5 THINGS THAT MAKE FUNDRAISING SUCCESSFUL Or why technology will never be a successful fundraise
Author Robert Musil wrote that the individual, “wants to be led, to take a lead from someone, to be brought together with others, included and enveloped.” I read that and thought: Fundraising! That is exactly what it is all about.
Over the past several months, I’ve gotten calls asking me if I can help an organization with using AI to fundraise for them. Nope. I can’t. AI—any technology—is a tool that might help to make your job a little easier (though beware; sometimes it actually puts more work on you!), but it will never help you to bring donors into your organization, include them and envelope them with your cause.
A carefully crafted (or AI-crafted!) email will never take the place of building a relationship. That takes thought, a plan, a way to embrace those who care about what you do.
While you can’t, of course, have a personal interaction with everyone who supports or might support you, you can make your messaging more personal.
Start by segmenting. Break your list into groups-whether by size of last gift, number of years giving, lapsed donors…whatever. And write an appeal that fits who they are. For example, don’t thank a persona who has never given for their past support, but do thank those who have supported you in the past. And tell them what their generosity has done.
Continue segmenting throughout the year. Nothing makes me feel less seen and cared about than getting incessant emails from an organization I just gave to asking me to make a gift. I did that. Show me that you know that I did that.
Consider how, throughout the year you will reach out to again tell me how much my support meant. It’s a good way to make me feel part of what you do. And while each outreach doesn’t have to contain a specific ask, it should provide me with ways to make additional gifts.
Tell stories. You’ve heard this before, but a true story (even if you hide the particulars that would allow someone to be identified) that shows how my support changed things for the better, is crucial. Real quotes, not always prettied up, will make me feel part of what you do.
When you ask me again next year, make sure you ask me to increase what I’ve been doing. You don’t do that by asking for a % increase, or simply tell me that more would be better. You do that by showing me what the increase could do. “Last year, your $X gift allowed us to serve Y people in need. A gift his year of $X+ will allow to enhance what we can provide.”
And mostly, consider how to pull me inside. I will feel more a part of your organization if I know who is part of your organization: introduce me to staff, to board members, to clients and their families. This is where your newsletter can truly make a difference and make your supporters feel that they are, indeed, “…brought together with others, included and enveloped.”