What more is there than the gift? Isn’t getting the gift the only thing that really matters?
After all, we have a budget to meet. We have clients to serve. We have a building, and overhead, and expenses.
So we send out letters. We host galas. We produce an annual report and send newsletters to communicate how well we are doing.
But wait, we are short of our goal. Our direct mail fell flat. Can’t get our Board and Staff to contribute. Our gala didn’t raise enough money and we only got names from half of those who did attend. And our development office is understaffed.
If this sounds familiar, that’s ok. Take a breath. Read on.
As fundraisers we know that our work is important. We know that the health and well-being of our organization is dependent upon our work. Our outcomes.
But while we “chase the money” we overlook the most important component of the fundraising equation.
The Donor.
The donor? Yes. The donor does give the gift. They attend our galas. Their names are in our annual reports and on our buildings.
But donors need more. They want more. They deserve more.
Donors are so much more than ATM machines dispensing $10, $100, $1000 as our needs arise.
Donors are partners in our mission. They are with us because the mission and ministry matters to them. They have reserved a place for our organization in their heart.
According to research “if organizations want to raise money for a charitable cause, it is far better to appeal to the heart than to the head. Feelings, not analytical thinking, drive donations.”
Science shows that “giving increases the amount of dopamine and serotonin in our brains—leading to increased happiness.” Giving actually makes donors happy!
The Association of Fundraising Professionals defines fundraising as “the raising of assets and resources from various sources for the support of an organization or a specific project.” Blah, blah, blah . . . .
In reality “Fundraising” is about helping people connect their existing passion directly to your cause. It’s not about “convincing” them to give. It’s about helping them realize that they already care. Donors believe that it is a “privilege” to give to charity.
Fundraising is about what we do WITH our donors not TO our donors.
According to nonprofit guru Jeff Brooks, “When you ask [for a gift of support], you become part of the donor's world — a place where love, empathy and self-empowerment combine with generosity to make the world and the donor better.”
Yes you need the money to fulfill your mission. Without it you can’t exist. Neither can we exist without a community of passionate and faithful donors. It is their commitment to your cause, their connection to your good work that inspires their giving.
And remember, you are not the only charity Mr. & Mrs. Donor are supporting.
The results of the 2014 AFP Fundraising Effectiveness Survey shows organizations lose at least 57 percent of their donors annually. This translates into more than $25 billion in donations at stake. That’s significant turnover and missed opportunity.
Donors tell us that in making their giving decisions, they need to . . .
Dr. Adrian Sargeant tells us that
“to keep donors loyal and happy and giving [year after year], you only have to connect two dots. Dot #1: the generous, wonderful, compassionate, kind donor. Dot #2: The good outcome that your donors’ grand and empathetic hearts will make possible (children saved, poor fed, people in crisis helped). Connect these two dots. Only those dots. [No third dot about your charity.] Your donors will not respond to that stuff. Just the opposite, in fact. When you insert a big fat third dot all about you [your organization], donors give less and leave sooner.”
“You can keep doing what you're doing and you'll keep getting the results you've been getting,” or you can put the Donor at the center of your fundraising equation.
Donors give with their heart. They believe giving is a privilege. They want to be inspired. They want to feel appreciated.
They want to walk with us side-by-side in fulfilling the mission and ministry.
Because, giving makes them happy.
This is an exciting time! Go through your database. Get to know your donors. Call each of them at least once per year regardless of how much they give. Celebrate their passion and generosity. Tell them a lot how their gift made a difference -- to the children, the seminarians, the sick and frail, the parishioners, and the faithful.
If you do this, you’ll get the gift(s) and so very much more.
-published in July 2015 "Dimensions", a publication of the National Catholic Development Conference
“In good times and bad, we know that people give because you meet [their] needs, not because you have needs.”~ Kay Sprinkel Grace
Fundraising is about helping people connect their existing passion directly to your cause. It’s not about “convincing” them to give. It’s about helping them realize that they already care.
Most donors give from the heart. According to a research “if organizations want to raise money for a charitable cause, it is far better to appeal to the heart than to the head. Put another way, feelings, not analytical thinking, drive donations.”
Giving benefits donors’ health. Scientific studies show that “giving not only provides donors with a sense of purpose, but it also increases the amount of dopamine and serotonin in our brains—leading to increased happiness.”
So it is essential that your organization have simple, emotionally compelling messages that are regularly shared with donors and the community. A story that touches the heart and makes a person feel good, will most likely inspire giving. Donors remain generous donors when their hearts are full and happy.
While we know it is far easier and cheaper to raise money from your current donors, it’s also good to engage new friends, alumni, and family into the organization’s giving community.
These folks are called non-donors, or as I like to call them, “not yet donors”.
So what is the difference between donors and non-donors and how do you engage and support their giving relationship with your organization?
A donor is "a person who donates something, especially money to a fund or charity.” They have been “asked” in a way that touches their heart, prompting an affirmative response.
According to nonprofit guru Jeff Brooks:
“Nearly everyone you communicate with when you raise funds is squarely in the donor category. These people donate!
They're always free to say no to any request, but they operate under this "deal": If you go to them with a compelling, meaningful and relevant reason to give, and if they agree with you, trust you and the time is right for them, they give.
When you ask, you become part of the donor's world — a place where love, empathy and self-empowerment combine with generosity to make the world and the donor better.
I can't think of any other relationship in the wider marketing world where the "buyer" and the "seller" are so perfectly aligned or where so much good accrues to both sides.
This is utterly liberating. You don't have to tiptoe and apologize around donors. You can be bold and joyful, and that always leads to stronger fundraising.”
In other words, most all people are donors. They give, just not to your organization. They are your “not-yet-donors”.
So how do we engage these “not-yet-donors”?
How do we inspire the passion in the “not-yet-donor” that helps them realize they want to help the cause?
* * *
Connect with these not-yet-donors via direct mail, email, social media and special events and, yes, even telefundraising.
“Telefundraising remains one of the most effective means of communications when attempting to convert supporters to donors. The practice enables a dialogue between nonprofits and their perspective donors, which can lay the foundation for engaged activists and consistent support and engagement.” (Gabe Raff)
Contact J. Milito & Associates today for help connecting you with your not-yet-donors.
You’ll be glad you did!
Do you hear the clock ticking?
If your fiscal year ends June 30, you have less than 120 days to meet your Annual Fund Goal.
Are you going to meet your goal?
Your leadership is counting on you…..to meet your goal.
Your students and their parents are counting on you….to have enough tuition assistance funds to keep tuition affordable and accessible.
Your valuable teachers are counting on you…..to provide funding for classroom resources and professional development.
So with 120 days to fiscal year end, what is your strategy for finishing strong so your school or organization can continue its mission and strong tradition as you close out this year?
Here are 4 simple things you should be doing right now to help you meet your goal . . .
It can all be done and we can help. We have an easy 5-step process for conducting a successful phone-a-thon for your school and the good news is that there’s still time!
The clock is ticking……..5 Steps to a Successful Phone-a-thon
During this season of love and romance we are reminded just how important it is for us to demonstrate our love and appreciation for our donors. And oh so important, to not just show our love during the Valentine’s season, but also throughout the year. Make Valentine’s Day every day for your donors.
The reality is, that if you don’t make your donors feel good about their experience of giving to your organization, they’ll will most certainly move on to another equally deserving but more attentive organization.
In a 2006 study, Jorge Moll and colleagues at the National Institutes of Health found that when people give to charities, it activates regions of the brain associated with pleasure, social connection, and trust, creating a “warm glow” effect. Scientists also believe that altruistic behavior releases endorphins in the brain, producing the positive feeling known as the “helper’s high.”
Your organization is responsible for keeping that “warm glow” alive in your donors.
And remember . . . all of your donors, the $25 donor and the $5,000 donor, deserve your LOVE . . . .
Do you love your donors? Do they feel the love?
Contact J. Milito & Associates today. We can help you show your donors the "Love" they deserve.
4 Things Your Organization Must Do in 2015.
Wow, so hard to believe it is 2015. It seems like yesterday when we stressed about Y2K.
Where does the time go?
At the beginning of the New Year, many of us take time to reflect on the past year and resolve to make changes and try new things.
Others may unconsciously hit the “replay” button, because last year was “just fine”.
This year can be an important year for you and your organization. Waiting out there are a lot of surprises and joys. And some difficulties and disappointments also. It is up to you how successful and fulfilling 2015 can be for your organization.
Richard and Jeff in their Passionate Giving Blog share 4 things your organization must do to have a good 2015.
So ask yourself, does your plan for 2015 include pushing the “replay” button for more of the same? If you are satisfied with your 20% retention rate and the high cost of acquiring new donors, then keep doing that same-old, same old.
Or will you take what you have learned and experienced last year and remember what your work is all about? Will you try new things? Take risks? Learn from your mistakes? Pick yourself up and try again?
The results will amaze you!
Let the team at J. Milito & Associates be part of your 2015 plan. Let us help you remind your donors that their giving does indeed make a difference!
Happy 2015!
“Education is not filling a pail but the lighting of a fire.” - William Butler Yeats
Welcome back to school!
This new school year represents new opportunities to “light the fire”.
“Light the fire” . . .
in your students – inspire emotional and spiritual growth.
in your staff and faculty – encourage mentoring and sharing of their wisdom and knowledge.
in your school community – highlight the positive impact on your students.
in your friends and donors – compel their hearts and souls to give.
Your families, friends and donors want you to ask them for a gift of support.
They need to give. They want to give.
You just have to ask them. You have to “light the fire” within them.
So, how can YOU “light the fire”?
“I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.” – Maya Angelou
You ask your donors for money to pay for “X” – the new addition, a soccer field, technology, the “gap” between what it costs to educate and the tuition you collect.
Your donors give you money to pay for “X”. But to them, it is NOT about money. It is about helping, about changing the world, about making a difference.
“Your donors, like all people need to give. It’s about something outside of ourselves, and not about money.” Donors know it is good to give. They give with joy. Giving blesses the giver. When donors give, they confirm their deepest and truest feelings; their hearts guide their behavior. Giving transforms the donors’ lives and the lives of others. (R Perry & J. Schreifels)
To your donors, it is about educating students. It’s about creating future leaders. It’s about creating good Christian leaders and citizens.
As you plan your next fundraising appeal, ask the following questions:
“The best fundraising is simple and focused. It tells a fast, vivid, real-life story. It promises results and offers proof that those results will happen. It gives donors a ton of credit for making the results possible. It is a pleasurable, empowering, spirit-renewing experience for the donor.” (T. Ahern)
Let your fundraising tell your school’s story . . . where you have been; where you are; where you are going.
If you can “light the fire” in your donors; if you can elicit that emotional response, your friends and donors will give your school a gift of support.
Then you can say to your donor . . . . “Because of your gifts, we can teach tomorrow’s leaders. Because of you, great things happen. Thank you.”
Let J. Milito & Associates help you “light the fire” and transform the lives of your donors thereby blessing the lives of the children we serve.
Contact us today.
November 4th is an important date. It is Mid-Term Election Day across this great country of ours. It is the time when we can exercise our Constitutional right to vote.
The two months leading up to November 4th are even more important. During this time the campaigns will be in full swing with mailboxes and phones inundated with requests to support candidates and ballot proposals.
During this same time many of you will be kicking off or cleaning up your "Friends of Scouting" campaigns.
While these candidates and proposals may not be in direct competition with you for your donors, they will directly affect your ability to connect with your donors -- whether they open your mail, attend your events, or answer your calls.
This year, it is important that your fundraising “asks” occur before October 15th. October is the busiest fundraising month of the election cycle. Additionally, many United Ways have their black-out time during this period as well. You can begin fundraising again after the elections.
To be successful in your Fall 2014 fundraising efforts, there are a few things to keep you from getting lost in the election season shuffle:
By starting your Friends of Scouting campaigns in August and early September you can beat the crowds and keep your Council from getting lost in the election cycle shuffle.
J. Milito & Associates can help you reach out to your current and lapsed donors now! Our successful telephone fundraising services are being used by Boy Scout Councils from coast to coast.
“The positive results that we received from our campaign with J. Milito and Associates has helped us expand our efforts to help our organization with its mission.” – Dan Busby, Boy Scouts of America, Michigan Crossroads Council, Southern Shores Field Service Council
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. now. You’ll be glad you did. The Scouts will be glad too!