by Jonathon Grapsas, Regional Director, North America Pareto Fundraising
Times are tough. Wall Street is tumbling. Some donors may already be feeling the pinch. So should we shut up shop for Christmas, not ask anyone for money and instead just send a lovely Christmas card in the post and be done with it? Of course not.
It’s business as usual for non-profits around the world and for some right now, the need is greater than ever. Don’t tippy toe around the need at Christmas time. And for goodness sake, never apologise for doing what you need to do as a fundraiser: asking.
But, as always, there is a health warning.
Donor care, or put simply, being really nice to your donors, has never been more critical. The story so far from all of the data we’ve been looking at here at Pareto Fundraising is that individuals are sticking with you. They’re a resilient bunch and as long as you look after them, they are quite likely to with stay you.
But corporates seem to be the first to flee the scene as they feel the pinch of the global economic crisis. Not surprising really. And since corporate donations account for only about five per cent of total donations, for many it’s not worth worrying too much about.
Individuals, however, are worth worrying about. And as a result we’ve developed a five point checklist for how to care for and maximise the value from your donors this festive season.
1.Send (test) a precursor to donors to let them know about your upcoming Christmas appeal.
Tell them what you are going to tell them. Tell them. And then tell them what you told them.
That was a great piece of advice I was once given during a training course. Think about how you could apply that to your program. A week or so before your Christmas appeal, tell your donors about the appeal they are about to receive.
This can be done by email, a postcard or even a phone call. But test this to see whether it has a positive impact on your overall campaign.
Oh, and don’t forget to tell them what you want to tell them in the main appeal and then tell them what you told them, again, in the reminder mailing.
2.Keep it clear and give donors a compelling reason to give.
Not that you need the holiday season to remind you of this point, but keep you message clear and ensure you ask donors to do one thing only.
Conflicting messages suppress response to any campaign.
Why?
Because they confuse people. And confused people find it harder to make decisions. In cluttered and complex times, it’s vital that you explain what you need, why you need it and how people can help.
3.Make it hard for donors to stop reading your appeal.
I once read some great copy feedback from Ken Burnett which pointed out that what you want to do is get the reader mentally nodding in agreement as they read the letter. We might think we have developed brilliant and compelling copy, but is it going to keep the donors attention for two, three or four pages?
Make it hard for them to put it down. Not by focusing on Christmas, but by establishing a need and helping the donor help you find a solution.
4.Donor recognition – make it more prominent than ever.
Thank, thank and thank again.
A simple mantra to live by. But go a step further. Recognise the donor’s type of support (monthly donor, confirmed bequestor etc) and refer to past support at this time of year.
Make sure it is apparent that you know who your donors are and how they have supported you in the past. Everyone likes to know they are remembered and valued.
5.Christmas ends in January.
The perfect donor communications cycle asks people to support, thanks them for their generosity and cares for them along the way.
This third ingredient is often forgotten or not done well. Your Christmas appeal doesn’t end in December, it ends when you tell your donors (including those that didn’t donate at Christmas) where their money has gone and the impact it will have, or has had, on your beneficiaries.
OK, all those points above are good practice anyway, and not unique in this recession era. However, now it is more important than ever.
Remember, your donors are special people. Special people that care deeply about your work. Let’s not use these trying times as an excuse not to ask them for further support. Follow the five steps above and you’ll be on your way to one of your busiest and most successful Christmas fundraising campaigns so far.
For more tips, news, data and opinion about fundraising in a recession, please visit Recession Watch.
Winter’s setting in for Toronto-based Jonathan Grapsas who is the North American Regional Director of Pareto Fundraising. For more information on how a great donor care program can help recession proof your fundraising, or to comment on this article, please email canyouhelp@paretofundraising.com.
