So when is a lapsed donor not a lapsed donor? John Grain says they may not be who you think they are. I have been thinking a lot about lapsed donors lately. In particular about the way we define them and the way we try to ‘reactivate’ them. Three things struck me. First, it is dangerous to simply assume a supporter is lapsed (horrible term that) if they haven’t given for a while. Second, perhaps they were never truly a donor in the first place. And third, how carefully are we thinking about what we ‘reactivate’ donors with? In part this is because I recently received a letter from a charity asking me to renew my support for the organization. This gave me pause for thought - the thought being if I needed to ‘renew’ my support, presumably I was now considered a lapsed … Continue Reading
Why Your Fundraisers Are Your Biggest Competitors
People are changing their giving habits, fast. So what's happening? Time to wise up to the new world, says Rik Haslam Here’s the thing. I am a charity. I’m not registered. I have thousands of fundraisers, but I don’t pay any salaries. I have advanced technology and communication systems, yet zero overheads. Nor do I pay business rent. I have my own in-house media production studio: it’s my camera phone, bargain basement netbook and some free, open-source software. I create dozens of ads but wouldn’t dream of shelling out on media placements. Instead I put my messages on email, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, my blog and fundraising platforms like YOCO and JustGiving. There are millions like me. And we are your real competition. If it feels like we have an unfair advantage, we do. If … Continue Reading
The End of A Few Tough Years
Sean Triner ponders what we have actually leaned from our experiences in the worst recession in living memory. So the recession happened and if we believe what the pundits tell us, it's been and gone. Of developed world countries, Australia suffered less than Europe and North America. And some countries, like Australia are breathing a sigh of relief, feeling like the recession is over. But if you are reading this in Greece, Portugal, the UK or many other countries you probably don’t have the relief of that sigh just yet. But the lessons still apply. What did we learn? Back in October 2008 over 100 fundraisers gathered in a hastily convened session at the IFC in Holland. Shortly afterwards, books, papers, blogs, seminars and reports looked at and offered advice on fundraising in a … Continue Reading
Emerging Opportunities for Smart Fundraisers to Use Smart Phones
Is that a phone you've got in your pocket, or is it the next big thing in fundraising? by Bryan Miller I'm pretty sure that when Alexander Graham Bell made the world's first ever telephone call back in 1876 (apparently calling his assistant with the inspired words "Mr Watson, come here. I want to see you") he never in his wildest dreams imagined that telephones might evolve into the amazing little device I have in my pocket today. To be honest, to call my mobile phone 'a phone' is a serious understatement of what it can do. Of course I can talk to people on it, just as Bell had envisaged (only without any wires, obviously). But I can also send them a text message or an email, or call them via Skype, or engage with them however I like over the internet through the phone's web browser. I … Continue Reading
First America, Then The World
A non-profit, charitable organization located outside the United States with an interest in taking its fundraising global may want to look at using the US market as a first step. Why? Well, America’s philanthropic market combines several features that make it a welcoming culture for new ideas. Griet Dehandschutter explains... If your organization espouses a big idea, cure or solution to an urgent global problem, Americans may be willing to engage more quickly in your cause than citizens, corporations or foundations in other countries. Americans like to act quickly and they are generous. Very generous. In 2008, they gave away more than US$308 billion (Giving USA, 2009). The lion’s share was given by individuals (82% including bequests), followed by foundations (13%) and corporations … Continue Reading
Could e-Services Be the Way for Your Charity?
Charities often don't invest in new technology and online services because of the cost, but software as a service (SaaS) could be the answer. by Patrick Nash Charity websites are big business. Growing an online presence is critical - for fundraising, public relations, marketing and much more. Digital marketing managers command good salaries and there are armies of consultants and agencies. The competition for charity website awards is intense. But despite all this, I would argue that the third sector is, in most cases, behind the curve of the e-service revolution. I’m not sure that many charities know what e-services are and if they do, many reject the notion that their charities service users will access their services online. Charities provide a wide range of services but for the … Continue Reading
Building Donor Loyalty
If donor retention is so important to nonprofits, why are we not doing more to keep them? by Adrian Sargeant We continue to lose our donors at an alarming rate. When I last studied retention in the UK I identified that it wasn’t at all unusual for a nonprofit to lose 50% of its cash supporters between their first and second donation and then 30% year on year thereafter. I thought that was bad, but here in the US I discovered that initial attrition rates of 70% are considered acceptable by many organizations. Given that most nonprofits lose money on their donor acquisition activity, this increasingly leaky bucket is costing the sector dear. Even regular giving, where the economics are quite different, sees attrition rates of 30% from one year to the next as the norm. No business would … Continue Reading
Using Mission, Vision and Values to Inspire Volunteer Leadership for Your Organization
by Kay Sprinkel Grace, CFRE As philanthropy matures globally there is an increased desire on the part of organizations in all locations to increase the number and commitment of volunteer leaders involved in fund raising, advocacy and other activities that will benefit the organization and the community. Whether the organization is volunteer-run and in need of more volunteers, or staff-run and wanting to engage community people in its programs, the goal is the same - to find ways to effectively recruit, enlist and continually inspire volunteers. The three critical factors that attract, inspire and continually motivate volunteers are already at the heart of all successful nonprofits - mission, vision and values. Working as both a volunteer and a professional with a wide variety of … Continue Reading
Quantum Fundraising: A Shared Vision to Effect Change
Throw away the rule book and take a leap into the world of quantum fundraising, says Jon Duschinsky, where people come together for a reason, effect change and then go their separate ways For a long time, scientists have known the world is no longer a place of certainty. That it is not linear. That cause and effect was a thing of the past. Scientists came up with a way of defining this world, and called it Quantum. The basic premises of a quantum world are that nothing is centrally controlled and that the universe works because an infinite number of very small things join together in ways that we don’t yet understand, to effect change, before disbanding and going their separate ways. However it is only very recently that we have begun to link science and society. For, difficult as it is to … Continue Reading
She Gives Back: Understanding What Makes Women Donors Tick
The economic power of women all over the world is growing, offering huge opportunities for fundraisers. Nicky Mcintyre asks what actually motivates women to give and how we can engage them as donors Until two or three decades ago, women typically inherited wealth rather than earned it, supported their spouses’ or families’ philanthropic practices, were more passive than active in their giving, and felt unempowered by money. As we move into the 21st century, we find that this portrait of women donors has changed. While there is little data accurately documenting patterns of women’s giving behavior and demonstrating differences in giving between women and men, we know that the growing economic status of women is bearing greatly on their participation in philanthropy. Research now shows that … Continue Reading
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