A Winning Template for Your Year-End Campaign

Gail Perry MBA CFRE

@gailperrync

#yearendFR

Who Am I?

Just hit 30 years in fundraising!

Blogger, coach, consultant

Author “Fired-Up Fundraising: Turn Board Passion into Action”

AFP Triangle Fundraiser of the Year

International speaker and workshop leader

#firedupFR

@gailperrync

“Helping nonprofit leaders gain the tools and skills to change the world”

Gail Perry MBA CFRE

How Much Money Might

Be Out There For Your

Organization

This Year-End?

Ques%on?

TheGivingEnvironmentisGOOD!

@gailperrync#yearendFR

h=ps://www.mobilecause.com/year-end-fundraising-Fps-2014/

Up to 26-50% of your annual

income?

How Important is your Year-

End Campaign?

Multiple consecutive appeals Warm up letter

Appeal letter

Follow up letter

Emails at least every two weeks

Phone calls, personal notes, social media,

personal visits, events

Whatisa“Campaign?”

@gailperrync#yearendFR

Integrated across channels: Same message

Same goal

Same look

Same brand

Whatisa“Campaign?”

@gailperrync#yearendFR

Same appeal message and call to action in

•  your mail solicitations •  your website •  your email communications

Reinforces your message over and over.

Whatisa“Campaign?”

@gailperrync#yearendFR

“Follow-up letters are the most important factor in

securing the donor’s gift.

“One appeal might bring about a 14% return, but a follow-up appeal or telephone call can raise that

return up to about 42%. (Mal Warwick)

WhyaSeriesofAppeals?

@gailperrync#yearendFR

Run the Numbers How did you do last year in each segment?

Renewal rates for each segment?

Trends over the past few years?

Timing?

What is YOUR donor retention? Attrition?

@gailperrync#yearendFR

WhereDoYouStart?

@gailperrync#yearendFR

Segmen%ngYourList

Identify Smaller Groups With Affinity Who do you pull out for personalized appeals? •  past donors •  volunteers •  lapsed donors •  people who have attended your auction or gala •  corporate sponsors •  board members •  past board members

Personalize your appeal letters as much as possible – you’ll get larger gifts.

Mary Craig Tennille, VP Excalibur Direct Marketing

     http://www.excaliburdirect.com/variable-data-printing-personalization-techniques/

Don’tforgetYourData

Clean up your data so you can segment

your mailings

“Clean up and enhance your database, so you can leverage personalization to its fullest advantage. “Relevant messaging to donors.

What’s the

Probability that Your Donors Are

Going to Renew

their Gifts this fall?

@gailperrync#yearendFR

14

#1 Year-End Fundraising Strategy

Mount An All-Out Campaign for Donor Renewals

SetGoalsforThisYear-End

•  Mail/email combined •  Leadership gifts •  Lapsed gifts •  Other segments (staff, board, clients,

etc.

•  Monthly donors? •  New donors via acquisition?

For renewing NEW DONORS.

For renewing CURRENT donors.

SetDonorReten%onGoals

@gailperrync#yearendFR

IntegraFon:WhatChannelsWillYouUse?

What do you have to work with? -  Mailings (letters & postcards)

-  Email -  Phone -  Social media - Personal visits

@gailperrync#yearendFR

IntegraFon:WhatChannelsWillYouUse?

What’s the status of: -  Addresses? -  Email addresses? -  Phone numbers? -  Likes and followers on

social media? -  Your donation page

@gailperrync#yearendFR

IntegraFon:WhatChannelsWillYouUse?

Create a theme: “This year, our fall campaign will focus on our kids. . .” And tell kid stories as you make the case over and over. Set a goal: “This year our fall campaign’s goal is $550,000 to fund the Riverwatchers who monitor for pollution in our streams.” Can you identify a project? Donors will give more if they can designate their gift! “Your gift to our fall campaign will help run these essential intervention programs for families.

Brand,Theme,Goal,Project?

IntegraFon:WhatChannelsWillYouUse?

How about a visual brand? Engage a designer! It’s worth the money!

Brand,Theme,Goal,Project?

22

The Language That Today’s Donors Want

TheMPIFundraisingFormula

23

Money: how much do you want to raise?

Purpose: what project/purpose is it for?

Impact: what impact will it have?

TheMPIFundraisingFormula

WhatStrategiesWillYouUse?

Make your plan. What’s your count for each appeal?

•  # Mail appeals? What format? When?

•  # Email campaign – When? How many?

•  Phone calls? When? Who?

•  Enlist social media skills and ambassadors?

When? Who?

•  # Personal visits

@gailperrync#yearendFR

78-81% of all gifts to nonprofits come in through direct mail.

25

WhatStrategiesWillYouUse?

Why is Direct Mail So Important?

Email and Mail Appeals?

26

Many donors will receive your letter and go to your website to make their gift.

WhatStrategiesWillYouUse?

Special Mini-Campaigns for LYBUNTS and SYBUNTS

•  LYBUNTS (Gave Last Year But Unfortunately Not This)

•  SYBUNTS (Gave Some Year But Unfortunately Not This)

WhatStrategiesWillYouUse?

Plan to Use Video?

•  Donation page •  Home page •  Emails? •  Email thank yous •  Social media content?

WhatStrategiesWillYouUse?

@gailperrync#yearendFR

29

Target your existing Facebook

followers.

Strategic Facebook Ads?

SocialMediaStrategiesforYear-End

30

SocialMediaStrategies

TelephoneStrategiesforYear-End

“Actually, if the call is done right, then they are grateful to hear from you and you can’t get them off the phone!”

SimonScriverTotalFundraising,@TotalFR

Phone Calls to Donors

h=p://www.gailperry.com/2014/10/phone-calls-donors-can-highly-profitable/

TelephoneStrategiesforYear-End

SimonScriverofTotalFundraising,@TotalFR

“Face to face and phone will always do much better

than online and mail fundraising.”

h=p://www.gailperry.com/phone-calls-donors-can-highly-profitable/

@gailperrync#yearendFR

© Gail Perry, 2014

PhoneCalls“We’re hoping you’ll renew your support!”

“The kids need you this year!” “We are trying to (DO WHAT) this year!”

“We’re tackling xxxx next year and hope you will be a partner in this effort!”

“Facetofaceandphonewillalwaysdomuchbe=erthanonlineandmailfundraising.”

SimonScriverofTotalFundraising,@TotalFRchangefundraising.com.

NCSymphonymusicianmakingthankyoucallstodonors.

MonthlyGivingStrategiesforYear-End

h=p://www.gailperry.com/2013/06/18-Fps-to-create-a-wildly-successful-monthly-giving-program/

Will increase the $$ from your CURRENT donors by 3 or 4 times!

MonthlyGivingStrategiesforYear-End

@gailperrync#yearendFR

Monthly Giving

Simplify Your Donation Form

•  In2013,approx74%ofonlineshoppingcartswereabandonedbyshoppers.

•  Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-how-retailers-can-reduce-shopping-cart-abandonment-and-recoup-billions-of-dollars-in-lost-sales-2014-4#ixzz3dEMkNJ8I

Website&DonaFonPageStrategiesforYear-End

Add

http://npengage.com/nonprofit-fundraising/boost-donor-acquisition-online-fundraising/

Web&DonaFonPageStrategiesforYear-End

Add Emotion to Your Donation Form

Create a Plan and Schedule Your Mailings

@gailperrync#yearendFR

40

Donor satisfaction with the quality of service provided by the fundraising team is the single biggest driver of loyalty to the organization.

~Dr. Adrian Sargeant

BackOffice?

@gailperrync#yearendFR

Make Your Budget

What will be the Return On Your Investment?

Be willing to SPEND in order to MAKE MONEY

TheRestofYourYear-EndPlan!

@gailperrync#yearendFR

Use a mail house to process your mailings.

You’ll more than make up this cost through increased efficiency.

Get everyone on your staff and board to buy-in to the plan before you start!

GetBuy-InForYourBESTYear-EndCampaignEver

”

•  How much staff time will it take?

•  Role for board members or volunteers?

SetUpYourPeopleResources

@gailperrync#yearendFR

Follow Professional Standards, not Personal Opinions

Never let a committee approve or edit your letter.

If you let well-meaning but unknowledgeable people help write your appeal, they will ruin it.

MaintainControlofProfessionalStandardsandStrategies

@gailperrync#yearendFR

Set Up a Master Calendar

• Email? • Mail? • Phone calls? • Warm-up postcard or note? • Solicitation appeal? • Email follow-ups? • Mail follow-up? • Email follow-up? • Social media postings

SetUpAMasterCalendarandTimeline

@gailperrync#yearendFR

Set Up a Master Calendar

August/September: •  Set design, brand, purpose, goal, budget •  Line up people resources •  Engage designer and mail house •  Pull your data and plan your segments •  Printing, web enhancements •  Design reply cards and envelopes •  Social media ramp up •  Warm up donors with a thankathon, impact

report, or special event •  Engage videographer or photographer •  Draft and approve letters

SampleMasterTimeline

@gailperrync#yearendFR

Set Up a Master Calendar

48

October •  First letter, postcard, or phone call announcing

campaign, purpose, goal •  Emails begin, telling stories related to your goal

and purpose •  Web and donation form enhancements

completed •  Draft and approve emails, social media and the

rest of the appeal letters to go out •  Weave monthly giving requests •  Plan your board solicitation

SampleMasterTimeline

Set Up a Master Calendar

November •  Second appeal letter dropped with the hard

ask. •  Emails and social media out every week

supporting the theme and campaign •  Facebook ad campaign •  Build up to #GivingTuesday •  Enhance your thank you and acknowledgement

processes •  Late November- followup letter or phone call –

we haven’t heard from you!

SampleMasterTimeline

@gailperrync#yearendFR

Set Up a Master Calendar

December •  Phone call followups •  Donor renewals are highest priority •  #GivingTuesday launches

Late December •  Change out website homepage to be your

donation page •  Three email appeals the last week of the year,

with one on Dec 31st.

SampleMasterTimeline

@gailperrync#yearendFR

1.  Thankathon to all current donors.

2.  Segment your list: Top 10, leadership, &

donors.

3.  Personal visits to your top 10 donors.

4.  Phone calls to your leadership donors.

5.  Very personalized renewal letters.

6.  Board phonathon to renew gifts.

6.  A gentle reminder in December.

h=p://www.gailperry.com/2014/11/1-year-end-fundraising-Fp-will-bring-highest-dollar-return/

SampleDonorRenewalTimeline

LASTWORD!