Fundraising is Beautiful

Here's an excerpt from the new book The Money-Raising Nonprofit Brand: Motivating Donors to Give, Give Happily, and Keep on Giving. Find out what branding can and should do for your fundraising, and why it often doesn't. Learn how fundraisers are like forklift drivers, and what you can do to build a money-raising brand for your nonprofit. The Money-Raising Nonprofit Brand is available at: Amazon Amazon UK Wiley (best bet if you're outside North America or Europe)

Everyone knows that direct-response testing is the path to the truth in fundraising. There's just one problem: The large majority of nonprofit organizations cannot do direct-response testing. Their quantities are too small and/or they don't have the budget to pay for testing. Here are three ways to learn the right things to do when you can't test: Read books about fundraising. Read blogs about fundraising. (See our blogroll over there to the right for some of the best fundraising blogs.) Donate to larger national organizations so you can observe how they do it.

Survey research can lead your fundraising badly astray. Focus groups can kill the strongest fundraising programs. If you use them wrongly. There are great ways to use qualitative research to best your knowledge and inform your strategies. Find out some of the pitfalls as well as the gold nuggets of surveys and focus groups.

In this ear-opening interview with radio veteran Scott Wilder of TrueSense Marketing, you'll learn what it takes to find donors and raise funds using the radio. In some ways, it's just like fundraising in any other medium. In others, it's a whole new world! But chances are good you can make this powerful medium work for you.

Understanding the problem can lead us to the solution. Here are four of the most important causes of donor attrition: Increased competition -- more organizations are asking. Donors are consolidating their giving -- more money going to fewer organizations. Generational change: Boomers are rapidly replacing the WWII Generation as donors, and their needs are different -- more difficult for fundraisers to meet. Professional dilution. Not enough experienced, well-trained professional fundraisers to meet the growing demand.

Keeping your donors means developing relationships -- two-way "conversations" with each donor about your cause. Follow this simple framework, and you'll keep more donors for longer: Ask often and well. Thank promptly and well. Report back on the impact of the donor's giving. Repeat the first three steps over and over again. This is your path out of the recession and the retention problems that are plaguing fundraisers everywhere.

Donor retention is down across the fundraising industry. Here are five of the most common causes of donor attrition -- and what you can do to overcome them: Poor receipting Not enough communication Not enough reporting back Online and offline communications out of sync Acquisition and cultivation out of sync The good news: You can change each of these attrition-driving things!

How much fundraising is too much? How much is too little? There's no single right answer to these questions, but we can help you move toward what's best for your organization. If you increase your number of appeals, you will see more net revenue, and improved donor retention. Really! Embrace this truth, and throw off your limited-revenue shackles. It works.

Five quick, easy-to-understand, easy-to-implement pieces of advice that have transformed our work over the years: Donors fund outcomes, not processes. If you like it, it probably won't work. There are many best practices in fundraising that will probably work for you. Sell the sizzle, not the steak. Fundraising is good for donors. Learn how these short bits of wisdom can transform your fundraising. Plus at least one bonus piece of advice!

A lively and useful interview with Jeff Schreifels of Veritus Group and co-author of the excellent Veritus Group Blog. We talk about the differences between raising funds from major donors and raising funds in general (there aren't many differences). Also, the "secrets" of major-donor fundraising are hardly secret at all.

Peter Drucker said "What's measured improves." Want to improve your fundraising? Here are the two most important things to measure: Net revenue Donor retention There are a lot of other key performance indicators in fundraising, but if you measure (and thus improve) these two numbers, your fundraising program will be in fine shape. Don't miss these insights from the front lines of fundraising!

I know Roger Craver. Roger Craver is a friend of mine. And frankly, we are no Roger Craver. But we think you'll get a lot from this podcast nevertheless, as we'll show you how to stop wasting time, money and energy jumping from one fundraising tactic to the next and instead focus on what matters: Your relationship with your donors and your fundraising offer. When you understand those two things, you'll be better at choosing the right fundraising tactics, and you'll be much better at making any tactic fulfill its promise.

In this not-to-be-missed interview, fundraising legend and co-editor of The Agitator discusses donor retention, the importance of social media in fundraising, and how things have changed in our profession over the years. This discussion will fill your brain with ideas. Note: somewhat salty language!

Why do your donors leave? For the most part, it's your fault -- the things you do (and don't do) drive away donors. But there's a lot you can do to keep donors happy, engaged, and giving. We look at some of those smart fundraising moves in this podcast and the previous one. We are looking at donor retention research posted here: Why donors stop their support.

Why do your donors leave? Here's the bad news: It's mostly your fault. The good news: There's lot you can do to keep them engaged and giving. We look at some of those smart fundraising moves in this podcast and the next one. We are looking at donor retention research posted here: Why donors stop their support.

After an embarrassingly long hiatus, we take a look at the new book The Fundraiser's Guide to Irresistible Communications: How it can help you raise more money for your cause, and why it may be the most important book ever published. The book is available at: Amazon Amazon UK Emerson & Church (go here if you're ordering in bulk)

Are you creating fundraising that looks great or that gets results? Often, you can do one or the other, not both. In this look at the power of the odd, unattractive, and unfashionable in direct mail, broadcast, and online, we'll show you how the quest to make your fundraising aesthetically pleasing usually leads to lower results. Mentioned in this podcast: Monday Morning Memo by Roy H. Williams.

If the purpose of your website is to raise funds, why is fundraising limited to a couple of "DONATE" buttons? Here's a look at how you can maximize online revenue by making your website relevant, useful, and easy for donors. Websites mentioned in this podcast: World Vision American Cancer Society Dana-Farber Cancer Institute The Jimmy Fund The Online Giving Study

The over-focus on the amount nonprofits spend on fundraising and administration (as opposed to accomplishing their mission) is throttling many organizations, keeping them artificially poor and less able to do what they exist to do. We talk about some alternatives to focusing on that fundraising ratio.

Listen in as an executive director of a nonprofit and his enthusiastic brand consultant change the name and look of an organization. Warning: Satire.

For the sixth installment of our State of Fundraising series, we look at steady stream of innovations for nonprofits that happen all the time. How do you deal with it all? How do you know what to ignore and what to get involved with? Here's a framework that can help you get it right.

For the fifth installment of our State of Fundraising series, we take a look at survey research and how fundraisers can get value from it -- without being led dangerously astray. Surveys seem (and often claim) to report the truth. In reality, they reveal something else that's often far from truth.

For the fourth installment of our State of Fundraising series, we interview Sean Triner, founder of Pareto Fundraising, who blogs at Sean Triner's Blog. Sean shares some of what's happening in fundraising outside the US, based on his experience in Australia, Asia, Europe, and Canada. The way we do it in America is not the only way!

For the third installment of our State of Fundraising series of podcasts, we interview Katya Andresen, Chief Operating Officer at Network for Good, who speaks frequently about online fundraising and blogs at Katya's Nonprofit Marketing Blog. She touches on many aspects of fundraising on the web, from what's on your homepage to what you should do on Facebook. And don't miss the one thing you can do that will make the biggest difference for your online fundraising -- it's surprisingly easy!

For the second installment of our new State of Fundraising series of podcasts, we interview Bill Jacobs of Grizzard, whom you can frequently read at Grizzard's Blog. Bill talks about two massive changes that are hitting the fundraising industry: The arrival of Boomers in their prime giving years and the way donors now respond to our fundraising as they please -- not necessarily in the ways we want them to. (Up to a third of response to direct mail comes in through channels other than mail!) If we don't respond to these huge and growing trends, we are in deep trouble in the coming years.

For the first installment of our new State of Fundraising series of podcasts, we interview Jon Van Wyk of TrueSense Marketing and blogger at Fundraising Growth Now. Jon enlightens us about some of the generational and technology changes we must pay attention to if we're going to keep raising funds in the coming years.

Two years ago, they had a great year-end letter that raised a lot of money for the cause. Last year, the committee was full of ideas for improving the letter. The result: a 50% drop in giving. Using two real year-end fundraising letters from a real organization, we reconstruct the scene of the crime. Don't let this happen to your fundraising! Warning: Satrical content. Do not take the advice you hear on this podcast!

The good fundraiser knows that not everything you do makes good fundraising. We bring donors on board with the stuff that makes their heart sing. We don't insist that they fully get it before we'll accept their donations. If you've been paying attention to what information donors respond to, you know what to say and what not to say. Editing happens all the time. Just take a listen to this podcast. It's edited from our previous podcast -- and it's just as true. It's also the work of our now-former editor, Peter Li. We consider it some of his best work.

Direct mail, the life-blood of most fundraising programs, has different design conventions from other types of design. It's less pretty, more old-fashioned, and almost messy. Here's a look at direct mail design and packaging: Everything you need to create successful fundraising appeals -- from fonts, to photos, to underlining.

Effective fundraising has some characteristics that you might find odd or off-putting: It's simple. It's about only one thing. There's an obsessive call to action. It's built around stories. It suggests specific amounts for donors to give. It's all about donors (not about the nonprofit). This action-packed program will help you know what should be in your fundraising messages -- and why.

Fundraising is a specialized form of communication. It's just plain odd in many ways. In this first part of a three-part series on the conventions and norms of fundraising, we look at the the way fundraising copy is written, and why it contains so much of these things: Urgency Emotion Low-grade reading level Repetition A P.S. Length Conversational approach Direct style If you're someone who must okay fundraising copy, if you're writing fundraising copy, or if you hope to do either some day, this podcast will be a goldmine of practical information for you.

It's pretty simple, really: Fundraising works when it's relevant to donors. When it's not relevant, people ignore it. Using the recent Haiti earthquake as an example, we look at what makes a situation relevant, and what you can do to increase that relevance to your donors -- even if you don't raise money for natural disasters.

A look at what's going well, what's not, and what we need to know as the nonprofit world responds to the catastrophic January 12 Haiti Earthquake. Includes ideas for fundraisers who are not connected to the disaster.

Here are four truths about fundraising that can transform the way you approach this beautiful profession: Fundraising is good for donors. Fundraising is a lot like courtship. Fundraising is about your donors, not you. Fundraising is a science. (The facts we cite about the impact of giving on giver are taken from the book Who Really Cares by Arthur C. Brooks.) Happy Holidays, and the best to you in the coming year!

Here are ten practical things you can do -- starting today -- that will make you into a better fundraiser: Donate. Send and receive snail-mail. Sign up for lots of email from other nonprofits. Participate in online social networking sites. Hang around with older people. Become aware of the cultural context of your audience. Go to church. Read the popular press. Pay attention to how you ask people for favors. Work at becoming a better writer. You can start doing some of these things today. Don't miss this super-practical podcast!

In this episode we interview Chris Doyle, President and CEO of American Leprosy Missions, an organization that's leading the fight against leprosy around the world. Back in the mid-90s, when Doyle joined, the organization was in an accelerating downward slide. Learn about the steps Doyle and American Leprosy Missions took to turn the corner and return to health. It's an inspiring story that shows what you can do by getting the basics right.

Okay, you've cried, you've pleaded, you've made your case. But there's no way around it: You have to cut your fundraising budget. Find out the area you can cut with little damage to your program, the areas where cuts would be devastating, and areas where you can make meaningful savings. We can't make the cuts feel good, but we can keep them from hurting your program too much.

Don't miss this interview with fundraising legend Mal Warwick, author of the recent book Fundraising When Money Is Tight (as well as many other books on fundraising). Find out how to survive the recession -- including the biggest mistake you can make.

An interview with Cass Wheeler, former CEO of the American Heart Association and author of the new book You've Gotta Have Heart: Achieving Purpose Beyond Profit in the Social Sector (available at Amazon and at Powell's). Don't miss what this wise CEO has to say about people who are good at fundraising, how to make sure you get the right people, how to set bold goals, and how the right people with audacious goals can radically change a whole organization.

An interview with Troy Stremler, CEO of Newdea, a company that helps nonprofits measure and report the impact of their programs. Troy sees a big change in the new generation of donors: They don't want to be "marketed to" -- they want to be partners with the organizations they support. If he's right (and we think he is), that means we're going to need a radical new level of transparency, being able to report on the impact of their involvement, rather than trying to motivate them with the tired old stream of branding activities and low-involvement fundraising tactics we've relied on. This program will encourage and/or terrify you!

Working with the right fundraising consultant or agency can take your organization to undreamed-of heights. Having the wrong partner can be as rewarding as a long afternoon with a hungry, sleep-deprived two-year-old. In this podcast we share the three things you should think about when choosing the right fundraising partner.

We're back -- after a delay we're attributing to the economy and a house-fire -- with practical hints for planning your upcoming fundraising campaigns in a way that will help keep you out of trouble in these hard times.

The entire Fundraising Is Beautiful staff gathers for a holiday party and to wish our listeners and friends (especially those who are both) some good things for the coming year.

The year is nearly over, but there's still time to do a go to your donors online -- in fact, the next couple of week are prime time for online fundraising. We'll lay out a basic schedule and give some tips for the last, crucial impacts of the year.

We continue the discussion on how your brand can help or hurt your fundraising and reveal the top branding error that torpedoes so many nonprofits. And don't miss a rare disagreement between Steven and Jeff -- tensions rise over dueling analogies. Listen to find out if the argument erupts into fisticuffs!

How does the discipline of branding help your efforts to raise revenue for your cause? How does it hurt? How do you decide how to spend your marketing dollars? Get ready for a feather-ruffling, controversial look at this difficult topic.

There's really only one thing you need to be afraid of during this economic crisis. Find out what it is, and discover many other tips for surviving hard times -- and maybe even turning it to your fundraising and long-term advantage.

In almost every nonprofit organization there's tension between program people (those who do the organization's mission) and fundraising people (those who raise the money to make the work possible). This podcast reveals some things you can do to ease the tension, keep the peace, and move forward in a way that brings about the most good for everyone.

Now that you believe in producing a newsletter for donors, here are some of the little-known and seldom-done best practices for making your newsletter bring in net revenue even while it improves the health of your file.

Did you know that many donors ask for newsletters from the charities they support? A great newsletter can improve donor retention and upgrading and bring in revenue while it does it. Find out how you can benefit from the power of a donor-centric newsletter.