Fundraising Ideas

What to say in the ‘Needs Statement’ on a Grant Application

March 25, 2019 By Krista Tuomi

One of the biggest landmines on a Grant Application is the deceptively named “Needs Statement”. Why? Because you will blow it by sounding “needy”! It really isn’t about your needs at all, but is more like an executive summary of your application, with a special emphasis on how your nonprofit is going to help achieve the grantor’s goals.

As mentioned, the biggest mistake nonprofits can make here is focusing on why they need the grant. Try and look at it from the grantors view. Whether they are a foundation or a government agency, they will have a mission and funders they are accountable for. Donors and taxpayers expect them to show an element of success at achieving this mission through the grants that they fund.

As such, they are looking to fund sustainable programs that will achieve these mission specific goals. They key word here is sustainable! They want to see organizations that are on pretty solid financial footing so that if anything goes wrong, and they will, some of the mission is still fulfilled.

If your needs statement reads like a rescue prayer, it will be booted to the bottom of the candidate list. Why would they consider giving cash to a project that is likely to run into financial difficulty when the program budget is overrun (a common occurrence) and therefore is unable to achieve its community goals? They will have nothing to show to the donors and taxpayers they are accountable for.

So skip requests like this: “Without your funding this deserving group of schoolchildren will be without food during the school holidays.” And try more like this: “As you can see from our budget, we have a number of funding sources that have allowed us to achieve numerous successes in lunch programs across the state. We would use the requested grant to start a pilot program to provide similar quality lunches to students during the holiday period. This will help us both serve this underserved community and help reach your aim of reducing child malnutrition levels by ten percent citywide”.

Other important tips? Make it readable and limit the industry jargon at all costs! Read it aloud so that you know that it flows smoothly. Crisp writing, white space and a few key graphs will improve your chances. It is also a good idea to use outside sources and facts to bolster your argument and not rely solely on emotional appeal. One or two personal stories can be a nice touch however.

Lastly, I have found that what can set you apart from the rest of the applications is conveying a sense of both competence and humility. How do you do this? You can note possible barriers to implementation and plans to overcome them if they arise. You can win over a hesitant grantor by showing how you have been tripped up by such barriers before and learned from the experience.

Don’t let this landmine blow up your plans and good work!

6 Ways for Nonprofits to Get Millennials to Part With Our Money

March 25, 2019 By Tatiana Morand

“I always thought once I secured my first full-time job I would just write a check to that children’s research hospital, but then my student loans kicked in and life just got so busy. And I don’t actually have a checkbook…”

Cassandra, 26, describes some of the barriers us millennials face when it comes to charitable giving.

And even the word ‘millennial’ may evoke an image of a self-absorbed, tech-obsessed youngster (even though the youngest of us are now in our 20s) who can’t afford a house because we buy so much avocado toast.

Yet contrary to this generalization, many of us do really want to help make the world a better place — a statement backed up by recent studies showing millennials are even more cause-motivated than previous generations.

In fact, whether we’re carefully choosing our next pair of jeans based on corporate social responsibility or sharing petitions on our Facebook pages, millennials believe we have a role to play in demanding and promoting good in the world.

However, I will acknowledge while we might be engaged on social media, it can feel difficult to get us to put their money where our mouths are.

That’s because, like Cassandra, many of us are racked with student debt and struggling to navigate record high rent prices… all while making entry level salaries.

(To all baby boomers: it’s really not that we’re lazy, it’s just that we can’t afford to move out of our parents’ basements.)

Plus, given the proliferation of cause campaigns on social media, choosing just one to support can also feel intimidating and exhausting in a way other generations haven’t had to deal with.

However, there’s good news: millennials still want to give, and we still do.

The 2016 Millennial Impact Report found that more than 50% of millennials donate to charitable organizations — and the 2017 report found that 35% of them have increased their donations since the 2017 election.

So, here are 6 ways to get millennials running for their checkbooks…I mean, credit card numbers…I mean, Venmo!

1. Make it Easy

Millennials are much more likely to engage in causes with online platforms. We check our phones an average of 75 times a day for work and leisure… so make it easy to access your campaign from them.

Why do we like donation websites so much? Clicking on a link and typing in our credit card number, or providing a money transfer app like Paypal, Venmo, or Cash, is 10x faster than digging in the junk drawer for our cheque books.

Plus, we’re busy — and we know you are too. In the long run, this kind of efficiency can help both of us!

2. Make it Personal

“It wasn’t until my friend posted a video on his Facebook page for a fundraising challenge and shared his own experience with childhood cancer at the hospital that I finally gave. It really moved me, and I didn’t even think twice about donating,” said Cassandra.

Millennials in particular have grown up with unprecedented access to the stories and realities of people all over the world. Some of the most successful online campaigns are those posted on crowdfunding sites like GoFundMe, Indiegogo or YouCaring.

These platforms allow individuals to share an intimate window into a very specific need or cause on their own terms and in their own voices. The rise of this type of storytelling means that all organizations need to make their campaigns rooted in the lived realities of those they’re supporting, and share those stories in new and interesting ways.

Wondering how this is done? Look through your recipient list or supply closet and demonstrate the reality of a real individual or real situation your nonprofit organization is facing, and tell that story and raise money for that cause. We might not be ready for a recurring gift, but they do tend to respond to a real, meaningful crisis.

3. Make it Shareable

C’mon, we all feel good after giving. Who doesn’t want to tell other people about it?

So, be sure to include an option for your donors to share how they’ve supported your organization on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

And best of all: sharing doesn’t just boost your donor’s social standing, so you might even attract more new donors. It’s a win-win!

4. Give Us Other Options

While millennials do like to donate, that’s not the only way we like to engage with the causes that matter to us.

Recent research shows that 46% of us engage in some sort of volunteering — which can also be an opportunity for cash-poor millennials to feel like we’re still making a difference.

Creating volunteer opportunities for us not only helps you get some important projects completed, but deepens a donor’s sense of connection to your organization and to other donors — or helps us see exactly how our dollars would be used were we to donate, and makes us more likely to contribute.

5. Make Accountability a Priority

The days of sending off a check and forgetting about it until the annual holiday postcard from your favorite charity are over.

Just like millennials have come to expect efficiency, we’ve also come to expect accountability. With various websites like Charity Watch, where you can check the ratings and ethical history of thousands of charitable organizations, transparency matters. We’re sick of hearing about scandals — we just want to help you make a difference.

So, to keep us engaged, make sure you explicitly tell millennial donors where our money is going, and share tangible results at several points during the year. We’re not expecting miracles, but we do want to know if our funds are helping you do good.

6. Make It Clear Where You Stand

According to the the 2017 Millennial Impact report, 51% of American millennials believed the country was off track at the end of the year. So, we want to know: what is your organization doing to change that?

We’re more interested in political issues than ever before, and are more likely to put our money where our views are. So, hearing where your organization falls on the political spectrum and knowing that you’re engaging in advocacy for issues we care about makes us more likely to support you.

Despite all the negative generalizations you may have heard about selfish millennials, I can assure you they’re not true — or at least, not any more true than they are for any other generation.

So, although we might face barriers to donating past generations haven’t seen, that doesn’t mean we’re unwilling to do it.

If you can make it easy for us, give us options, and stay transparent with us, you’re sure to rack up millennial donations in no time!

Six Steps to Supercharge Your Next Annual Report

March 22, 2019 By Bruce Mendelsohn

Trouble sleeping? Read an Annual Report.

If your Annual Report is filled with corporate jargon, stock photos and confusing “Tables” and you’re tired of the same old, same old, read this article to discover six steps that can help ensure your next Annual Report resides in the “Read File” rather than the “Round File.”

Neither the IRS nor any government agency require Annual Reports. Because few hard and fast rules dictate their contents, Annual Reports offer creative communicators some editorial freedom to share the stories that define your organization.

The best Annual Report tell stories and lead readers on a multisensory, multimedia tour through your nonprofit. Professionally designed for print and online dissemination, these storytelling platforms favor photos, infographics and white space over charts and corporate doublespeak. This article includes links to Annual Reports (like the Cleveland Boys & Girls Club’s) that show some of these six steps in action.

Dump (or Delay) your “Letter from the CEO”

Imagine if the Bible’s first page was a “Letter from the Creator”:

“Welcome to this Annual Report about the creation of the World. This was a very active and productive period in the rich history of our organization. I’m proud of the work of our dedicated and resilient staff, who handled many unanticipated situations…”

Instead, “In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth” promises a story. Naturally inquisitive, we yearn to learn what happens next. Similarly, in the first line of The Odyssey, Homer appeals to our inquisitiveness:

SPEAK, MEMORY— Of the cunning hero, The wanderer, blown off course time and again After he plundered Troy’s sacred heights.

While you don’t need to write like Homer (nor, alas, is your Annual Report likely to rank among history’s great literature), your first sentence can spark readers’ curiosity and promise them a journey through a year in the life of your organization. Pledge that trip and guide them through it in the ensuing pages.

While the opening sentence will be different for every organization’s Annual Report, it should at least convey a measurable and meaningful achievement that the readers’ support helped make possible:

“Last year, <organization name> <action verb in past tense> <your organization’s most significant achievement>. Discover how your support helped transform our organization.”

Bonus: A concise first sentence helps you storyboard the rest of the report’s content.

PRO TIP: If your CEO insists on a “Letter from the CEO”, suggest placing it later in the report, where real estate is more plentiful. “Your letter can be longer if we put it a little later in the report, boss!” is a compelling offer to a wordy leader.

Use Infographics.

Three words to ban in your next Annual Report: “See Table #__”. Instead, use infographics, short quotes, and brief explanations to communicate the impact of donor dollars. Dropping numbers into a program like Infogram lets you format them in unique ways and supports the story you’re telling.

Free programs (for basic functionality) like Infogram, Canva and Pixlr can supercharge the visual appeal of your numbers and other graphics. Complement your infographics with two-three sentence captions so readers understand how the numbers relate to the story you’re telling.

PRO TIP: “Package” your most impactful infographics by offering readers more explanatory content online (Step Four).

Pass on Passive Voice.

Mistakes were made when passive voice was used in your Annual Report.

Passive voice kills active storytelling.

The voice in which you write influences the tone of what you write. Too much passive voice makes your writing seem dull and listless. Active voice makes sentences shorter, clearer and more direct.

PRO TIP: Don’t rely on grammar check features to save you from the perils of passive voice. Programs such as Microsoft Word don’t recognize all instances of passive voice.

PRO TIP: Allocate some funds for a meticulous proofreader to review the final proposed draft.

Make It Digitally Interactive & Accessible.

Three ways to maximize the visibility and appeal of your Annual Report:

Share excess content online.
Post interactive graphics online (Infogram’s upgraded platform makes this easy).
Make it mobile friendly.

If you have too much content and not enough physical pages (or if you just need to cut print costs), use your print version to direct readers online where they can engage with “the rest of the story” (a la Paul Harvey). With a little planning, you’ve already posted the extra content on your digital and social media.

Girls Who Code offers a great example of an online-friendly and interactive Annual Report. Mouseover some of their graphics and you’ll journey deeper into the heart of their story.

Given the vast percentage of people who access information via smartphone, you’d be wise to make your Annual Report mobile-friendly. That doesn’t mean “our Annual Report is available online via .pdf.” In the very least, format the copy and condense the graphics so they load quickly.

PRO TIP: Use your nonprofit’s digital and social media to “tease” the contents of your Annual Report in the days or weeks before you publish the print version.

Repurpose Content.

Use the contents of your Annual Report to fill in gaps in your social media and/or digital editorial calendars: Repurpose infographics, photos, quotes, and testimonials. Include links to the Annual Report.

Highlight in your Annual Report a “storycap” or two that includes a link to a video where readers can discover the rest of the story. The storycap is just a photo and two or three sentences that pique readers’ curiosity.

PRO TIP: Beta test this in your next e-newsletter. Include a storycap with a link to a longer (60-90 second) video. Track the CTR and views/likes of the video.

Inspire Action.

Following these steps sets the stage for your grand finale: The Ask. Whether in print or online, your Annual Report must ask readers to continue investing in your organization. Don’t ask and you don’t get.

With that in mind, your printed report should include a donation envelope or perforated postage paid pledge card. Your digital report should feature links to your organization’s donation page, social media, and e-newsletter subscription form.

Without investing significant time, talent and treasure, applying some of the tips above can transform your next Annual Report from pillow to page-turner.

Best Practices for Compiling a Nonprofit Annual Report

March 6, 2019 By Delfarib Fanaie

Most nonprofit organizations release annual reports with the purposes of providing insight into the way their donations are used, and the impact of those donations. Of course, the ultimate goal of these reports is to maintain those existing donor relationships and encourage new donations.

So how can nonprofits structure their reports to help them accomplish that goal? Moms Against Poverty (MAP,) a nonprofit organization whose mission is to nurture and educate underprivileged children to their fullest potential, offers some best practices to consider:

Be Transparent – A key criticism of many nonprofits is that donors never know how that money is actually being spent; and, thanks to some dishonest activity on the part of a few organizations, some potential donors could be dissuaded by the idea that their money will just be paying astronomical executive salaries rather than actually helping people. That’s why, to truly engender trust and maintain those relationships long term, you have to provide clear breakdowns of how money is spent in your annuals report, and be transparent about your resource distribution process.

Include Multimedia – The last thing any of your donors want to do is slog through a giant list of numbers and names. Your reports should be easily digestible, but they should also be compelling and inspiring! Including infographics and charts is a great way to convey figures and financials in a more readable way, and pictures and video of the people (or animals, or whatever) your organization helps can really show the impact of your work and inspire donors to continue their support.

For instance, in our MAP annual reports, we love to include snapshots and video interviews with happy families who know their kids will have three nutritious meals a day, and our donors are gratified by the knowledge that they are making a difference to real children and families in need.

Show Impact – When you do include numbers, providing evidence of your organization’s impact is a great way to communicate that mission and encourage more donations in the future. Consider presenting KPIs and benchmarks at the start of the year and then reporting on how your organization measured up. Make sure that data is clearly distinct from your general financials so your readers can see clearly the measurable impact of their support.

Engage on a One-to-One Basis – Sure, a standard report thanking donors for their support is nice, but imagine the kind of response you could get by reaching out on an individual basis to not only thank your donors but engaging with them about their own reasons for supporting you, their concerns, their ideas? Making them feel like part of the team rather than a mere check writer?

So while these are recommended best practices, the best practice of all is to tailor your annual reports to the needs of your specific donor base, and to engage with individual donors as much as possible.

For a group like MAP, whose donor base is a tightly knit group of individuals who communicate regularly with each other and the organization, the annual report is about engagement and collaboration. We include our complete financial breakdowns and other important impact data of course, because, as noted above, we believe in transparency. But we also celebrate our wins and praise our contributors, invite insight and feedback from everyone, and constantly reaffirm our belief in the importance of nurturing underprivileged children to their potential.

No matter how you structure your report, it’s crucial that you convey WHY your organization does what it does, and why your donors should support your mission. They do want to know you’re effective, but more than anything, they want to know you believe in what you do—then they’ll believe in you too.

To learn more about MAP’s efforts, please visit: Momsagainstpoverty.org.

Four Realistic Grant Writing Tips for Small Nonprofits

January 18, 2019 By Madison Ting

When submitting a grant, it’s important to remember you have competition. You want to do everything you can to make your nonprofit standout from competitors. This can seem like a daunting task for smaller nonprofits that do not have entire departments dedicated to fundraising or full-time grant writers on staff. It can be challenging, but there are steps that smaller nonprofits can take to make an application stand-out amongst the competition.

1. Research and design a timeline

Most smaller nonprofits have minimal resources, so it’s important to spend time researching grant opportunities that match the project or program that needs funding. There are thousands of grants available, but it is not possible to apply for them all, so you have to decide which grants are attainable and realistic for your organization.

The next step would be to make a calendar outlining the deadlines for all the grant applications for the granting cycle. Funding cycles usually take place twice a year- a spring cycle and fall cycle. A calendar is a free and useful resource that will help you stay organized throughout the entire grant process. Having a grant calendar will prevent mistakes such as missing deadlines and forgetting to apply for specific grants.

2. Create a checklist

There is nothing more frustrating in the grant application process than to hit a point where you do not have the necessary information needed to proceed with the application. All grants are different but, in most cases, require similar information. This is good news because it will save you time and allow you to apply for more grants. Therefore, create a grant check-list BEFORE you begin the application. Typical documents required for a grant application include the annual general report, articles of association, project budget, third-party financial audits, and bylaws. Having these documents saved digitally in a file on your computer to will save you time and prevent needless running around trying to find specific documents every time to go to write a grant.

3. Review, Review, and Review again…

Always make sure to proofread the entire grant application. Check your spelling and grammar again and again. It can be helpful to have a co-worker or trusted friend read over the grant for you with a pair of fresh eyes. Reviewing is important because you want your document to be of the highest quality and bad spelling equals terrible quality. Make sure your font is the same style and size throughout the entire application. Font and size are essential because your application needs to look cohesive. Lastly, make sure all the additional required documents are titled and saved in the correct format. In the grant instructions, it will usually specify how documents should be sent such as a docx, or PDF.

4. Don’t work for the grant but let the grant work for you

Do not apply for every grant for the sake of applying for a grant. It is a mistake to think you need multiple grants from multiple sources. It will be more beneficial to your organization if you spend your time focused on quality, not quality. If you lose focus, later down the road, you will find yourself working for the grant instead of the grant working for your project or program. Many times, nonprofits will end up with useless funding because they have no way of applying the funding to their needs. The best way to avoid this trap is to have a plan set in place BEFORE you start the grant application. Ask yourself what projects or programs need funding and work from there. After you understand what needs funding the grant application process will become more evident.

The Power of Acknowledgement – Three Elements of Donor Retention

January 1, 2019 By Bill Sayre

What is your philanthropy’s superpower? Every nonprofit has powers, but the most important one that eludes many organizations is the power of donor retention. Unfortunately many nonprofits expect to lose more than 60 percent of donors after their first donation.

It is time to take on high first-time donor attrition rates and secure donor loyalty. Studies show that over the long term, retaining 10 percent more of first-time donors can lead to a 200 percent lifetime return. Here are three nonprofit powers to help improve donor retention and turn one-time donors into life-long supporters:

Efficient Donation Processing and Acknowledgement

When a new donor makes a contribution they may feel they have fulfilled their duty to support your cause. Yet the power of speed – efficient donation processing and meaningful acknowledgement – encourages them to come back. Supporters expect timely, accurate and efficient processing of their donations. Whether outsourced or handled in-house, it is critical that donations are managed with care and precision.

Cutting edge technology can allow nonprofits to process donations faster and more accurately, allowing quicker donor acknowledgement. Automated mail extraction and high-speed scanning equipment helps minimize processing costs, while searchable web-based document image archive and retrieval systems allow donor inquiries about transactions to be researched more quickly and efficiently as well.

Saying Thank You

Once donations are processed, the next power to use is the strength of gratitude. A heartfelt thank you can help secure the second donation, turning a one-time donor into a life-long supporter. To super charge a thank you letter, nonprofits should personalize it to make it more meaningful. Nonprofits can do this by using the donor’s name, referencing the specific campaign that they responded to, discussing how their donation will be used, and even acknowledging repeat donors’ past gifts. Follow-up communications and solicitations can discuss more specifically how funds were used to make a difference. For example, if they gave in response to the recent earthquake in Nepal, specific information on the relief that was delivered and its impact can be provided along with an ask for an additional gift to continue the efforts or to have funds available for immediate use when the next disaster strikes.

Saying thank you doesn’t need to be limited to mail. Follow up calls are another way to say thank you that can make a significant impact on a donor and ensure their first time giving isn’t their last. Calls are easy to personalize and can truly show donors the importance of their contributions. Thanking donors via follow up calls strengthens donor relationships and leads to higher rates of donor retention, in addition to more frequent giving and larger gifts.

Whether saying thank you with a hand written note, a call, on social media, or through a video, nonprofits can make donors feel like superheroes by focusing on what they helped the organization to accomplish. It is the joy that comes from hearing the difference they made that encourages donors to stay involved.

Donation Security

Nonprofits are also responsible for keeping donors and their personal information safe, both physically and in the cyber world. By protecting donors in a world of breaches and identity fraud, nonprofits can safeguard valuable donor relationships.

Nonprofits can build trust through physical security of donor funds and information. A first step is to implement a 24/7/365 surveillance system to safeguard donations and donor information in the facility where donations will be processed. Additionally, tracking of the vehicles used to transport the mail from the post office to the donation processing facility should be used.

Once donors and their contributions are physically safe, nonprofits can focus on the cyber-sphere, starting with the basics. One of the first steps is ensuring standard data security software like firewalls, antivirus software, spam and spyware, data-loss prevention software and intrusion detection software are in place. Data encryption is also essential. End-to-end encryption should be used on all inbound and outbound data files creating another obstacle for hackers.

Additionally, all organizations that deal with donor credit card information should be Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliant, ensuring credit card information is being handled appropriately and securely. PCI DSS provides a framework for data security that covers prevention, detection and reaction to security incidents, holistically safeguarding donor information.

These security elements are critical to maintaining your nonprofit’s reputation with both first-time and life-long donors. Having the strength and ability to protect donors creates a sense of trust.

Donors can be a nonprofit’s biggest believers or their kryptonite. These three elements of donor retention – efficient donation processing and acknowledgement, appropriate donor recognition and robust security – can help retain new donors and make them feel like superheroes. As a helpful resource, we encourage you to take our donor retention assessment to discover your nonprofit’s retention opportunities.

Top Ten Things to Do When Beginning a Volunteer Fundraising Program

January 1, 2019 By Andy Reeher

Many nonprofits from colleges to boards and associations have dedicated groups of volunteers who help them meet their fundraising goals. What better way to increase engagement and reduce fundraising costs than to have volunteers solicit their peers with a personal appeal? Alumni groups, past president groups and foundation boards are all incorporating volunteer fundraising into their annual and campaign giving strategies. If you’re considering starting a volunteer fundraising program for your organization, here are ten things to do to get you started.

Start Small. Establishing a culture of volunteer fundraising in your group can take time. The key is to start small and grow your program over time. As you recruit additional volunteers, they can help you find and recruit even more volunteers. Consider starting with a single class of alumni or segment of your foundation. From there you can expand your program to include all alumni or segments of your group.

Decide How to Segment. Whether you want your volunteers to contact giving prospects from the same alumni area, current geographic region, profession or affinity, choose a method of segmentation and stick with it. It’s good to choose a method of segmentation where your volunteers are likely to have a lot in common with the people they are reaching out to.

Recruit Volunteers. Many times those that already contribute to your organization are prime to extend their support as volunteers. Take a look at those with a strong affinity to your mission. Many successful programs are able to retain their volunteers year after year, so your recruiting should be less time-intensive once you build up your initial team of volunteers.

Appoint Lead Volunteers. Enabling the success of your volunteers can be a challenge. You provide them with resources and training, but some volunteers still need on-on-one coaching to be successful. This is why lead volunteers are so important. They are able to provide more personal support directly to your volunteers, allowing you to focus on more strategic parts of the overall fundraising program. If you already have a program started, consider asking your highest performing volunteers to step into the role of lead volunteer.

Assign Prospects. One of the most effective ways for assigning prospects to volunteers is to let them pick based on who they know best. You can create the list of who’s available to contact, exclude anyone with any special restrictions, and allow your volunteers to pick whom they’d like to contact. We typically see volunteers contacting between 10-25 prospects, but you can also leave it open for your volunteers to contact more prospects if they’re willing.

Create Resources. It works well to have a welcome packet or volunteer guide to provide new volunteers. This is a good way to reinforce expectations and guidelines for your volunteers as well as let them know about current initiatives that may be of interest to potential donors. A typical outline for these documents include:
1. The role of a volunteer
2. Goals and expectations
3. Impact of volunteer fundraising for your organization
4. Tips and scripts for contacting prospects
5. Who to contact for additional help (include Lead Volunteers and Staff)
6. What’s happening in your organization – latest initiatives and milestones

Train Your Volunteers. It’s best to offer a variety of training options so that your volunteers can choose the one that best fits their learning style. In addition to the resources you have already created, you can offer in-person training or a campaign kick-off event, live online training, as well as recorded training for your volunteers.

Focus Your Volunteer Efforts. Since your volunteers are busy people, focus their efforts around 2-3 key times or initiatives per year. Pick a 1-2 week period and ask them to contact 10 or more prospects during that period. Time this around a key event – maybe they get early access to register for your annual convention by taking part, or it’s a lead-in to homecoming or a special giving day.

Analyze Results. One advantage of focusing your volunteer efforts over a few short 1-2 week periods throughout the year is it allows you time to analyze your results and make adjustments. Technology resources are available that can give you powerful analytics that allow you to easily identify your top performing volunteers, as well as those who are struggling.

Recognize Your Volunteers. Your volunteers make a significant contribution with all of the time and effort they invest, so it’s important that they are recognized for their efforts. List their names in your annual donor report or ask them to stand up at an annual meeting or fundraising banquet. Another great way to recognize their contributions is to offer them special perks, maybe exclusive access to a popular event or important stakeholder. Recognizing your volunteers is a great way to promote a culture of enthusiastic volunteers who stay with your organization year after year.

Volunteer fundraisers can be your key to success, but logistically can be challenging to manage. That’s why Reeher designed the first online and mobile tool to help organizations manage volunteers in your fundraising program. With Class Agent Fundraising, you can easily assign and manage volunteers, track their progress on tasks, provide the information they need to make the “asks” of their peers, and allow them to report progress and remain engaged with their team. You can view up-to-date campaign results at your fingertips – gone are the days of emailing spreadsheets and waiting for monthly reports to track your program’s progress. Visit Reeher’s website to try Class Agent Fundraising free for 14 days.

Want to Increase Repeat Donors? Just Follow the Rules

August 28, 2018 By Gary Smith

It takes a lot of effort to bring in new donors. That’s why hanging on to the donors you have—and getting them to donate again and again—is key for any nonprofit.

So how you do you increase your pool of repeat donors? Here are a few rules to get you there.

Rule 1: Remember, you’re only as good as your last interaction.

The interaction a donor will remember most is the last one they had with your organization, so offer the best service possible at all times to all of your donors. Make sure you keep the donation process easy and streamlined. Acknowledge donations in a timely fashion and don’t keep donors waiting for promised tax documentation.

Rule 2: Let donors “get their feet wet.”

Small donations can lead to larger ones down the line. Are you looking for products or supplies? Offer a “trial donation” where the donor only commits to a small amount. If that goes well, you can contact them to see if they would like to make a larger donation.

Rule 3: Spread good will.

Give donors the chance to piggyback on your public relations efforts. Sure, you may publicize their name in your lists of donors, but consider going one step further. Ask if they would like to talk about their donations in your press releases or promotional materials.

Rule 4: Ask for feedback and follow through.

It’s a good idea to send out surveys to your clients to ask about how the donation process went for them. Keep it short to increase your chance of receiving a response, and consider 10 percent a good return rate. Make sure you designate someone to go through the surveys and notify staff of any problems they need to address.

Rule 5: Honor your donors’ preferred form of communication.

To develop positive relationships with donors, nothing beats in-person meetings with telephone conversations the next best. But taking those steps can backfire if a donor prefers you contact them only by email. Find out how your donors prefer you contact them, and then honor that request. If you’re receiving product donations, set up a schedule for how frequently you should contact a business. Some companies may want to donate on a quarterly basis, others every six months. It’s best to set those parameters up front.

Rule 6: Remember to ask the next question.

If you call and a company says they have nothing to donate at that time, ask if you can call back in six months. A lot of companies have “gatekeepers,” so if you call in six months and tell the person answering the phone, “Joe asked me to call him back,” your call is more likely to go through. And if you’re lucky enough to schedule an in-person meeting with a potential donor, remember the next question you should ask is whether anyone else would like to join you for the meeting. The more people you know within a company, the stronger relationship you’ll be able to build and the better chance you’ll have that that relationship will continue if your main contact leaves the company.

Rule 7: Add value to those donations.

Give your donors value beyond the tax benefits they receive. Offer specifics on where their donations went and how your organization used them. Give them as much personal connection as you can to the good their donation is doing. Taking the time to do that is the best way to turn that one-time donor into a long-term giver.

Mastering Online Giving In Three Easy Steps

July 13, 2018 By Nonprofit Information

If you are tasked with finding a good online giving service for your nonprofit, you will quickly realize that under the surface, online giving is not as simple as the sales sites might lead you to believe.

What might seem like a good rate might in fact be a tiered rate your actual donations may not qualify for. The sales site may look nothing like the product itself. And the actual experience of donors is often overlooked amidst all the bulleted lists of features, options, and glowing promises.

Fortunately, in the maze of online giving, there’s a place nonprofits can turn to for help.

Consider the OnlineGivingGuide.com your tour guide for the online giving universe. Filled with humorous cartoons and cutting insight, it lays out the features shoppers should seek in a service—and offers cautionary tips on the deceptive practices some platforms use.

Here are three main steps we gleaned from the guide:

STEP 1: Find the right fit

There are innumerable options when it comes to selecting an online giving site. From industry giants such as Blackbaud and the various online properties of Ministry Brands (like easyTithe, eGiving.com, and Kindrid) to innovative competitors like Givingtools.com, nonprofits have an assortment of electronic giving platforms to choose from.

How can you find the one that’s right for your nonprofit?

The Online Giving Guide lists three basic considerations for shoppers to ponder before making a selection:

The sales site: Don’t be fooled by aesthetically-pleasing online giving sites. After all, they’re often crafted by web design teams – not the folks who built the actual product. Look beyond a giving platform’s virtual appearance to ensure its modern look isn’t masking a terrible product.

The interface: Experiment with a platform’s interface to test its capabilities across multiple platforms. It should work as flawlessly on a smartphone as it does on a desktop, and look nice on a variety of window and screen sizes. Can donors give to multiple appeals with a single checkout? Do they need a password before they give for the first time?

The processor: This plays a significant role in determining an online giving service’s rates and features. Look for a processor with a strong track record of successfully securing and handling funds. Look for 0% ACH and flat, affordable credit card rates. Even better, look for system that is open and allows you to plug in the processor you prefer.

STEP #2: Test the waters

Legitimate giving sites give potential clients an opportunity to try their services before committing to a product. With this in mind, shoppers are wise to engage in a trial run to determine whether a giving service’s features—and actual product experience—align with their needs.

Trial runs give nonprofits an opportunity to review necessary functionality before making a choice. When it comes down to deciding between two or three products, request a demo to address the following:

User friendliness: Navigate the site through the eyes of a donor looking to make a gift. Is this platform easy to use? Does it simplify the gift-giving process? If not, strike this option off your list.

Ease of administration: Evaluate the site from an administrative perspective, too, to ensure you’re happy with the ways in which your company can manage the platform.

Lingering issues: If questions arise as you demo a product, reach out to the company to have those inquiries addressed. This is the time to clear up any concerns or confusion you might have about a giving platform. Best to do this now before you—and your donors—are committed to a service you might not like.

STEP #3: Do the math

Online giving platforms offer a hefty return on investment. After all, the average online gift is $128. Moreover, online charity donations were expected to reach an astounding $31 billion last year. It’s a lucrative market, and one some online platforms are capitalizing on by charging hefty (sometimes hidden) costs and locking you in to a lengthy service term.

For instance, Gofundme.com takes a five percent cut of donations, on top of a 2.9 percent processing fee. It also charges $0.30 per donation. When all is tallied, a charity using the service pockets less than $118 of that aforementioned $128 donation.

Fortunately, not all services charge such astronomical fees. Some sites, such as Givingtools.com, pocket a significantly smaller portion of donations. Giving Tools hails itself as the least expensive giving system on the market, charging a 0% plus a small $0.25 flat fee for each donation. (Credit card processing fees are an additional 2.85%.)

OnlineGivingGuide.com offers a handy calculator that helps nonprofits determine the exact cost of using an online giving platform.

The popularity of online giving is growing at record speed; its year-over-year growth reached 23 percent last year. But with the increasing popularity of online giving come venture-capital-backed companies looking to cash in on the new fashion. Indeed, some companies like Ministry Brands own numerous processors: you might think you are looking at two services when in fact you are looking at two limbs of the same conglomerate.

When you’re shopping for an online giving platform, start with OnlineGivingGuide.com and follow the structured approach it presents. It’s rare to find an online resource this handy, humorous, and even-handed. Check it out today!

DIY Fundraising 101: Everything You’ve Ever Wanted to Know About DIY Fundraising

June 18, 2018 By Gary Wohlfeill

Do-it-yourself (DIY) fundraising is one of the most exciting growth opportunities for nonprofits and is definitely one of the fastest growing types of peer-to-peer fundraising out there.

That’s why we thought it was time we gave DIY fundraising a good deep dive so that we can help nonprofits understand how it works and why it’s such a great tool to implement for those looking to grow and expand their peer-to-peer fundraising.

Here we go…

What really is DIY fundraising?

DIY fundraising is a new fundraising channel that empowers your community of supporters to raise money on your nonprofit’s behalf by starting a fundraiser of their own at any time —without cannibalizing any of your other campaign efforts.

The DIY part refers to the notion that your supporters have the flexibility to create an event or fundraiser that’s personal to them, not attached to a larger nonprofit campaign or event. Your supporters can get creative, have fun, and support you during a time that works best for them, and in any way that they want.

How is this different than peer-to-peer fundraising?

The peer-to-peer fundraising you might be most familiar with is usually organized around an event. Supporters are encouraged to start a fundraiser for an organized event (marathon, seasonal or themed campaign, bowl-a-thon, giving day, etc.) with all of the money raised by each individual rolling up to a grand total for your event.

This differs from DIY fundraising in that, with DIY (a subset of peer-to-peer) you are empowering your supporters to create a fundraiser whenever they want, based on whatever style of event they want to do. Maybe they want to do a birthday fundraiser, a memorial fundraiser, or get creative in the name of your cause. By creating a DIY fundraiser, they’re not attaching their campaign to an event you’re running at a specific time. Instead, they’re just starting a fundraiser whenever they want.

Both utilize passionate supporters to reach out to their network of friends and family in order to increase donations and awareness, but the main difference is in who organizes the event — the event is organized by your nonprofit vs. organized by the supporter themselves. (This also means that there isn’t the associated maintenance for your nonprofit that typically comes with running a structured campaign.)

Does DIY work in the real world?

I answer that question with a resounding yes (and if we embraced exclamation points we’d even add one here). Time and time again, we’ve talked to partners who’ve had incredible success when they’ve incorporated DIY fundraising into their overall strategy.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is one example of how embracing DIY fundraising can make such an impact. With their Lifestyle program, LLS offers up encouragement and ideas on how you can create your own DIY fundraiser. The director of the program, Colby Marple, nailed it on the head when he told us recently, “People want to make a difference. Instead of keeping [ideas] regional, what we wanted to do is create a national platform that allows all these great stories, all these great ideas to come together in a single place. And that’s what CrowdRise enabled us to do with our Lifestyle program. It’s really about making it possible for anyone to start a movement to help us cure cancer. It’s about saying yes and just empowering people to get after it and make a difference.”

“It’s really about making it possible for anyone to start a movement to help us cure cancer.”

– Colby Marple, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

And that’s what it’s all about. Empowerment, encouragement, and in a way, letting go of control. As an organization, you have to allow your supporters to show their passion for your nonprofit in their own way. Your supporters are hungry for an opportunity to show they care, but they may not have an outlet that allows them to do so in the way they want. This is why DIY fundraising really can be important for your cause.

This all sounds great, but is it a ton of work?

The great thing about DIY fundraising is that it works well without a lot of hands-on activity from you, the nonprofit. Now, that’s not to say that it’s a ‘build-it-and-they-will-come’ type of idea. But rather, if you take the time to put the structure in place, provide encouragement along the way, and make your fundraisers feel like heroes during and after their campaign, you’ve got the makings of an evergreen fundraising push that will see repeat performance throughout the years to come.

As LLS thinks about it, “the theme across the board is any activity, any passion, any hobby, anything that brings people together can be a tremendous movement and a successful movement to help us cure cancer.” And, isn’t that what every nonprofit is ultimately trying to get to? Empowering movements that create real impact in order to create the change needed to get you to your goal?

Curing a disease, building shelters, rescuing animals… no matter what cause space you are in, passion runs deep in your supporters. And when you give them a platform to take that passion and run with it, amazing things start to happen.

How to get started

Show your supporters the possibility of DIY. Include inspirational stories or examples of fundraisers who gave up their birthday, ran their own race, or shaved their beard for your cause. Put together some best practices for your DIY fundraisers and set up a schedule of encouraging posts, emails, and reach-out opportunities for your organization in order to keep supporters motivated and excited. Also be sure to thank them at the end of their fundraiser so they feel appreciated and hungry to do even more. It’s also important to make sure you’re set up on a fundraising platform that allows for simple DIY fundraiser creation, as well as gives supporters access to your best practices and examples so that they feel encouraged and motivated to stick around and set up their campaign page.

With DIY fundraising growing at a rapid pace, with the right fundraising platform, and some up front strategizing, embracing and encouraging DIY can make a huge impact on your cause.