You need an annual giving program. Here’s why. I’ve noticed annual giving is sometimes treated as an afterthought. Sometimes, it’s not even a small part of an organization’s fundraising program. Some organizations prefer fundraising events or foundation grants to communicating with individuals. And some depend on government reimbursements for most of their income. Fundraising events […]
Your annual giving toolkit – part two
Roll up your sleeves Last week, I wrote about some of the ideas you need to create a successful annual giving program. Those form the thoughtful (and necessary) underpinning. This week, our focus will be more tactical – “hands-on”, if you like. Put just to review: a good annual giving program isn’t a luxury, it’s […]
Your annual giving toolkit – part one
Annual giving is a process To create a successful annual giving program, you need to think beyond the once a year appeal. Fundraising is relationship-building. When your donors hear from you once a year – and that one communication is an ask – how valued do you think they feel? They probably don’t even remember […]
Love your donors? Why you need to care about keeping them
Recently, Tom Belford at The Agitator shared information from the latest Fundraising Effectiveness Project Survey Report. Two statements jumped out at me. Perhaps most striking is the performance difference in retention between the top 20% organizations, who lost on average 14.1% of their new donors, whereas the bottom 20% lost a whopping and unforgivable 68.3%. Who […]
Why your smaller-dollar donors should matter
Why should you care? The Agitator ran an article about changes in giving that ought to concern us all. While overall giving was up last year, more of the money came from wealthy donors. Smaller dollar gifts declined. Do read the article, and the study, Gilded Giving, it references. In the article, Roger Craver points […]