January 2020

Cancelled

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My experience cancelling a regular gift – part II

On 2 January, I wrote about my experience cancelling a regular gift with a variety of Australian charities.

My experiences cancelling my recurring donations mixed. Given the timeframe was in the middle of the holiday season, I indicated some charities were closed for the holiday break. Today’s blog post is an update on the remaining charities who had not responded.

A mixed bag

I cancelled six of my recurring donations in total. Three of the six organisations responded to me during the holiday break. Of the three who had not responded to me due to the holiday closure, the following occurred:

  • One organisation responded by telling me they had actioned my request. Their email read: Per your request, we have cancelled your recurring donation. Thank you for your support.
    • This same organisation has not communicated with me over the course of the past three years I was a regular donor.
  • Another organisation asked, via email, if there was any way for them to retain me as a supporter, including offering to lower my monthly donation amount or to put the donation on hold.
  • The final responding organisation contacted me by phone. This organisation, likewise, stressed the value of my regular donation and sought to retain me by lowering the donation amount or placing the donation on hold for “up to six months”.

Coverage over holiday timeframe

It should be said that very few non-profit organisations have coverage over the holiday break from about 20 Dec to 6 January. Most organisations shut down during this timeframe and require staff to take paid time off. This is the polar opposite of places like the United States where there may be skeleton staff on during this timeframe, but someone is always available to take donor calls, answer email, and to process donations. In fact, in the US, 31 December is tax time. This adds even more importance to having staff available for these purposes and to accept gifts of securities, major gifts, and other valuable donations.

What is your process for handling recurring gift cancellations? Did your organisation have coverage over the holiday timeframe (even limited)?

CRM

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Is a CRM replacement project really necessary? Conduct a CRM Review first

It’s a new year. Are you thinking of replacing your organisation’s constituent relationship management (CRM) solution? CRM replacement projects are plentiful with more universities and not for profits making the decision to replace their solution. But, is a CRM replacement project really necessary? In my experience, a CRM does not always require replacing, rather, an existing CRM simply requires the attention it deserves. A CRM review may be the best first step. It might just save you thousands, or hundreds of thousands, of dollars.

For example, a hospital foundation in Sydney had been to a conference and felt very “sold” on a new CRM by the CRM vendor (of course!), but on further investigation, they had the functionality they actually needed in their existing CRM – they just needed to upskill their team. Overall, they saved around $45,000 in direct costs, and possibly another $30,000 in indirect costs, by staying put. 

Before you decide to transition to a new CRM, you should first conduct a review of your existing solution. A review is a comprehensive analysis of your existing CRM. 

When conducting this analysis, you should consider the following five key areas:

  1. Challenges – What are the biggest challenges your team faces with your CRM?
  2. Functionality – What functionality is lacking from your CRM?
  3. Goals – Will the current CRM allow your organisation to achieve its KPIs?
  4. Relationship – How healthy is your relationship with your current CRM supplier and are there key focus areas which might make it healthier?
  5. Staffing – What is the level of your CRM staffing in terms of data management and oversight?

A review is often best conducted by an outside expert who has a 40,000 foot view of the CRM sector. This expert understands your organisation’s functional requirements inside and out and understands what is required to operate a CRM efficiently and effectively in an organisation. Additionally, the expert firm has in-depth knowledge of CRM solutions, functionality, and the associated suppliers.

A review will result in an analysis document, drawing conclusions on the above and other important factors. It will form a foundation to allow you to decide whether to move forward to an official CRM search or to “stay put” utilising the CRM you currently own. 

The analysis will also help you to identify an action plan containing activities your organisation must accomplish whether or not you transition to a new CRM. 

CRM Review activities, include:

  • identifying a data manager to oversee the CRM.
  • developing policies and procedures.
  • highlighting opportunities for automation.
  • establishing a training plan.
  • creating a data cleansing plan, including data enhancements.

Unless your organisation takes the time to review the existing landscape, you may find the grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence. 

In fact, your organisation may find itself in the same situation. CRM reviews often save time and effort, resulting in an improvement of the existing solution rather than a complete transition to a new CRM solution.A constituent relationship management (CRM) solution is your organisation’s number one asset. You want the latest and greatest technology, which will assist your organisation to reach your key performance indicators. 

The following are the top six reasons organisations typically choose to transition to a new CRM:

  1. Another CRM solution is preferred by a new head of fundraising.
  2. The existing CRM solution lacks functionality to deliver an organisation’s strategic plan.
  3. Functionality in the current CRM is clunky and not intuitive.
  4. The organisation lacks a healthy relationship with the CRM supplier.
  5. Staff do not utilise the existing CRM.
  6. The existing CRM is not well configured and lacks automation.

A robust CRM solution also assists fundraising leadership to:

  1. achieve fundraising goals;
  2. recruit and hire experienced and seasoned fundraising talent;
  3. measure and analyse fundraising performance; and
  4. automate and streamline business processes.
Christmas

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Salvation Army – first with their Christmas Appeal

My Mom always used to say it felt like Christmas came earlier each and every year. Each year I watch to see which non-profit organisation will be first to send their Christmas appeal. The Salvation Army is first with their Christmas appeal this year.

The Salvation Army appeal arrived on 1 October. For the fourth year in a row, Salvos are first in sending their appeal. In fact, I have did not receive another in the three weeks following the arrival of the Salvos appeal and none until early November.

Why does this matter?

Any charitable organisation which sends their appeal early allows for ample time to conduct further waves/follow up appeals. In fact, Salvos have allowed themselves nearly three months to measure, monitor, and adjust strategy. Charities that send their appeals in November (and, others in December) cut themselves short and do not allow much wiggle room to adjust their strategy should the initial wave not prove to be successful.

Salutation

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An Addressee and Salutation are a basic piece of data

December is a busy time for multi-channel Christmas appeals. My letterbox and email box, like yours, were filled with asks from various Australian charitable organisations. This year I was struck by the number of charities who got the manner they addressed me simply wrong. An Addressee and Salutation are a basic piece of CRM function. A basic piece of data which, if done incorrectly, can really turn off a donor.

Flawed Salutations

This year I received pieces of mail and electronic direct marketing (eDM) pieces from dozens of Australian universities, schools, and charitable organisations with the following types of flawed salutations:

• Dear Friend

• Dear Mr Stephen M Mally

• Dear StephenMally

• Dear Mally

• Dear Mr S Mally

• Dear <Blank>

One Australian university advancement office sent me an eDM on Wednesday, 18 December reading “Dear :”. Clearly someone called the error to their attention because a second copy of the eDM was sent 5 hours later reading “Dear Stephen:”. There was no notation as to why I received the duplicate copy except the obvious correction to the flawed eDM sent earlier that morning. If someone did not check their emails with frequency they would have seen the two emails back to back and thought they were duplicates.

Simply put, a salutation demonstrates the way you know your donor. Dear <Title> <First Name> <Middle Initial> <Surname> states you not only do not know me whatsoever, but sends this donor the message you do not care to know me any longer. Variations of such sloppiness which include Dear <First NameSurname> without a space in between the <First Name> or <Surname>, Dear <Surname> or Dear <Title> <Middle Initial> <Surname> show donors you either lack the ability to manage your constituent relationship management (CRM) solution or, perhaps, your mail house is making errors in assembling your packs. Either way, these are the sorts of issues which cost you in your fundraising and response rates.

4 Steps to Better Greetings

It’s time every organisation holds people accountable for the condition of the data in your CRM and in the way we manage each and every record. Here are steps you can take to address how you greet your donors on an individual basis:

1. Run a report of all donor records in your CRM to diagnose the magnitude of the issue by searching for the examples I have named above.

2. Globally replace “Friend” with <First Name> or <Title> <Surname> depending on whether your organisation has a policy of informal or formal greetings. 

  • Perhaps you are lucky enough to own a CRM which is robust enough to accommodate both options.

3. Next, identify the records containing the other errors in the examples above, fixing them on a global basis and, where required, manually.

  • No record should lack a salutation.
  • Donors give their name when they make a contribution. Donors deserve to be greeted formally or informally.
  • No record should suggest your data management is “sloppy”, such as Dear <Surname> or Dear <First NameSurname>.

4. Train staff to make it a habit to establish records correctly and, thereafter, to edit and enhance every record when in possession of the record.

Make the New Year an opportunity to turn over a new leaf in CRM and data management and in supporter care. Start with the greetings you hold in your CRM for your supporters. What steps are you taking to ensure you do not turn off your donors because of a flawed salutation?

Action

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What will you do differently in the year 2020?

It’s the first official day back at work after the long Christmas and New Year holidays. It is a time of renewal, of refresh, and of reset. I hope your batteries are recharged and you have a boost in energy to welcome what will greet you when you set at your desk for the first time since the last decade! What are your plans for the new year? What will you do differently so the year 2020 looks very different than the year 2019?

Many of us set out to turn over new leaves, to try new strategies, or to work harder at approaches we have in place. Perhaps we will try to tackle things gathering mould on our to do lists. Maybe we will be guided by a new strategic plan. Whatever it is that will motivate us as we come back fresh from 2+ weeks off of work, do not lose site of the simple things that make a big difference in the workplace and in fundraising.

6 small actions which will make a drastic impact in Q1 2020

  • Speak to every staff person at least one time per week.
    • Are there people in the workplace who you typically do not acknowledge? Acknowledge them.
    • Are there people who you do not “socialise” with in the office? Ask them to have a coffee or a quick lunch.
      • You’d be surprised what you will learn about these people and the synergy and alliances you may develop through simple outreach.
      • Make plans to follow up in about a month or six weeks. Managers – this is a task for you, too. Often times managers or leaders do not “socialise” with various people at varying levels throughout the organisation. 
  • Call or send personal thank you notes to five donors per week.
    • These are the easiest forms of contact, yet they are often the most overlooked.
    • How about writing each donor on the anniversary of their recurring donation? Remind them of the value of their contribution.
    • Don’t merely focus on the $500 or $10,000 supporters. How about calling the $25 donor to tell them you are pleased they are on board and remind them of the value of all levels of support.
      • Document this outreach in your CRM.
  • Call donors who participated in your supporter survey to thank them for voicing their opinion and to discuss one or two items which they expressed on their survey response.
    • Hear more from them on these calls, express your gratitude for their opinions.
      • Document this outreach in your CRM.
  • Call or send personal thank you notes to five volunteers per month.
    • These, too, are the easiest forms of contact. Likewise, they are often the most overlooked.
    • Volunteers are not on your payroll. You are. Remind them of the tremendous value their time and support of the organisations brings to the charity.
      • Document this outreach in your CRM.
  • Clean up your desk at the end of each business day.
    • Organise a small stack of things you intend to accomplish the following business day.
      • You’d be surprised the level of motivation a clean desk will bring you.
      • You will also be surprised how much time it will save you to have your day organised prior to arriving at the office.
  • Delegate the tasks you cannot accomplish.
    • Ask your colleagues to lend a hand.
      • Be ready to lend your colleagues a hand when they are in a similar situation.

2020 is the commencement of a new decade. Each one of us has an opportunity to do things which will change the landscape of non-profit organisations and of fundraising. Change the things close to home. Add six more items to the suggested list I have offered above. Let’s check in with one another to see where we are when we welcome the year 2021.

Recurring Donations

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My experience cancelling some recurring donations

I cancelled some recurring donations just prior to New Year’s evening. I decided I had given to these nonprofit organisations for several years. Some of them I had not heard from in many months and one I had not heard from except when they wanted more money. I thought I would share my experience cancelling some recurring donations.

Varied Experience

My experience cancelling the recurring donations varied organisation to organisation. First, I was impressed some of the organisations had staff responding to emails the week of 30 December. I know from working in the industry that most Australian nonprofit organisations are closed the weeks of Christmas and New Year’s. Of the six recurring gifts I chose to cancel, I heard back from three charities. The other organisations responded with an automated out of office message that I would hear from someone the week of 6 January.

Here are other findings:

  • One organisation responded by telling me they had actioned my request. Thank you for your email. I have cancelled your donation to <name of organisation>. Kind regards, <Name of person>.
    • This same organisation has not communicated with me over the course of the past two years.
  • Another organisation responded by stating they have instructed their team to cancel my recurring donation. The staff person suggested I should reach out to him if I wished to discuss my donation.
  • The final responding organisation asked to speak with me. Her email stated the need for recurring support to find their critical programs and she was very kind to offer to change the interval of the donation or to change the dollar amount.
    • Later in the day, the staff person placed a call to me, which I was unable to take because I was in the USA at the time. Clearly this organisation does not want to lose me as a regular donor.

The variance just amongst these three responding organisations is interesting. I will be anxious to see how the other organisations respond after 6 January.