What I wish is that I had a nickel for every time I heard the phrase “we’re the best kept secret.”  I’m pretty sure I could retire on my own private island by now.  Ok, truth be told, I’ve probably said it a time or two in the past myself. But it irks me no less.

It’s not that the organization is or isn’t well known.  It’s that the statement really means “if more people knew about my organization then they’d give.” It sounds so simple. But . . .

. . . it simply is not true.

Just knowing about your organization won’t automatically generate more revenue or donors to your organization.  Over my many years of work within this environment, I’ve found just one thing to really impact the success and growth of an organization.

Hard work.

From time-to-time Billy Vaudry, DSA’s Vice President of Creative Services, and I commiserate about the number of organizations that are looking for the easy answer to every problem . . . especially when it comes to generating income. So many seem to believe that they deserve donations rather than working hard to earn donations through building effective relationships.

And it’s something that’s going to get more difficult in the coming years.  That’s because donors are changing.

As Boomers and GenXers and Millennials become donors they want to become closer to being the solution. They want to participate and they’re not content to give to organizations. Unfortunately over the last 15 years the trust level towards organizations has dropped dramatically and all too often it’s because a non-profit organization has done something to damage trust.

So what do I mean by hard work?

I mean the hard work of developing the right offers to the right audience that is delivered at the right time. Just introducing people to what you do won’t cut it.

How are you going to involve donors in changing lives? How well are you telling your story? Not the story of what you do but the story of people whose lives have been changed as a result of a donor’s generous giving.  And when you tell your story, you’ll need to do so in a way that connects with your current and prospective donors.

Now before you tell me to untie the bowtie and loosen the top button, let me tell you about a recent event I attended. A friend asked me to sit in on a fundraising presentation and provide some feedback on how to improve the results of their ministry.  Frankly, he used the magic phrase “we’re the best kept secret. . .”

I can’t say that the presentation was horrible but it was clear that the presentation wasn’t really meant for the audience.  It fit the needs of the person making the presentation and that was the biggest part of the problem. There was a lot of great information but didn’t really connect with the audience because they couldn’t really fathom the reality that was being communicated.

At the end the speaker couldn’t understand why his message wasn’t connecting more with the prospective donors.  The message he delivered was meant for and worked with a completely different audience. You know what? He’s not alone!

So many organizations believe if they just tell people more about what they do . . . how they do that work . . . or why they do their work . . . it will generate more income.  And I guess the other reason that this phrase irritates me is that information or news is far different from motivating someone to part with their hard-earned dollars.

It’s not about what you or I think should be.  It’s about what is. And the only people that can really tell you what is are your potential donors.  Why not ask them what they care about? If it matches what you can accomplish, then you might have a chance to motivate them to support your organization.  If not, you’ll have to move on.

It’s time to roll up your sleeves and polish up your offers. It’s time to tell your story in a way that engages the prospective donors’ interest in your efforts. It may not be easy but it’s well worth the effort.

“We’re unique. There’s no other organization like ours.”

Now I know what you’re thinking. “But we really are unique!” You know what? You’re absolutely right. Your organization is unique.  That’s why you exist as an organization.

It’s not really the uniqueness of your organization over which you and I may have a kerfuffle. It’s the unstated belief that underlies that statement. And here it is:

“Because we’re unique we don’t need to follow the standard principles of fundraising.”

Oh, it’s not really stated that boldly all the time but that’s what’s being implied. Frankly, I love new things . . . new ideas . . . breaking the rules. I’d like nothing better than for this to be true.

But it’s not.

Let me explain.  If you think about snowflakes (okay some of you may be thinking I’m a little flakey right now), each and every one is unique (or so they say). But if the temperature is over a certain amount, you don’t have snowflakes, you have rain.  And pretty much, every drop is the same.

Or perhaps you can think about it in a different way.  Each and every one of us is unique. No two of us are alike.  Not even twins or triplets or quadruplets or well, you get the point. I have a twin brother. We’re not identical, really, in any way.  I have a friend with identical twin sons. They look pretty much the same (though you can tell them apart) but their personalities are uniquely their own.

But . . .

Even though there’s no one like me in the world, I can’t decide to walk off the balcony here on the third floor of the DSA offices and hope to walk on air.  I’m going to drop three stories and likely break a leg if not worse.

No Wile E. Coyote legs spinning in the air to get back to the balcony. Just flat out drop to the ground. Why? It’s because I’m still subject to Newton’s law of gravity.  My uniqueness doesn’t allow me to break any of the principles that control life.

It’s the same for your organization. You are unique but all the principles of effective fundraising still apply to you.  That’s not to say that you have to apply those principles just like everyone else but the principles apply just the same. How you apply those principles can be unique to your organization.

So let’s get creative.

Isn’t that what so many people and companies have told you?  If you build a social media presence, your donors and friends will come. Unfortunately, it hasn’t worked out that way, has it?

Now don’t get me wrong.  I’m as big an advocate for social media as just about anyone.  I love the potential it has to build and strengthen engagement with your partners.  But it’s a lot more than just starting a Facebook page or opening a Twitter account. Frankly, too many organizations have missed the first rule for social media.

It’s being social!

You’d think it would be easy to do but so many organizations are using this medium to do nothing but broadcast the same messages they’re broadcasting in all the other channels.  More than anything else, this medium is designed to encourage social engagement.  It’s not just about telling people about who you are and what you do but inviting people into conversation with you.

I still hear a lot of my old friends in the industry talking about how social media is a waste of time.  And, if it’s used wrong, it can be.  However, some organizations are utilizing the medium to develop meaningful engagements with their customers and donors.  I’ve found myself connecting with people whose only previous connection has been through social media.

I was recently at a convention in Orlando when I tweeted for folks to stop by our booth to test their Social Media IQ.  This tweet was re-tweeted by another presenter at the conference.  I hadn’t met him before but I was following him.  I simply thanked him for his re-tweet and a conversation began and it’s an ongoing conversation.  I also invited him to stop by the booth and take the IQ test himself.

I told him that I would be the one in the bow tie.  To which he responded that HE would be the one in the bow tie.  Yes, you guessed it. I found a fellow bow tie aficionado.

You have to know that I’ve been following what he’s been saying for some time.  It’s not just that his name is Marc or that he wears a bow tie. It’s that he understands the role of engagement with donors and friends. We ended up meeting at one of the events.

A Remark(c)able Couple of Guys

And Marc isn’t the only one I’ve begun to develop relationships with utilizing social media.  Sadly, there are too many organizations that are doing nothing to engage me in conversation.  Nor are they trying to engage their supporters in conversation.  Their communication is nothing more than meaningless blather.  On Twitter, they’re spamming me 140 characters at a time.

If you want to be heard above the noise that surrounds social media, take a few minutes and listen! You might be surprised by what you learn – and how you begin to build relationships with your partners and friends.

In the nonprofit world we call this stewardship or perhaps donor relations — but customer service, personalization, and stewardship are beginning to blend together into the basic concept of providing the best possible donor experience possible.

Organizations realize that to build long-termloyalty and increase retention, the organization must provide exceptional,personalized customer service that speaks to the consumer’s heart and mind in a compelling way.

So . . . put the PERSON back in personalized

How do you do this?  Here are some tried-and-true ideas to get you jump started.

Handwritten notes: Write true handwritten notes from the Executive Director to specific donors.  Include personal details about the donor and well wishes directed to the individual donor.  Make it as heartfelt and genuine as possible.

Pray for your donors: Genuinely pray for your donors on a regular basis; ask for prayer requests and, in turn, ask them to pray for you.

Return complaint phone calls: Even though you really don’t want to, you need to return negative calls and apologize as needed.  More importantly, invite the donor to increase their engagement — not just their giving but their personal engagement with your organization. Invite them on a personal tour or to a reception or another gathering.  This will not only disarm them, it will go far in drawing the donor into a deeper relationship with you and help make them feel heard and appreciated.

Make personal phone calls: Forget email or snail-mail — call the donor on the phone.  There is nothing like one-on-one personal interaction.  This is how true relationships are built and strengthened.  Email and other means of communicating simply will never do what a personal face-to-face visit or a personal phone call will accomplish.  Even if you can’t reach them on the phone, a heartfelt voice message can have the same impact.

Personally deliver a donation receipt letter: Wow, how powerful could this be?  Stopping by a donor’s office or residence to personally hand them their receipt and give them a thank-you in person.  This clearly isn’t something you can do with every donor but I am certain you may know of specific donors with whom this might work well.

Use social media: Social media can be impersonal for sure, but look for ways to personalize it.  For instance, if someone tweets or posts a comment on your blog, you should respond to them through the same medium.  This lets the person know that you are listening to them and willing to engage in a one-on-one conversation.  It’s simple and seems fleeting, but it can be just as powerful as any other connection with a
constituent.

You’ll have many other ways to add the genuine, personal touch.  Just remember
– whenever and wherever possible, be personally connected to those who have shown an interest in your organization.  This can help differentiate your nonprofit from your peers and help build loyalty and increase retention — both of which will have a positive impact to your bottom-line.

Today people are much more savvy and tuned into “techniques” and shallow or insincere communication.  They just are.  Consequently we must avoid tactics that are overly formulaic, insincere, and contrived.

The objective of personalization needs to move away from solely incorporating basic tactical solutions that make communication seem personalized to actually being personalized.

Study after study and test after test have proved that personalization, such as using the donor’s name, always performs better than non-personalized communications.  The data are irrefutable and widely available.

Ah, personalization!  The direct response fundraising tactic that warms every donor’s heart, boosts response, and makes every appeal seem to the donor as though you are their best friend.
Right?  Perhaps — but it’s not so simple.

In this day and age,personalization must strive to be just that — personalized.

As much as possible, based on production capabilities, data availability, and cost constraints, you need to personalize the salutation versus simply using the “Dear Friend” generic approach.

You also need to be saying to the donor “I know how to spell your name . . . I know when you gave your last gift . . . I know your birthday . . . I know how much your last gift was . . . etc.” 

Once you have these basics ingrained into your head and that of each of your staff, you have the underpinning of a successful fundraising appeal.

The next step is to personalize ANY and EVERY communication to a donor — over the phone, through the mail, and through digital basics.

Personalization is basic and must, as much as possible, become routine.

Personalization: the baseline for your communication strategy.  Why so basic?

Think about it.  When you answer a call or place a call to a family member, friend, or colleague you never say, “Hello Friend, how are you today?”  No, you warmly greet the person
by their first name or Mr./Ms./Mrs. as appropriate.  Period. End of story.

Today people are much more savvy and tuned into “techniques” and shallow or insincere communication.  They just are.  So when you use their names, avoid tactics that are overly formulaic, insincere, and contrived.

Perhaps it’s the younger generation, perhaps it the economy, perhaps expectations have simply risen over the years.  Whatever the reason — donors want to be treated like human beings . . . like a person. And not just as a person, but as someone who is respected and spoken to with an authenticity based in genuine sincerity.

Phony or insincere approaches can be sniffed out from a mile away and when uncovered will hurt not just your reputation but your fundraising efforts. 

Exceptional customer service. Isn’t this what we are talking about after all?

To be continued…

All kidding aside.  What is it that helps people change their minds or beliefs? I don’t think it’s giving them more facts.  Facts are important but the reality is we don’t make decisions based on facts alone.  I think that’s one of the reasons why our political system is the way that it is.  Polarized.  The same facts are filtered by belief to come to the “right” conclusion.  Unfortunately in our polarized world depending on where we start we’ll end up in different places with the same facts.

It’s our story that influences how we understand the facts.

What has made some of the best known politicians so great is their ability to give the public a new story.  Roosevelt and Churchill in World War II, Kennedy in the early 1960s and Ronald Reagan in the 1980s.  All had the power to give you a new story with which to put the facts of life around you.

Have you ever sat around the campfire telling stories? They’re both entertaining and relationship building, aren’t they?

That’s what we’re called to do in our communication with donors.  Stories don’t just entertain; they allow people to make decisions . . . to change their position without losing face.  Jesus understood that better than anyone else.  His stories – parables – have had a  powerful impact on how people live their lives for more than 2000 years.

He used story to convey the messages he wanted to change people’s lives. Imagine just telling the facts or the point.  In his parable about the pearl of great price, Jesus could have just relayed the facts. The Kingdom of Heaven is valuable.  Does that really have the same impact as: “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. ⁴⁶ When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” (Matthew 13:45-46)

The story brings humanity to the facts. In Annette Simmons’ book “Whoever Tells the Best Story Wins” she writes: “The missing ingredient in most failed communication is humanity.  This is an easy fix. In order to blend humanity into every communication you send all you have to do is tell more stories and bingo-you just showed up.”

She also writes: “stories interpret raw facts and proofs to create reality. Change the story and you change the meaning of the facts. “Man stabs son” could be interpreted as a murder or a life-saving emergency tracheotomy, depending on the story that you tell. To understand the power stories wield is both an incredible opportunity and awesome responsibility.”

Are stories really that powerful?  They are to me – and they are to your donors.  I still remember a luncheon speech by Joseph Sugarman(famous direct response marketer) from nearly 30 years ago.  What made it memorable?  He relayed his information and principles by telling stories of his successes and of some of his memorable failures.

Some of the very best appeals that I’ve ever had the privilege to help produce did the same thing.  They relayed the information needed to create a compelling offer wrapped in a powerful story.  When it’s done well, every aspect of our humanity is involved.

So, what’s your story?

Have you crafted it yet?  Does it read like Sgt. Joe Friday with “just the facts” or is it fully complete so that as the donor reads your communication they can see in their mind’s eye exactly what’s happening in Technocolor®?

I hope you’ll take a few minutes and think about your story now.  What about it works and what about it can be shored up? In fact, take a few minutes and write it down for me.  I’d love to hear your story and the story of the organizations you have the privilege with which to serve.  Perhaps we could spend a few minutes around the campfire telling stories and being encouraged by the great work that your organization is doing.

(By the way, if you’ve figured out how to get through to a teenager, would you let me know?  Please.)

 That’s the response I often get when I suggest an organization communicate more frequently with their donors.  This is at a time when many organizations are looking for ways to cut down on their mail frequency to donors and prospects. 

 So why do I suggest that you consider mailing more frequently?  It’s because over the last 30 plus years in this business I’ve learned a dirty little secret that most people don’t want you to know.

 Here it is:  people like . . . no . . . they love mail.

 They just don’t want you to know it.  Take a few moments some time and watch people go to the mailbox and open it and find no mail in it.  There’s a slump in their shoulders . . . their walk back to the house is a little slower.  They may even look around to see if anyone saw that they had no mail. 

 Why is that?

 People like mail . . . if only sometimes to complain about it.  And it’s not just older people like me.  It’s young people, too.  Check out a college or university post office sometime.  Watch the students walk up to their mail box and peer in before they even attempt to open the box.  If there’s no mail in it, they quickly turn and walk away as if they were never there. 

 Let me ask you this: if you received a letter from your best friend every month, would that be too much?  What about some photos or a “thinking of you” card every couple of weeks?  Is that too much?

 If you’re like most people the answer is a resounding “NO!” 

 It’s not so much the frequency of mail people don’t like as much as it’s the irrelevance of it.  It’s only “junk” if they don’t want it.  And what donors don’t want is more letters that tell people how you do what you do and why people should give to you. 

 Worse yet are the letters that don’t speak to donors at all.  Your donors aren’t some stranger down the street you don’t know, they’re your friends.  So why don’t you talk to them in the same way you’d talk with your friends.  They want to know what’s going on with the organization especially if your communication is donor focused. 

 That’s because when you’re telling them the stories of people whose lives have been changed as a result of their giving, it’s about them not you. 

 At the end of the day, the more you communicate with your donors the more impact you’ll have in their lives and the lives of those they’re trying to help.  In the 4^th Chapter of his letter, James writes that “You do not have because you do not ask God.  And when you ask you do not receive because you ask with wrong motives.”  This applies to donors, too. 

 According to the Apostle Paul, the winner in every gift transaction is the giver.  In Philippians Chapter 4 Verse 17 Paul writes: “Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account.”  Putting it that way, you’re only helping people to receive the blessings of their own giving.

5. Include short copy and graphics to reinforce the reason why the donor is making this gift.  Copy should recap the need and the impact that will be generated by the donor’s gift.  A photo to reinforce the message is also a valuable component.  Ideally, the copy should be donation specific, that is, it should be related to the need and the life-changing impact and giving intent that motivated the person to click to make the donation rather than a general benefit associated with your overall ministry. 

6.  Limit non-essential copy.  Many organizations try to use donation forms to collect information about what brought the donor to the site, why they are giving, and other information.  While this information can be helpful in marketing communications and fundraising planning, the donation form is not the place to collect this information.  Some research indicates that over 75% of web visitors abandon forms because the task is viewed as too daunting.  We would suggest collecting this information using a follow up email survey to keep your donation forms simple and straightforward.  Understand the right balance — provide enough copy to engage web visitors and not so much that it distracts them.  If you choose to include this information on the forms, be sure to test its impact on click through and form completion.

7. Use appropriate ask arrays.  Your online ask arrays need to accommodate a broad range of donors based on their giving potential.  Your ask arrays need to address the donor giving a $25 gift as well as those giving $250, $500, and larger gifts.  Every ask array should include an “other/fill in the blank” amount.  The lower value gift options not only apply to small single gift contributions, they also serve as monthly gift levels. 

8. Include “seals of approval” as part of the donation form.  These seals reinforce that your organization is trustworthy and worthy of the donor’s support.  At DSA, we typically design client pages to include them in the footer of the donation form as well as the general page footer. 

9.  Include options to donate by phone or mail.  While I have not tested this for some time, providing donation page visitors with a phone number to make a donation and the option to print a form to mail in a check increased overall donations.  You will be able to track the impact of including these options by using an 800 number that is unique to your website and including a code on the printable donation form that links the gift to a specific web giving opportunity.  While web giving might still be low for your organization, understand that nearly all first-time web visitors will vet your organization online prior to giving.

10.  Include email opt-in option.  Donation forms can be a significant source of email acquisition.  It is important to include an email opt-in option as part of the form.  At DSA, we understand this is a great spot to build an online relationship with web visitors.  We provide them the option to communicate with us online through a check box that states: Yes, I would like to receive email updates from YOUR ORGANIZATION.

11.  Thank-you pages and auto-responders.  The messages in the thank-you page and auto-responder should reiterate and reinforce the reason that the donor made the gift and the impact that the donor’s gift will have.  The thank-you messages are critical to building the donor relationship and engaging the donor to continue to give.  Generic thank-you communications miss the opportunity to connect with the donor based on his or specific interest and can potentially raise questions if the gift is going to be used as intended.

12.  Measure and test results of your donation forms.  Anayltics is vital to understanding how your donors interact with your donation forms, so it’s vital to evaluate their performance.  Beyond donation amounts, there are a number of results that need to be measured.  One of the most simplistic factors to measure is click-through and completion measures, but each organization has different metrics that must be considered.  The goal is to maximize revenue from interested web visitors. 

Develop your plan

You can improve your site’s donation form performance based on these factors.  So grab a cup of coffee, a pad of paper and take some time to evaluate your donation forms and develop a plan that will lead to increased donation form completion, new monthly donors, and increased revenue.

Donors fail to complete donation forms for a wide range of reasons.  For example, donors abandon forms when there are “too many” clicks to complete the form.  For some, too many clicks could be as few as two where as others who are committed and motivated may persist through three and four clicks.  Others fail to complete forms over security concerns.  Some fail to complete forms because they use a navigation link to move away from the donation form and get absorbed in other content and don’t return to the donation form.

You can increase donation form completion rates and revenue through the simple design changes described below.  The donation form for The Bowery Mission demonstrates a number of the principles discussed in this article. 

1. Limit navigation options on donation pages.  Getting a web visitor to a donation form is difficult work, so keeping them there is paramount.  One practice that’s important to consider is limiting the number of navigational opportunities to click off the form.  While the primary navigation bar on The Bowery Mission website includes 10 options, all of the navigation options were removed from the core donation forms.  Once on the donation form, the donor is able to focus on the task at hand — making the donation.  It is important to note that there are forms, such as donor acquisition programs, when limited navigation related to “About Us” and financial accountability are warranted.  Understand how and why a user clicked on your form and that will help you decide what navigation options are essential to maximizing conversion.

2. Create simple donation forms that require one click to complete.  Web visitors crave simplicity, and each click required to complete a step increases opportunities for the donor to give up and abandon a form.  As illustrated in The Bowery Mission, we were able to develop a form with donation, credit card, single and recurring gift options, personal information, and in honor/memory gift designations all included in one form.  The donor can simply and quickly scroll down the page, completing all of the necessary information. 

3.  Reinforce that donations are secure.  Internet security and the security of online financial transactions continue to be a concern, particularly with older donors.  You can easily communicate to a donor that her donations are secure by including a security logo on the donation form.  The Bowery Mission form was designed so that the security logo is visible above and below the fold. 

4. Include a recurring giving option.  If you are raising money for a cause or project where monthly recurring giving is relevant, include a recurring gift option as part of the donation form.  A check box option with a simple invitation like, “Can you make this gift monthly?  Your gift every month will help more people,” will generate significant levels of monthly giving.  In one organization where I implemented this strategy, monthly giving grew to 20% of total online giving.  Again, simplicity is key — make it an easy process with a compelling ask.

 I’ve just completed Dr. Henry Cloud’s Integrity:  The Courage to Meet the Demands of Reality (Harper, 2006).  I don’t think we’ll find a better book to represent DSA’s value of “honesty, integrity, and respect in all our dealings with clients and coworkers”. 

 Dr. Cloud’s thesis is that character, more than any other factor in a person’s life, influences their ability to succeed in business.  “Who a person is,” he states, “will ultimately determine if their brains, talents, competencies, energy, effort, deal-making abilities, and opportunities will succeed” (p. 8).   And while we all demonstrate various shortcomings in our character that can lead to difficulties in the workplace, we all have the potential to change and grow and thereby improve our performance.

 Early on in the book, Dr. Cloud introduces the concept of a “wake”.  “You can tell a lot about a ship as you look at its wake.  If it is in a straight line, you get a feeling that the boat is steadily on course, and that the captain is not dozing at the wheel, or that an engine or shaft is not somehow out of whack.  But if it is wavering, you begin to wonder.  Also, if it is smooth and flat, you know something about the speed of the boat, and if it is steep, you can tell something about its drag.  In other words, what the wake looks like can tell you a lot about the boat itself” (p. 16).  

 He continues.  “With people, the same thing is true.  As a person goes through a company… he or she leaves a wake behind as well.  And just as with a boat, there are always two sides to the wake that a leader or someone else leaves when moving through our lives or the life of an organization.  The two sides of the wake are:  1.  The task, and 2. The relationships.  When a person travels through a few years with an organization… he leaves a “wake” behind in these two areas, task and relationship:  What did he accomplish and how did he deal with people?  And we can tell a lot about that person from the nature of the wake” (pp. 16-17). 

 Finally, Dr. Cloud concludes that “When we look at [] the wake, we are really looking at ourselves and learning something about our character in the same way that the wake of a ship tells us a lot about the ship.  At the end of the day, we must look back and see if the wake of our work is profitable or not – [both in terms of task accomplishments and interpersonal relationships].  If it isn’t, it is time to ask ourselves some hard questions.  The wake is the results we leave behind.  And the wake doesn’t lie and it doesn’t care about excuses.  It is what it is.  No matter what we try to do to explain why, or to justify what the wake is, it still remains.  It is what we leave behind and is our record” (p. 17).

 Before going any further this year, I’ve been challenged to stop and ask myself the question:  HOW’s YOUR WAKE?  I’d encourage you to do the same.  According to Dr. Cloud, our “success” in the workplace, and in life overall, is critically dependent on what we discover and do about our wake…