Blueprint Fundraising

Are fundraisers outside the circle of trust?

Watched a movie this weekend… Meet the Fockers. After being an idiot, Ben Stiller found himself outside the “Circle of Trust” of his fiancée’s family.

That’s where fundraising professionals are increasingly finding themselves when it comes to donors. Annoying fundraising techniques, aggressive soliciting and a great resistance to designated giving mean that donors don’t trust fundraising professionals (or the nonprofits they represent) the way they used to.

I had lunch the other day with someone who works at one of the big banks. They are in the business of helping clients make philanthropic plans and determine who to give to and through what means (of course one way is through the bank’s own foundation). The recent Canada Revenue Agency extension of tax savings for gifts of stock to private foundations is going to encourage giving in ways that can easily leave nonprofit organizations out of the relationship, except as the recipient of the cheque.

It is a tough trend for fundraisers and nonprofit managers who want to build personal and direct connections with donors and prospects. It is increasingly difficult to be part of your donors’ lives if all you do is follow old fundraising formulas.

Secrets of a winning employee campaign

AFP Vancouver has launched a new feature on their site — member stories. The first one is by Wanda Dekleva and provides an inside look at how Simon Fraser University increased the success of their employee giving campaign (especially helpful: matching gift commitment from the president and several influential internal champions). This photo is from an employee campaign event.

On a related note, SFU has a new brand. I’m always interested in re-branding efforts. SFU seems to have modernized its look and added a new tagline “Thinking of the World.” Thank goodness they ditched the school coat of arms!

Four questions to ask, and a tea cozy to wear, when a prospect says “no”

Last night I facilitated a solicitation workshop for a client. Tips were shared, roles were played and there was lots of discussion about how to make a good case for the organization.

One of the crucial elements of preparing for an ask is to consider what you will say if the donor says no. You can’t just slink out of the room. It’s time for a little courage and more conversation.

Jerold Panas suggests that you ask four questions. They will give you clarity on why your prospect has said no and might even lead you to a yes in some other form.

You can read the full article here via Guidestar. In summary, you should ask the prospect:

1. Does something about the organization bother you?
2. Is this project not of interest to you?
3. Did I ask for too much?
4. Is the timing wrong for you?

The answers will help you understand whether there is potential for giving in spite of the “no.”

Wondering what this is in the picture?? It’s the HideAway, a human tea cozy, suitable for those times when your asks don’t go as planned.

The Slate 60 and America’s 100 Stingiest

Slate magazine publishes the annual Slate 60 — charting the largest donations made in the US each year. In 2006 you needed to pledge at least $30M to even make the list. For the first time in a decade of tracking uber-gifts, they have split out pledges from donations made. A wise distinction, considering the number of high profile pledges that have been revoked in the last few years.

As part of their philanthropy coverage, they have some ideas on how to make philanthropy part of the American success story:

• Stop using terms like “charity” and “gift” that bring to mind handouts and cheque-writing. Words such as nonprofit, investment and problem-solving are more accurate and inspiring.
• Supplement the public-adulation carrot with the peer-pressure stick. Cross reference a Slate 400 with the Forbes 400 to create a new list: America’s 100 Stingiest (those who are worth more than $1 billion who contribute the smallest percentage of their net worth each year). Update this list in real time, online, and post it everywhere that the billionaires’ friends, colleagues, and neighbors will see it every day.
• Re-brand the “estate tax” as the “un-American activities tax,” the “Scrooge tax,” or the “keeping America great by motivating your lazy-ass kids tax.”

Check out the article for the rest of their ideas.

The “59 smartest nonprofits online” and their ferrets

If you need some inspiration on how to develop meaningful online relationships with supporters, check out this (very un-scientifically chosen) list of the 59 smartest nonprofits online.

According to the authors: “These charities were chosen for their excellence in online storytelling and collaboration with their donors. We didn’t play favorites to one cause over another, nor did we look at their fundraising goals or number of members. Instead, these organizations are winners because of their web 2.0 smarts and a willingness to engage their constituents far beyond asking them to dig into their pockets. These are organizations that give their volunteers and members a voice and get out of the way. They’re pros at mobilizing awareness online. They’re experimentors. Innovators. On a mission. They’re fearless.”

I’ve been poking around the sites and there is so much amazing stuff going on! It makes sense that some of the biggest international advocacy organizations are on the list — online is how they mobilize support now. Smaller and more local organizations need to do it too. But how did the Ferrets Unlimited Ferret Shelter of Ohio make it on the list?? They look like a wonderful group… perhaps I need to spend more time on their site.

“Goda Playin” photo courtesy of G0Da on Flickr.

Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology

As part of the Nonprofit Blog Exchange Virtual Event, I’m exploring Michelle Murrain’s blog Zen and the art of Nonprofit Technology. It’s not for technophobes and makes me think how little the organizations I work are truly engaged in new technology and all the opportunities it can bring.

I especially like her rant about the lack of solutions for nonprofits who need to manage data for more uses than just fundraising. There are lots of donor databases out there but many organizations have to run parallel databases and applications for other types of constituents and forms of engagement — causing headaches and duplication.

On the topic of choosing a donor database, NPower has a new resource — Getting the Most from Your Decision: Four Steps to Selecting Donor Management Software. There are a few tables toward the end which rate common software packages on budget, ease of use, customization and features.

Vancouver CFRE support workshop

AFP Vancouver is offering help for those seeking their CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive) credential this year. A 1.5 hour workshop will help applicants understand the process and find out how to prepare for the exam. The workshop will be offered before each of the four 2007 exam windows. It’s open to both members and non-members. Contact AFP Vancouver for the details.

Here are the important dates for 2007:

• Apply by January 10 for the March 9 – 31 exam window
• Apply by April 9 for the June 8 – 30 exam window
• Apply by June 24 for the Aug 24 – Sep 15 window
• Apply by October 8 for the Oct 26 – Nov 17 window

Starting the year with… SPAM

As I sent out various holiday messages at the end of 2006, I found emails to friends getting bounced back by zealous spam filters. Clever filters are making it more difficult to get legitimate messages out to groups of recipients — a hassle for fundraisers who want to keep in touch with donors and prospects via email.

You aren’t sending spam are you? Of course not. Neither am I. So here’s a nice list of tips for helping your emails make it through, via Guidestar. Some of the most common items that receive points from spam filters are:

• Images accompanied by little or no text
• Very long list of recipients
• Large or very long messages exceeding a recipient’s limit
• Attachments
• Colored backgrounds
• Large fonts
• Colored fonts
• Messages created with Microsoft FrontPage
• Punctuation in the subject line
• Words in ALL CAPS in the subject line
• Trigger words or phrases in the body or subject line, such as “click,” “free,” “guarantee,” “limited-time offer,” “urgent matter”

Your position on the Global Rich List

Christmas is a good time to count blessings and try to keep the pointless gluttonous consumption to a minimum.

Here’s some help putting it in perspective: the Global Rich List, where you key in your income and discover how you compare to the rest of the planet. It’s the perfect inspiration for extra holiday giving.

The site is by POKE and allows people to donate to CARE at the moment.

What I meant to say was…

Over the last two weeks I’ve facilitated a few workshops where I mentioned various current events and then couldn’t remember the names of donors, institutions, and research studies to properly attribute what I was saying. Brain freeze!

So, for anyone reading who attended the Volunteer Vancouver fundraising planning workshop or either of the BCIT “Essentials of Fundraising” classes, here’s some of what I couldn’t remember as I rambled on…

• I mentioned research showing that people find it easier to give money that to give time (for volunteering, coming to events etc.). The research was conducted by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. You can read about that here.
• We talked about the ethical considerations of donors not fulfilling their pledges. The biggest story of late is that of Larry Ellison of Oracle, who pledged $115M to Harvard for a new medical institution, made it to #3 on the Forbes list of America’s biggest philanthropists, and now seems to have no intention of making good.
• We also talked about charities suing donors or their estates for unpaid pledges. You can read AFP’s take on this thorny predicament.
• The breakdown of revenue was from Cornerstones of Community: Highlights from the National Survey of Nonprofit and Voluntary Organizations (2003). Check out page 27, where you will see that 49% of revenue for Canadian nonprofits comes from government sources.