There is no question that all of us who work with museums and other cultural institutions with membership bases are in unchartered waters with the coronavirus and the economic uncertainty it is causing. Organizations are juggling countless priorities to make sure their staffs and volunteers are safe while struggling to make decisions around business continuity. What do you do about membership renewals when your museum, zoo, science center or theater is closed for an unknowable amount of time?    

There is no question that all of us who raise funds for animal welfare organizations are in unchartered waters with the coronavirus and the economic uncertainty it is causing. Organizations are juggling countless priorities to make sure their staffs and volunteers are safe and that the animals continue to receive optimal care. And, they are struggling to make decisions around business continuity, including fundraising plans. Events are being cancelled or postponed resulting in a significant loss of revenue.

There is no question that we, who work in the non-profit world, are in unchartered waters with the coronavirus and the economic uncertainty it is causing. We’ve heard over and over from clients that they are struggling to make decisions because the situation is changing minute by minute. 

When meeting with non-profit clients for the first time, I am often surprised by how many development officers are still talking about how much money they raised with their last fundraising appeal or event.

In our previous article, “You have to know your donors to engage them,” we outlined the data points needed to build the emotional connections with your donors that lead to increased ROI for your fundraising. Many of those points can be found in your existing donor data, or through data appends, but some points will require primary research. In this article, we outline how to design research to be useful in creating more relevant and meaningful communications. 

Most fundraisers are familiar with the idea that it’s less expensive to keep a donor than to find a new one. And many are aware about how to retain donors: they need to build strong connections between the charity and the donor. In the past, charities have focused on the importance of making rational, deliberate appeals on the assumption that donors made rational, deliberate decisions when giving. 

CHALLENGE:
A 1,200% increase in net proceeds may not seem possible, but that’s exactly what we helped the Detroit Zoo achieve over a five-year period through a more efficient and targeted marketing program.

The results of appeal season are in for Children’s Leukemia Foundation of Michigan (CLFM) and the impact of a new approach has been dramatic.

Every announcement by a new administration about plans to reform the tax law is met with a certain amount of trepidation by charitable organizations of all sizes. But, the reality is that most individual donors don’t give for the tax break. A tax break is a welcome benefit, but most donors give because they believe in the cause, want to help or were asked by someone they know to donate.

There’s so much uncertainty surrounding the impact the new Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will have on individual giving, that many of our non-profit clients are asking for advice on how to plan their fundraising activities for the coming years.