'Tis the season —soon — when our mailboxes - both physical and electronic - fill with letters and updates from causes and organizations. All include a donation envelope or a "Donate Now!" option. And some of them are our own, sent out by the nonprofits we lead, and perhaps we even signed them ourselves.
Yet, because our humble missive might be mixed up with so many others, we might wonder if it was worth it. Can we really be heard over the noise of so many others?
Don't lose heart! There are many ways to increase the impact of our year-end mailings.
(And for those of you who, for whatever reason, might have missed the year-end mailing this year, I say to you, too: don't lose heart. I provide some suggestions below to turn this into a positive.)
First and foremost, it's important to be one of the voices in the mailbox mix. At least we have a chance of being heard. If we sent out nothing, we would have no chance.
We of course hope the yield - the number of responses or their amounts -- meets and even exceeds our expectations.
But if our yields achieve more modest successes, or even fall way below what we had planned, we don't have to wallow in disappointment.
Here are 3 steps to gain extra mileage from your year-end solicitations.
(For those of you who may not have sent out something at year-end, each of these steps can be applied to your current donor list, based on each donor's giving history.)
1. Categorize the year-end responses (or your donor data) into 4 groups: new donors this year; donors who increased their support; donors who renewed at the same level; and, previous donors who did not respond.
2. Make an effort in 2014 to reach out to the donors in each of these groups. First, of course, thank them for all the support they've shown. Inform them of how vital their support is to your organization's success. And engage them in helping you further. Try to find out:
What happened with the previous donors who did not respond?
What motivated the new or increasing donors?
Would those who renewed at the same level as in the past ever consider increasing their donations? This is not to be framed as an immediate request. It's simply an attempt to gain information. At the same time, it never hurts to put out the idea of increasing support.
3. Above all, get your hands dirty. There's a reason fundraising is also called development. Development is a contact sport. We've got to be in contact with our donors. That's what makes it fun: we're building relationships with people who share our vision enough to support it.
If you have any questions, or if your development team is stretched too thin to pursue some or any of these steps, be in touch. Read about my approach to working with nonprofits, and download my resume.
I wish you much success in pursuing your important work.