Donor-Centered

Emotions!!!!!! 

If you subscribe to my monthly e-news, the June edition provided information about emotions from Roger Dooley. Here it is again:

“Disney Knows Your Brain and Wants Your Emotions,” by Roger Dooley

And learn about Pixar’s new animated film, Inside Out.

Then Lisa Sargent connected me to 6 Minutes of Pixar Feels. Oh my gosh – this is stunning! Also, don’t miss Pixar’s 22 Golden Rules of Storytelling. (Many of us call Lisa the “thank-you queen.” Lisa specializes in email and direct mail. Visit her!

And if you’ve read any of Tom Ahern‘s writing or attended is workshops…. You’ll learn lots about emotions.

Here’s one more item to read now!

Jeff Brooks asks us: “Are you suffering from these fundraising delusions?” Jeff is citing from Social Velocity | 5 Fundraising Delusions Nonprofits Suffer by Neil Edgington. I can’t figure out which of the delusions are my favorites. Probably “Crowdfunding and events are fundraisers.” Read. Think about. And please review with your boss and your board! If you haven’t subscribed to Jeff’s daily blog yet, do so now!

And all of these harm fundraising!

I keep telling you to engage your boss and board members and staff colleagues in a conversation. Conversations! Not presentations. Not PowerPoint. Not discussion where one side is trying to advocate the other side. And no personal opinions … only body of knowledge.

And I keep saying, “Start your conversations with an interesting blog. Or an interesting piece of research.”

So here I go again!

Share “Fundraising Myths and Dark Legends” at The Agitator (Craver and Belford). I’ve told you a gazillion times to subscribe to this daily blog. Read “Fundraising Myths and Dark Legends” over and over again. (Posted on November 25, 2014)

Now start those conversations. Take your boss to lunch. Of course, s/he reads the posting beforehand. Then you two talk. Use “Fundraising Myths and Dark Legends” as the basis for one of your Fund Development Committee meetings. The only item on the agenda. Examine. Explore. Apply. Learn. Change.

Talk about this blog at a board meeting for 15 minutes. Forget the dollars raised. Talk about how to raise the dollars. Forget talking about how to raise the dollars. Talk about how to keep donors, build loyalty.

Do it. Have those conversations.

I like Fraser Green. He’s interesting and cool.

I respect Fraser’s work and that of his teammates at GOOD WORKS. (And this company uses cute photos. Remember, there is a biological concept called the “cuteness factor.” It stops parents from killing their young. Like dinosaurs and lions. And…)

So here’s some good GOOD WORKS stuff:

• You’re passionate about your nonprofit’s cause. But, as Good Works says, you’re heading for “the perfect storm.” Because then you start educating! Stop trying to educate me! It’s offensive and patronizing and and… (That was me talking.) Good Works says it like this: “When you’re asking for money, don’t start explaining and teaching.”

• And check this out: A Curated Collection of Charity Websites, posted on the Good Works website.

• Check out their white papers. Research about things like: State of the Canadian web. (I’ll be non-Canadians could learn stuff, too!) Legacy marketing overview. And more.

• Most definitely read Iceberg Philanthropy: Unlocking Extraordinary Gifts From Ordinary Donors (about bequests) by some Good Works people, Fraser Green, Jose van Herpt and colleague Beth McDonald. So very useful! I love this book.

• Read Fraser’s book 3D Philanthropy (Make your donors love you by connecting with their minds, hearts and souls.)

Have you read my book (co-authored with Tom Ahern) about nurturing relationships and communicating with donors … all in a donor-centered manner … in order to keep your donors? After all, loyalty is the Holy Grail of Fundraising. (Thanks, Roger and Tom, you agitators!)

Have you read the final chapter, Philanthropy’s Moral Dilemma? Available in the book. And available in my Free Download Library.

Here’s what a Connecticut colleague said about the book:

“While your donor-centric world view greatly influenced me, it plays a poor second to your barely-below-the-surface passion for social justice. I admire what you wrote in your book Keep Your Donors on the topic. That you had the guts to write about it at all. Especially in a book that philanthropists of all political stripes would read, on a topic about the mechanics of growing philanthropy.

“God forbid you should write anything that isn’t carefully neutral, studiously focused on charity and on praising change generically and innocuously…. I was inspired by your willingness to let a part of your passionate self get captured in black and white – a part that most believe could alienate a decent portion of your customer base.”

I’m so far behind in my magazine reading. Ah Harvard Business Review… I love you and miss you. And there you are… all stacked up on the shelf. I’m so sorry I’m so far behind!

I have snow 2 feet deep in my yard. Generations of deer preceded us on this land where we live. The current 3 large adults are desperately foraging in the snow that’s swamping their bellies.

I have lots of work to do. But I’m distracted by the stacks of magazines. So I’m skimming to see what to keep:

From AFP‘s Advancing Philanthropy, Fall 2014

• “More than the sum of the parts…What makes a fundraiser?” Paul Lagasse.  Could be useful for my masterclass in Australia in a few weeks.
• “The Development Committee Workbook: Managing Your Volunteers to Success,” Michele Berard, MBA, CFRE…from here in RI.
• “Analytics, Schmanalytics – It’s More Than Just Data,” Gilman Sullivan. It’s staff’s job to translate data / information into trends and implications. Come on people. Let’s get it together!

From AFP‘s Advancing Philanthropy, Winter 2015

The whole issue focus on creating a culture of philanthropy. YIPPEE! I’m taking this on the plane to Australia ’cause it’s one of my favorite topics…organizational culture…philanthropic culture…

I first wrote about a culture of philanthropy back in 1996, in the first edition of my book Strategic Fund Development, published in 1997. The book is now in its 3rd edition — and that philanthropic culture (along with organizational culture) is still there. And there’s a handout in the Free Download Library on my website, too.

I’m taking this issue of Advancing Philanthropy on the plane to Australia. Articles by Karla Williams, MA, ACFRE and Andrea McManus, CFRE, great people in our field. Articles about the philanthropic culture affecting morale and boards and donors and fundraisers. This issue is a keeper in my library.

The Rijksmuseum in Holland told a story…. The purpose wasn’t fundraising…. The purpose was to get people to go to the museum.

So the museum decided – first – to take the art to the people. Back when I was the director of an art center, we put up original local art in the Burger King. And people voted for their favorite and and and … That was 40 years ago.

So back to the Rijksmuseum and taking the art to the people… IN THE MALL…

The museum took one painting of Rembrandt – dated 1642 – called “Guards of the Night.” And….

Well, I don’t want to tell you what…

Click here. Watch this marvelous filming of what happened.

Then…Think about how your organization tells its stories. Its client stories. It’s donor stories. Whatever story…

And, make sure you read Paul Zak’s neuroscience research about brains and oxytocin. Check out “Why Your Brain Loves Good Storytelling.”

Hi. It’s moi (me) again. Yes, I’m still in France. The guests have left. (We had such fun with sister and cousin and their respective in-law partners.)

So now it’s email every day. And I read a lot and then I want to share with you. So here goes….

Some more research:

• Ah, fundraising and technology. Check out this research,  2014 Fundraising Technology Trends. In this study with fundraisers, 80% believe that “better technology leads to more effective fundraising.” You’ll also find info about specific tech strategies, software, etc. — all focused on fundraising.
• Did I already tell you about the newest research from the Nonprofit Research Collaborative? Check out their  “Nonprofit Fundraising Study – Mid-year Update (January – June 2014).” This regular study reviews charitable gifts for Canadian and U.S. charities.

Here are some keepers for all us nonprofit organizations, we leaders, us fundraisers… And some short little things to read and share with your colleagues. Please. Please. S’il vous plaît. Share these with your staff colleagues at an all-staff meeting. Help your program staff and the receptionist and the janitor understand staff.

• Jeff Brooks and Baby Boomers.… We Boomers are a big group and we are many of your donors. And, by the way, we have 70% of the disposable income in the U.S. So how are you doing with us?
• Jeff Brooks tells us to read the great blog series: “Donors Are Your Mission, Too.” Read more at the Veritus Group. Face it people! The real “game changer” is donor centrism, which produces loyalty.
• Stop that darn brand conversation – or at least reshape it! And watch out for awareness and visibility. Please please. Read Jeff Brooks’ “we exist” blog. And make sure you read his blog about awareness campaigns. And then read Sean Triner’s awareness piece at 101Fundraising.
• Check out this great op-ed piece about sponsorships in the 10-22-14 NYT…Any applicability to nonprofits? Because I can think of one in particular!

Short little things to read. Good powerful little things to share. Please please please ….. S’il vous plaît. Share these things with your staff colleagues … Like at the all-staff meeting. This stuff is great to help your program staff and the receptionist and janitor understand stuff. And for your board members, too.

All these people are your ambassadors and your partners in philanthropy and fundraising. Ambassadors… So here’s a great one about brand ambassadors from Seth Godin. I hope you read Seth regularly. Yes, his comments are useful for fundraising and any business and pretty much most lives. Everyone is a brand ambassador for your charity. Everyone!

And there’s more! 

• What would be a resource list without our friends Roger and Tom at The Agitator. Check out the extinction of donor Sapiens. And then go to the original inspiration by Francesco Ambrogetti at 101 Fundraising. Check out 101 Fundraising. It’s pretty darn cool.
• Now here’s an interesting question: “Do Twitter and TV Shrink Your Brain?” And how about all that multi-tasking? Check out Roger Dooley’s update. Subscribe to his free e-news, www.neurosciencemarketing.com.
• Have you had that gift acceptance talk with your board? I mean a really engaging conversation at various levels with various committees and with staff. And then a board-level decision. Check out this article from the Nonprofit Quarterly.

Every single one of these items could be a good conversation starter at your organization. Leaders stimulate conversations. Leaders bring in strategic and cage-rattling conversations to generate perspective and engage in meaningful conversation.

Yes, there is time to have these conversations. Yes, there is time to use conversation as a core business practice. If you cannot find / make the time… then what are you doing?!

Okay. That’s it. Back to vacation.

Of course, good fundraisers read the new research. And figure out where good research comes from so they can follow good research.

And then, the really good fundraisers make sure that their boss and staff colleagues and board members and the board’s fundraising committee understand the highlights and implications of the research for the organization’s fundraising.

So check out the semi-annual update from the Nonprofit Research Collaborative. Share the infographic with your colleagues.

Also check out the new report from Wealth-X and Arton Capital.

I’m reading them because I expect to learn something.

Do you want to raise more money? Do you want to build donor loyalty?

If you do….

I already told you to read Roger Craver’s new book, Retention Fundraising: The New Art and Science of Keeping Donors for Life.

AND NOW… You must read Storytelling Can Change the World by Ken Burnett. Why?

Here’s what Roger Craver says on the front of Ken’s book: “To hell with statistics, policy pronouncements and self-absorbed institutional tripe. The world needs stories, transformational stories that move audiences to action that can change the world. This book shows us how.”

Ken is the first user of the term “relationship fundraising.” And you have to read that book of his. Ken is the inventor of the Showcase for Fundraising Innovation and Inspiration. And you have to visit SOFII regularly.

Ken covers such topics as:

• Why we tell stories
• The best sales opportunities you’ll ever have
• The story of a story
• Understanding your audience
• Cornerstones of successful storytelling

We can do this! Go!

Nonprofits should pay attention to customer research and customer-centered behavior.

Sure…Yes…I know… NGOs can’t spend the money that for-profits spend. But NGOs can certainly think and reflect and focus on donors. NGOs can certainly reach customer research.

Check out the new SOFII website.

Read this wonderful post about making donors feel REALLY special.

Check out the absolutely brilliant videos of the bank and the airline.

YES. I believe that NGOs can be just as creative as for-profit companies. YES. I believe that NGOs can love their donors and show that love.