Appeals to make a contribution to a local charity arrive in my mailbox daily. Some appeals arrive and this is the only time I’ve heard from the organization this year. Those are the letters that make their way immediately to the recycle container. I’m not invested in their success because I simply don’t know enough about what is going on with them all year long.
Appeals that are meaningful to me contain a short client story or a personal note at the bottom that speaks directly to me … not just a canned trite phrase that I know every letter is getting. And although I won’t be supporting all of the appeals with a financial contribution this year, I have been challenged to decide which ones really do matter to me, because I know the relevance of the work being done and the organization has done a great job of keeping me updated about what is happening throughout the year.
There are two articles I’ve come across this week that may be helpful to remind us all about what to be doing now and always to keep donors connected to your organization.
- The first article, Tips for Turbulent Times by Robert F. Sharpe, mentions placing more emphasis on “making the thank” than “making the ask” right now especially with long-time donors.
Check out this article at sharpenet.com.
- The second article you may find helpful is Fundraising Opportunities In A Changing Economic Climate: Strategies for Short-term and Long-term Dividends found on the Graham-Pelton website. The article has a great graphic on the history of giving for the last 40 years and a list of twelve strategies you can employ right now to keep your fundraising goals on track.
Happy and prosperous holidays to you!
