Everything Tom Ahern Has Learned

Everything Tom Ahern Has Learned

9/25/14 1pm EDT

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Before We Get Started3

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Today’s Guest -‐ Tom Ahern3

Tom is considered one of the world’s top authorities on donor communications, consulting on and writing cases, direct mail, donor newsletters, and charitable bequests. !He specializes in applying the discoveries of psychology and neuroscience to the day-‐to-‐day business of inspiring and retaining donors. He’s written five well-‐received how-‐to books, with more in the pipeline. !His clients include the Sharp hospital system in San Diego; the Alberta Cancer Foundation; Bow Valley College; the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative; the Museum of Flight; the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation; the University of Chicago; Plan International; Save the Children; and SOS Children’s Villages worldwide, as well as many smaller and local nonprofits.

For audio, dial +1 (312) 702-‐1380 | use the pin 732552#

© 2014 Tom Ahern | www.AHERNCOMM.com

Bloomerang Presents Everything Tom

Ahern Has Learned

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The biggest almost untapped opportunity for bringing in MORE GIVING to your

charity is through your donor communications.

5© 2014 Tom Ahern | www.AHERNCOMM.com

© 2014 Tom Ahern | www.AHERNCOMM.com 6

How great the ORGANIZATION is = $4,470 in gifts


CORPORATE communications

DONOR communications

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How great the ORGANIZATION is = $4,470 in gifts


How great the DONOR is = $49,600 in gifts

1,000% IMPROVEMENT!!!

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“Everything I thought I knew ... was wrong!!!”



“Sixty percent of our $10,000+ donors started out as regular direct-mail donors.”

Source: membership director, Heritage Foundation, 2008

“Direct mail is dead!”


“Sixty percent of our $10,000+ donors started out as regular direct-mail donors.”

Source: membership director, Heritage Foundation, 2008

“Direct mail is dead!”

“No. Direct mail can be a major gifts channel!”


2% Online giving in 2013, as a percentage of the whole.

Source: Chronicle of Philanthropy, 2014



“E-zine brought in just under $1k in online gifts. Our print newsletter brings in $20k per issue.”

Rob McCulloch, Ottawa Humane Society, June 2014

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Your new donor newsletter enclosed!


Source: Jeff Brooks, June 2013



“Ugly works. Tacky works. Corny, embarrassing, and messy all work. In print, or in digital.”

Source: Jeff Brooks, Future Fundraising Now, 2014



Source: John Lepp, Agents of Good, 2014

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Source: John Lepp, Agents of Good, 201420


Flesch-Kincaid: 5th grade level Flesch reading ease: 82

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Why was this letter doomed to succeed?




What would your DEMENTED OVERLORDS

disapprove of?




“I have a Ph.D. Therefore, appeal letters over my name cannot use

contractions.”

Dr. Actual Person, College Overlord, Wisconsin, August 2014


Are most donor comms “built to fail?”

[Indisputably.]


70+% of first-time donors in the U.S. do NOT make a second gift.


The story’s about the donor ...every time someone donates to a good cause, they're buying a story, a story that's worth more than the amount they donated. It might be the story of doing the right thing, or fitting in, or pleasing a friend or honoring a memory, but the story has value. For many, it's the story of what it means to be part of a community.

Source: Seth Godin


Pixar Pitch !Once upon a time ________________. Every day, _______________________. One day ______________________. Because of that, ________________. Until finally_____________________.

Source: Daniel Pink, To Sell Is Human, via Joanne Fritz

A donor showed up. Someone JUST like you!


vision enemy hero

servedSource: Stephen Pidgeon and Tangible



!Yes, I donate....

Jane | Age 89 | Widowed32© 2014 Tom Ahern | www.AHERNCOMM.com

Every 15 minutes someone in the UK begins to lose their sight. Today, with your help, we can give them the practical support needed to rebuild their shattered lives.

Source: Stephen Pidgeon and Tangible

Vision

Hero

EnemyServed


hero defeats enemy


donors make sad happy


Source: NYU neuroscientist Joseph LeDoux, in Emotionomics

“Negative emotions are linked to survival – and

are much stronger.”



Angel Aloma, ED, Food for the Poor, a $1 billion-a-year US charity fighting poverty in 17 countries.... !“I went to Holland, to the IFC, to hear a very inspiring American. His name was Tom Ahern. And he truly made me internalize the meaning of donor centricity.”




If there are no problems to solve, donors have

nothing to do.


Donors:Why they’re just not that into you


A lot of charities could be mistaken for

egomaniacs.



ABOUT US

ABOUT US

ABOUT US

ABOUT US

ABOUT USABOUT US

ABOUT US ABOUT US

ABOUT US

ABOUT USABOUT US

ABOUT US

ABOUT US ABOUT US ABOUT US


ABOUT US

ABOUT US

ABOUT US

ABOUT US

ABOUT USABOUT US

ABOUT US ABOUT US

ABOUT US

ABOUT USABOUT US

ABOUT US

ABOUT US ABOUT US ABOUT US

ABOUT THE DONOR


Lucrative donor communications are

about how wonderful the donor is, not the charity.


Communications are a mirror held up to donors. They see themselves in

what you say.


You’re in my home: “Why are you here?”

!

Bad guest or good?


To make ME feel good!!!

Important!

Wanted!

Needed!

Proud of myself!

Happy!

Pleased!

Entertained!Surprised!






Welcome to the family


St. Jude’s welcome package• #10 envelope: THANKS! Your St. Jude welcome materials

are enclosed. • Personalized, one-sided letter (for $10 gift) gushes, “I’ve

just received the marvelous news – you’re the newest member of the St. Jude family.” Marlo Thomas

• P.S.: “I know there are many worthy charities that ask for your help. Please know how honored we are that you’ve chosen to support the work of St. Jude.”

• Inserts: thank you from patient, thank you from parent, small notepad, reply slip with a gentle ask for “extra gift”


Fundraising is sales. You have a customer:

the donor.57© 2014 Tom Ahern | www.AHERNCOMM.com

Why bother? UNhappy customers

give ELSEwhere.


“Please stop staring at my wallet. You’re making me

uncomfortable.”


“Fundraising is NOT about

money.”© 2014 Tom Ahern | www.AHERNCOMM.com

Source: Alan Clayton

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It’s about making your donors happy.


From you.... They want to belong. They want to see their values in action. They want to win! They want to feel good. They want to feel loved. They want to feel smart. They want to feel needed. They want to feel important. They want to feel something.


My free how-to e-newsletter… www.aherncomm.com


I subscribe!

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Questions?

My free how-to e-newsletter… www.aherncomm.com


I subscribe!

65

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Move a First-‐Time Donor to a Major Donor

!Rachel Muir, CFRE

!10/2 -‐ 1pm eastern

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Date post:	29-Nov-2014
Category:	Investor Relations
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Everything Tom Ahern Has Learned

Investor Relations