Charities Still Doing Business According to Globe and Mail

I found this article via Imagine Canada's Twitter and found it very interesting. Basically, it states that organizations are still receiving donations, despite the economic crunch.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090203.wcharities03/BNStory/National

It raises the question; is the economy in Canada as bad as we think?

And how does this affect smaller, local charities?

I have no doubt this is a debate that will continue to happen throughout the year.

For me, I feel it's more important than ever for charities to present themselves in the best manner possible for donors. This means whether it's your direct mail campaign, newsletter or website, ensure that your donors are getting the most out of your communications.

What Blogs Should You Be Reading?

Happy Monday Everyone!

There's an inordinate number of blogs out there, ready to give you advice on fundraising and marketing. But which ones should you spend your time on?

This weekend I googled for blogs and came up with a list of ones I thought were good:

AFP News Blog: This blog features all the recent charitable news in one place.

A Small Change: With practical fundraising tips, this blog can be very useful.

Wild Apricot: A good technology blog that's geared towards non-profits.

Donor Power Blog: A great blog about looking at things from the donor's perspective.

So there's a few to get you started. I find it interesting though, the lack of Canadian blogs out there that are geared towards non-profits. If anyone knows of Canadian blogs (beside mine), please let me know in the comments below.

The more information out there, the better!

Hope everyone has a great day!

How to Manage Your Communications

With all that you do, it's easy sometimes to forget about an avenue of communication that you had previously created. Your communication tools are like wheels; they need to be constantly moving in order to work. Managing all of it can sometimes be difficult and it's easy to let things slip.
So how do you manage everything?

Assess
It's important for you to assess all of your communications and determine what is needed and what isn't. If you have so many communication materials you can't keep track of them all, then you have too many. Too many things may confuse your donors as well. It's important to have a streamlined communications process that informs donors but doesn't bombard them with information.

Segment
Separate everything into different categories according to what needs attention. For example, your brochure once it's created and printed doesn't require a lot of upkeep until it's time to update. A blog on the other hand, needs to be updated constantly. This way you can always be aware of what is a priority.

Schedule
Develop a schedule for each of your communications. A well planned direct mail campaign, for example will ensue higher donations then a hastily written letter.

Create a Master List
Post a master list of the various forms of communications you use on your wall/bulletin board, etc. This will help you be aware of the tools you use.
Communicating to your donors/clients is one of the most important things an organization or business can do. Having your ducks in a row makes all the difference.

How to Get Motivated to Write

Whether you are writing a direct mail piece or a newsletter, inspiration is always a tricky thing. As a writer, I've come across the dreaded writer's block numerous times. Sometimes it can be hard to be motivated to write; even if it's for your organization.
What works for me isn't necessarily going to work for you. Everyone has their own methods of getting motivated. However, I can provide you with some tips.

Brainstorm: This is a great way to get the ideas flowing. Grab a piece of paper, or better yet, a flip chart and start thinking of words that you want to use in your piece. Write down emotions you want to convey and reactions you want to receive. If you have a chance to bring in someone else, do so. Writing is never a solitary practice. Bring in your colleagues, your friends, even your family to help generate ideas and talk things over. Even if they don't know the topic, it's likely they may have an insight you've never thought of before.

Avoid Stress: The best writing happens when you are focused on it and not the million other things you have to do. Set aside time when you've got it and make sure you aren't disturbed. That includes email and phone calls. One little interruption can break your stream of consciousness.

Play Music: For me, the path to good writing lies in the music I play. Now this is going to differ for everyone. Some people like total silence when they write; I prefer to draw from the emotions of song and use it in my work. Figure out what works for you and stick with it.

Determine the Best Time of Day: My best writing occurs after 4pm. I'm definitely not a morning person and therefore my creative juices are more likely to stir in the afternoon and evening. Build your schedule around the writing time that works best for you.

Don't Plan, Just Write: Sometimes it's hard to get what you want on paper because you have set guidelines/plans in mind that you have to follow. For the first draft, I recommend just getting the words on the paper. It doesn't matter if it's perfect the first time or even what you are looking for; it will provide a jumping off point for future drafts.

Think About Who You Are Writing For: Who is this piece for? What do you imagine they want to hear from you? If it's a donor, maybe a story from a client or a success relating to your organization. Figure out the motivations of your audience and play to them.

Think About Whose Voice You Are Using: If you are an organization, what is your main message? Is it conveyed in this writing piece? If you are writing from a specific person, ask yourself if you are capturing their voice properly.

All of these things can help motivate you when you write and help create better copy. Good Luck!

More Stuff: Receive a copy of the monthly newsletter by emailing: lindsey@lindseypatten.com

Newsletter Content

It can be difficult when you are putting together a newsletter to decide what content works and what doesn’t. It’s important to approach it from the mind of the donor. Think about what they want to read and what would inspire them to donate.

Here are a few tips:

1. Feature real people.
Facts and figures can only take you so far. Tell stories about your clients or better yet, let them have a voice of their own. And remember to include staff, board and volunteers.

2. Share your successes.
Don’t be afraid to share what you have accomplished. If you are proud of it, your donors should be too.

3. Be uplifting.
A newsletter has so much more impact when you focus on the positive. You can still highlight the need, but overall, position your newsletter in a positive way.

4. Keep it short.
Keep each article short and easy to read. Longe3r articles may disinterest some readers as well as clutter the page.

5. Make sure you have a soft ask.
What is a soft ask? A soft ask is when you don’t ask for a donation outright. The opposite is called a hard ask. An example of this is direct mail. In your newsletter, even though you aren’t asking for money outright, inspire so that people will donate anyway.

A newsletter is a great addition to a communications plan and will help continue your donors interest in the organization.

More Stuff: Receive a copy of the monthly newsletter by emailing: lindsey@lindseypatten.com

What to Tweet?

Twitter is a great site that lets you post short blog posts (called Tweets) to inform your donors about what your organization is up to. It's less time consuming then a blog and very easy to do.

But what should you say?

Twitter can be limiting because you only have 140 characters in which to get your message across. It's a great tool to help your writing become more clear and concise.

Here are some examples of things you should Tweet:

Events

If you are having an upcoming event, list it in Twitter. But don't post it the day before the event. Make a series of posts several weeks ahead, enticing people to come. Don't forget to list the date and time and link to a page on your website with more information.

News

Share the latest news on Twitter, even if you think it's small. Did one of your programs get more funding? Did a client meet with success? Sharing these stories will inspire your donors.

Information

When you are using Twitter, don't think just about your current donors, but prospects as well. Give facts about your organization so people can learn more. Remember to use simple terminology that everyone can understand.

Links

Do you have a news release on your website? A new article? Use Twitter to drive traffic to your site by posting links.

Don't forget to Tweet everyday to keep your site active. And post your Twitter link on your website, at the bottom of your email signature and more.

Charity websites lacking in donor engagement

I was reading the Village Vibes (the http://www.charityvillage.com/ newsletter) and came across this fast fact, which I found interesting:


Fast Fact: Charity websites lacking in donor engagement January 26, 2009 A recent UK study analyzing the websites of 15 major charities found that, overall, while most were following best practices of usability and design, few were using techniques to create a loyal, online visitor community. The study looked at 26 different factors and gave each charity a final score based on their performance in each area. Average marks were high in communicating the charity’s key message (78%), containing fresh content (78%), and having an easy-to-use search function (100%). But overall, only three charities were able to score above 70% on the entire survey, and none of the charities surveyed sent follow-up e-mails to donors within 30 days of a donation. -- dotMailer

Here's a link to the full article:

http://www.precisionmarketing.co.uk/Articles/258324/UK+Charities+fail+to+create+loyalty+.html

I find this interesting because the main comment is not about the content or design, but rather the follow up procedure. When building your website it's important to think of everything from all angles. If you are having a donation page, how are you receiving those donations? And how are you following up with the customer?

This applies not only to websites, but all of your communication materials. After you write a blog post, do you just leave it and move on to the next project? Will you reply to comments on the blog? What if you have to moderate comments? How will you deal with someone who is not as kind?

It's important to keep every aspect of your communications in check or you risk looking less than stellar.

Saying Thank You

Thanking your donors and clients is the most important thing you should do. But what's the best way to go about it?

It depends on the size of your organization as well as the time you have. However, even the smallest of charities should have a stewardship plan in place that allows them to thank everyone.

A thank you has power that will garner you many returns. And a thank you is a great way to reinforce your brand as well.

Here are the steps to thanking success:

1. Segment

You need to look at your client/donor list and determine who should receive what thank you. For example, if you have 500 donors and 450 of them give under $1000, but 5o give over that, you might want to consider singling out those 50 donors to receive something extra.

2. Determine what your thank you looks like

Is it a letter? A note card?

Letters are the most popular because they save time, however a form letter time and time again can seem impersonal to the donor. If you do use letters, remember to change up the thank you letter every once in a while to keep it fresh.

3. Budget for Time and Money

It's important to remember when you are budgeting for the year to include thank you letters for all of the responses you think you are going to receive. Also, the amount of time you have available will definitely influence how personalized your letters are going to be.

4. Determine the signer

Who signs the card/letter can have a lot of weight. For your major donors, maybe you want a board member or the executive director to sign it, for everyone else perhaps the fundraising officer.

5. Personalize

This is the most important. Nobody likes a letter that says Dear Sir/Madam. Make sure you have their correct name and address. This goes a long way.

6. Use your brand

Whether it's a letter or a note card, your logo should be prominently displayed along with your tagline or mission statement if it fits. This allows the reader to visually connect your brand with the warm feeling they received from being thanked.

Thanking your donors and clients is an extremely important part of the process, so don't forget to do it.

If you have time, consider sending out special thank you cards at certain times of the year, like Christmas, to your most special donors. They will definitely appreciate the effort.

Twitter for Nonprofits

On to Twitter. What is Twitter do you ask and why does it have a funny name?

Twitter is a great little site that let's you post mini blog posts to let everyone know what you are up to.

But why?

Have you ever thought about connecting with your clients but the thought of a blog is too overwhelming? Try Twitter.

It gives you about 140 characters in which to write your message so you don't have to worry about creating a long blog post. You can display your twitter on your website and collect yourself some followers.

Followers?

Yes, when someone whats to read all of your twittered info, they follow you. Then they can see all the posts you make. People can also sign up for an RSS feed and receive your posts through their email.

Twitter is a great addition to any blog or website. But it stands on it's own as well.

It's just another great communications tool that can be used to reach more people to tell them about yourself.

But don't forget to update it regularly!

Email Blasts

Email blasts are a great way to get the word out about upcoming events, news and more that you have to share.

How do you set up a good email blast?

First of all, you need to figure out who you want to email to. Before you click every name on your email list, think about it. Are you really going to send every relative all your business materials?

Take time to segment your list and determine who you want to email what to. This way, people won't feel bombarded by your emails if you intend on sending them regularly.

Then start planning out your message.

The key is to keep it short. People are busy and they may not have time for a long email. Add colours and visuals to make it more appealing. Catching their eye is always a good thing.

Then away you go! Email blasts are really easy to do and can let your donors and clients know what's upcoming, whether it be newsletters, mailings, events and more.