Assuring the Special in Special Events

Not all nonprofits are in love with the concept of special event fundraising. For larger nonprofits with "significant" staff (including a fundraiser and a communications specialist) and a development committee that works from a well thought out plan, events can be pretty great revenue sources for your organization. All nonprofts, great and small, can make events work.
And it does start with a plan.

• The event should fit the mission: it should be clear to participants what the money is for, how it's going to be used, and the NPO gratitude for hard work to raise $$ for mission.
• There should be a mini-business plan with a timeline, job assignments, and a budget. Members of the event committee should know their assignments and commit to get them done to keep things moving along the agreed-to timeline.
• If it's a run or walk or bicycle deal, building in a pledge component will leverage your $-raising capacity significantly. If you've got an event that's been going a few years, it's hard to convert it to pledges if it hasn't been. Time to think of a new event.
• Expect to earn a few net dollars the first year, but realize that the best events grow because the committee is smart, it learns-by-doing, and is committed to continuous improvement: how are we going to make this better?

Events can be a great source of substantial net dollars for your nonprofit mission. In the 1980's, we (American Lung Association of NH) morphed a canoe event that raised $10,000 to a bike trek that raised $80,000 in the third year. How did it happen? The stars and moon were aligned: we were lucky we hired a great event planner, and we were first NPO out the gate in NH with a big time bicycle event. Over time, MS and others caught up with us.

Strike while the iron is hot! Interested in a conversation on how we could work together to make an event work for you? The conversation only costs a cup of coffee. s.p.99smith@gmail.com.

Catching the Boomer Wave

I've written here about how nonprofit boards of directors can engage their networks to benefit the mission of their organization. And I've offered recommendations on how to put a system in place to convert donor prospects into donors, and the value of focusedcommunication with your donors and your prospects.
Today I want to zero in on trends you can apply to your approach to more effectively raise money to advance the mission near and dear to your heart.
in the Chronicle of Philanthropy (Vol. XXII, #10, April 8, 2010) Holly Hall writes about big demographic changes on the horizon that will impact how development staff and board members need to prepare for the wave of Baby Boomers who will reach age 65 in 2011. And that wave will only grow as the number of Americans 65+ will double in the next two decades. At the same time, the number of Americans in their 50's will decline. Generally, folks in their 50's are in the prime of disposable income capacity.
What can the nonprofit do to prepare for the Boomer wave to retirement?

• Sharpen up the Database. Can leaders get useful reports on trends that respect individual donor confidentiality? Don't have a relational database? Search sources to recommend one for you. Start with Nonprofit Tech Network http://bitly/9kOFBA to learn about Open Source Donor Management Systems. Proprietary systems can be costly, but check them out, too. Without useful data to drive development decisions, you're guessing.
• Add Tech Savvy People to Team. Every nonprofit needs a staff member and/or volunteer up-to-snuff on application of current technology. Thought leaders in development are saying the art of the schmooze is not enough in building donor relationships. Beyond managing the database, there's also potential in social media, particularly Facebook and Twitter.
• Board Adopts a Development Plan. Outline a road map indicating where you need to go to successfully raise the $$ to deliver the mission. The map should include "how:" direct response, special events, annual campaign, major gifts. And "who:" role of development committee, role of board in giving and getting. And "what:" data that will be used in decision-making.

It's spring, and summer is just weeks away. If your pace slows down a bit in the summer months, this can be a good time to do some research on database options, and to begin outlining a development plan. Get ready for action in fall so when you're annual appeal gets underway (most often November-December in the nonprofit world) you've got your tools in place to elevate your approach to fundraising.

Need some help addressing these needs? I'm just a phone call or e-mail message away.

Steve Smith is Principal of It's The Results, a consulting company specializing in board development, strategic planning, fundraising. s.p.99smith@gmail.com. 781-334-4915.

Effective Fundraising Through Relationship Building

"Asking someone you know for money in person is the most effective way to raise funds." Kim Klein, author of Fundraising for Social Change, 5th Ed., leads off her chapter on "Getting Comfortable with Asking for Money" with this sentence. Right on target. Ms. Klein captures the essence of fundraising effectiveness: Knowing the person you're asking is more than half the battle in raising money for a community benefit nonprofit organization.
Board members and other volunteers will frequently tell the executive director or development director that they just can't bring themselves to "make the ask." Why? I believe it's primarily due to fear of rejection. But it's also about concern with invading another person's pocket book. When it comes right down to it, "What right do I have to ask another person to fork over some cash?"
Well, friends, this is how we successfully advance the mission of a cause that's near and dear to us. If we don't ask, we likely won't get. It takes an ask, and there's no one better to ask than a person who knows the donor prospect.
And getting into that comfort zone starts right at home: at the board of directors. We need to get members of the board thinking about investing money to accompany the very generous contribution of time these individuals already are giving. And the person to ask one board member to give is another board member. One who knows the person to be asked. There's a relationship there. This connection makes the ask easier. It also makes the decision to give for the first time easier.
I experienced this situation first hand when I was executive director of the American Lung Association of New Hampshire. Until we launched our first major gift campaign, few of the twelve board members donated. There was not a sense of urgency, nor a sense of importance of investment. Leaders of the board, however, were clear about the need. They decided they wanted their colleagues on the board to get some training, to "get" the concepts of urgency and investment. That if those closest to the community benefit organization didn't feel the urgency of needed funds to advance the mission (in this case, to get No Butts About It into elementary classrooms) how would they sell others on this program's importance?
We recruited a volunteer, experienced in Republican party fundraising, to chair the Development Committee. I knew her well, as our paths crossed (even though our politics were different) in work we were doing on smoking prevention and clean air advocacy. And for the honor of leading our campaign, the chairperson made a lead gift of $5,000. That step by that friend of the Lung Association's mission made the campaign happen. And made the campaign a success.
Ken Burnett writes in Relationship Fundraising (Jossey-Bass, 2002) that the #1 essential to effective fundraising is grasping the concept that it's about "people giving to people." When we get the message, when the focus of the nonprofit mission becomes embedded in each individual on the board, and as board members grow more comfortable with bringing in money to make the mission that they believe in happen, the dollars come.
It's clear that these are simple concepts. As they say, "it's not rocket science." But: it's hard work nonetheless. Getting board members to buy in, and getting a nucleus of board members to work at asking after they have made their gift, the snowball becomes an avalanche. But over time.
Relationship Fundraising starts with two people. And it grows from there, if we thoughtfully invest in starting to roll that snowball down the hill. Soon, it gathers momentum. And before we know it, we have effective fundraising happening because the relationships we build make it happen.

Success at Succession Planning: Board Leadership

Think Tanks are worry-warting over the next wave of nonprofit executives to take CEO positions when the current crop of Baby Boomers all retire. Worrying over this is not time or energy well spent. Board search committees will not have to look very far to find competent, capable leaders in the X and Y Generations. They are right there in front of our eyes. They may think differently, they definitely are coming from different experience, but they are bright, insightful, full of beans and ready to go when given the chance. I see a number of these younger folks in my graduate level marketing and fundraising classes at Northeastern University in Boston. I read the tweets and blogs of the X-ers and Y'ers on the Internet.
Look out world, here they come.
I am more concerned with what I see on boards of directors of these same nonprofits, worrying over executive succession. They have a leadership vacuum right on the board. They keep asking the same volunteer to serve "just one more year" (how much is too much?). There are things that can be done to remedy this situation. It takes some work. So lets look at some steps nonprofit boards can take to get folks moving up the leadership track to chair or preside over the board of directors.

• Term limits. I recommend two or three three-year terms of service on a board. This creates a continuous rotation (with a set number of members rotating off each year) of members leaving, new members arriving. If the same group of guys (some boards still have some work to do on gender and race diversity) are sitting on the board for ten, twenty years, the nonprofit runs out of capable leaders prepared to take charge.
• Leader orientation. The nonprofit CEO works with current board leadership to design an orientation for newly elected leaders, so they get the lay of the land. So they understand the parameters of leadership. So they are clear on the CEO role and how that is different fom the board chair role.
• Active working committees. The finance, progam, development, marketing & communication committees (perhaps one or two more) have real work assignments from the board, meet regularly (but not too often), and stay in touch so agreed-to work gets done. The committees are great proving ground for up-and-comers. And they consist of some community members who are not on the board, grooming for membership down the road.

Staff and volunteer leaders can see leadership potential in new board members within the first six months, or year at most. These are people eager to take an assignment...well, willing if not really eager. They get their work done on time, they have thougtful comments at meetings, they don't try to take the nonprofit down a road it's not ready or capable to travel.

So. If you're finding yourself in a maze, wondering "where oh where will the next board chair be?" it's time to put some practices in place that'll get a smooth flow of energy moving through your organization.

In my experience as a nonprofit executive with the American Lung Association, and in my consulting work currently, I see clearly how these steps work advantageously. For more detailed references, some tools to help, feel free to contact me at s.p.99smith@gmail.com.

Attending to succession planning for the nonprofit board of directors is time and energy well spent.

Steve Smith is Principal of It's The Results, LLC. This practice focuses on board development, strategic planning, and fundraising.

2- 4- 6- 8: How We Gonna Communicate?

I hope you've de-soggified from last weekend's torrential rains (particularly if you live and work in the mid-Atlantic States or New England). The sun has been good to us, we've mostly dried out. Some folks still don't have their power back, and some towns are still bailing out. I and my readers wish you all well. Hope you are finding help. Let us know if particular nonprofits stepped up in your community and deserve a special shout-out.
If you tweet on Twitter, give those great helping NPO's a #CharityTuesday hashtag. Regular contributors/followers on Twitter know about this, and look each week for a nonprofit to support based on tweets they receive. This is why every nonprofit should be working Twitter, Facebook, You Tube....various social media to extend out your network.
This week, I want to talk with you about the newsletter.
1. Use social media.
2. Communicate with a newsletter.
On a regular basis, let your followers know what's cooking at your nonprofit. How your primary customers are finding your service, employing your service, benefiting from your service. Some newsletter tips just for you, because you are special:

• Publish regularly: monthly is good. Your volunteers, primary customers (those who use your service), donors like to know what's up. Most of those people feel a sense of relationship with you, with an employee, with a board member. They feel the connection. They appreciate your effort of staying in touch.
• Highlight upcoming events. Your readers are interested in meetings, special speakers, special events. Repeat these each issue. Those who follow you, who make the link, will get the information on their calendars.
• Print or e-mail? Use e-mail. Use Constant Contact: the newsletter is embedded in the message. No attachments to mess with. Nice graphic design, if you like. Some of your followers, perhaps donors and/or primary customers over age 60 prefer snail mail. Limit the amount of snail mail. It's a green thing (that carbon footprint thing).
• Ask for letters, short articles. Print occasional pieces from your readers. Ask for photos. Link these to your website so folks can find back issues, point friends to your website to read their stories, see their photos.

While you're doing your newsletter thing, you're also building community in your nonprofit. Making the communication two-way, making the newsletter interactive, you're building your network, reaching new people.

Share your comments on this blog if you like. Or if you seek private contact, you can reach me directly at s.p.99smith@gmail.com, check my website www.itstheresults.com, tweet me @STEVENETWORK.

A Shot of Red Bull for the Board Meeting

Here we are, counting down to the first day of spring, looking for that energy boost to get spring cleaning underway.
Coming out of our winter hibernation, it's a good idea to check in on the energy level for our board. Are meetings lacking some zip? Are our financial numbers not quite where we'd like to see them, but in need of some constructive attention?
It's tough. Rumor has it we're moving out of recession and recovery is just around the corner.
Right.
For the moment, we have some work to do, some tough decisions to make and, we're struggling to find the energy...to get all members of the board out, at the meeting, coming ready to engage in what can work for us to get us over the hump.
Cans of Red Bull probably aren't really what will do the trick.
But what the heck. Maybe have a few cans on the refreshment table to perk some interest, get a chuckle, maybe provoke a lecture on healthy diet from the board scold.
Here are some tips that can provoke a needed jolt:

• Put a story on the agenda. Ask a person or volunteer who benefits from the service you provide, share a story about the value you deliver.
• Shake up the line-up. Oral reports at the board meeting? Keep these at a minimum. But if there's one or two that will be requiring board action, ask the committee chair to designate a member on the board to give the report, or augment the report. Engage more members in the process of the meeting!
• Sweeten Up the refreshments. Ask a member if they'd bake or pick up from a bakery a special treat for the members to enjoy. A bit of sugar can add energy. Something special can add a smile, share some appreciation.
• Allow for some "Generative" time. Set aside a fifteen-to-thirty minute discussion time. No Roberts Rules. A conversation around something real happening in the community or the economy that'll be good for all to know, that impacts decisions, adds to the board's knowledge base. Get into the habit of asking different members of the board to come prepared to lead discussion time.
• Did someone say fundraising? What can the board do to stimulate revenue? It can't always be about cutting expenses. There needs to be some creative, new effort by members to devise a way they can add to the treasury. Will someone step up, propose an idea with some forethought/planning, and solicit members to pitch in?

So, let's find some energy sources to stir things up a bit, leave members thinking as they head for the door following adjournment, "Now that was a good meeting!"

An Act of Inspiration

I don't know where you were Super Bowl Sunday about 9:00 when CBS Sunday Morning came on. It's among my two or three appointment TV times. On that Sunday, I was blown away by a segment entitled, "Selling Your Home for Charity." Yes, you read that right. The Selwen family of Atlanta, Georgia sold their home and donated $800,000 of the proceeds to charity.
Hannah is the daughter in this family, and she couldn't reconcile seeing homeless, hungry people around her while living in the lap of luxury. So, she got the ball in motion.
Americans are generous. On average, we give 2.2% of what we earn to charities of our choice, including our church, synagogue, mosque...wherever you may go to worship. In 2008, our charity accounted for $307 billion (Giving USA, 2009).
The Selwen family has written a book, "The Power of Half." They took half the proceeds from the sale of their home and donated it to the Hunger Project; specifically, to build a mill in a town in Ghana. They used the other half to buy a home for themselves a few blocks away from where they once lived that occupies about half the footprint of their first home. In their book, they describe how the came to this act that goes beyond our understanding of "generosity." A twist on the saying, "build it, and they will come."
This Act of Inspiration came from a personal experience. Hannah Selwen had a philanthropic urge, and recruited her family to act on it. I wonder if there was some deep-seated sense for doing the right thing that drove her to act.
Stories like the Selwen's are good to hear.
I advocate nonprofits I work with to find their stories. How the program services they provide have changed peoples' lives for the better. How, if they could do a bit more, they could reach and serve a few more people. So the mission and the services provided can tap into the philanthropic spirit that lies within each of us. Well, at least 75% of us.
Henry David Thoreau said, "What is the use of a house if you haven't got a tolerable planet to put it on?" Indeed.
In the same segment, CBS also interviewed Willie Mae Dorsey, a checkout clerk at an Atlanta supermarket. Willie Mae told CBS she makes $25,000 a year and gives 10% of what she makes to charity.
Willie Mae is an inspiration.
We have lots of inspiring stories. Find them. Tell them. They bring out the best in people. They give people good reason to want to join you in making a difference in the lives of people you serve.
Use this link to see the CBS Sunday Morning segment: http://bit.ly/bx1eHd.
To check out my consulting practice: www.itstheresults.com.
To follow me on Twitter: @STEVENETWORK.
e-mail: s.p.99smith@gmail.com

Getting Past the Annoying and On to the Work

Oh My God. What is more annoying than a board meeting when a member, with all good intentions, wants the group to consider this fabulous new idea that'll raise lots of money that no one ever heard of before? Or the person with the idea that they learned from another nonprofit that's so sweet, it's raising thousands of dollars and all we need to do is hire this event company to stage this great thing? That everyone else is doing and killing? Hello! Maybe the market is super-saturated with this event (a walk in the spring, an auction in the fall, a donate-your-car deal).
If the same person is continuously bringing the flavor-of-the-month event to the table for all to ooh and ah over, can we channel some of that energy constructively in an activity the board has already agreed it wants to do?
Don't get me wrong.
Sometimes, Mr or Ms Energizer Bunny may be bringing a good idea for consideration. But before we launch a new event (here we are in February, and Ms Bunny wants us all to "turn-to" and put on a great walk in May! Sure!) can we see a business plan? A budget? How many volunteers it'll take to get this off the ground? A time table? For Pete's sake!
You may recall my post (#15 Feb 9) Sometimes You Gotta Tack to Stay the Course. Yes. There are on occasion excellent ideas that come to us. So we want a systematic way to sort out the wheat from the chaf and put our energies where our strengths lie.
Some thoughts to keep in mind when it's $-raising we need to do, but we don't seem to be able to focus:

• There should be a development committee with people possessing skill in marketing, communication, sales, heck maybe someone who brings some real fundraising experience to the table.
• If we can't attract the muscle to build a development committee, seek short-term commitment to a work group that will review fundraising ideas, form a plan for the board.
• In board orientation, and in the annual skill update for all board members, review the strategic role of the board and the way ideas come to the board, and how decisions are made.
• The chair of the board gets some skill -building before taking the reins. Check your State nonprofit association or community foundation for low-cost workshops for board leaders.
• Find the right experienced board member who can informally take the Energizer Bunny under his/her wing and help the wayward soul get religion on how to be a good board member.

There are numerous experienced, skilled consultants out there who can help you Get Past the Annoying. You can check www.nonprofitconsultantsnetwork.org for Greater Boston Consultants, you can check NH Nonprofit Association www.nhnonprofits.org and check their directory, you can contact Executive Service Corps - NH www.nonprofit-consultants.org. All good resources. I'm affiliated with all of these (of course they're good!). Board leaders should consider the value of investing in the development of the board, just as the board must consider investing in the development of its CEO and staff.

If we aren't investing, committing to continuous improvement, the fruit will wither on the vine.

Steve Smith, Principal, It's The Results, LLC. website: www.itstheresults.com. Twitter: @STEVENETWORK.

Charity Begins at Home

A simple statement, "Charity begins at home" can take on many meanings in various contexts. I believe most of us will agree that taking care of one's own self is a good idea. It doesn't necessarily mean at the expense of our neighbors.
It's interesting that different sources attribute the phrase to different authors. Trivia-Library.com claims it belongs to Sir Thomas Browne, a noted British writer, in 1642. Wikipedia gives attribution to John Wycliffe who in 1380 said, "Charity should begin at himself." Sure. Whatever.
Nonprofit leaders should think about the Charity Begins at Home sentiment. It likely has some impact right now in the USA when millions are still unemployed, and where a substantial % of the unemployed are in the lowest 20% of income. Yet, in spite of high unemployment Americans stepped up and donated tens, hundreds of millions of dollars, many in $10 text messages, in response to the Haiti earthquake. We appreciate the American spirit: so many, even in times of personal deprivation,get beyond "Charity Begins at Home" and find a way to pitch in. This says much about the character of the people who are our neighbors, friends, family. We take sharing seriously. We recall biblical stories about the poor family who welcomed the stranger and shared their meager meal. We relate.
So, in the midst of this, why is it that so many members of boards of directors of nonprofit organizations have a hard time reaching for their checkbook or credit card when they are asked to support the very nonprofit they are part of? I find in my board development work, that when we broach the subject of board giving, and it's not settled practice, it's a thorny issue to address. But when we do, the majority buy in and make the gift.
In a sense, if a person serves on the board s/he is "family." And if we are family, get the concept that Charity Begins at Home. Over half of all boards have a policy about member giving. And I dare say that most give gladly. Some say, "give 'til it hurts." On a recent CBS Sunday Morning segment on giving, a United Way executive said "give 'til it feels good." Sure. But do give.
When leaders of the nonprofit, or public benefit organization, go calling on a prospective donor to ask for support all the askers must have made their gift first. Because donor prospects will frequently ask, "Did you make your gift yet? Great! Can you tell me how much? Should I match your gift?"
So herein lies another layer of meaning to "Charity begins at home."
The board is the hub of the organization. And as we build relationships with folks who occupy the "spokes" territory, and as we ask these friends to join us in financially supporting our mission and our cause, it's important that we the board are giving, too.

Sometimes You Gotta Tack to Stay the Course

A real challenge for executive directors and their nonprofit boards is to find the balance between rigidly sticking to business and chasing after "opportunities" advocated by a persistent advocate. Seeking the "flex zone" in between is part of the art of nonprofit success.
Yes, we have a strategic plan and an annual budget and work plan, but...should we remain resolute and stick to the plan no matter what?
Well, it depends.
When the right opportunity comes knocking, the nonprofit should be flexible enough to open the door, check it out, and decide if this is just a distraction or if it's something that can add value to our mission work.
A good sailor will tack her course when the wind shifts.
On the other hand, the nonprofit doesn't want to go chasing after every "opportunity" that comes its way.
It's this kind of thinking that separates the effective from the defective.
It brings to mind the "Generative Thinking" concept described by Chait, Ryan & Taylor in Governance as Leadership (Wiley, 2005), presented in Power Point at The Boston Foundation a few years ago http://bit.ly/c1rh38. Boards that take time to have conversations, drawing on change in their community as well as broader societal change, prepare themselves to make knowledge-based decisions and less prone to be distracted by the inconsequential.
In my work with boards of directors through It's The Results, LLC, the first objective usually is to get the board's work more focused. Focused on the mission. Focused on the customer. Focused on the market they're working in.
But. Once the board and the staff leadership team are in sharper focus, the value of "flexibility" needs to be applied. By applying the intelligence of the group to the work (board: strategic, staff: operational) and bringing in market forces that are at play and are worthy of consideration, leadership will know when to stay the course, when to tack to improve direction to the desired goal.
Of course there are no guarantees. The leaders may make mistakes. No. The leaders will make mistakes. The idea is not to make the same mistakes over and over again. Bring sound data and informed discussion to the table and the liklihood of success will improve. Markedly. And you can take that to the bank. Just be careful which bank.

Work It! Making Our Case In A Disaster Relief Environment

In recent weeks, I've been writing here about basic elements of fundraising: the annual appeal, follow-up to the appeal, and thanking donors. These are basics for nonprofit organizations building a revenue base. The base on which the donor pyramid is constructed.
Today, I want to write about the world outside your niche: the environment in which we live, work, recreate. Your nonprofit...your public benefit organization...is not an island unto itself. And the people who volunteer for you, donate to you, advocate for you likely have two to five other nonprofits they care ardently about. And, sometimes circumstance draws these supporters' attention to bigger picture issues: witness the January 19, 2010 5:00 PM 7.0 level earthquake that struck Haiti, causing devastating death and damage to Port au Prince, dislocating and maiming and "orphaning" millions.
There are many fine public benefit organizations that have been in Haiti doing God's work (will you allow me that reference?): World Vision, Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, Partners in Health, UNICEF. Lots of fine people doing hard work for the people of Haiti. And now hundreds of millions of dollars, including $25 million via texting to Red Cross at Michelle Obama's recommendation, have piled up as have millions of tons of supplies at the Port au Prince airport.
I read Katya Andersen's nonprofit marketing blog http://aCalDE and learned that the tidal wave of support is starting to slow down, as the data from Network For Good clearly shows. What we learn, too, in these horrendous natural disasters (like Hurricane Katrina) that Americans get in a giving frame of mind, and don't limit their support to the current crisis. Actually, natural disasters seem to stimulate the propensity to give to causes beyond the crisis-helpers.
Sometimes board members, seeing all this attention to disasters, come to the conclusion that the nonprofit with a mission unrelated to the disaster should tone down the appeal. Maybe forgo the event or appeal or campaign because of "donor fatigue." My experience tells me otherwise. And Terry Axelrod, founder of Benevon (www.benevon.com) has advised a nonprofit I was associated with back at the time of 9/11 that we should proceed with our fundraising campaigns and special events. I would classify 9/11 as an unnatural disaster. The destruction of the World Trade Center was a different situation, obviously, than Katrina or the Haiti quake. But what we learned was that in trying times, people look for a ray of hope...something to support in the community or in a broader arena that will do good. There is a need, a drive to bond with a group or organization that's delivering something of value to people.
So, all this is to say: Work It! Keep telling your story, communicate with your supporters including volunteers, donors, stakeholders so they know what you are doing to deliver hope. To do good.
Noah Cooper wrote recently in Connection Cafe (http://bit.ly/8TdF6v) how advocacy groups used their networks, including social media, to influence the Obama administration to give temporary protected status to Haitians, whose immigration status might be not kosher, a break. Mr. Cooper (Convio) cited that as an example of how public benefit organizations with a humanitarian mission can use social media to make a difference. Some will argue that helping illegals is bad policy. Perhaps they're right. But right now, sending thousands more people to Haiti who will need vs deliver services would make zero sense.
My message to you is, keep telling your story: ask for support of all kinds: donations, volunteers, advocates for your cause. Engage and channel the energy for public good. Even in their personal malaise, a significant pool of people are looking to do their part to make the world better. Help them connect with you. There is room in people's hearts and wallets for your mission, if you help them make the connection. Sitting in silence, riding out the current financial storm, won't get you where you need to go.

How Many Ways Do I Thank Thee? Let Me Count the Ways

Last time we met, I wrote about the art and craft of follow-up: things to keep in mind after a year-end appeal, following up with donors who "lapsed:" who did not give as yet to the fall-winter campaign.
Today, lets consider how we thank our donors. What's good protocol to follow to express our appreciation for financial support of our nonprofit organization's mission?
All donors should be thanked. I recommend that you use a post card for donors who contributed modest amounts via mail. If your budget allows, have an attractive card designed with some color and original art work that will get your donor's attention.
Donors in the $50+ or $100+ range should get a hand-written note. I recommend that the CEO sign these notes, which can be -pre-addressed if there are lots; hand-written is definitely preferred. Most folks, especially those in the baby-boomer cohort or older, appreciate the thought, the personal nature of such a note. Good thing to do.
Those who gave on line might receive an e-mail thank-you note. If you can, have something nicely designed so it's attention getting. Also, it should be sent from the CEO or a board leader, and not in a group mailing, but individual. You can do this in an economical (time) way by having all recipients appear in the "bcc" field.
Larger gifts ($100+, $250+, $1,000+ depending on how you define it at your organization) should receive a written note and a call. This can be a good way to engage your board of directors in the fundraising process. Some may be reluctant to ask. I hope they would not be reluctant to thank. A telephone thank-you at work during the day, at home in the evening can be very much appreciated. I hope you keep track in your database of the preference of your donors as to how they prefer to hear from you. Please do this in a manner consistent with your donor's wishes. This can be part of your relationship-building plan: a way to learn something about your donor. Whoever thanks the donor, should listen for cues: is someone sick at home? Are they indicating difficult financial times? Is the donor telling you something about why he or she loves and supports your mission? Are they leaving on vacation? Have a child coming home for college break? Listen for this information. It's not helpful to pry. It will be very helpful to you when you're working on a major gift campaign to know things about your donors should they volunteer it.
And don't be surprised if you're invited over for a visit. Friendliness invites friendliness. Your tone on the phone, your interest if personal information is offered are generally appreciated, particularly by older donors.
Do you have special techniques you use in thanking your donors? Please tell us. We all appreciate good ideas, things that can become best practice.
If I can be of service in planning, organizing your next fundraising effort, please let me know.
My company is It's The Results, LLC, based in Lynnfield, MA.
You can reach me via e-mail at s..99smith@gmail.com. Or by phone: 781-334-4915.
And I welcome new folks to follow on Twitter: @STEVENETWORK.
Facebook can be useful, cluttered with what appear to be stickers (are we back in elementary school?), but I haven't given up on it. How about you?
Steven P Smith, Principal, It's The Results, LLC

Follow-up: Best Fundraising Practice

I hope your 2010 is off to a good start.

Did your holiday season annual appeal do well? Was your 2009 campaign better than 2008? It's not to soon to start looking at the numbers, comparing your results for the past three years. Hopefully, your results are in a database and you can track particular donors, their response each year, and maybe even trends by age, sex other demographics. This is good information to have...and maybe you have someone on your staff who loves to analyze numbers who will look for trends and bring that information to the team to discuss and figure what the trend is telling you. Don't have such a geek on your team? Call me!
Database or no database, it's time to follow-up with non-responders. Count on the fact that some of your donors may have overlooked you back in November and December when they were swamped with appeals from every nonprofit in kingdom come. But please don't be discouraged! Following up on your year-end appeal is one of the best things you can do to generate additional income.
As you prepare this appeal to donors you haven't heard from, remember these tips:

• Remind them about your mission, and what your nonprofit is doing right now to serve the mission
• Thank them for their past support
• In a short paragraph, tell your donors about a recipient, or a member, or a subscriber to put a face on the value of your service

In your follow up, please do not make your nonprofit the focus. Shine the spotlight on your clients, the people who benefit from your purpose in life. Generally speaking, donors don't respond well to "help! we just had our worst deficit!!" nor to "we'll have to lay off staff". Even in bad times, donors hear this variety of message as "do I want to support a failing organization?"

So...get cracking on that follow up. And if you're ahead of the game and your appeal is already out the door, that's great! Please write a note below, telling us how you do your follow up and the return you get. We'd like to learn from your experience!

Thanks for your attention. If I can be of any help in advising you on your fundraising approach, I'm just an e-mail or phone call away!

Steve Smith, Principal, It's The Results, LLC. s.p.99smith@gmail.com. 781-334-4915.

All Aboard!

OK all you executive directors, board officers, volunteers who care and have a passion for the mission: It's 2010! Happy New Year! Have you made your New Year's resolutions? One of your resolutions should be: full steam ahead, we're bringing new energy to our board of directors.
Huh?
I think you know exactly what I mean. The board meetings have become dull. Or, they have become painful recitations about declining revenue and cutbacks in program service to our customers. (Do you prefer "clients"? Fine. You have my permission to call them "clients.")
You may be struggling to get a quorum to attend. And a reason for that may likely be that discussion is about the inconsequential, not the strategic.
Let's get some pep into the work of the board!
Here are some quick tips to keep in mind. Bring them to your next board meeting and have some open discussion (ixne on the Robers Rules for this):

• We have a job description for board members that's up-to-date and reflects where we want to go in the next three to five years
• Our strategic plan is updated, and our board agendas and discussion tie in to our articulated goals
• Our governance or nominating committee is tracking attendance and participation of our board, and has candidates-in-waiting to fill vacant slots when terms are over or non-producers rotate off
• Our senior staff and governance volunteers have learning opportunities for our board coordinated with our meeting schedule that brings us up-to-date on marketing and networking concepts that we can practice that expands the reach of our mission

If you're getting the kind of energetic and effective performance nonprofit organizations need to advance the mission, the board is in synergy with your work. That's great, and more power to you. Integrating activities that help ratchet performance up a notch or two is what the doctor ordered.

I welcome your comments: particularly, what you and your board are doing to get some energy in the tank to advance your mission.

You can follow my microblogs on Twitter @STEVENETWORK.

You can contact me to discuss how I can help you with a board development, strategic planning, or fundraising project. I'm good, and the price is right. s.p.99smith@gmail.com.

Check out my website www.itstheresults.com.