The skinny on donor attrition. Losing more than you gain is great news to Weight Watchers, but not so much for fundraisers. However, as I reported here, that’s been the headline for America’s nonprofit community seven straight years now. For more on this sorry state of affairs and what development folk can do to turn things around, check out what bloggers Tom Belford and Roger Craver, fundraising coach Marc Pitman, and development consultant Pamela Grow have to say on the topic. They’re among the many folks (me included) beating the donor retention drum these days.
For love or money. The Agents of Good blog team suggests a lovely substitute to the traditional dollar-focused donor pyramid. It’s the donor love pyramid. In this new way of plotting your organization’s support base, “the top of the pyramid isn’t people with money. It’s people with deep connection to the mission.” These are the folks you want to keep with you. See more here.
Describing good. Jen Shang, a psychologist who studies philanthropic behavior, lists 9 words that Americans use most often in describing a good person. The triple trio of niceness adjectives includes kind, caring, compassionate, helpful, friendly, fair, hard-working, generous and honest. Insert some of these words into your next fundraising appeal and/or thank you letter and watch giving and donor care increase. That’s the good word from Shang.
Be tomorrow’s news. Social media is the sexy new kid on the PR block, but that time-honored work horse the press release still has a place IF you’re willing and able to move beyond the same old, same old. So promise the folks over at HubSpot. To add punch to their prediction, they’ve posted a template for writing a buzz-creating release. Give it a look.
Encouragement for a new week.
“The journey of discovery begins not with new vistas but with having new eyes.” (Marcel Proust)
“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:19
Enjoy the view.