Communicate!

Helping you win loyal friends through your communications

Navigation Bar

  • About
  • Services
  • What Clients Say
  • Contact

Fundraising Tuesday: How Much Communication Is Too Much?

April 2, 2024 by Dennis Fischman Leave a Comment

A guest post by Evan Appleby at ForOurSchool.org

Effective fundraising communication is a skill that requires finesse. While over-communication risks overwhelming your audience, under-communication can mean missed opportunities. Whether you are spearheading a school math-a-thon or championing a non-profit, finding the right balance is essential to your success.

Know Your Audience

Recognize that not everyone is the same, and the right amount of communication can vary depending on the recipient.

Segmentation: Group people based on their preferences. Tailor your message and the frequency of your messaging to what is most effective for each one. For instance, some donors may appreciate weekly updates, while others may only want to be notified about campaign milestones.

Preferred Channels: Some people respond better to email, direct mail, or social media, while others prefer text messages or in-person interactions. Since the type of messaging can vary by medium, if you can determine which medium is right for each group you want to reach, you can adapt the frequency of the messaging to be aligned with the message.

Motivation: Understand why people choose to be involved with your event or organization. Are they passionate about literacy (in the case of a read-a-thon)? Are they driven by community spirit or personal connections? Knowing the message that you want to convey can also help determine the right channel to use.

Diversify Communication Channels

While bombarding potential donors or participants with 10 emails in a week is rarely effective, embracing a mix of communication methods can make frequent outreach more palatable and yield better results.

Email: Ideal for regular updates, campaign progress reports, and impact stories.

Text Messages: Quick, concise reminders or urgent calls to action.

Social Media: Great for announcements, or upcoming events.

Direct Mail: Tangible and personal—great for major donor appeals

Posters: Use these at events, community centers, or local businesses to build awareness

In-Person: Attend events, host meetings, or set-up tables to establish a more personal connection.

Navigate Among Competing Voices

Within a school or in the nonprofit ecosystem, the attention of participants or donors can be fleeting due to the many competing voices.

Other Fundraisers: Collaborate rather than compete. Share insights, coordinate efforts, and avoid duplicating messages.

Internal Stakeholders: Teachers, program managers, and board members communicate with donors too. Align your messages to avoid overwhelming supporters.

External Influences: Consider external events (e.g., national crises, holidays) that may impact your communication schedule.

Measure and Adapt

As you formulate your communication strategy, keep room for changes based on performance and feedback.

Metrics: Track open rates, click-through rates, and response. Adjust based on data.

Feedback: Listen to your audience. If they express feeling overwhelmed, it’s time to pull back.

Testing and Adaptability: Experiment with different communication frequencies and channels. Learn from what works and what doesn’t.

Effective fundraising communication is intentional, empathetic, and adaptable. Remember, sometimes saying less can yield a more significant impact.


Evan Appleby head shoEvan Appleby is the CEO of ForOurSchool.org, a Math-A-Thon and Read-A-Thon platform focused on enhancing math skills, promoting literacy, and fostering community spirit. Through ForOurSchool.org, Evan is committed to not only raising essential funds for schools and organizations but also creating enjoyable learning experiences with real-world impact. When not working on the platform, you can usually find Evan on a basketball court or volunteering at his daughters’ gym classes.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

Fundraising Tuesday: 3 Donor Communication Tips for Nonprofits

August 2, 2022 by Dennis Fischman Leave a Comment

Your nonprofit likely spends a significant amount of time attracting new donors, enlightening them about your mission, and sharing how your nonprofit can make a difference. But after a donor gives, does your nonprofit still keep in touch effectively?

Donor communication is a core part of cultivating long-lasting, valuable relationships with supporters. While it is  important to attract new donors, staying in touch with the donors you have can allow your nonprofit to build a vibrant and passionate supporter community. 

To improve your donor communication practices, let’s dive into three tips nonprofits can put into action immediately:

  1. Personalize your messages.
  2. Create new engagement opportunities.
  3. Demonstrate donors’ impact.

1. Personalize your messages.

Donors are individuals, and your nonprofit should strive to create unique relationships with each one of them. This may not seem like a practical goal on the surface, but with the right communication tools, you can tailor each message as closely as possible to a donor’s unique interests.

Personalization involves including personal details about each donor in your messages. This can include referring to them by their name, using the communication channels they prefer, referring to their past engagement, highlighting upcoming activities that fit their interests, and making donation requests that align with their previous gifts.

Your nonprofit’s CRM should allow you to create donor profiles, where you still house all of this information. Of course, if your CRM is lacking, it may be necessary to switch. For example, many nonprofits switch from Raiser’s Edge to the Salesforce CRM due to the latter’s increased functionality, such as its robust donor management applications.

2. Create new engagement opportunities.

Supporters are unlikely to get invested in your nonprofit if you only ever reach out to them with donation requests. Instead, vary your messages by sharing new engagement opportunities.

By giving supporters more ways to get involved, you can learn more about your supporters and even get opportunities to connect with them face-to-face. The more opportunities you offer, the more you’ll be able to improve donor relationships and create a better communication strategy.

 

A few types of activities to get in touch with your supporters about include:

  • Volunteer opportunities. From helping with fundraisers to working on your initiatives, volunteers are a core part of your nonprofit’s team. Your donors can actually be one of your best sources for finding new volunteers as well. Reach out to donors and share how they can get involved in upcoming volunteer opportunities.


  • Membership program. To get supporters even more involved in your nonprofit, consider creating a membership program. Supporters who join your membership program will pay a recurring fee, and in exchange, they’ll have access to a variety of content. This can include exclusive articles, online courses, and VIP treatment at events. Make sure you have the necessary tools to manage your members and communicate all of the benefits and opportunities associated with the program.


  • Peer-to-peer campaign. Peer-to-peer campaigns call on your supporters to reach out to their friends and family to fundraise on your behalf. These campaigns give supporters an accessible way to help out your nonprofit besides donating. Plus, you can make your peer-to-peer campaign more engaging by combining it with other fundraising opportunities like events or giving days.

You know your donors best, so choose the engagement strategy that will most interest them. Take note of which donors engage in other opportunities. Then, the next time you get in touch with them, try sending a message about a similar activity and reference the last opportunity they participated in.

3. Demonstrate donors’ impact.

Donors want to know that their gifts are making a difference. As part of your communication strategy, be sure to share their impact. There are a few strategies nonprofits can use to let donors know their gifts matter, like:

  • Adding examples. When donors are preparing to give, help them understand what their donation means by sharing examples of how their gift might be used. For example, a nonprofit that plants trees might mention how many saplings a $25 donation will help them replant.
  • Using visuals. Help your supporters visualize their impact by using images. In your messages, add photographs of your volunteers hard at work, your beneficiaries receiving aid, and your staff rallying supporters to action. Nonprofits with access to a graphic designer can even create their own infographics to help supporters visualize the impact donations make in even more detail.
  • Providing campaign updates. After a donor gives to a campaign, they may begin to question if their donation was worth it if they never hear back from the nonprofit. Use your CRM to keep track of which donors gave to which campaigns and initiatives. Then, reach out to them to share specific details about the progress you’ve made thanks to their support.

If your nonprofit is unsure how to best demonstrate your donors’ impact—and help them make more of an impact—rest assured that you’re not alone. There are a variety of resources, conferences, and courses available for nonprofits to improve their communication strategy and learn how to make each donation go further.

 

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

Would You Talk to Your Mom the Way You Talk to Your Boss?

September 5, 2016 by Dennis Fischman Leave a Comment

Communications strategy begins with a simple question.  Before you write–before you speak–before you post, tweet, blog or pin, ask yourself: “Who are my audiences?”

Find your specific audience!

Find your specific audience!

I do mean “audiences,” plural.  At different times, you may want to get the attention of any of the following groups:

  • Members
  • Clients
  • Donors
  • Prospects
  • Elected officials
  • Regulators
  • Board members
  • Volunteers
  • People in a certain age group
  • People who participate in a certain activity
  • Residents of a certain neighborhood

You have different relationships with each of these groups, so it’s crucial to identify who you’re talking to at the time.  Would you talk with your mom the same way you talk with your boss?  Unlikely–unless you want Mom to feel hurt, or your boss to feel confused.

Then why would you talk to Board members who have sweated for your organization for years the same way that you speak to people who might just give you their first donation if you give them a good reason why?  You wouldn’t, I hope!

Figure out the specific audience or audiences you are trying to reach before you figure out what you are going to say.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • …
  • 6
  • Next Page »

Yes, I’d like weekly email from Communicate!

Get more advice

Yes! Please send me tips from Communicate! Consulting.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Copyright © 2025 · The 411 Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in