What's The Best Way To Reach Out To Your Donors?

Making connections with your donors is one of the most important things a nonprofit organization needs to do.  What's the best way to go about it? It's going to be different for each organization and you'll need to figure out what works best for you. Your decision will be based primarily on what your donors want, but also on what your organization is capable of doing.

What other organizations are doing may not work for you. In my last post, I asked if annual reports still make sense, and they do for some organizations, but not for others.

We live in multichannel world

Today we have many ways to communicate - everything from brochures to Pinterest.  Print materials aren't necessarily prehistoric, but you can often go electronic, with the exception of annual appeal letters, thank you letters, and event invitations, which should still be done in print.

It seems as if every day you hear about some new type of social media.  Just because it's brand new doesn't mean you need to run out and embrace it, nor does it mean you should reject it as the latest passing fad.  Figure out what's best.

What do your donors want? 

You want to use the same types of communication (newsletters, annual reports, etc.) and channels (email, print, etc) your donors like. You can track response rates with measurement, but that's only part of the picture.  The best way to find out is to ask. 

Send a short survey about your communication materials or a series of very short surveys (one or two questions) throughout the year focusing on one type of communication or channel, such as annual reports, newsletters, website, or social media. 

Short surveys are also great way to stay engaged throughout the year.  The easiest way to do a survey is through email, on your website, or social media, but if your donors aren't connected electronically, you'll need to reach out by mail or phone.  Just knowing that should give you an idea of the best ways to communicate.

Chances are most people use a variety of channels, but have their favorites.

Question time

If you are not sure what to ask your donors, here are few suggestions.  Ask if they prefer print, electronic, or have no preference.   Find out if they even read your newsletter or annual report.  Get their feedback on how you can improve your communication. 

Be careful about asking too many questions at once, because you may not get as much of a response.

Don't assume older donors like print and younger donors want something mobile friendly.  Ask.

You may find that what your donors want is difficult for you to do because of limited resources.  Maybe they want a print newsletter or more photos. This becomes tricky, because you need to do what's best for your donors without overextending your budget and staff too much. 

In my next post, I'll write about how to handle this conflict.

How do you reach out to your donors?

Photo by BenSpark via Flickr

Do Annual Reports Still Make Sense?

The answer is, it depends.  They are often not done very well, but they can be useful.  An annual report is a good way to show accomplishments to funders and potential funders.

Here are a few things to consider when deciding whether it makes sense for your organization to produce an annual report.

What do your donors want?

Your annual report is for your donors and it should reflect what they want -  not what your board wants.  Just because you have always done an annual report, doesn't mean you should.

Send a short survey to your individual donors and get their opinion.  Do they even read your annual report?  Grant and corporate funders will probably be more interested in the nitty gritty, while individual donors will want something short and visual.

It gets old quickly

An annual report can end up being a static document.  One huge problem is that for some organizations,it's the only time they share accomplishments with their donors. Dear Fundraisers: The Annual Report Is Yesterday’s News 

Ideally, you should be sharing accomplishments regularly - at least once a month.

If you wait until the beginning of the next calendar year to start on your annual report, and then spend a lot of time gathering all the materials, writing, and editing it, your 2013 annual report ends up going out sometime in the middle of 2014. 

It's putting me to sleep

The traditional annual report was often a 10-20 page document filled with long-winded text. It listed activities rather than accomplishments and focused on the organization and not how the organization was making a difference for the people they served. Fortunately, this seems to be changing,

In short, annual reports tend to be boring.  It's not just length.  I've seen four-page reports that weren't very engaging either.

It takes a lot of resources

Annual reports can take a lot of time to put together and then you have to factor in printing and mailing, if you choose to go that route.  It may not make sense for a small organization.

We want to produce an annual report.

Okay, you've thought it over and decided that an annual report does make sense for your organization.  Here are a few suggestions to help you create a good one.

Who are your donors?

Remember that annual reports are for your donors and different donors have different needs.  You may want to produce different types of annual reports for your grant funders and individual donors, or only produce one for your grant funders.  One size doesn't fit all.

Start working on it this summer

You want your 2013 annual report done by the beginning of next year.  A lot of it can be done ahead of time. 

Take time this summer to collect stories, testimonials, quotes, accomplishments, and photos.  You could even do a video.  RETHINKING THE ANNUAL REPORT FOR VIDEO 

Everything you include should emphasize how your donors are helping you make a difference for the people you serve. 

Create a plan

Think carefully about what you want to produce for different donor groups.  I'm not trying to create extra work for you by suggesting you make more than one type of annual report.  Once you have the stories, accomplishments, photos, etc, it should be pretty straightforward.   

Do what's best for your donors.

This link gives you more suggestions about creating annual reports.

Are Annual Reports History?

I'll write another post in the fall exploring this a little more and help you make your annual report engaging.

  

Time To Thank Your Donors

Do you remember the commercial from years back where the Dunkin Donuts baker would rise each morning and declare?  "Time to make the donuts."  Time to make the Donuts  Well, it's time for you to thank your donors.

Of course, it's always time to thank your donors, and you should be showing gratitude on a regular basis, not just after you have received a gift.  But take it up a notch and do something really special this month.

You may be thinking, why now?  It's not Thanksgiving, the holidays, or Valentine's Day.  Precisely.  Your donors probably won't be expecting anything and should be pleasantly surprised. Send something early in the summer before your donors start to go on vacation.

Keep in mind that if your donors don't feel appreciated, they may not donate again.

Here are a few things to help get you started and some different ways to thank your donors.

Create a good photo

The first thing you should do is find or take some great photos.  Maybe one where you get people together to hold a thank you sign.  Here are a few examples.  The first one is actually a video, but you can do the same thing with a photo.

Create a “Thank You” video 

HOW DO I THANK THEE, STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS? LET ME COUNT THE WAYS...

You could also show your work in action.  Whatever you decide, be sure it's engaging.  

Make a list of accomplishments

Choose a few accomplishments you have achieved so far this year and share those with your donors.  Remember to focus on how your donor is helping you make a difference for the people you serve.

Send a thank you card

Take that great photo and use it to create a note card or postcard.  It's a good idea to invest in one of these, so you can have them on hand to send to volunteers and board members, as well as donors.  If cost is an issue, you could get a print shop to do it pro bono or find a corporate sponsor.  You could also just buy some thank you cards, but something that references your organization would be better.

Thank you cards are small, so you only need a few sentences.  Get a group together to write them - staff, board members, volunteers, even clients (if feasible).  Here's a great suggestion of throwing a card shower. MANY, MANY, MANY THANKS 

Think about investing in note cards or a postcard.  Handwritten notes make a difference.

Email works, too

In addition to thank you notes, you can send out an email thank you.  You may also choose email if mailing cards is too hard to pull off.

Just because you are sending email,doesn't mean you should skimp on quality.  Use an engaging photo and share some of those accomplishments.  Write a really heartfelt message and make it look nice.

Create a video

It's so much easier to make videos now.  Think about creating a special thank you video.  The example I included above features different people connected with the organization saying thank you. This link includes a few more examples.  Our Favorite Nonprofit Thank You Videos 

Your video doesn't need to be long, either.  A minute or less is perfect. 

You can use this video in an email message, in social media, and on your website.

These are just a few suggestions of ways to thank your donors right now.  Keep thanking them all year round, too.  Thank Your Donors All Year Round 

How are you thanking your donors?

Conquering Your Communication Challenges - Getting People To Respond To Your Messages

Over the last few weeks, I've been writing about different ways to conquer some of your communication challenges.  Another challenge that nonprofit organizations face is that people aren't responding to their messages.

There can be a number of reasons for this.  Perhaps it is one of the following.

Your content isn't strong enough

In my last post I wrote about creating engaging content, which is most often success stories where you show your donor how they are helping you make a difference.

Let's use a fundraising letter as an example.  Some of the key components should include a story, an ask, thanking donors for their past gift, how their money will be spent, what you have accomplished, and what you plan to do in the future.

When creating content, remember the four C's - clear, concise, conversational, and compelling. The 4 Cs of Writing Good Content

Besides being well written, your messages need to be easy to read and navigate.  Use short paragraphs with lots of white space and at least a 12-point font.  If your email message or web page is a cluttered mess with tiny type, your supporters are less likely to read it.

Here is more on creating good content.

It Ain’t Natural

You are reaching out to the wrong audience

Maybe not the "wrong" audience, but a weaker one.  Your current donors are more likely to give to your annual appeal than other supporters, such as email list subscribers.  You also probably won't have as much success with event attendees or mailing to a cold list.

If you are holding an event, you should get a better response if you post an announcement on your Facebook page as opposed to the events calendar in your local paper.  Get social on social media and take it a step further.  Ask your followers to spread the word about your event, as well as help you recruit volunteers and even raise money.

You may also be using the wrong channels.  Perhaps your donors don't use Twitter very often.

This is why you need to know your audience.  If you have limited resources, which is the case for many nonprofits, don't spend a lot of time and energy reaching out to a weak audience.

Once is not enough

Maybe you do have strong messages and you are reaching out to a good audience, but your supporters still aren't responding.  Well, these folks are busy and are barraged with messages from a variety of sources.  That's why you need to send your message again (and again).

You should never send out one fundraising letter and sit around and wait for the money to flow in, because it will come in as a trickle.  Remind your donors via email, social media, your website, phone, and maybe even another letter.  The same goes for promoting events.

Keep track of your response rate, because if it's not as strong as you would like it to be, you can often fix it.

Here are some other reasons why your messages may not be getting a response.  You should be able to avoid the first one if you reach out to the right audience.

Why Your Fundraising Copy Isn’t Fundraising

How do you get people to respond to your messages?

Conquering Your Communication Challenges - Creating Engaging Content

Over the last couple of weeks, I've been writing about how to conquer some of your communication challenges.  Another challenge many nonprofit organizations face is coming up with engaging content on a regular basis.

Do you find yourself saying any of the following?

We're having trouble getting organized

Your biggest ally here is an editorial calendar.  How to Create an Editorial Calendar You can do one for the year, but also break it down into smaller components. This doesn't need to take a lot of time, and it's a huge time-saver overall. Each month figure out what you will include in your newsletter. Every week decide how you are going to connect with your supporters. Spend 15-20 minutes a day looking for content you can share on social media. 

Your editorial calendar will include time-sensitive content, such as events or that April is national volunteer month, as well as evergreen content - stories you can use at any time.  

We don't know what to write about

Your content should focus on how you are making a difference for the people/community you serve.  You have good stories to tell.  Work with your program staff to create a story bank to use for your annual appeal, website, newsletter, etc.  You can also include profiles of clients, donors, board members, volunteers, and staff.   

Don't forget to thank your donors in your newsletter and other updates.  Avoid stories that are more focused on your organization, such as obtaining new computers for your staff, unless you can tie that back to your mission.

Here is more information on creating stories.

How Story Trumps Description

Do You Have Good Stories To Tell?

Use measurement and analytics to see what types of content hit home with your supporters.  Most likely it will be success stories that emphasize how they are helping you make a difference.

We don't a lot of time to do this

I covered time constraints in my last post, and this is a challenge for many organizations. 

Nonprofits do need to communicate often with their supporters.  Try to reach out once a week.  If that's impossible, aim for every other week.  It's not as daunting as you may think. Planning and strategy always helps.

Some consistency is good for your newsletter.  Use a template that you can fill in each month. Maybe you will always include a success story or a profile. Also, keep in mind that your newsletter only needs a few articles.

Your supporters are busy and will appreciate short messages. In addition to your monthly newsletter, you can reach out with a brief update, advocacy alert, or one-question survey.  Another way to connect is to share the outcome of your advocacy alert or the results from your survey.

Use the same content in different channels.  For example include links to your newsletter, as well as updates, advocacy alerts, and surveys on Facebook and Twitter.

Another good way to engage is to post a photo of your program in action on social media.  A great photo can tell a story in an instant. 

Don’t Just Post Photos. Post Stories!

I hope this helps you conquer the some of the challenges of creating engaging content.  How do you handle this challenge?

Conquering Your Communication Challenges - Dealing with Limited Resources

This is the second post in my series about how to conquer some of your communication challenges.  Many nonprofit organizations have limited resources, and one thing to remember is that planning and prioritizing can help.

Have you ever found yourself saying the following?

We feel like we have no time to get anything done

If you have plans and strategies in place, you probably won't feel as strapped for time.  I covered that in my last post.  Conquering Your Communication Challenges - Planning, Strategy, and Measurement

Find ways to help you get organized. For example, use an editorial calendar to plan your content  How to Create an Editorial Calendar and a style guide to help keep your messages and look consistent. Create a Style Guide for Your Organization

Figure out what is most important and do the best you can with the resources you have.  Fundraisng is always a priority.  So is making your supporters happy.  That includes current donors and potential donors (email subscribers, website visitors, etc.). Thank your donors, keep your supporters engaged with newsletters and other updates, and be sure your website is up-to-date.

Look at how you are spending your time.  Are you doing work that may not be that important?  Meetings can be a huge time sink.  Evaluate whether you need to have so many meetings, and make the ones you have efficient.  Use measurement to make sure you are taking on initiatives that are beneficial to your organization.  

You may feel so overwhelmed that you think you need to chain yourself to your desk in order to get your work done.  Not true.  In fact getting away from your desk and out of the office can make you more productive.

Our budget is tiny

If you have a small budget, again figure out what's most important. Printing and mailing are two of the biggest expenses.  Perhaps you will forgo a printed newsletter and send out a high-quality electronic one instead.

You don't need fancy materials, but you do need to look professional.  You can often get printed materials such as an event invitation or annual report donated.  Ask a print shop to do it pro bono or find a foundation to sponsor it. 

Speaking of funding, reach out to granting agencies that will cover general operating support.

Spend wisely.  You should mail out an annual appeal letter, but you don't need to mail out an annual report to ALL your donors.  

We have don't have enough staff

Many nonprofits are understaffed, and some organizations turn to interns and volunteers to fill in the gaps.  This can be a mixed bag.  Interns and volunteers may not be that experienced and often don't stay around very long.   If you do take them on, make sure they are well-trained and supported. If you can find good people, it might work in your favor.  How To Ensure Effective and Engaged Volunteers 

It's not uncommon for board members to be more involved at a small nonprofit.  This doesn't mean they should be running the day-to-day operations, but they can share their expertise in an advisory role. Your board should have a fundraising committee, and preferably a marketing committee.  Find board members who are willing and able to give you a little boost as you try to grow.

Having limited resources, whether it's time, budget, staff, or a combination of the three, is a challenge.  Planning and prioritizing can help you conquer these challenges. 

How do you deal with limited resources? 

Conquering Your Communication Challenges - Planning, Strategy, and Measurement

Over the next few weeks, I'm going to write about how to conquer some of your communication challenges.  Do these sound familiar to you?

We don't have a plan or strategy

This is where you need to begin.  You need to have fundraising and marketing plans.  Not having a plan is like starting a journey without a map (or these days programming your GPS).  You need to know where you are headed and how you will get there.

How to Create a Fundraising Plan

How to Create a Marketing Plan

Not only do you need to have overall plans, but each campaign or communication tool (website, newsletter, etc.) needs a strategy. Make it as detailed as possible.  Figure out each step of your annual appeal or event.  Create a timeline.

Set goals. These include the obvious such as how much money you need to raise and how many volunteers you want to recruit, as well as what you want your newsletter to achieve.  In this case it could be to engage, educate, entertain, or a combination of the three.

Here is some more detailed information about putting together a campaign. Campaign, champagne – what’s that thing called again?

Creating plans and strategies will take some time upfront, but it will save you time in the end. And it is time well spent.

We know we should be measuring our progress, but it's so overwhelming

It's not as overwhelming as you might think.  Now that you have plans and strategies, use those as your basis to figure out what you need to measure.   I wrote an entire post about measuring your progress a few weeks ago, so I won't go into a huge amount of detail.

For your annual plans, measure your progress at least once a quarter.  For engagement (newsletter, social media, website), try to look at analytics once a month.  In addition, use a more personal approach and ask questions through social media and conduct short surveys in your newsletter and website.  You can also do a longer, but not too long, survey once or twice a year.

Once you have completed a campaign or event, figure out what worked and what didn't.  Then make changes for the future. 

If you don't measure your progress, how will you know if you are successful?   Perhaps you've had an annual event for years that's really more trouble than it's worth.  Or, you are trying to engage with your donors on Twitter, and not many of them use it. 

Don't get too discouraged if you encounter a setback. Think of it as a learning experience.

Time to Measure Your Progress

How to Plan When You Are Already Doing It

You don't need to be a data geek to do measurement. You can do a lot of it on a spreadsheet.  Here are a few examples you might find helpful.

Library of Sample Dashboard Indicators

The Beyond Cash Fundraising Management Dashboard

Now That’s A Spreadsheet!

Creating plans and strategies and coming up with a system for measurement is your first step towards conquering your communication challenges.  In my next post, I'll write about dealing with limited resources - time, budget, and staff.

What are some of your communication challenges?