All Things Annual Giving

Email Content that Works

Regardless of your organization's mission, there are several key components to a good email:

1. Reporting on Current Newsworthy (reader-worthy) Activity;
2. Highlighting a Key Component of Programming;

3. Summarizing your Immediate Needs; and

4. Telling Your Readers How they can Help

These messages should be sent to an audience that has already opted in to your email program and is likley to wan to know what you have to say.  They are subscribers, and therefore at least part of what you have to share is already known to be of interest to them.  But it is not a newspaper or magazine.  Nor are you resubmitting or "pushing" blog posts to your constituency. 

The marketplace has voted on some communication formats and its vote on email is that it should be simple, direct and worthy of the readers time.  Because email is so easy and inexpensive to push into inboxes, everyone on your list is likely to receive several email messages each day s/he deems unworthy of ever opening. 

The same is not true of newsprint or blog posts.  If the reader spent the money on a magazine, s/he will read it.  if the reader sought out a blog, s/he will read what s/he searched for.  But if you send an email, it needs to be worthy of the reader opening it.

This point can mislead you into thinking the most important thing you can do in an email is to give it a catchy subject heading.  No.  What needs to hapeen is that the reader needs to open the email and find what s/he expects to find.  It is more like going to the mailbox and finding a newsletter - whatever the cover, you are likely to read it as long as the contents are worth your time, but the cover never makes the content.

Regarding the four points above - each of them can typically be addressed in one or two paragraphs.  It is compeltely appropriate, and often helpful, to make that paragraph an excerpt from a blog post or other online resoruce, and include a hyperlink to the full article.  You really shouldn't try to include complete articles in email.  Remember, you want email messages that are short and to the point, and so does your reader.

Also, since you are touching your readers regularly, picking unique segments of programming to highlight in each message is a wise idea.  That way, your donors can sample each area and think more carefully about how importnat it is to give to a diverse organization with broad impact.

Finally, in explaining your needs and letting your readers know how they can help, tie in the rest of the news with your needs, and make your call to action something that they can feel is merely a natural step.  Ideally you want your readers to feel the process flowing from reading to making a contribution, as seamlessly as they feel about paying a bill, but with the gladness of heart of responding to an invitation to a party they wouldn't want to miss.

For further help with email drafting and dissemination, please contact Brian Lacy & Associates or Elusen today!

Annual Giving and Email:

The Pros and Cons of Email Blasts

Blasting email to thousands of recipients has become very common in the marketplace today.  But here are some things to consider when deciding how much you want to pursue the strategy of reaching your constituency through email.

1. How up-to-date is your address list?  Do you have upwards of 25% of your past donors' email addresses?  If so, you have a good starting point.  If you're short on addresses in your database, you should consider an email append to bolster your records.  It's relatively inexpensive, and will provide with a significantly higher number of confirmed email addresses you can reach.
2. How large is your overall constituency?  Are you trying to reach a few thousand people or 100,000?  The larger the number, the more efficient it becomes to use email to reach them.
3. How effective are you at reaching your base through direct mail, by phone and in person?  Usually, these are only marginal considerations now that email has become the most commonplace method of keeping in touch, because it is rather non-invasive.  For the same reason, however, it is also becoming the easiest way to avoid more direct contact.  You can receive email any time, and never feel compelled to respond.  While other forms of communication may also be avoided, as a fundraiser you know where you stand when phone calls aren't returned, or visits can no longer be arranged.  The same is not so clear with email.

When you stop to think through these issues, the decisions about email communication change, but not entirely.  Email blasts are still helpful.  As a non-invasive communication vehicle, they function like news.  If the information is good, the reader will pay attention.  Granted, he has to open it first, but you have almost no control over that decision.  What you can offer is good quality content once the reader is drawn in.

In our next post, we'll discuss the components of a well conceived e-blast.  Until then, if we can be of greater assistance, please contact Brian Lacy & Associates today.

 

Direct Mail: Effective Letters and Communications

The process of asking your donors for support comes down to a few basics:

1. Telling them what you're doing and the needs you have;
2. Asking for their support;
3. Thanking them for giving.

Though the very best communications are made face to face, annual fund giving is done mostly in writing and a bit over the phone. 

The written components of the process include:

1. annual appeals via mass mailing;
2. other mailings throughout the year (perhaps a quarterly publication);
3. personal letters via mail;
4. email newsletters;
5. personal email;
6. website communications;
7. personal, handwritten notes;
8. other written communications.

This post addresses the first of these.  The annual appeal letter and its follow up (reminders and acknowledgements), is the most fundamental piece of the whole annual giving process. 

This is not to say that it is necessarily the most important piece of the process - all of the components are important, but an annual fund programs can hardly exist without incorporating an annual appeal through the mail.

Large institutions have the resources to continue a mailing campaign throughout the year.  There is data available to show this is cost effective, but there is data to show whatever you want to do.  The most organized, and particularly for smaller organizations, effective model, consists of one general appeal, followed by two reminder letters for those who have not yet responded, and an acknowledgement letter for everyone who gives.

The contents of the letter are very important.  One time a year at least, a one page letter will not suffice.  You are maintaining contact with donors who you do not see very often, if at all, who need to know what have done and will be doing, need to be reminded of the personal touch of your mission, and need to feel you reaching out to them individually because of the connection with your cause.

These are all fundamental and important items to include in the general appeal letter.  The reminders should come as an update and a simple reminder.  One page is great for these.  What is often lost in a remidner letter is the personal touch.  Make sure a reminder letter includes a short, personal vignette relaiting to your mission.

The contents of the letters themselves are very important.  Along with the content, it is also very important to plan the scheduling of all of your communications, and coordination fo the message that will go to donors when it is delivered.  The questions of when, what and who are all very important to your success. 

For further information relating to direct mail services, please contact Brian Lacy & Associates today.  For assistance with content in your mailings and other communciations, please visit Elusen.com.        

 

March Fundraising Updates

By Brian Lacy

Innovative Fundraising Campaign
Starship Hospital in New Zealand is running a unique fundraising campaign by collecting donated cell phones, selling them through a third party vendor and taking 60% of the profits from their sales. 
Brian Lacy Consulting

Philanthropy Journal Special Fundraising Report:

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New participants and early “Pacesetter” fundraising helped The United Way of Central Illinois raise $3.05 million during its 2008 campaign. Although the total was just below the organization’s fundraising goal, it also marked an increase of 1 percent over what was raised in 2007.
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