Entries Tagged as 'Fundraising Secrets'

Fundraising Secret #24: Take Time for Yourself Daily

August 26th, 2008 · No Comments

Fundraising can be a grueling occupation. Strategizing, planning, writing, dreaming, asking. Facing rejection day after day. Having people raise the goal year after year.
As much as I love it, fundraising can wear you down.
That’s why Fundraising Secret #24 is: Take time for yourself.
In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey calls it “sharpening [...]

[Read more →]

Tags: Fundraising Secrets

Fundraising Secret #23: Test your own system

August 4th, 2008 · 2 Comments

On a whim, I decided to go through the process of buying my own Ask Without Fear! fundraising ebook from a new listing I’d posted on Craigslist.
Oy. What an experience.

First, I found out I couldn’t buy my own book from the seller’s PayPal or GoogleCheckout account. The system didn’t like that.

Then when I did [...]

[Read more →]

Tags: Fundraising Secrets

Fundraising letters that connect with your donors

August 1st, 2008 · 3 Comments

As much a proponent as I am of face-to-face asking, much of my work involves writing letters for our direct mail program. Being a small office (one person), we don’t have professional copywriters built into our budget. So I do the writing myself.
Since my Fundraising Secret #21 on “is this about me or about [...]

[Read more →]

Tags: 3. Ask · Fundraising Secrets

Fundraising Secret #22: Use a Z-Fold

July 23rd, 2008 · 6 Comments

I promised to provide very practical advice. Here’s a quick tip that will improve virtually all your written communications: fold your letters so the donor names shows up when they open the envelope.
This simple technique is powerful.
Studies and experience show that if people open an envelope, they’re looking for their name. So let’s make [...]

[Read more →]

Tags: Fundraising Secrets · Samples & Tools

Fundraising Secret #21: Is this about me or about you?

July 1st, 2008 · 1 Comment

I just got an email from a person I didn’t know telling me about a firm I didn’t ask about.
It felt like spam.
Here’s my response:

Hi [marketer's name],
I’m not sure how we connected. This feels a bit unsolicited to me.
For what it’s worth:

I love that you personalized this with my name, thanks

but it took 121 words [...]

[Read more →]

Tags: 3. Ask · Fundraising Secrets

Fundraising Secret #20: Ask people to do something specific

June 17th, 2008 · 2 Comments

I’m reading Katya Andresen’s Robin Hood Marketing: Stealing Corporate Savvy to Sell Just Causes.
It’s pretty amazing…and I’m only 25 pages into the book.
I’m simply floored by her first “Robin Hood Principle”: Focus on Getting People to Do Something Specific.
In her book, she points out that many of us think we need to make donors [...]

[Read more →]

Tags: Fundraising Secrets

Extendable ears

June 15th, 2008 · No Comments

Most of my nonprofit executive coaching clients are surprised that so much of my “Ask Without Fear!” fundraising training is based on listening. I guess most of us fall into the trap of thinking that all we need to do is memorize a great schpeal, give it, and wait for the money to roll in.
It [...]

[Read more →]

Tags: 1. Research · 2. Engage · Fundraising Secrets

Fundraising Secret #19: Make it easy!

June 3rd, 2008 · 2 Comments

One of my biggest frustrations is getting a passionate email appeal, clearly stating a need, but not telling me what to do to fix it. Do you want me to give money? Send a letter to the editor?
But it’s worse to get an email asking for a donation without a link to a donation [...]

[Read more →]

Tags: 3. Ask · Fundraising Secrets

Fundraising Secret #18: Be human

May 20th, 2008 · 2 Comments

Jeff Brooks’ recent post at DonorPowerBlog is such a great reminder: when you’re writing fundraising letters, you need to write like a human being.
He offers a great real-life example of typical copy from a fundraising letter he received.

Winter disasters and other emergencies are on the way. And your gift to [name of charity deleted] [...]

[Read more →]

Tags: 2. Engage · 3. Ask · Fundraising Secrets

Fundraising Secret #17: Ask everyone for planned gifts

April 22nd, 2008 · 2 Comments

Usually when we do think about estate giving, or so-called “planned giving,” we tend to think of really rich people.
But the AFP reports shares that a new study by Campbell & Company blows this preconception away. According to the AFP:
Most surprising for fundraisers was that income did not affect the likelihood that donors would make [...]

[Read more →]

Tags: 3. Ask · Fundraising Secrets