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Fundraising Tuesday: Register Before You Fundraise!

June 21, 2016 by Dennis Fischman Leave a Comment

A guest post by Brock Klinger

registerCharitable solicitation registration is often overlooked by nonprofits. The complexity and bureaucracy of the application process can be enough to dissuade even the most conscientious organizations from being compliant.

However, despite its challenges, charitable solicitation registration is an important part of any prudent organization’s compliance program.

Here’s a story that shows you why.

State Agencies Can Make You Pay

A large, well-established Harbor Compliance client went through a wholesale change in its executive team.  As is common with personnel transitions, there were a few communication breakdowns. Unfortunately, several of them occurred with the various state agencies responsible for charitable solicitation regulation.

By the time the change in the executive team was complete, the nonprofit’s registrations in over a dozen states had lapsed and needed to be brought back from 2-5 years of noncompliance. The organization was hit with per-state penalties of up to $6,000 across multiple jurisdictions.

Thankfully, we were able to work with the state governments to negotiate reduced penalty fees, since their lack of compliance was not willful. However, that didn’t stop California from assessing penalty fees to their directors with the provision that no funds raised by the organization could be used to pay.

Fast-forward to today and the organization is back to being properly registered in all 41 states that require registration. However, their board and their officers would all tell you the risks of noncompliance far outweigh the cost of a well-structured compliance plan bolstered by the consultative support of a responsible service company.

Charitable Solicitation Compliance: Free White Paper

Fundraising compliance is one of the most vexing areas for nonprofits. Harbor Compliance created a free white paper to help your nonprofit executive team and board make sense of the requirements.

The Charitable Solicitation Compliance white paper will answer your questions on the registration and renewal requirements, the state applications, the Unified Registration Statement (URS), online fundraising and “Donate Now” buttons, as well as the consequences and penalties for noncompliance.

Education is a key element to helping your organization become compliant. Downloading the white paper is a great start. Enjoy!

Click here to download the white paper now!


Author Bio: Brock Klinger is an Account Manager for Harbor Compliance, a leading provider of compliance solutions for organizations of all types and sizes. Headquartered in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Harbor Compliance partners with organizations in every state and over 25 countries abroad to help solve the most challenging compliance problems. Brock is an Eagle Scout and in his spare time volunteers with Boy Scouts of America.

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TY Thursday: Actions Thank Louder than Words

June 16, 2016 by Dennis Fischman 2 Comments

Action speaks louderAre you trying to come up with more and better ways to thank your donors? Sometimes, what you need is not a new and improved thank-you letter, video, gift, or donor appreciation event.

Sometimes you just have to give the donors what they want.

What do the donors want?

Tom Ahern, the dean of donor communications, says the content donors want is the answers to the questions, “What did you do with the money I gave you? What difference did it make?” And they want the joy of feeling they have helped make the world a better place.

Take Tom’s advice and you’ll know what to put in your newsletter (and on your website, and on your social media)–and what to leave out. Put in stories about real people whose lives are better “because you helped.”

Everything else–the grant you got, the award your Executive Director won, the amount of money you have to raise before your fiscal year end–is what you should leave out. Unless you can find a way to present it so that your donors feel great about themselves! Then, include it. But check with some actual donors first!

Kivi Leroux Miller, who’s always both practical and inspiring, says donors want giving to be easy–and after they give, they want you to know who they are.

Take Kivi’s advice. Giving can be easy if your website has a good landing page and if once they give, you immediately acknowledge the gift (so they know “it worked!”)

Knowing who your donors are is so vital, and yet so neglected! “It’s amazing how little many nonprofits can tell you about their donors beyond their giving history, and that makes good marketing and fundraising tough,” Kivi says. If you know what your donors care about–including interests that don’t seem at first to touch on your mission–you can send communications that make them feel “This was written just for me.”

Joe Garecht, The Fundraising Authority, says donors want non-reciprocated value. In other words, be generous to them, too! Don’t just trade return address labels for a donation.

Take Joe’s advice. Find ways to be helpful to your donors, without expecting anything in return, “such as when you come across two donors who might find value in working together in their businesses, and offer to set up and attend a lunch meeting to introduce them.”

Customer service is the best thank you.

People in business know that their customers’ experience with them is reason those customers come back–or don’t. No amount of advertising can overcome a customer’s interaction with an employee who is rude, inattentive, poorly informed, or just plain unhelpful.

For nonprofit organizations, donors are our customers. Yes, they are “buying” services for other people–our clients! But customer service is still the key to seeing those donors again. Let’s put it in terms that fit the nonprofit sector:

The best way to thank your donors: think about what matters to the donor--and give it to them. Share on X

What have you done for your donors that they will remember with a smile?

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Fundraising Tuesday: Will Your Donor Marry You?

June 14, 2016 by Dennis Fischman Leave a Comment

When we were ready, we both knewI never asked my wife to marry me. I didn’t have to.

When we were ready, we both knew.

We’d met when I was in grad school and Rona was already working full time. I finished my dissertation. We moved to a different city. I started a new job, and I remained the same sweet guy she thought she knew all along.

One day, Rona said, “Everything’s going fine. Should we pick a date?” I just said “Yes.” And nine months later, we were married. Yes, a June wedding!

Your nonprofit is building a relationship with every potential donor you meet.

  • A donor “goes out with” you when they get your newsletter and email. Make sure you’re charming every time.
  • They “go steady” when they follow you on social media or come to your events. Make them feel special when they do.
  • They “get engaged” when they donate time or money.  Your thank-you is like slipping on the engagement ring.
  • When they give two or three times, they’ve said “I do.”

Now, your sweet donors may not be as eager as Rona was. You may have to go down on one knee and ask. But when the donor is ready, you should know.

Your relationship should be that strong.

 

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