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Fundraising Tuesday: Nonprofits, Learn From My Cat

January 9, 2018 by Dennis Fischman Leave a Comment

Do you donors know where their money is? Take a lesson from Clark Bar’s vet.

“Uh-oh, we’re almost out of Clark Bar’s medicine,” I thought. “Time to order it again.”

Clark Bar was a venerable gentleman cat of 18 years. He had a problem with his thyroid, so I gave him soft tablets of methimazole mixed in with his wet food. I ordered the tablets from a compounding pharmacy out of state.

When I submitted the order by email, I received an acknowledgment immediately. Then, the pharmacy called to let me know they would be talking to the vet, to get authorization for the refill.

The next day, they called to say they expected to receive the authorization within hours and would fill the order as soon as they did. They emailed me to let me know when it was filled, and they sent me the FedEx tracking number for the shipment.

All in all, it took less than two days for Clark Bar to get his medicine–and I never wondered for a minute where my money had gone or what I would get in return.

Can your donors say the same?

Your donors are looking to you to mix up a cure for a problem they care about. It’s probably not their own problem, any more than Clark Bar’s thyroid was mine.

But your donors care. They care intensely.

Are you leaving them wondering what difference their donation is making, from one annual report to the next? Or are you helping them follow it at every step, through great stories in your newsletter, email, blog, and social media?

Communication is the Best Medicine

Show your nonprofit donors how they’re making an impact on their cat–I mean, their cause. They’ll order (I mean, donate) to you again.

And here’s a shout-out to Porter Square Vet and BCP Veterinary Pharmacy, for their great communications.

P.S. Clark Bar passed away in September 2015, rejoining his sister Lois in that great cat show in the sky. But I am still grateful to the pharmacy that made sure I knew he would get the help he needed.

Do you want loyal donors? Please, make sure your donors know what you are doing with the money they give.

TY Thursday: Thank Like a Human Being, Even When You Automate

January 4, 2018 by Dennis Fischman Leave a Comment

Don’t let this machine write your nonprofit thank-yous

Did you make donations online at the end of 2017? If so, you probably saw a lot of email acknowledgments arrive in your inbox, automatically.

How many of them sounded like they were written by an automaton?

Most of the emails I received in response to my donation sounded that way. And for the nonprofits I gave to, it’s a missed opportunity.

A Donation is Part of a Relationship

Automation is a great labor-saving device. It means that a lot of fundraisers could celebrate New Year’s Day instead of working on Sunday and the holiday. But consider: how does it work for the donor?

First-time donors

When a donor gives to your organization for the first time, it’s like agreeing to a first date. Immediately, they wonder:

“Did I do the right thing? Do we have as much in common as I hoped we did? Am I going to be sorry I gave, or will it lead to something that can last?”

So imagine going out on a first date and hearing, “Thank you for agreeing to see me on December 29, 2017, for a dinner that cost $36.52. Your company for the evening meant a lot to me.”

Not very romantic, is it? And your date probably says that to everyone! So, there’s a good chance that first date–or first-time donation–will be the last.

Renewal donors

Getting an impersonal message can be even more off-putting to the donor who’s been giving for years.

Imagine a loyal supporter of your organization. She has come to events, contributed items for your silent auction, and told her friends about you. This year, she has given her biggest donation ever, online, using her credit card. And what she got back from you was the same automaton response as everybody else.

It’s as if she’s sitting across the table from you at breakfast smiling because she’s left a present by your plate, and she says, “Happy anniversary, my love.” And you say, “Thank you. Please pass the salt”!

Nonprofits, we can do better than that.

Auto-Responses that Show the Love

I want to give credit where credit is due. It takes some work to set up an automatic email to go out as soon as a donation comes in. And it’s better than nothing. Plus, some organizations write the ideal thank-you letter and send it in the mail.

But with just a little more effort, your nonprofit can thank donors like you mean it from the very first email you send. Here are good, better, and best ways of revising your automatic email to donors.

Good: Remind the donor what you do.

On the face of it, that seems silly. They just gave to you, right? They should know what you do! But you may be on their list from last year, and in any case, they may need a reminder before the memory fades. Give them the gift of a reminder.

Example–the Children’s Room in Arlington, MA says:

Your generosity supports our work with children, teens, and families who are coping with the death of an immediate family member, and the educators and professionals who seek to help them.

Better: tell the donor what their donation will do. Make the donor the hero.

Example–MADRE tells me:

Your gift enables women to provide food, shelter, emergency medical care and other critical resources for their families and communities. You give women the tools to build new skills and step up as leaders. And your dedication trains grassroots women to demand justice, and advocate for policies, locally and globally, that protect women’s rights.

Best: add a story.

Don’t just tell your donors they make a difference. Show them how they matter.

Share with them a story about one person (and possibly their family) in trouble, who is already better off “because you helped.”

So far, I am not seeing any of my favorite nonprofits tell stories in their automatic thank-you, and that’s a shame. But for your nonprofit, it’s an opportunity. Be the first one to add a story, and your donors will remember.

Using the Right Tools to Be More Personal

No matter what tool you’re using to acknowledge gifts, there’s a way to edit the acknowledgment. Before 2017 fades into memory, please take some time to edit it right now.

Whether you use the good, better, or best models above, you can certainly make your first response to a donor something that sounds like it came from a human being. When you’re done, it can be something you’re proud for your friends to receive!

And if the tool you’re using doesn’t give you enough room to tell a good story? Then 2018 is the year to get another tool. The time you spend now will turn into happier donors this coming December…and forever after.

Make 2018 a Better Year at Your Nonprofit

January 2, 2018 by Dennis Fischman Leave a Comment

10 easy ways to communicate better in 2018

Happy New Year! As the calendar changes, we think about changes we’d like to make, in ourselves and our work.

Here are ten resolutions that every organization should make to improve their communications in 2018.

Google yourself. What are the first things people see about you? Would you support the group you see on screen?
Take charge of your brand. Create your own reputation through the news you make and the stories you post.
Cultivate local reporters. They work too hard: if you feed them human interest stories and photos, they’ll be grateful.
Everyone in your organization speaks for you. What are they saying to their friends? Do they have stories to tell your supporters?
Your website: keystone of all your communications. Ask an outsider to click through it. Is it easy to navigate? Informative? Fun?
Facebook is a party, not a meeting. Find ways to get your fans talking with each other. They’ll come back more often and like you better.
Which social media should your group use? Depends. Who do you want to reach? Where do they go when they’re online?
Horror movie: “I mail to dead people.” In January 2018, take people off your postal and email lists if you haven’t heard from them since 2016. Mark their records inactive in your donor database.
Photos: not just for breakfast any more. Your readers want to consume photos at every meal, from print newsletters and annual reports to online posts. Videos hit their sweet tooth!
Your good name is your most valuable asset. What’s it worth to you? THAT’S the return on investment for your communications.

2018 is The Year to Make More Money

Resolutions are not made to be broken! You can do #1 right away–as in, the moment you finish reading this blog post. The other items will take time, so make a plan.

For instance, to put #5 into action, who are you going to ask to review your website, and will you get their feedback in person, or by email, or…?

As your communications consultant, I can help your nonprofit make 2018 the year you communicate better with your donors and raise more money. Let’s talk about how. Email me at [email protected] and let’s start the new year right.

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Fundraising Tuesday: Nonprofits, Learn From My Cat

Can your donors say the same?

Communication is the Best Medicine

TY Thursday: Thank Like a Human Being, Even When You Automate