
  • Direct Mail Appeals
  • Development print publications – your newsletter, annual report, brochures, etc.
  • E-Appeals and E-Newsletters
  • Grants
  • Cultivation and Stewardship Events
  • Special Events
  • Capital Campaigns

For “DCS” pricing, please check out our menu of packages here!

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