Major Donors this afternoon?

I got told off by a fellow resident in my office last week because we made lots of noise. By me I mean me and some clients who were in the office. But there was a reason, and I reckon it was a bloody good one!

We had just participated in a session that Sean had delivered. It was entitled, Major Donors Next Week. And you guessed it, the focus was to attract some big gifts within a week.

The philosophy behind this approach is simple (says me who isn’t doing the asking!). Those clients who are brave enough to undertake this session with us, meet with major donors (or major donor prospects) within the next few days AND ARE PREPARED TO ASK, succeed. Those who don’t have less success.

Anyway why did I get told off?

Well, at approximately 4.55pm we struck gold. One of our clients who had participated in the training just solicited a $10k credit card donation over the phone. Amidst the excitement of this there were shrieks of joy, high fives and slaps on the back. Which was fun for us, but not so for the lady in the office next door. Oops!

The point is: the donation resulted because our client did something. They spoke to this particular donor with the intention of setting up an appointment. As it turned out he wasn’t fussed on meeting but he decided he would like to make a gift there and then. And just to play along with the script even more, he gave ten times the amount of his previous gift (coincidentally the amount he was going to be asked for in a face to face appointment)!

So, the question is, do we now rename the training Major Donors this afternoon? I don’t really mind, as long as I don’t get yelled at again!

It's not you, its me

If you’re like me, nothing drives you madder than someone you meet spending every breathing moment talking about their favourite subject: them. Their favorite type of curry, their views on what’s right and wrong with the world and even their two bob’s worth on Cristiano Ronaldo’s possible transfer.

We’ve all been there as we try desperately to excuse ourselves to visit the bathroom in the midst of them gabbling about their son’s upcoming football match. Actually, if we are really honest we have probably been guilty of this ourselves.

So if we get that, why do so many charity communications talk about us, the organization, rather than you the donor? And more importantly, those we are helping, the beneficiaries.

I’ve spent a lot of time over the past six years analyzing how charities respond to unsolicited approaches from donors through a series of mystery shopping projects, where armed with real bank details we attempt to do a number of things including make real donations.

And I’m often astounded at the level and breadth of those communications which focus on the bricks and mortar of the charities we try to support rather on the impact our donations will have.

Consider these two pieces of contrasting copy within charity materials.

We at the are celebrating our 75th anniversary this year and we hope you will come on board us as we celebrate this momentous occasion in our history.

Versus…

I would hope that you can join me in the fight against childhood cancer and to help little boys just like Tommy.

The first is entirely organizationally focused, insular and cares more about birthday cakes and party streamers rather than changing lives. In fact changing lives or the cause for which they exist is not clear from this sentence.

Contrast that with the second piece of copy. Personal (using language such as ‘I’ and ‘you’), uses empowering language and talks about human impact, using a real case study.

Time and time again, through critiquing hundreds upon thousands of charity communications I constantly feel let down and frustrated. I (as a donor) don’t want to know, nor do I care about anniversaries and parties. I want to know about someone like little Tommy and how I can help make a difference to his life.

So whether you’re sitting in Vauxhall or Vancouver, spend ten minutes looking at every communication that leaves your building. You may just be a little surprised at what you find.

Shopping in Canada: 'mystery shopping' that is..

No, I haven’t been spending all my time at H&M or wandering down trendy Queen St West. I refer to the recent mystery shopping exercise we have just completed here in Canada.

Over the past three months we mystery shopped 39 Canadian charities using 3 specific scenarios (an attempt to set up a monthly gift, an enquiry about leaving a legacy and a complaint). This follows 3 years worth of similar activity we have undertaken in Australia, NZ and Hong Kong.

The findings will be released shortly at Pareto Fundraising's next Masterclass in Toronto and during a session at the AFP Congress in Toronto (don’t worry we won’t be ‘naming and shaming’ poor performing charities). The focus of these sessions will be partly to look at how we as a sector ‘stack up’ including comparisons with similar studies in other parts of the world, but mainly focused on real and tangible ways to improve the levels of care you provide to your donors, immediately. And let’s face it, with everyone banging on about tough economic times, focusing on those you have, rather than those you don’t, is where your energies are going to be spent.

We’re in the midst of analyzing the results at the moment, but here are some teaser’s to get you by:

· In less than 20% of occasions did the charities mystery shopped actively promote monthly giving as a means for the donor to give (yet all of these charities have active monthly giving programs)
· We (the ‘donor’) were genuinely thanked for our offer to support in around 70% of cases. Which means the Canadian’s are doing better than the Aussies and the Brits, but the question remains, why isn’t this 100%?

Some of this, and more to follow, is pretty frightening (like the proportion of gifts that were never actually set up). But with the glass full, I’m positive that the charities mystery shopped will embrace the need to make change and look to others who are doing well.

Jonathon

Sole fundraisers flying the flag..

I meet some incredibly brilliant and inspiring people in my job. Actually sometimes I feel too fortunate to call it a 'job', but I digress...

More often than not these dynamic and great people are working as 'sole fundraisers' for various organizations.

I sometimes wonder what their job description says because I am sure that besides the obvious fundraising duties it must include everything from being able to deliver miracles from nothing, be expected to win wars that can't be won and all the time remembering that they are there to changes lives.

They really are the 'jack of all trades'.

But I would love to see more fundraisers from small/single 'shops' out and about, beating their chest, sharing what they have to offer with the rest of the sector.

You don't have to work for a large national or multinational nonprofit to be a leader, to have the runs on the board.

That's right, I'm calling on you wonderful people to stand up and be proud of what you do. Show off your brilliant fundraising efforts on websites such as SOFII, put your hand up to speak at industry conferences such as AFP's Congress and just generally 'get amongst it'.

Ok, I should finish now, I'm starting to rant using Aussie 'slang'...

Jonathon