by Amy Braiterman and Shana Mastersonmight be able to pursue the new idea in a manner that suits...

by Amy Braiterman and Shana Masterson

2copy2016 | BLACKBAUD INC T 8004439441 E solutionsblackbaudcom W wwwblackbaudcom

Five Fundraising Fallacies

CONTENTS3 If itrsquos new it must be innovative

5 Participants know theyrsquore supposed to raise money for an event

8 Crowdfunding and fundraising are two distinct things

12 Just hit Ctrl + C

14 Our fundraising messaging is clear and concise

17 Conclusion

18 About the Contributors

18 About Blackbaud

CONTRIBUTORS

Authors Amy Braiterman

Consulting Manager Blackbaud abraiterman

Shana Masterson

Principal Strategy Consultant Blackbaud npshana

Edited by Meredith Jones

Cover art and book design by Carlton Swift

INTRODUCTION

ldquoWhat do you do for a livingrdquo

I bet yoursquove heard that question a time or two

Whether at a dinner party or on a first date it seems

like you canrsquot have a conversation without talking

about work Itrsquos become the ldquogo-tordquo topic Itrsquos part of

our culture

I asked my partner in excellence for this paper

Shana Masterson how she responds to this question

She usually replies ldquoI help nonprofit organizations

optimize their fundraising programs to fund their

missions Irsquom passionate about the intersection of

technology and fundraising Itrsquos an important factor

driving growth for nonprofit organizationsrdquo

So what do I say when Irsquom asked the same

question Well I spend my days analyzing the

business and fundraising practices of nonprofit

organizations to help them meet their goals both

revenue and mission related Itrsquos a pretty cool gig

Shana and I decided to combine our skills and

passion for helping nonprofits succeed by debunking

some common fallacies wersquove heard from various

organizations over the years We all know that

testing new things and learning from them is key

to moving forward towards your goals We hope

that by revealing the truth behind peer-to-peer

fundraising yoursquoll be inspired to refine and remix

your current fundraising practices So sit back

relax and keep an open mind



Whatrsquos the latest and greatest thing in fundraising This is something

Irsquom always concerned about and Irsquom sure you are too There was a time

when the ability to accept donations online was the newest and most

exciting thing in fundraising And there was another time when shiny

new peer-to-peer fundraising software was on every fundraiserrsquos must-

have list

Things were so much simpler back then These days not a week

goes by when wersquore not bombarded with a new technology social

network application device advertising method or service

Recently a colleague asked me what her organization should do about

their Peachtrade Strategy After searching online a bit I discovered she

wasnrsquot talking about the fruit but a new messaging app called Peach

By the time this paper is published Peach will either be the hottest

social network out there or (more likely) just another in a long list of shiny

objects that lack mass appeal

My Peach example could be swapped out with any new tool or tactic

that others are calling the next best thing Before we rally behind

something new we should ask ourselves why Why after two days of

Twitterreg hype are we assuming we need to develop a strategy around

this new thing Why arenrsquot we instead wondering if it supports or

expands our existing strategy The answer to those questions lies in

the pressure we feel to innovate

Pressure to innovate comes from our boards and from others within our

organization Suddenly board members decide we need to create our

own version of the Ice Bucket Challenge or raise millions of dollars on

Facebookreg Or a coworker receives an email from another organization

FALLACY 1

If itrsquos new it must be innovativeBy Shana Masterson



that contained a link to a livestream and they want to know why we

arenrsquot doing that too We all have a strong desire to be noticed and

celebrated to keep up with the Joneses and to be on the cutting edge

This pressure to innovate thrives in an environment that celebrates

short-term moments of wow more than it notices steady long-term

improvements

So what is innovation exactly Merriam-Webster defines innovation as

a new idea device or method It is the introduction of something new

We define innovation as new and we mistakenly make the leap that new

means better When you stop to think about it itrsquos downright bizarre how

much we obsess over new but not necessarily better

In this fast-paced atmosphere we owe it to our supporters to slow down

before jumping on the band wagon of the latest fad Take a step back

and consider the following ideas

New ideas programs strategies and tactics only make sense if they add value to those who will be interacting with them

Redefine innovation at your organization

If your organization suffers from Shiny Object Syndrome itrsquos important to

determine which shiny objects are worth pursuing The missing piece in

Merriam-Websterrsquos definition of innovation is value Shiny objects arenrsquot

worth pursuing solely because theyrsquore new or because everyone else has

them New ideas programs strategies and tactics only make sense

if they add value to those who will be interacting with them

We should encourage and support innovative thinking at our

organizations but with the understanding that innovation must come with

a value-add deemed necessary to the success of the program

Insist that innovation supports your strategy

Donrsquot ask ldquoWhat is our ltinsert name of new ideagt strategyrdquo Instead

ask ldquoHow can ltinsert name of new ideagt support our existing

strategyrdquo Not only should the idea have value but it should have a

value that is directly connected to the strategies currently in place

Strategic innovation starts with the end in mind

Consider the goals yoursquore trying to achieve and the strategies in place

to realize those goals Then determine where and how this new idea

fits within that structure Depending on the size of the disruption you

might be able to pursue the new idea in a manner that suits your existing

strategy or you might have to rethink your strategy entirely Either way

managing innovation with a distinct direction in mind will lay the ground

work for success ( Tweet this)

Place your supporters at the center of innovation

The foundation of our innovation must be grounded firmly in the needs

of our supporters If we understand their problems we become uniquely

positioned to solve them When we launch full-speed ahead into

implementing something we often ignore how the change will affect our

supporters and more importantly how it will address their needs The

value of a new product technology or campaign lies in what it will

facilitate for the end user ( Tweet this)

Allow innovation to thrive during and after implementation

Though we may find it easy to assess something new through the eyes

of our supporters where we often stumble is by letting innovation get

bogged down in our organizationrsquos internal processes What started out

as a solid idea to support our constituents slowly gets chipped away by

organizational needs To commit to our constituents we should stay

true to the original customer-focused priorities and not let internal

priorities cloud the implementation

Throughout implementation we should remember that the magic of

innovation doesnrsquot lie in the technology The real magic is created

by the people tasked to unleash the technology Too many times

we front load our budgets to purchase new software or develop a new

website and neglect the time and cost that follow the initial launch

A new program or service is only as good as the staff who will see

it through

When considering introducing a new fundraising program launching a

new website or shifting your strategy to something new donrsquot assume

that new means better Use this framework to align your innovations for

increased effectiveness and success



When is the last time you spoke directly with one of your event

participants about his or her experience Think about itmdashthese are the

people that took time out of their lives to support your mission But do

you know why ( Tweet this)

You can uncover the truth by asking the most basic questions Often

when we ignore the simple questions valuable information that can help

improve fundraising performance gets left out

Questions go unasked and unanswered because of our fundraising

bias We believe we already know the answer Our bias or preconceived

feelings and opinions cause us to bypass the basic in favor of the

complex Therersquos a reason the scientific method is a process thatrsquos

strictly followed It ensures that all questions are asked and answered

and that bias doesnrsquot influence the outcome

Our past experiences also impact our perception and decisions This

includes the decisions we make at work We make decisions based

on our knowledge as professional fundraisers Irsquom willing to wager

that most of the individuals registered for an event donrsquot realize theyrsquore

supposed to fundraise for it But instead of just guessing or assumingmdash

we asked

We conducted an online survey and asked people about their

fundraising experience Our group of survey respondents consisted of

both fundraisers and non-fundraisers As a professional fundraiser it

FALLACY 2

Participants know theyrsquore supposed to raise money for an eventBy Amy Braiterman

I didnrsquot know I was supposed to 29

20

5

22

15

9

No one asked me

Fundraising seemed too challenging

I didnrsquot feel comfortable asking for donations

I was only asked to be a team member not to fundraise

Other

Chart 1 Why didnrsquot you fundraise



seems obvious that participants are supposed to raise money or donate

yet so many donrsquot Why are people not taking action on something that

seems so obvious

When we asked participants why they didnrsquot fundraise most people

said it was because they werenrsquot asked or they didnrsquot realize they were

supposed to raise money at all

Chart one below shows the response breakdown For clarity letrsquos

combine some of the similar responses If we combine the ldquoI didnrsquot

knowhelliprdquo ldquoI wasnrsquot askedrdquo and ldquoI was only asked to be a team memberrdquo

responses 64 of respondents did not get the message that they were

supposed to fundraise

I love the responses to this question because they provide valuable

insight and shed light on what participants understand about our events

Peer-to-peer event participants view participating in an event and

fundraising for an event as two separate asks and tasks

While 15 of respondents didnrsquot know they were supposed to fundraise

20 of respondents were only asked to be a team member not to

fundraise I find this group fascinating and this response very telling

because it reveals our issue with messaging If we want more people to

raise money then we need to educate team captains to directly ask team

members to fundraise

So why did the fundraisers fundraise About half of respondents

selected ldquoItrsquos a good causerdquo or ldquoTo benefit the communityrdquo This a

great reminder that the mission the cause and the impact of your

organization is a primary driver for fundraising

Letrsquos dig deeper into the specific reasons why people fundraised

We found that another 49 said either a friend family member their

workplace or the organization asked them to fundraise Chart two

provides the complete breakdown of responses

Lesson learned when we ask people to do more than participate they

take action Signing up to participate does not equal signing up to

fundraise We asked fundraisers about their overall fundraising success

and 63 of respondents reached or exceed their fundraising goal Chart

three provides the complete breakdown

Whatrsquos more interesting were the responses we received when we asked

ldquoWhat motivated you to raise more than your goalrdquo While the commitment

to cause was the number one answer the second most popular response

was that fundraising was easier than they originally expected Chart four

has the complete breakdown of responses ( Tweet this)

This is great news for our fundraising future Fundraisers are not only

setting goals but theyrsquore achieving and exceeding them Now we just

have to work on asking participants to fundraise

Friendfamily asked me to24

12

13

32

1

1

17

Work asked me to

Other

Itrsquos a good cause

The organization asked me to

To earn a prize

To benefit the local community

Chart 2 Why did you fundraise



While the mission comes first asking and educating participants to

fundraise is also a primary message and a priority Simply describing

your event as the organizationrsquos largest awareness builder and

fundraiser is not enough Having a fundraising goal on the website is

not enough These subtle implied messages fail to resonate with most

participants If you want more participants to fundraise then you need

to view participating in an event and fundraising for an event as two

different asks and actions

Irsquod like to leave you with a valuable lesson I learned from a pair of socks

In preparation for my first half marathon I invested in high-quality

running socks which promised to prevent blisters and provide additional

arch support When I opened up the first pair I had to laugh in case

I couldnrsquot tell which sock was for which foot they were labeled with an R

and an L Talk about stating the obvious It was pretty clear to me by the

construction of the socks which was for my right foot and which was for

my left foot But to make sure there was no confusion the sock makers

added an R and L

Thus the lesson of the socks was born Just because something

is obvious to you doesnrsquot mean itrsquos obvious to everyone else

Apply this lesson to fundraising when it comes to asks and watch your

donations rise

I raised exactly my fundraising goal

28

37

35

2

32

61

2

3

I raised less than my fundraising goal

I raised more than my fundraising goal

Other

Fundraising was easier than expected

Commitment to the cause

To be a top fundraiser

To earn an incentive prize

Chart 3 How successfulwere you at meeting

your fundraising goal

Chart 4 What motivated you to raise more than your goal



Crowdfunding the practice of financing a cause or project by

raising small amounts of money from a large number of people

has been around for a long time When the American Committee

for the Statue of Liberty ran out of funds for the statuersquos pedestal in

1884 publisher Joseph Pulitzer used the communications platform

of the day newspapers to urge readers to support the pedestal

construction project

Approximately 125000 people answered the callmdashmost donating $1

or less The $100000 raised through this crowdfunding campaign was

more than enough to pay for the Statue of Libertyrsquos pedestal

In the 1930s another form of mass communication the radio allowed

donors to unite in a battle against disease President Franklin D

Roosevelt who was unable to walk on his own after contracting polio

founded the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis Eddie Cantor

beloved actor and Foundation supporter asked every radio show in

Hollywood to dedicate 30-seconds of time to this cause He called the

crowdfunding effort ldquoThe March of Dimesrdquo cleverly named after the

popular radio news program called ldquoThe March of Timerdquo

As nonprofits became better at direct mail fundraising moved away from making pleas to support specific projects and toward sponsoring more general mission statements

In only a few weeks 2680000 dimes were mailed to the White House

and $268000 was raised which laid the foundation for the creation of

the polio vaccine just 17 years later

Not only did the 1960s bring us bell-bottoms and psychedelic rock

but they also ushered in an important development in fundraising The

introduction of the five-digit ZIP code in 1963 was one of fundraisingrsquos

most significant advancements allowing nonprofits to properly target

FALLACY 3

Crowdfunding and fundraising are two distinct thingsBy Shana Masterson



their donation requests As nonprofits became better at direct mail

fundraising moved away from making pleas to support specific projects

and toward sponsoring more general mission statements Once funds

were raised the organization would then determine how to use the

money in a way it deemed most appropriate

Organizations then began seeking funding for larger expenditures such

as the construction of a building through a smaller amount of major

donors Project-based fundraising looked less like crowdfunding and

more like capital campaigns

Technology altered how fundraisers learned about organizations how they communicated with them and how they raised funds from their friends and family to support those organizations

While we braced for Y2K in the late 1990s a few significant things

happened that would eventually bring the focus back to crowdfunding

First peer-to-peer fundraising software was introduced and for those of

us raising money through runs walks and rides it changed everything

Technology altered how fundraisers learned about organizations how

they communicated with them and how they raised funds from their

friends and family to support those organizations

These two types of fundraising platforms flourished on parallel

tracksmdashpeer-to-peer fundraising mainly benefiting the overall mission

of particular nonprofits and crowdfunding providing support to creative

and business ventures Though very similar concepts crowdfunding

and fundraising sometimes run contrary to one another Several major

crowdfunding sites go so far as to ban nonprofits from raising funds on

their websites On the other side of that spectrum are sites that allow

individuals to raise money for just about any event or circumstance

Crowdfunding and more traditional fundraising are starting to

converge in a big way and we stand on the precipice of a major

change in nonprofit funding ( Tweet this) More than ever before

donors expect to see actual accomplishments as a result of their

gifts and are much less interested in allowing nonprofit executives to

determine how their gifts should be used Herersquos how your nonprofit can

be prepared for this major shakeup

Remember your organization doesnrsquot always know best

For years we have worshipped at the altar of the unrestricted gift

As the experts nonprofit executives and board members have determined



how and when funds should be spent With the rise of crowdfunding

donors want to know more about the specific projects they support

This makes some nonprofits very nervous as donors may feel more

directly connected to project-based fundraising even though their gift

isnrsquot necessarily going to do as much good Try as we may we canrsquot

educate donors to give to our cause in a way that we think best

Todayrsquos donors not only demand transparency but they also want to

be actively involved in how their donation helps Traditional fundraising

and more project-based fundraising can happily coexist Successful

organizations welcome donors who demand crowdfunding style project-

based campaigns and include these sorts of efforts in their strategic plans

Doctors Without Borders caught onto this trend years ago According to

The Chronicle of Philanthropyrsquos Philanthropy 400 after requesting gifts

to support relief efforts for the South Asian tsunami of 2004 Doctors

Without Bordersreg actually started turning gifts down after it raised the

amount of money required to finish its work To this day the organization

offers to return donations if the gift is no longer needed to fund the

project the donor intended Now that is the type of accountability and

transparency todayrsquos donor is seeking

Embrace impulse giving

Have you ever bought more than you intended at the grocery store

purchased a new pair of jeans that you really didnrsquot need or booked a

vacation on a whim Wersquore all familiar with impulse shopping but did

you know that donating can be done on impulse too Most people

donrsquot wake up in the morning with an intense desire to make

a donation but sometimes before the day is over a donation

is made For example a friend asks for a gift to support a charity

marathon shersquos running in and you make a donation you drop some

change into a donation bucket as you leave the grocery store or you see

a post on Facebookreg that moved you to make a monthly gift

The growth of crowdfunding has caused the popularity of impulse giving to increase and is now becoming the norm in fundraising

Many impulse gifts are made without having previous knowledge of the

organization or cause Most gifts made through peer-to-peer campaigns



are impulse gifts ( Tweet this) Loyalty to the friend or family member

drives the donation not necessarily the allure of the cause or the good

work that is being done Gifts to project-based fundraising can also be

impulse gifts driven by an immediate emotional connection to the cause

The growth of crowdfunding has caused the popularity of impulse

giving to increase and is now becoming the norm in fundraising

Using the lessons learned from crowdfunding successful nonprofits are

encouraging impulse giving through emotional connection and project-

based fundraising For example the United Jewish Foundation saw a

60 increase in donations in 2014 according to the Philanthropy 400

The organization credits much of its success to building a team aimed at

catering to donorsrsquo desires to support specific projects in addition to the

annual campaigns


Deliver on your mission and show your impact

Todayrsquos donors arenrsquot interested in vague mission statements and

ambiguous goals They want specifics Though storytelling is extremely

helpful to secure smaller impulse gifts through emotional connection

consistently sharing data and real results can catapult an organization

into double-digit revenue growth

To achieve fundraising goals organizations should consider the

marketing implications of catering to donors driven by impulse and

donors driven by loyalty A study conducted by Dean Karlan an

economist at Yale University showed that donors who gave more than

$100 in the past were more likely to give again when exposed to specific

data about the impact of their gifts Donors who gave less than $100 in

the past were actually less likely to give again when presented with the

same information This study highlights the need to carefully segment

your messaging based on amount and type of gift

There is a subtle but extremely important difference between showing

impact and having impact Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centerrsquos

Cycle for Survival has raised $82 million since 2007 and much of its

meteoric growth can be attributed to its dedication to showing and

having impact The nonprofitrsquos marketing pieces donrsquot just tell us that it

funds research studies and clinical trials for rare cancers Instead they

do two critical things to drive impulse and loyalty giving

First Memorial Sloan-Kettering gets specific about impact ( Tweet

this) It shows how much of the money raised will be earmarked to fund

each specific type of programmdashpancreatic cancer molecular oncology

sarcoma and other programs It talks about each individual research

project at length and in-depth

Second the organization diversifies its giving by reversing their impact

narrative for certain project-based initiatives Instead of asking for a

donation and then later explaining what the donations helped fund they

tell donors up front exactly where their gifts are going Last year they

asked donors to crowdfund a $1 million DNA sequencer and succeeded

Though project-based crowdfunding and mission-supportive fundraising

have existed somewhat separately over the past century they are now

intertwined The nonprofits that will emerge as front-runners over the

next decade will be those that recognize this shift before itrsquos too late



While imitation might be the most sincere form of flattery itrsquos not the

right strategy for creating a new fundraising program or updating an

existing one I often hear things like ldquoI love that organizationrsquos program

website and emails Letrsquos just do what itrsquos doingrdquo But itrsquos important to

remember therersquos a big difference between copying and borrowing

Borrowing is great and itrsquos actually a best practice We borrow ideas

every day When you borrow an idea you add yourself to it Your

thoughts plans and designs make the idea yours ( Tweet this)

Mark Ronson DJ and music producer gave a great TED Talk about

how sampling songs transformed music His talk takes the viewer on a

musical journey explaining how borrowing sounds isnrsquot about laziness

Instead itrsquos about taking something building on it and making it new

Before joining Blackbaud I worked at Share Our Strengthreg and

managed a fabulous fundraising program called Great American Bake

Sale Like most peer-to-peer fundraising programs we had a conversion

problem Individuals would sign up with the best intentions to plan a

bake sale to raise money to end childhood hunger in America But good

intentions donrsquot always equal follow through

As the program manager it was my job to come up with a solution

to our follow-through issue I felt something was missing from the

program but I couldnrsquot put my finger on it I looked at everything all our

program materials messaging fundraising performance feedback from

participants and laid every item out on the conference room table Then

I stepped back and looked at it all piece by piece Thatrsquos when I realized

what was missingmdashthe Eureka moment I realized the program didnrsquot

have a true sense of belonging of connection The programrsquos flexibility

made it appealing to participants but the message was too vague Bake

sale participants needed a stronger call to action While we wanted to

maintain the programrsquos anytime independence we needed to create

a Great American Bake Sale moment We needed a call-to-arms for

bakers who wanted to help end childhood hunger in America

With this in mind National Bake Sale Week was created I borrowed

the concept of Team Week often used to rally teams to register and

FALLACY 4

Just hit Ctrl + C By Amy Braiterman



fundraise for traditional peer-to-peer fundraising programs like walks or

rides and remixed it to fit the needs of the Great American Bake Sale

National Bake Sale Week was something we made up but it wasnrsquot a

completely new idea We took an idea that existed and reworked it to fit

the programrsquos needs We needed more people hosting bake sales we

needed more people raising money earlier in the year we needed more

people to sign up to participatemdashwith these needs in mind we borrowed

an idea and made it our own

So whatrsquos the difference between copying and borrowing When you

copy an idea you miss the step where you make the idea uniquemdash

showcasing what makes your organization different and your mission

important You also miss out on identifying your needs and goals

Organizations are not interchangeable fundraising programs are not

interchangeable and missions are not interchangeable Copying doesnrsquot

work because wersquore not interchangeable

The next time you feel the urge to copy an idea stop Instead identify what

you like about the idea or concept Ask these questions

bull Why did it speak to you

bull What drew you in

bull Are there elements that could work for your fundraising program

bull What doesnrsquot work for your program and organization

bull Would this idea resonate with supporters

bull If you added this to a program what would be the goal

bull Is this helping to solve a challenge

When you think yoursquore done asking questions keep asking them Take

the time to think about what you could potentially add and why Think

about the need or void yoursquore filling the goals you could meet and risks

that might be involved When itrsquos all said and done yoursquoll have a new

idea that will fit your programrsquos needs As Mark Ronson said in his TED

Talk ldquoIn music we take something we love and build on itrdquo We do

the same thing in fundraisingmdashwe take something we love and make it

our own



Earlier we debunked the fallacy that participants know they are supposed

to fundraise Helping participants become more effective fundraisers

starts with messaging Somehow nonprofit jargon has made it onto our

websites email communications and online fundraising badges

Wersquore not sure how this happened but wersquore willing to bet that it has

something to do with fundraising bias driving the decision making Now

that wersquove tackled our bias itrsquos time to cut the jargon start talking like

regular people and develop messaging that is clear and gets straight to

the point

Before we get into the fun letrsquos define jargon so wersquore all on the same

page Herersquos how dictionarycom defines jargon

Jargon

1 The language especially the vocabulary

peculiar to a particular trade profession or group

2 Meaningless talk or writing gibberish

Our favorite is ldquomeaningless talk or writingrdquo We also refer to jargon

as nonprofit speak meaning words we use in our internal nonprofit

meetings that end up in our messaging

To help rid the fundraising world of meaningless jargon wersquove developed

a Hot or Not List of common words and phrases to know when

speaking to donors Letrsquos get into it

FALLACY 5

Our fundraising messaging is clear and concise By Amy Braiterman and Shana Masterson



Jargon Not Hot1 Self-Donor

Self-Donation

This term is definitely a Not Yes we want

our participants to be donors But what

does self-donor even mean We may refer to

participants as self-donors when planning the

event but cut this term from your vernacular

and your fundraising messaging entirely Stop

leaving participants wondering what it means

to be a self-donor

Just ask them to be a donor or make

a donation

2 Log into the Participant Center

This phrase is another jargon Not Do

participants understand that logging into

the Participant Center is the area on the

website that allows them to fundraise online

We donrsquot think so It might help to change

the name to Your Fundraising Center or

something more descriptive

Use words like ldquoyourrdquo or ldquomyrdquo to indicate

to participants that this Fundraising

Center belongs to them Kudos to the

American Diabetes Associationreg We love

Your Step Out Center

3 Update your personal page

This phrase is a Not This doesnrsquot mean

anything to your participants Remember

stating the obvious is OK We should be more

specific with our asks so wersquore more likely to

get the results we want

Ask participants to personalize their

fundraising web page with a photo

and story

4 Share your story In theory this phrase makes more sense

than asking participants to update their

page but itrsquos also intimidating and

overwhelming Thatrsquos why wersquore calling it a

Not Someone may feel like they donrsquot have a

great story but everyone has a reason

for fundraising

Try something like ldquoTell us why yoursquore

walkingrdquo You can also layer this idea into

different parts of the online experience

Reiterating this language will help

participants become more comfortable

with sharing why theyrsquore participating

or fundraising

5 Email Sender This term is another Not We often use this

when awarding participants with a badge on

their personal page for sending email appeals

Personal page visitors do not know what it

means to send emails

Be simple Use language such as ldquoI asked

for donationsrdquo

The Jargon Hot or Not List



Jargon Not Hot6 One in five emails

result in a donation

This statement has crept into coaching

emails and is now a Not We get it yoursquore

trying to encourage participants to send

a lot of emails But yoursquore actually telling

participants 80 of their emails are going to

fail Our suggestion is to cut this language

altogether Remove it from your emails your

website and all of your messaging

Motivate participants with easy

tasks ask them to email five friends

about fundraising

7 Participants who fundraise online and offline raise more money

This saying is a Not Participants donrsquot think

about fundraising like we do They donrsquot

separate their fundraising activities into

online and offline Itrsquos all the same to them

so letrsquos keep it simple

Share real success stories about people

who raised money via email This will

encourage your participants and show

them that there are multiple ways to raise

money and email is one of them

8 The average participant receives three donations

This statistical phrase is a Not Even though

this information makes fundraising less

intimidating the participant canrsquot do anything

with it

If you going to use messaging like

thismdashmake it sizzle Add more context

Tell participants that theyrsquore going to

be awesome and set a goal for them to

receive five donations

9 Host an event Sounds straightforward and self-explanatory

to you right Well thatrsquos why itrsquos a Not Itrsquos

too vague What kind of event When and

where should the event be How many

people should attend The list of questions

goes on and on

Provide your supporters with specific

prescriptive messaging about the types

of events they can hold to raise money




CONCLUSION

The most important job of a consultant is to

challenge conventional thought Wersquore brought in to

provide fresh eyes and insight to help you achieve

and exceed your organizational goals We hope

wersquove done our jobs and cleared the path for new

ideas (maybe some borrowed ones) to take shape

and flourish in your fundraising programs

Thomas J Watson chairman and chief executive

officer of IBM once said ldquoIf you want to increase

your success rate double your failure raterdquo What

a great quote right While no one sets out to

fail we can learn so much from our failed or

flawed strategies They lead to creative inventive

and prosperous ideas and plans Take a risk try

something new What do you have to lose

( Tweet this)

On your journey filled with new ideas and attempts

remember the fundraising fallacies discussed

here and yoursquoll be stronger smarter and more

transparent fundraisers Your supporters and donors

will appreciate your honesty and yoursquoll build stronger

relationships which lead to long-lasting loyal

support and a better chance to further

your mission

Why stop now Make the most of your efforts

by checking out some of our resources

Tap into the crowd to expand your reach Visit

us online to learn more about how TeamRaiserreg

can support your efforts to increase revenue and

awareness for your cause

Join the Blackbaud Community online Get updates

on the latest trends best practices and need-to-

know news at npENGAGEcom You can also stay

connected with us on our Facebookreg page and

Twitterreg feed

Need help Our team of experienced fundraising

experts can work with you remix your current

fundraising programs or develop a new fundraising

program to meet your goals

18

copy February 2016 Blackbaud Inc

This white paper is for informational purposes only

Blackbaud makes no warranties expressed or

implied in this summary The information contained

in this document represents the current view of

Blackbaud Inc on the items discussed as of the

date of this publication

All Blackbaud product names appearing herein are

trademarks or registered trademarks of Blackbaud

Inc The names of actual companies and products

mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their

respective owners


About Blackbaud

Serving the worldwide philanthropic community for 35 years Blackbaud (NASDAQ BLKB) combines innovative software services and

expertise to help organizations achieve their missions Blackbaud works in over 60 countries to power the passion of approximately 35000

customers including nonprofits K-12 private and higher education institutions healthcare organizations corporations foundations and

other charitable giving entities The company offers a full spectrum of cloud and on-premise solutions as well as a resource network

that empowers and connects organizations of all sizes Blackbaudrsquos portfolio of software and services supports nonprofit fundraising and

relationship management eMarketing advocacy accounting payments and analytics as well as grant management corporate social

responsibility and education Organizations use Blackbaud technology to raise invest manage and award more than $100 billion each year

Recognized as a top company Blackbaud is headquartered in Charleston South Carolina and has operations in the United States Australia

Canada Ireland and the United Kingdom For more information visit wwwblackbaudcom

copy2016 | BLACKBAUD INC T 8004439441 E solutionsblackbaudcom W wwwblackbaudcom

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORSAmy Braiterman

Consulting Manager

Amy leads a team of digital marketing and fundraising consultants who

partner with clients to increase organization revenue and maximize use

of the Luminate Onlinetrade Her team of experts take a data-first approach

to all client projects analyzing overall program performance constituent

behavior and use of online tools to develop innovative fundraising plans

Prior to joining Blackbaud Amy earned her fundraising stripes creating

and managing fundraising programs for The Leukemia amp Lymphoma

Societyreg Alzheimerrsquos Associationreg and Share Our Strengthreg When

Amyrsquos not cheering for her favorite football team the Baltimore Ravens

or leading a talented team of fundraising experts she shares her

fundraising know-how with clients like American Heart Associationreg

The Salvation Armyreg Childrenrsquos Hospital Colorado Foundation Autism

Speaksreg and more Check out Amyrsquos blog on npENGAGEcom

Shana Masterson

Principal Strategy Consultant

Shana has been fundraising since 2001 and has a unique skillset as a

peer-to-peer fundraiser and a technologist Her expertise allows her to

focus on maximizing peer-to-peer campaign revenue through success

planning roadmapping communication calendaring configuration

recommendations and more Prior to joining Blackbaud Shana led the

American Diabetes Associationrsquosreg online fundraising and communication

strategy for the national special events team Shersquos also worked hard to

raise funds for the National Brain Tumor Societyreg the American Cancer

Societyreg and the Muscular Dystrophy Associationreg

Today Shana helps Susan G Komen for the Curereg Canadian

Cancer Society National Multiple Sclerosis Societyreg Cleveland Clinic

Foundationreg Lupus Foundation of Americatrade and other Blackbaud

customers achieve their peer-to-peer fundraising goals Check out

Shanarsquos blog on npENGAGEcom



CONTENTS3 If itrsquos new it must be innovative

5 Participants know theyrsquore supposed to raise money for an event

8 Crowdfunding and fundraising are two distinct things

12 Just hit Ctrl + C

14 Our fundraising messaging is clear and concise

17 Conclusion

18 About the Contributors

18 About Blackbaud

CONTRIBUTORS

Authors Amy Braiterman

Consulting Manager Blackbaud abraiterman

Shana Masterson

Principal Strategy Consultant Blackbaud npshana

Edited by Meredith Jones

Cover art and book design by Carlton Swift

INTRODUCTION

ldquoWhat do you do for a livingrdquo

I bet yoursquove heard that question a time or two

Whether at a dinner party or on a first date it seems

like you canrsquot have a conversation without talking

about work Itrsquos become the ldquogo-tordquo topic Itrsquos part of

our culture

I asked my partner in excellence for this paper

Shana Masterson how she responds to this question

She usually replies ldquoI help nonprofit organizations

optimize their fundraising programs to fund their

missions Irsquom passionate about the intersection of

technology and fundraising Itrsquos an important factor

driving growth for nonprofit organizationsrdquo

So what do I say when Irsquom asked the same

question Well I spend my days analyzing the

business and fundraising practices of nonprofit

organizations to help them meet their goals both

revenue and mission related Itrsquos a pretty cool gig

Shana and I decided to combine our skills and

passion for helping nonprofits succeed by debunking

some common fallacies wersquove heard from various

organizations over the years We all know that

testing new things and learning from them is key

to moving forward towards your goals We hope

that by revealing the truth behind peer-to-peer

fundraising yoursquoll be inspired to refine and remix

your current fundraising practices So sit back

relax and keep an open mind








have list





















FALLACY 1









improvements























































it through

























we asked




FALLACY 2



20

5

22

15

9

No one asked me




Other






seems so obvious









































12

13

32

1

1

17

Work asked me to

Other



To earn a prize





















added an R and L




donations rise


28

37

35

2

32

61

2

3



Other




































FALLACY 3
























































































annual campaigns









































































FALLACY 4



































our own











the point



Jargon










FALLACY 5





Self-Donation








to be a self-donor


a donation






















and story







for fundraising







or fundraising







for donationsrdquo
















about fundraising
















with it











goes on and on







CONCLUSION
















( Tweet this)








your mission











Twitterreg feed





18












respective owners


About Blackbaud












Consulting Manager














Shana Masterson























have list





















FALLACY 1









improvements























































it through

























we asked




FALLACY 2



20

5

22

15

9

No one asked me




Other






seems so obvious









































12

13

32

1

1

17

Work asked me to

Other



To earn a prize





















added an R and L




donations rise


28

37

35

2

32

61

2

3



Other




































FALLACY 3
























































































annual campaigns









































































FALLACY 4



































our own











the point



Jargon










FALLACY 5





Self-Donation








to be a self-donor


a donation






















and story







for fundraising







or fundraising







for donationsrdquo
















about fundraising
















with it











goes on and on







CONCLUSION
















( Tweet this)








your mission











Twitterreg feed





18












respective owners


About Blackbaud












Consulting Manager














Shana Masterson























improvements























































it through

























we asked




FALLACY 2



20

5

22

15

9

No one asked me




Other






seems so obvious









































12

13

32

1

1

17

Work asked me to

Other



To earn a prize





















added an R and L




donations rise


28

37

35

2

32

61

2

3



Other




































FALLACY 3
























































































annual campaigns









































































FALLACY 4



































our own











the point



Jargon










FALLACY 5





Self-Donation








to be a self-donor


a donation






















and story







for fundraising







or fundraising







for donationsrdquo
















about fundraising
















with it











goes on and on







CONCLUSION
















( Tweet this)








your mission











Twitterreg feed





18












respective owners


About Blackbaud












Consulting Manager














Shana Masterson




































we asked




FALLACY 2



20

5

22

15

9

No one asked me




Other






seems so obvious









































12

13

32

1

1

17

Work asked me to

Other



To earn a prize





















added an R and L




donations rise


28

37

35

2

32

61

2

3



Other




































FALLACY 3
























































































annual campaigns









































































FALLACY 4



































our own











the point



Jargon










FALLACY 5





Self-Donation








to be a self-donor


a donation






















and story







for fundraising







or fundraising







for donationsrdquo
















about fundraising
















with it











goes on and on







CONCLUSION
















( Tweet this)








your mission











Twitterreg feed





18












respective owners


About Blackbaud












Consulting Manager














Shana Masterson




















seems so obvious









































12

13

32

1

1

17

Work asked me to

Other



To earn a prize





















added an R and L




donations rise


28

37

35

2

32

61

2

3



Other




































FALLACY 3
























































































annual campaigns









































































FALLACY 4



































our own











the point



Jargon










FALLACY 5





Self-Donation








to be a self-donor


a donation






















and story







for fundraising







or fundraising







for donationsrdquo
















about fundraising
















with it











goes on and on







CONCLUSION
















( Tweet this)








your mission











Twitterreg feed





18












respective owners


About Blackbaud












Consulting Manager














Shana Masterson


































added an R and L




donations rise


28

37

35

2

32

61

2

3



Other




































FALLACY 3
























































































annual campaigns









































































FALLACY 4



































our own











the point



Jargon










FALLACY 5





Self-Donation








to be a self-donor


a donation






















and story







for fundraising







or fundraising







for donationsrdquo
















about fundraising
















with it











goes on and on







CONCLUSION
















( Tweet this)








your mission











Twitterreg feed





18












respective owners


About Blackbaud












Consulting Manager














Shana Masterson












































FALLACY 3
























































































annual campaigns









































































FALLACY 4



































our own











the point



Jargon










FALLACY 5





Self-Donation








to be a self-donor


a donation






















and story







for fundraising







or fundraising







for donationsrdquo
















about fundraising
















with it











goes on and on







CONCLUSION
















( Tweet this)








your mission











Twitterreg feed





18












respective owners


About Blackbaud












Consulting Manager














Shana Masterson






































































































annual campaigns









































































FALLACY 4



































our own











the point



Jargon










FALLACY 5





Self-Donation








to be a self-donor


a donation






















and story







for fundraising







or fundraising







for donationsrdquo
















about fundraising
















with it











goes on and on







CONCLUSION
















( Tweet this)








your mission











Twitterreg feed





18












respective owners


About Blackbaud












Consulting Manager














Shana Masterson

































































annual campaigns









































































FALLACY 4



































our own











the point



Jargon










FALLACY 5





Self-Donation








to be a self-donor


a donation






















and story







for fundraising







or fundraising







for donationsrdquo
















about fundraising
















with it











goes on and on







CONCLUSION
















( Tweet this)








your mission











Twitterreg feed





18












respective owners


About Blackbaud












Consulting Manager














Shana Masterson






























annual campaigns









































































FALLACY 4



































our own











the point



Jargon










FALLACY 5





Self-Donation








to be a self-donor


a donation






















and story







for fundraising







or fundraising







for donationsrdquo
















about fundraising
















with it











goes on and on







CONCLUSION
















( Tweet this)








your mission











Twitterreg feed





18












respective owners


About Blackbaud












Consulting Manager














Shana Masterson



















































FALLACY 4



































our own











the point



Jargon










FALLACY 5





Self-Donation








to be a self-donor


a donation






















and story







for fundraising







or fundraising







for donationsrdquo
















about fundraising
















with it











goes on and on







CONCLUSION
















( Tweet this)








your mission











Twitterreg feed





18












respective owners


About Blackbaud












Consulting Manager














Shana Masterson

















































our own











the point



Jargon










FALLACY 5





Self-Donation








to be a self-donor


a donation






















and story







for fundraising







or fundraising







for donationsrdquo
















about fundraising
















with it











goes on and on







CONCLUSION
















( Tweet this)








your mission











Twitterreg feed





18












respective owners


About Blackbaud












Consulting Manager














Shana Masterson


























the point



Jargon










FALLACY 5





Self-Donation








to be a self-donor


a donation






















and story







for fundraising







or fundraising







for donationsrdquo
















about fundraising
















with it











goes on and on







CONCLUSION
















( Tweet this)








your mission











Twitterreg feed





18












respective owners


About Blackbaud












Consulting Manager














Shana Masterson



















Self-Donation








to be a self-donor


a donation






















and story







for fundraising







or fundraising







for donationsrdquo
















about fundraising
















with it











goes on and on







CONCLUSION
















( Tweet this)








your mission











Twitterreg feed





18












respective owners


About Blackbaud












Consulting Manager














Shana Masterson






























about fundraising
















with it











goes on and on







CONCLUSION
















( Tweet this)








your mission











Twitterreg feed





18












respective owners


About Blackbaud












Consulting Manager














Shana Masterson


















CONCLUSION
















( Tweet this)








your mission











Twitterreg feed





18












respective owners


About Blackbaud












Consulting Manager














Shana Masterson
















18












respective owners


About Blackbaud












Consulting Manager














Shana Masterson
















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