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Fundraising Tuesday: Tell One Story to Get Many Donations

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storytellingDid you ever read a fundraising letter that sounded like this?

“Tom had a problem. He came to us, and we solved it. Jane had a different problem, and she came to us and we solved it. Enrique and Miranda had a whole host of problems, and came to us, and….”

I have read many appeal letters that took this approach–and not one of the stories stuck with me.

The problem isn’t just that they are all talking about the nonprofit, instead of making the donor the hero of the story. The problem is that they are not telling one story and telling it well.

The Power of a Single Story

There are lots of reasons your fundraising appeal letter should focus on one story, not two, not three, not many.

One story touches the heart and rests in the memory. Many stories distract.

One story can develop at full length in your fundraising letter. Many stories crowd each other. You tend to turn them into mere timelines…instead of dramas.

One story has the chance to be universal. When you tell many stories, you emphasize that each is specific. You reduce the chance that your readers will relate to any of them. It’s paradoxical, but it’s true.

What to Do with the Other Stories Instead

Why are nonprofits tempted to throw a grab bag of stories into one appeal letter? I think I understand the temptation. But you can resist it if you know what to do instead.

  • “We only send out one appeal letter per year, so we want to use everything we’ve got.” A worthy thought! But plan on sending out more appeal letters, instead. Two or three letters, each with a great story, will raise more money than one letter full of plot summaries.
  • “We were so proud of ourselves for actually collecting the stories. Now you’re saying not to use them?” Far be it from me to say that! Use them in separate letters–or in newsletters, social media posts, and lots of other communications that don’t include an “ask.” Then the appeal letter will reach people who already know and care about what you do (and want to be a part of it).
  • “We have four different programs. We have to say something about each.” No, you don’t–not in the same letter! Ideally, you know your audience, segment your list, and send each donor the story that he or she will care about the most. If you can’t do that, then tell stories about them one at a time, over a period of time. Take turns. Each program will benefit when the organization raises more money!

Are you writing a Spring appeal letter? What’s the one story you’re going to include that your donors will remember?

 

Every Tuesday this season, I’m offering a tip on how to write better fundraising appeals. Find the rest of the series under Fundraising Tuesday.

Thank-You Thursday: Pick Up the Phone

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thank donors by phone

Does everyone like a thank-you call?

Sometimes the best thank-you letter a donor can get isn’t a letter. It’s a phone call.

Ideally, you’d do both. When the donation arrives, call and say, “You’ll be getting an official thank-you letter in a couple of days–but I wanted to call and thank you personally.”

Or, after you know the letter should have arrived, follow it up with a call. “I wanted to thank you again and tell you how much I appreciate your gift.”

What Calling to Say Thanks Does for Your Nonprofit

First off, you will feel great about talking to a donor.

Sure, there may be an awkward moment at the start of the call. The donor isn’t used to getting called out of the blue to be told “thank you.” (Sad,  but all too true!) She or he may be wary, thinking you’re about to ask for yet another gift.

When the donor realizes that you took the time to call just because they did a good thing and you want to acknowledge it, they are delighted. They may end up thanking you!

Second, you may learn more about the donor.

If you get a live person on the call and not a voicemail, they may be in the middle of something, or just not talkative. You respect their time, thank them, and move on. But if they seem open to conversation, then do what Tina Cincotti advises:

Say — “I don’t want to take up much of your time but would you be willing to share with me what inspired you to first give to ___________ (org name)?”

You can also ask things like:

  • Why does this cause matter to you?
  • What interests you most about our organization?
  • What expectations do you have of the organizations you support?
  • How often do you want to hear from us?
  • Would you like to be involved with us in other ways beyond being a donor?

(And don’t forget to make a note of what you hear, in your donor database!)

Third, even if you leave a voicemail, you build trust.

Your donor’s relationship with you follows a predictable path: first they get to know you, then they decide they like you, and finally they come to trust you. Leaving a personal message is a step along that path.

What all this adds up to is: your nonprofit makes more money!

According to Tom Ahern, first-time donors who get a personal thank you within 48 hours are 4x more likely to give a second gift. And you want that second gift, since donor retention rates skyrocket from 22.9% to 60.8%.

So, let’s see.

Don't call. That first-time donor never gives again. Call. They give and keep on giving. Share on X

Seems like a simple choice, doesn’t it?

That’s why Gail Perry says using the phone to thank donors is “highly profitable fundraising.” And Steven Shattuck of Bloomerang says you should call every new donor: no excuses!

How to Make a Thank-You Call

Who should call your donors? The best people to make those thank-you calls are Board members and volunteers. Like the donor, they have given time or money, or both, because they care about the organization and its mission. They reinforce the donor’s decision to give, because they are other people “just like you” who give.

Should your callers follow a script? They should have a script (and look at the Gail Perry and Tina Cincotti links above for examples. But they should feel free to adapt it so it sounds like their own voice. That’s particularly important when leaving voicemail. If the donor thinks it’s a sales call, she or he will hang up before hearing your gratitude. A conversational tone of voice can keep them listening.

How long should you stay on the phone? That depends entirely on the donor. If the reaction you hear is, “Oh, that’s so nice! Thank you, goodbye,” don’t try to extend the conversation. If the donor is willing to have a conversation with you, so much the better. If you reach voicemail, say what you mean to say, slowly, with feeling, and that is that.

Thank-You Calls to Mobile Phones

I’m a baby boomer. Most donors are my age or older, and we’re used to getting phone calls on our land lines (or what we used to call just “the phone”).

Increasingly, though, Generations X and Y are starting to give…and increasingly, the mobile phone is the only phone they have. On mobile phones, it’s a nuisance to see that you’ve missed a call, go to voicemail, and play it back. So, leaving voicemail on mobile is not effective: few people are picking it up.

The etiquette among younger donors is that if you call them and they recognize the caller, it’s up to them to call back. (If they don’t, then it’s your problem!) So how do you use the phone to thank a donor who’s mobile?

Text them. At least, that’s what a mobile phone expert told our friends at Blue Avocado. Actually, he advised matching the channel of the thank-you to the channel of the gift.

If someone makes a donation as a result of a text, text them right away with a thank you. A day or two later, send another thank you by email so they get two thanks. If they donated as a result of an email, send them a thank-you email right away, and then follow it up with a snail mail thank you.
Do you call donors on the phone to say thanks? What’s the one conversation you remember the best?

Fundraising Tuesday: So What’s Your Story?

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stoytellingWe’ve already discussed how you’ll raise more money if you stop talking about you and make your donor the hero of your story.

That’s a lot easier to do if you actually tell a story.

Stories Are More Than Just Timelines

Not every way of telling what happened is a story. Just because something has a beginning, a middle, and an end doesn’t mean it’s a tale that will capture the imagination and move people to give.

A story has a narrative structure. That sounds hard, but it’s actually very easy. As Andy Goodman tells us,  “To make sure you cover all of the basics of story structure, here are the beginnings of 7 sentences that can help you with the process.”

  • Once upon a time… (This starts the story off and introduces our protagonist)
  • And every day… (This will set up how life was before the Inciting Incident)
  • Until one day… (This begins the action of the story with the Inciting Incident and the Goal)
  • And because of this… (This introduces the barriers or obstacles the protagonist faces)
  • And because of this… (There could be several barriers)
  • Until finally…(This ends the story with the Resolution)

Is What You Wrote Actually a Story?

You can tell a story without using the exact phrases that Goodman suggests. If you look closely at a story that sticks with you, however, most of these elements will be there.

For instance, last week I told you The Tale of the Rigged Raffle. I could have told it in those exact words.

  • “Once upon a time,” there was a married couple, Dennis and Rona, who were very different from each other.
  • “And every day”–well, every week at least!–they looked for a synagogue they could share.
  • “Until one day,” mutual friends invited them to Temple B’nai Brith.
  • “And because of this,” they met an adorable older couple who really wanted them as members of the shul. But Rona and Dennis weren’t sure yet.
  • “And because of this,” the older members rigged the raffle so that Dennis and Rona won a gigantic bottle of syrupy sweet Manischewitz wine. They didn’t know how to refuse it.
  • “Until finally,” the older couple told them to donate it back to the Temple–as everybody did! Rona and Dennis were charmed, and became members, and renewed their membership happily ever after.

Look at the appeal letter you’ve drafted. Can you find these story elements in it? If not, it’s time to rewrite!

Why Storytelling is Worth It

If you want me to act, you have to touch my heart. Storytelling is the most powerful way to do that. As Network for Good tells us,

Donors tend to give twice as much when presented with a story about an affected individual, as opposed to reading huge abstract numbers of the overall scope of a problem.

Touch my heart AND my wallet. Tell me a tale that shows how I can do something great by donating to your organization.

So, what’s your story?

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