Wired Causes

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Note from Beth:    In March,  I had the pleasure of co-presenting at the GEO Conference (Grantmakers for Effective Organizations) with Kathy Reich, Director, Organizational Effectiveness Program at the Packard Foundation and Jared Raynor, Director of Evaluation at TCC Group, that helped OE analyze its “goldmine” of grantee data.  The learning in public (slides and resources here).  During [...]

GuideStar has an interesting article about fundraising styles this week.  Andrea Kihlstedt has identified four “Asking Styles.”  All of them can be effective - the importance is knowing which you are and being yourself. 

Says Kihlstedt: “The more we can be ourselves, the more we will be able to follow our donors’ cues—adapting our presentations to match what they need.”

<img src=”http://www2.guidestar.org/ViewCmsImage.aspx?ContentID=4463″

Which style are you?

There’s no right answer, according to Kihlstedt: “Whether you are an introvert or extrovert, analytic or intuitive, you can ask in a powerful and effective way. Some people are better listeners; others light up a conversation. Some are masters of facts and data; others prefer simple big ideas. Some quiet people are powerfully compelling when they share why they care. Others are more talkative and goal oriented. Having a simple system of asking styles so that people can see the power in their own styles helps each person—whether staff or board—find the courage to ask in the way that suits him or her best.”

You can learn more by reading the whole article here.

As part of the ACE Leadership Training, we had several site visits to bring some of the real world into our discussions.    The group visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial.   The site was established in 2004 on the 10th Anniversary of the genocide in partnership with the Rwanda Government, Kigali City Council, and Aegis [...]

Are you taking care of your donors?  What kind of experience do they have after they give?

Here’s a quick checklist to answer that question.  If you can’t check all the boxes, work on doing better.  The single most powerful thing you can do as a fundraiser is to take great care of the donors you have.

Timeliness:

_ All donors thanked promptly
_ All donors thanked throughout the year

Personalization and Accuracy:

_Thank-yous are directed at the donor – not “Dear Friend”
_The gift amount is included and correct
_ Thank-yous reference the appeal or campaign that prompted the gift
_ Thank-yous are signed by a real person or include a real person’s name
_ I properly acknowledge gift designations and dedications

Gratitude:

_ I express heartfelt thanks for the gift twice in each note
_ I also express gratitude for past support (when relevant)
_ I give credit to the donor for what will be achieved
_ The thank-you is a thank-you, not an appeal!  (It doesn’t ask for money again)

Useful Resources:

_Thank-yous include full contact information of my organization
_ Thank-yous include appropriate tax language
_I make clear how the gift will be used

Ongoing Communication:

_ I tell a good story or use a vivid example in every piece of outreach
_ I report to donors on their impact at least twice a year
_ I recognize donors after thanking them
_ I include the voices of donors in my outreach
_ I ask my donors for feedback

The more you care about your donors, the more they will care about your cause!

Akilah workshop View more presentations from Beth Kanter After the ACE leadership training,  I had the opportunity to spend a day in Kigali.    I volunteered to do a Social Media and Professional Networking workshop for second year students at the Akilah Institute for Women.  The Akilah Institute mission is to  empower young women in East [...]

My organization, Network for Good, sits at the intersection of many forms of digital giving—via nonprofit websites like yours, portal sites like Charity Navigator, and social networks like Causes.com.  Today, we release the Q1 2012 update to The Network for Good Digital Giving Index, which analyzes giving across these channels, and we have interpreted the results so you know what the data means for your organization.

The headline is that online giving is up across all channels. The healthy growth of digital philanthropy continues apace.

We continue to find the winning formula online to be a great donation experience on your website.  Specifically, we recommend branded donation pages that look just like your website (as opposed to a generic donation page that links off to a third-party donation form that looks nothing like your website).  When nonprofits feature a branded donation page on their websites, they can see a five or six-fold(!) increase in donation dollars over the more generic experience. In Q1 2012, the average gift through a branded donation page was $104, 20% larger than the average gift of $87 on generic donation pages.

Why is that? A branded donation page looks like a natural extension of your website - with the same look, inspiring messaging and warm language.  (Here’s an example.) That keeps donors in a generous state of mind.  You are able to reinforce your nonprofit’s mission and identity throughout the donation process and follow-up.  It builds a relationship with supporters—and shows your organization cares enough to pay attention to the donation experience and donor stewardship.  These small acts matter and increase the likelihood of repeat donations.

While the majority of donations will come via your website (so you better be ready!), social giving continues to increase, so it’s important that you engage your audience where they are online, too.  Make sure you offer donors the chance to share your content through easy Facebook and Twitter links,and encourage your most ardent supporters to recruit friends and family to donate to your events and campaigns on social fundraising platforms like Crowdrise and via their social networks.

Want to see the data in full? You can download this quarterly update here.

My organization, Network for Good, sits at the intersection of many forms of digital giving—via nonprofit websites like yours, portal sites like Charity Navigator, and social networks like Causes.com.  Today, we release the Q1 2012 update to The Network for Good Digital Giving Index, which analyzes giving across these channels, and we have interpreted the results so you know what the data means for your organization.

The headline is that online giving is up across all channels. The healthy growth of digital philanthropy continues apace.

We continue to find the winning formula online to be a great donation experience on your website.  Specifically, we recommend branded donation pages that look just like your website (as opposed to a generic donation page that links off to a third-party donation form that looks nothing like your website).  When nonprofits feature a branded donation page on their websites, they can see a five or six-fold(!) increase in donation dollars over the more generic experience. In Q1 2012, the average gift through a branded donation page was $104, 20% larger than the average gift of $87 on generic donation pages.

Why is that? A branded donation page looks like a natural extension of your website - with the same look, inspiring messaging and warm language.  (Here’s an example.) That keeps donors in a generous state of mind.  You are able to reinforce your nonprofit’s mission and identity throughout the donation process and follow-up.  It builds a relationship with supporters—and shows your organization cares enough to pay attention to the donation experience and donor stewardship.  These small acts matter and increase the likelihood of repeat donations.

While the majority of donations will come via your website (so you better be ready!), social giving continues to increase, so it’s important that you engage your audience where they are online, too.  Make sure you offer donors the chance to share your content through easy Facebook and Twitter links,and encourage your most ardent supporters to recruit friends and family to donate to your events and campaigns on social fundraising platforms like Crowdrise and via their social networks.

Want to see the data in full? You can download this quarterly update here.