Let’s continue thinking about our fall/year-end giving. See Part 1 HERE.
STAY UPBEAT, EVEN IF THE NEWS IS NOT. The fall/year-end is an ideal time to highlight the beneficial impact your mission has had all year long, especially at the end of a tumultuous year. Focus on how your donor’s gifts make a difference.
Most donors don’t give to support your organization, they give to people! Your gifts will increase if your fundraising talks about the people and community you are serving.
Keep this in mind when communicating:
- 45% of each communication should be about the donor
- 45% should be about the beneficiaries
- 10% about the organization
Fall/year-end appeal messaging should get to the heart of why you exist and why it relies on donors’ support. Tell high-impact stories that really exemplify the ground-level work your church or organization is doing.
Share strong photos and stories to stand out. You may be tempted to share data as a benchmark of success: the number of people served, how many children participated in your after-school program, or how many meals were delivered. While statistics are helpful internally, when speaking to supporters, it’s much more relatable and memorable for a donor or potential donor to read about someone’s experience with your church or non profit and how they’ve benefited from it.
A good visual brings every gift very close to your cause!
Be authentic. Authenticity is paramount to break through the clutter of the many fundraising messages individuals receive. Hundreds of charities will be competing to raise money this fall/years-end, but a personal touch demonstrates that your church, nonprofit, or school has prioritized its relationship with its donors.
People are looking for meaning, purpose, and connection, and you can’t communicate that in a contrived way. Anything that includes a message in your own handwriting makes a big impact.
DON’T GO IT ALONE. Involve others who are passionate about your mission to work together in preparing for and implementing your appeals.
The most successful appeals bring together communicators, finance people, staff, and volunteers to make sure everyone is united in the organization’s messaging. You need to collaborate internally and get more than one person, one voice, excited about your appeals. It builds up confidence when donors see that there are many invested in “building up” your mission.
Working with a small team is more effective because collaboration brings diverse perspectives and skills, which can significantly enhance the creativity and quality of an appeal. Each team member can contribute their unique strengths, whether it is in marketing, design, communication, or strategy, leading to a more comprehensive and refined appeal.
A small team allows for the distribution of tasks, ensuring that no single person is overwhelmed. It also fosters accountability, as each member is responsible for their part, ensuring that deadlines are met and the planning and implementation stay on track.
Finally, having a small team increases the potential for networking and reaching out to contacts, as each member can leverage their relationships to widen the appeal’s reach. This collective effort enhances the chances of a successful fundraising appeal/campaign, making it more effective than a solo endeavor.
REMEMBER WHY YOU’RE DOING THIS WORK. It may feel like a lot of pressure to have a really successful appeal. It’s important to stay positive, be patient, build your stamina up, and not become exhausted trying to reach your goals.
Take time at the beginning when preparing for your appeal to reconnect with your mission. Share testimonies among yourselves. Talk about the ways your church or organization is doing valuable work. If things don’t go exactly as planned, the collective internal motivation will help you not to panic.
Remind yourself why your work is important to you…that will drive you and help you get through when you are working so hard.
John V. Clark, President/Partner
The James Company
(815) 353-8997
Email: jclark@jamescompany.com
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