Essentials of Fundraising with eTapestry

Pam Dechert, CFRE Senior Consultant

What are the essentials of successful fundraising?

What are the keys to successful fundraising?

How is fundraising doing?

Tools in eTapestry to more effectively build relationships and raise more money for your annual fund.

Today’s session will cover:

But ultimately successful fundraising comes down to:

A compelling, strong, passionate mission your donors connect with;

A relational approach to your donors (it’s about relationships, not numbers or money)

A vigorous relationship-building program (which implies the use of multiple strategies), and

An understanding of the connection between fundraising and every other function of your organization.

We’ve all got an opinion on this…

2012 CHARITABLE GIVING TRENDS

MULTI CHANNEL AND MULTI GENERATIONAL IS THE NEW NORM…BUT

Annual giving – essentials of fundraising success start here

• New donors start out by giving to your annual fund

• It is the beginning of donor loyalty (or not)

• It reaches the largest group of individuals

• New donors and multi year donors will increase overall fundraising

HOW ARE YOUR RELATIONSHIPS?

2012 FEP Report Takeaways:

For the first time since 2007, the net giving level was positive and stands in stark contrast to 2009 during the recession, when the net giving level was $19—that is, for every $100 a charity gained, it lost $119.

In 2011, the net giving level was $0, meaning charities lost $100 for every $100 gained. BUT:

For every $100 you gained in 2012 from new donors & returning donors, you lost an average of $96 from lapsed donors and smaller gifts from current donors.

Fundraising Effectiveness Project: You are or should be opted in!

FEP – OPT IN

Annual giving – where it all begins• New donors start out by giving to your

annual fund

• It is the beginning of donor loyalty (or not)

• It reaches the largest group of individuals

• New donors and multi year donors will increase overall fundraising

HOW’S YOUR RELATIONSHIP?• What is your retention rate?• What is your average gift?• What is your upgrade/downgrade rate?• How do you compare do yourself and others?• Do you have a goal to increase retention and donor loyalty?• How well do you know these donors?• What is a loyal donor?

HOW ARE YOUR RELATIONSHIPS?

Do you Benchmark?

HOW ARE YOUR RELATIONSHIPS?

DONOR RENEWAL AND GIVING DYNAMICS

CAMPAIGN & APPROACH ANALYSIS

CONSECUTIVE MONTHS AND YEARS

BUILT IN AND CUSTOM QUERIES TO USE• Built in:• LYBUNT/SYBUNT• Top Donor

• Custom: All new donors to the Annual Campaign• Compound query of all first time donors to your Annual Campaign• All donors this week and subtract out• All donations before this week

HOW DO WE USE THESE TO IMPROVE RELATIONSHIPS AND RESULTS?

• Set realistic fundraising goals and donor retention rate goals

• What if you increase donor retention by 4%,6%,10%?• Measureable by quarter• Set regular communications with these constituents

HOW DO WE USE THESE TO IMPROVE RELATIONSHIPS AND RESULTS?

• Based on these queries & reports; create custom queries to identify key donors to communicate with and thank for upgraded gift, new gifts, downgraded gifts.

• Use Mass Update to mass add contacts• Use Custom Account query to add calendar items

• Segment thank you’s and communications based on these.• New donor thank you and welcome to your group• Thank you for being a loyal donor letter• Thank you for increasing your supports • Thank you for coming back and supporting us again• Communicate how their money is making a difference

How’s your relationship?What is the minimum data you require for:• A donor record

• Salutations• Address, City, State• Account Type needs to be REQUIRED

• Gift Entry• Campaign & Approach needs to be

REQUIRED

How’s your relationship?• Donor Profile:

• What do you know about the relationship?• What do know about the donor?• Do you set regular communications with each donor and track them

in the donor’s record?• Do you track your informal communication?• Do you regularly do NCOA updates? • Do you track volunteering?• Do you target any of these donors to build a great profile? 10, 20?

• Ask board and staff about information, birthday, interest in your group.

• Informal and Formal research? Do you assign staff donors to manage or to research?

• Do we ask them their preferences? Why not?

How’s the relationship?

How’s the relationship?

Use eTap mobile to add a donor contact!Use Quick Entry when you are back in the office!

How’s the relationship?

How’s the relationship?Use your dashboard to manage it, remind and build those relationships!

How’s the relationship?• Queries and Reports on the dashboard• Calendar of Relationship to do’s• Progress and donors to communicate with

To sum up on essentials of fundraising success

• Starts with building loyalty and Annual Giving

• You need a healthy relationship that is built on your mission AND solid data, analysis, communication to keep and build a strong donor base that knows you make a difference with their help and giving.

• Use the tools in eTapestry to track, build and maintain those relationships that lead to fundraising success!

Speaker Follow-up Slide

pam.dechert@Blackbaud.com

317.819.7529

For more information, resources, and conversations, visit:

blackbaud.com/research

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