Sue’s Muse

Have you ever made a donation to an organization in honor of a friend or family member instead of giving them a present they may or may not want or need?  When you made that gift …. did you give to an organization that you thought they would donate to themselves … or did you give to organizations that you support? 

When it comes to “Good Gifting”, I have done both.  Either way, I find myself agonizing over where to donate … say, to a cancer organization, international relief, or an environmental group - the options can sometimes seem endless.  But no more! 

“Network for Good” now offers “Good Cards” which can be used to make a donation to any of 1.5 million charities across the country.  How does this work? 

According to a recent article by Megan Greenwell in the Washington Post, a person can simply go to Network for Good and buy a “Good Card”… which is then sent to the recipient, either via email or as a snail mail delivered plastic card … both of which direct the recipient to the website … where they can pick their charity, or several charities, and make a donation using their card.  Similar to what happens when you give someone a store card … except instead of another coffee, sweater, CD etc., they can support a cause that is near and dear to their hearts!

So if you are still haven’t completed your holiday shopping … why not try a “Good Card” … you can’t go wrong! 

I also want to take a moment to wish to each of you a happy and healthy holiday and a bright and exciting New Year!

Regards,

Sue

P.S. I will be taking some time off from Sue’s Muse over the holidays … but will be back in the New Year!

You knew it was coming … a request for a Nonprofit Bailout.  As funds from individuals, corporations and foundations continue to dry up … vital community services are suffering.  Nonprofits are now not only facing financial shortfalls … they are trying to deal with the increased demand for services in communities across the country. 

These nonprofits are not in this financial position due to greed, bad management or poor investments.  (Excluding those still calculating their losses in the Bernard L. Madoff ponzi scheme.) Rather, they are part of the fallout of the current economic situation we all are suffering from today. 

It was reported in the Chronicle of Philanthropy that “Independent Sector, a coalition of charities and foundations, is working on a proposal for a government revolving-loan fund to help cash-strapped nonprofit groups respond to growing caseloads as the economic crisis takes its toll.”

“There’s simply not enough cash to respond to the amount of the needs,” Diana Aviv, president of the group, told a Congressional briefing in Washington. “The demand is much greater and the dollars that are secured from traditional sources are shrinking.”

“State and local governments who contract with nonprofits to deliver services are facing huge deficits and cash shortages and many simply don’t have the dollars to reimburse nonprofits in a timely manner for expenses those nonprofits have already incurred on government’s behalf,” she said.

We are far from seeing the end of this economic meltdown … Independent Sector’s proposal looks to be focused on service delivery organizations … so what about all those other nonprofits that don’t provide direct service delivery?

I would suggest that if you haven’t done so already … that you look long and hard at your upcoming calendar year fundraising plans … that you take all the great advice that has been written about over the last several months … and that you update, adjust or determine to stay the course … and then make certain that you let YOUR donors know, over and over again … how much you value them and need their continued support … and, above all, keep them updated on your progress … let them be a part of the solution. 

I hear daily of organizations having to let staff go … dip into their reserves … and cut back on programs and services.  Sadly, in the 25 years I have been a fundraiser … I can truthfully say I have not had to face the difficult challenges many of you are dealing with today … Challenges such as trying to keep the doors open, the lights on and programs going. 

I do believe that change is coming … the economy will be ’back on track’ and life will get a little easier.  However, until that happens … keep focused on your mission … apply all your skills and efforts to achieve your goals … and celebrate your successes. 

Regards,

Sue

As we all continue to struggle with meeting goals, job security, the economy and nervously await whatever this new and highly anticipated era might bring … I have to share with you this small missive one of my clients forwarded to me!

I quote - and it’s not my client’s direct words, I hasten to add:-

CALMNESS IN OUR LIVES

I am passing this on to you because it definitely works, and we could all use a little more calmness in our lives. By following simple advice heard on the Dr. Phil show, you too can find inner peace. Dr Phil proclaimed, ‘The way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you have started and have never finished.’

So, I looked around my house to see all the things I started and hadn’t finished, and before leaving the house this morning, I finished off a bottle of White Zinfandel, a bottle of Bailey’s Irish Cream, a package of Oreos, the remainder of my old Prozac prescription, the rest of the cheesecake, some Doritos, and a box of chocolates. You have no idea how freaking good I feel right now.  Pass this on to those whom you think might be in need of inner peace.

End of the calendar year is approaching … nonprofits are crunching the numbers and most are coming up short in dollars raised.  I don’t need to go into why … you have all seen the headlines.  Over the past year, many organizations have had to take the painful step of reducing staff and, as a result, programs too, in order to stay solvent. 

Whether you are in the middle of your fiscal year or near the end … now is the time to look at your current strategies … and determine if continuing to solely invest in one or two fundraising areas will meet your goals … or if you need to think about expanding your organizational outreach in order to continue remaining viable in the coming year.

There have been numerous articles about “how to” effectively do SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to continue to expand an organization’s online constituent file.  We have also seen lots of articles regarding SEM (Search Engine Marketing) but unlike SEO … nonprofits have not fully embraced SEM (other than perhaps a Google Grant) as a way of increasing their online constituents. 

In this tight economy … with good, but decreasing, performance in the mail … nonprofits need to begin to invest in more online acquisition … and SEM is an excellent way to begin.  A recent article appearing in the Association of Fundraising Professionals Newswire, by Harry Lynch, CFRE, and Paul Habig, offers some tips on how use and dramatically improve your search engine investment.

Regards,

Sue

The Obama Campaign continues to cultivate and steward constituents with a variety of messages from various signatories including an interactive survey, appeals from Joe himself, and a recent email from Obama’s campaign manager offering me the opportunity to host my own community house party!

 I‘ll say one thing -they are really working that email list.

bluestatedigital - who create strategies for this campaign - has now begun to offer varying levels of back-end premiums.  These range from coffee mugs, to the polar fleeces, and I would imagine higher premiums for those that gave a larger initial gift.   

A great idea when it comes to file segmentation for additional gifts and to convert supporters to donors … but I just wonder how long they can continue to go out with this barrage of messages before they begin to see a high opt out rate? 

I can hear some of you now … but Sue, they need to make hay while the sun shines - and I agree.  The optimistic mood of supporters will certainly hold until January 20^th and for a given honeymoon period afterward.   

 Whether you are involved in building a movement, advocating a cause or trying to raise funds … this is one ongoing campaign that we should all be paying attention to … and stats that I, for one, would really like to see!

Regards,

Sue

P.S. Perhaps one of the upcoming nonprofit conferences might want to give bludstatedigital a call … bet that session would be standing room only!

Like most of you, I spend my days trying to go through all of the emails I receive from various industry publications and blogs, along with organizational news and updates to try and glean new ideas for my own information and to pass on to my friends, colleagues and clients.  You just never know what you might find! 

This time I found a gem! 

It is more of a feel good piece … but certainly thought-provoking of what can be done to encourage folks to donate in other ways and boost an organization’s bottom line!  The article appeared in a recent “Give and Take - A Round Up of Blogs About the Nonprofit World” section of the Chronicle of Philanthropy …

Ways to Support Social Causes Without Giving Money!

The article describes how the site is collecting ideas from people who posted them on their blogs and social-networking services like Twitter and Delicious, as ideas for those who can’t afford to make a financial donation, but could contribute in other ways.   The Web site is called the Give List. 

I encourage you to take a moment to visit the site … and I hope it will inspire you to think of different ways that folks can continue to support your organization … even in this tight economy.  What a wonderful idea for the holiday season … and beyond!

Regards,

Sue

I am constantly asked by nonprofits - “How can we get our more mature donors (boomers and seniors) to move more of their interaction with our organization online?”  Well that certainly would be utopia … a quick and effective way to let folks know about changes, issues and challenges not to mention less cost to cultivate and steward.  An upside for everyone involve! 

By the very nature of the question … nonprofits are making the assumption that boomers and seniors are all the same when it comes to their online habits. Not so according to a new report discussed in today’s eMarketer.

“Marketers targeting boomers online would be mistaken to treat them all alike,” says Lisa Phillips, eMarketer senior analyst and author of the new report, Boomers Online: Attitude Is Everything. “Older boomers, ages 54 to 62, use media more like the ‘matures’ who precede them, and younger boomers, ages 44 to 53, act more like Gen Xers online.”

When we market to these groups in the mail … most organizations divide donors into 3 groups (small, middle and major) - and give them slightly different package treatments.  Some organizations with large mail programs may have several tracks including premium, mission-based, gender, regional etc., but basically everyone gets something with a similar look and feel.  And why not … it works.  Perhaps not as well as it use to … but yeah, it still works!

Now why don’t I think that strategy will work online?  Because it hasn’t.  Online is still new to the direct response fundraising arena … and although there have been successes … we are all still working to find the magic key for success. 

If boomers and seniors are using the Internet as mentioned in eMarketer’s story … and continue those patterns as they age … then we need to rethink about how we communicate and continue to build donor loyalty online.  Perhaps one group is more likely to enjoy eNewsletters and updates … or simply wants to go to your site for information … while another prefers to use social networks to communicate. 

I would offer that rather than trying to get existing donors to fit into “our” vision of future direct response fundraising … that we focus on building new online donor constituent files and share with our existing donors the online options that fit into their lifestyles and how they want to use the Internet now and in the future.

Regards,

Sue

Now I know that most of you have spent weeks and months laying out strategies and tactics to raise the maximum dollars you can by year’s end!  Times are tough … and a large number of nonprofits are finding themselves short of their goals ‘thanks’ to the economy … and yes let’s face it … the continued “bad news” reporting by the media. 

So what to do … as this blog and numerous others, as well as professional newsletters, publications, periodicals and updates have emphasised, we must ’stay the course’ … but is there anything else? 

Maybe.  A recent article in the Nonprofit Times ”7 Online Fundraising Ideas For Year-End Procrastinators” lays out specific tactics that just might help close the gap between goals and revenue raised … Procrastinator or not … there are some great ideas in that article for folks who want to give that little extra push at year end. 

Here’s to 3 1/2 weeks and counting!

Regards,

Sue

I am constantly amazed that nonprofits don’t send more than a ‘thank you’ to donors online (and on many occasions, that consists of just an auto-responder email). 

Have we forgotten what good fundraising practices are, simply because they are electronic? 

Why do organizations wait until their scheduled enewsletter to share program updates? 

Okay, perhaps I shouldn’t use the same broad brush stroke for all nonprofits … but I give to a number … and it’s obvious that many seem locked into a hard and fast email schedule.  But the beauty of online vs. mail is that you can be ‘in the moment’ … not just around advocacy issues or breaking news … but to continue building a valuable bond with your donors.

The politicos are taking a page out of the fundraising playbook - and doing a much better job of updating their donors and supporters.  Yeah … it is more exciting right now, with a new administration, and folks are paying close attention … but don’t you think that people who cared enough to give to your organization would like to hear more from you … other than waiting for their monthly news or simply getting a barrage of eappeals as the end of the year is approaching and goals have yet to be met?

Here is a sample of one of the many updates I have received … and, of course, there’s a soft ask at the end … but it is accomplishing what they are setting out to do, and that is to inform me of progress … and how my donation has helped make that possible.  Is there a lesson here?

Regards,

Sue

Watch the video of today’s press conference:

Yes, you read the headline correctly … an alliance of philanthropists and entrepreneurs are developing a new rating system for charities to deem whether a charity is … and I am quoting here … ”worth their money.” 

This indicates to me that for, larger donors, the BBB (Better Business Bureau), Guidestar, Charity Navigator, Charity Watch, Independent Charities of America, etc … must not be asking the right questions … or that charities should stop wasting their time filling out the mounds and mounds of paper work they now have to complete, in order to receive a high rating and gain these third party endorsements. 

Well not exactly … what is being proposed, according to Washington Post writer Megan Greenwell, is the creation of a “Social Investing Tool“.  By using the tool, donors can evaluate how their donations are used and also evaluate their impact - just like investments.  Rather than simply looking at the ratings published by the various “WATCH DOG GROUPS” that use only one or two variables as a big stick … i.e. percentage of donations spent on program vs. overhead … the focus is whether or not the charity is effective in fulfilling its mission and is making an impact in its target community.

At first I was dubious … “Great - another form!” … but if what this group is proposing is adopted, then it will certainly change the way in which nonprofits are evaluated - not just by major donors, but by all donors.  I applaud all efforts that can stop holding nonprofits to standards that would never be imposed on successful for-profit organizations. 

Rather we would look at the investments nonprofits make with infrastructure, staffing, and service delivery … and their impact … rather then having to settle for hiring less qualified staff, continuing to work with crumbling infrastructures, lacking the investment to utilize technology to assist in daily operations … and allow organizations to hire expertise beyond their core competencies in order to better meet their organizational missions. 

This does not relinquish nonprofits’ fiduciary responsibility to their donors … but rather it ensures that the “investment” donors have made is carefully and thoughtfully put to the best use … resulting in the best program and service delivery for those they serve.

Okay - moment of truth … haven’t each of you at some point wondered how an organization continues to raise funds, have a great looking 990 or score well on their BBB report … and yet you know they have little or no impact in the communities they claim to serve?  Perhaps it is time for a fresh approach!

Regards,

Sue