Ask

, , , , , ,

Fundraising – Don’t apologise for doing it

One of your Sydney-based fundraising colleagues sent me a request for money this week. The request, from a hospital, opened with “We hope you don’t mind, but this time we are reaching out to ask for your support”. Of course I do not mind. Maybe I did not mind before you raised the possibility. Even if I did mind, don’t apologise for fundraising. Do not put the doubt in the prospect or donor’s mind.

I have been a recent patient at this hospital. I used their paid internet while in this hospital for a week. After discharge, I received a “survey” about my experience using the internet. In the survey, the hospital asked if I would opt in to receiving fundraising and marketing appeals. Of course I said yes. Therefore, I received this email appeal just a week later. So, why would I “mind” the hospital reaching out to ask for support?

Be confident when making an ask and your donors will respond accordingly. If you are not confident, perhaps you are in the wrong business!

 

 

, , ,

If it is worth publishing, it is worth making an ask for a donation

Perhaps it’s an Australian non-profit thing. I receive countless magazines, annual reports, impact reports, and newsletters from charities across the country. Each publication is beautifully crafted. Yet, the publications lack one thing. They lack a request for a further donation. Why publish an annual report, a magazine, a newsletter, or anything without including a request for a donation? I have always said, “if it is worth publishing, it is worth making an ask for a donation”. Whether you are publishing something online or making it available via the Australia Post, you must request a donation from the recipient.

How do you make this ask?

There are two ways to make this ask (and you should do it both ways!). First, if a cover letter to the publication exists, make sure to make a hard ask. Remind the donor how valuable their support has been and then make a follow up ask for an additional gift at this time. Second, make a soft ask by placing a pre-printed giving envelope in the middle of the publication. This envelope will appear much the way a subscription card might be placed in a magazine.

How do you make this ask online?

As is true for publications delivered via Australia Post, include a direct ask in the cover letter. And, include multiple giving links in the electronic publication. Make it easy for the donor to give once you have motivated them to further invest in your charitable organisation.

During one of my last fundraising positions in the US, the hospital where I was employed gained over $100,000 in the first year of employing the simple strategy of inclusion of a giving envelope in its publications. $100,000 that was being left on the table previously. Do you think this won’t work for your charitable organisation? How do you know unless you try? Before anyone in your organisation discounts the idea, test it. Need assistance? Contact us.

, , , , , , , , ,

Non-profits should get on with it – make the ask

Replay mail

Which charities acquire the most donors, the most gifts, and the largest donations? The ones who make an ask.

I’m not talking about asking for gifts of $100,000+. You and I know it takes a while to make a major ask. You and your organisation must have a solid relationship with the prospective donor and the timing has to be right for the donor. After all, this is the donor’s schedule and not yours or your organsiation’s schedule. This can take 18+ months.

I am speaking about asks which typically happen via direct mail, telemarketing, and online channels.

It puzzles me the number of charity pieces which are sent to donors and prospective donors and where the ask is either buried in the piece or there is no ask at all. Why bother to produce the piece? Even worse are the pieces which are sent containing a response envelope with no call to action.

A few simple steps will boost your charity’s bottom line:

  • Ensure there is an ask in every marketing piece.
  • Don’t make it a mystery for donors to figure out how to make a gift.
  • Make the ask prominent.
  • Make the ask multiple times throughout the marketing piece.
  • Offer the prospective donor multiple channels to make their gift.
  • Don’t make it difficult for the donor to make their gift by requiring them to cut panels out of newsletters and to complete other art projects.

I often times say Australian charities do not ask for donations enough throughout the course of a financial year. It’s true. I back it up by saying I am a “pushy American” making that statement. But, push the envelope. Donors will tell you when they have had enough and inform you of their communication preferences accordingly.

, , , , ,

A thank you call per day

Snip20160619_2Stewardship calls are the easiest calls to make. Often times thank you calls are the most surprising for a donor to receive because donors do not expect them. It’s true. Donors expect calls asking for money, requests to purchase lottery tickets, and other asks. It’s rare a call from a nonprofit organisation has the simple purpose of saying “thank you”.

Make one thank you call today. Call a donor who has given for the first time. Call a donor who has given for the past three consecutive years. Call a donor who has increased their level of giving year on year.

Make a thank you call every day or at least one time per week. Document the call in your customer relationship management (CRM) system. Measure and monitor the results of the calls. I bet you will see further engagement by those you call.

There are many reasons to call donors. Calling to make an ask does not have to be tbe only reason.

, , , , , , ,

Make an ask in every communication piece

Snip20160416_30It’s fundraising 101. If you do not ask, you do not receive.

Late last week, I received a newsletter from a Sydney-based hospital. I shouted when I opened it because the hospital foundation failed to make an ask for a donation in the piece. In fact, there was no response device, no letter, and simply a newsletter with a self-addressed response envelope.

Why didn’t this hospital take the time to ask me (and the others who received the newsletter) for a donation? Further, why would the charity include a self-addressed envelope if they were not going to take the time to include a response device to drive donations to your charity?

If it is worth producing the communications piece, it is worth taking the time to ask people for a donation.

Consider the following:

  • Wrapping a letter around the newsletter offers you a chance to recognise the donor’s past support and to draw their attention to key articles in the newsletter.
  • Including a response device, pre-populated with the donor’s details, will short cut the guessing game and drive contributions to your nonprofit organisation.
    • It will not cost any more postage to mail a response device with a newsletter and a return envelope.
  • Sending a self-addressed envelope, without a response device, will likely yield far less returns than a charity would receive if a response device was included in the package.

Don’t believe the statements in this blog post? If your organisation currently sends newsletters with no letter and no response device, create a three part test.

  • Pack one
    • Newsletter and reply envelope
  • Pack two
    • Letter, newsletter, reply slip, reply envelope
  • Pack three
    • Newsletter, reply slip, reply envelope

See for yourself which of the three packs wins. You might be pleased you took the time to make an ask for a donation.