Donor Communications

“What’s attention worth?” asks Seth Godin in his 12-17-13 blog. “Marketers that fail are often impatient and selfish.” (Think fundraisers!) “Impatient, because they won’t invest in the long-term job of earning familiarity, permission and trust.” (Think fundraisers and fundraising and your boss and boards that want money right now! Hurry up!)

Earn! Earn familiarity. Don’t pursue visibility, hoping that “everyone will know you and then send money.”

Earn permission and trust. Remember how important trust is to loyalty. Just read Adrian Sargeant‘s work. Read The Agitator. Read Jeff Brooks and Tom Ahern. Read all the great people.

Now think about Seth’s word “selfish.” So many nonprofit organizations and fundraisers and fundraising programs are selfish. Focused on the organization and all the good the organization does. Forgetting (or on purpose ignoring?) donor centrism and customer centrism.

Wow. Basic flaw. It’s not about you and your organization and your amazing staff. It’s all about the wonderful donor whose investment allows you and your organization and your amazing staff to do stuff. And without those donors, you won’t be able to do much.

You can’t demand attention, as Seth so clearly notes. It’s not about you. It’s about the person who is paying attention. “We call it ‘paying attention’ for a reason. It’s worth quite a bit, and ought to be cherished.”

That’s good fundraising.

I couldn’t resist an extra blog this week – with resources. Yes, indeed.

Check out Seth Godin’s BRILLIANT blog about email and permission marketing. While you’re at it, read Seth’s book Permission Marketing. And just stop these e-mail blasts right now – until you can get it together well.

And speaking of Seth, read his blog of 11-29-13. Read this to your boss and board! It’s all about stories. And not your organization’s stories…the donor’s stories.

I’m late to the party, but have you seen the MARVELOUS info graphic “The Rise of the Nonprofit Sector,” developed by the Master of Public Administration at the University of San Francisco? Oh my heavens. You’ll also find this info graphic at Bloomerang, which I hope you’re checking out, too.

Listen to my interview at the AFP Toronto Congress, November 2013. I’m talking about donors and loyalty and fundraising. Maybe your boss and board should listen to this? You can also see this video on my website.

Have you been visiting SOFII? The best of the best…examples from all over the world. New stuff includes Oxfam Canada’s outreach to donors. Pamela Grow’s 12 days of Christmas. The latest list of fundraising must-reads. Visit my reading room about boards and governance. How about top tips from leading fundraisers? Maybe a nice way to end the year and start the new one.

So that’s it. Enough resources. Enjoy. Learn. Share.

Check out Charles Green‘s The Trust Matters Blog. Read this wonderful book, The Trusted Advisor, co-authored by David H. Maister, Charles H. Green, and Robert M. Galford.

I really liked a few of the “Blog Picks o’ the Week” in The Trust Matters Blog. For example:

• Why Experts Are Bad at Sales
• By the way, check out Green’s Trust Equation. I use this sometimes when I’m presenting. TQ = C + R + I divided by S. Sorry I couldn’t make this look like a real equation. Just visit the explanation – and the good visual! – at the Trusted Advisor blog.

And I really liked Think Like a Buddhist, Sell Like a Rock Star. Read about these statements:

• People like to buy, they just don’t like to be sold. For example, donors do want to give. 
• People buy what they need from those who understand what they want. For example, operate as a donor-centered organization!
• People buy with their hearts, and justify it with their minds. Emotions anyone? Neuroscience tells us that emotions are the key decision makers. Is that how your organization writes? Is that how your organization designs its development program?

I hope lots of this sounds familiar. This is your nonprofit’s work…. Selling tickets to your performance. Selling enrollment to your school. Engaging your customers. And who are your customers? Your clients and your volunteers and your donors and…

Maybe you want to subscribe to Charles Green’s blog. For sure, you want to pay lots of attention to trust. Adrian Sargeant tells us that is one of the key drivers of donor loyalty.

Sometimes nonprofits behave as if the thank-you letter is the end of the relationship with the donor. After all, we got the gift. The donor is ours. Let’s move on to the next donor.

Oops…

For the first-time donor, the thank-you letter is the start of the relationship. For loyal donors, the thank-you letter is a meaningful continuation of the donor journey, an important wayside moment.

Or maybe not. Maybe your thank-you letter is just pro forma, not particularly interesting, somewhat boring. Not worthy of a smile, not particularly special.

Tom and I are long-time donors to NCLR, the National Center for Lesbian Rights. “The audacity to fight for justice. The perseverance to win.” I like that “positioning statement.” NCLR launches legal battles, goes to court for justice.

So here are my favorite parts of the letter that accompanied the annual report. No solicitation. Just a thank you.

Let’s start with the salutation: “Dear Simone and Tom.” As loyal donors, the executive director calls us by our first names. And she knows that it is “Tom,” not “Thomas.”

First sentence: “I am honored, as always, to enclose NCLR’s 2012 Annual Report.”

A paragraph I particularly like: “I have also included our 2013 Donor Survey. It would mean so much to me – and would help to share and improve our communications with you and our careful stewardship of your giving – if you would complete it and return it to us. (And then Kate, the Executive Director and signer of the letter, offers me the online link, too.)

Here’s the paragraph I just love! “The accomplishments highlighted within this Annual Report are as much yours as they are NCLR’s — without you, none of this would have been possible. There is truly no way to fully express what your support and investment mean to NCLR.”

Tom and I are part of the team. As Tom always says, we are on the field, part of the team. We donors are not up in the grandstands cheering the team on the playing field. We are on the playing field, too.

And then the last sentence of the letter: “Without the right words, I am left only with the two that come closest: Thank you.“

And Kate signs it, “In gratitude.”

Look at those two final sentences together: “There is truly no way to fully express what your support and investment mean to NCLR. Without the right words, I am left only with the two that come closest: Thank you.”

Yes, I might make some tweaks. For example, I might say: “…what your support and investment mean to NCLR and all those fighting for justice.” Or: “…what your support and investment mean to the fight for justice.”

Whatever… I was moved. The letter is staying in my files as a good example. Tom wants to put it in his donor-centered communications slide show when he presents. And that donor survey? Yes. Yes. Yes. Smart and important. Donor satisfaction with the fundraising office is one of the major retention criterion.

I know. Maybe you’re tired of me recommending resources. But hey! I see myself as a curator of good info.

1.  I recommend that everyone subscribe to Roger Dooley’s neuroscience marketing e-news. A recent issue offers this very cool persuasion concept. (And then The Agitator people produced an e-news with more info, too. And, speaking of persuasion, check out Robert Cialdini, the influence guru. Read his books, too!)

Roger Dooley also tells us how to persuade people with BYAF (But You Are Free). This can double your success rate. Read this one and try it.

And – for amusement but also insight – read the newest Roger, “Women Can Be Irrational, Too.”

2.  Never forget those great agitator people, Roger Craver and Tom Belford. A must-read for all fundraisers (and their bosses and boards) is the October 3, 2013 myth-busting e-news from The Agitator is “Dangerous Myth #1: Too Much Solicitation Causes Poor Retention.” Read it. Destroy that myth in your organization. And raise more money.

3.  Check out Larry Johnson’s “Misplaced focus-misspent energy.” Also see Larry’s book The Eight Principles of Sustainable Fundraising.

4. Look at the love pyramid from John Lepp of Toronto’s Agents of Good. The love pyramid can replace that typical donor pyramid. Just try it!

5. I subscribe to Seth Godin‘s daily blog. I read Seth for his general strategic approach to stuff. My most recent favorites:

• “When to speak up,” September 28, 2013. Seth talks about decision-making and speaking up. The blog makes me think about conversation, which is inquiry not advocacy. Conversation, both formal and informal. Avoiding dysfunctional politeness. Remembering that silence is consent. Complainers complaining about decisions made when those complainers didn’t offer insights before the decision was made. So check out that blog.
• And here’s one for sales people (which includes fundraisers): “The failure of the second ask,” September 19, 2013. Seth says: “Asking the first time might be brave. Asking again (more forcefully) after you get a no is selfish and dumb.”

6. Then there’s Jeff Brooks and his daily blog, Future Fundraising Now. My recent favorites from Jeff:

• “Designer or art school grad?” You want a designer who understands fundraising and audiences.
• “How and why you should speed up your donor acknowledgements.” And Jeff refers us to Claire Axelrod’s “3 Secrets to Getting Your Donor Thank You Out in 48 Hours.”
• And how sad that we still have to convince fundraisers, bosses, and boards that emotions rule, not reason. See Jeff’s blog, “Is your fundraising just a lot of blah blah blah?” Thanks to Inspiring Generosity’s commentary, “Why Reason Alone Doesn’t Work in Fundraising.”
• Also see Jeff’s blog of October 7, “The most bone-headed fundraising meme of our time.” Jeff reminds us all that yes, donor retention is a big problem…but to focus on retention only…and ignore acquisition…is pretty silly!

7. And today’s last recommendation, visit the new on-line learning community, the Knowledge Fountain. The Knowledge Fountain offers courses, and provides an on-line chat room about nonprofit topics. Take a look. Topics include social media and analytics, fundraising, marketing communications, personal productivity, and more.

Malcolm Sproull, Fundraising Manager  for SHINE, New Zealand, posted the following on LinkedIn:

“I came to the philanthropy/non-profit sector after 25 years in relationship selling and marketing in the commercial world. I never knew anyone could ask anyone for money if the asker wasn’t customer centric. It’s the fundamental DNA of relationship selling, which was the foundation for Ken Burnett’s book Relationship Fundraising.

“But your book [Keep Your Donors: The Guide to Better Communications and Stronger Relationships] was the first I came across in the non-profit sector illustrating the need to be so focused and to put one’s energies into seeking out the “pre-disposed”.

“It was the first time I had confirmation that the relationship selling principles I was then applying to the non-profit sector were not off the rails. At that early entry into the non-profit sector on many occasions I thought I had stepped into the Twilight Zone. Your books and those of Tom Ahern’s were and are a brilliant help.”

Thank you, Martin, for that marvelous testimonial about Keep Your Donors, written by Tom and me. But more importantly, thank you for your insights. Hey everyone, pay attention to what Martin says:

• A donor is a customer. Think customer centric. Then you’ll understand donor centric.
• No one can ask for money unless they are donor centric!
• Customer centric and donor centric are the DNA of relationship building.
• For heavens’ sake, read Ken Burnett’s seminal book Relationship Fundraising.
• Focus. Identify those that you suspect might be predisposed to your cause. Avoid cold calling.
• Once you’ve identified some predisposed, qualify them as prospects…or leave them alone! A prospect means someone who has actually expressed interest. Don’t confuse the predisposed and actual prospects.

Did you read Tom Ahern’s, archived on his website? “Proposed: A new set of messages for nonprofits.” He talks about emotional triggers and other tricks of the trade – and how we need to use them.

Well, I’m the “senior expert” explaining “fundraising 101” that he references in his e-news. I’m the one who apparently smiled warmly. (He should know; he was in the room watching me.) After Tom’s usual great presentation, I told people not to take the negative approach and think that these “tricks of the trade” are manipulative. Instead, we’re talking about basic principles and best practice.

I said, “Don’t worry. This isn’t manipulation. You’re plugging into people’s own values and emotions.” As you saw in his e-news, Tom thought, “What’s wrong with manipulation? I think manipulation is great.”

So what, exactly, is manipulation or manipulate? My old Webster’s Dictionary says: “Manage or utilize skillfully.” Well, that’s good.

But then, of course, what we all seem to think of mostly is, “control or play upon by artful, unfair, or insidious means to one’s own advantage.” I don’t like unfair or insidious. Actually, insidious is a somewhat odious word, isn’t it?

Then there’s that final phrase, “to one’s own advantage.” That’s really, the problem, I suspect. I trap you into doing something you don’t want to do. I make you act in ways contrary to your own interests.

But that isn’t good fundraising. Good fundraising honors and respects people’s values and interests. Good fundraisers don’t keep chasing people who aren’t interested. Good fundraisers don’t even think in terms of “hitting up” people for gifts. Good fundraisers don’t misrepresent or lie.

Good fundraisers and the most effective fundraising are ethical and respectful, donor-centered and caring. And good fundraisers and effective fundraising apply the body of knowledge and research, and use the best tools.

I’m in Paris presenting at the French fundraising conference hosted by l’Association Française des Fundraisers. But first, I went to l’Orangerie and saw the Monet water lilies. In all my visits to Paris, this is the first time I’ve viewed them. Lovely, lovely, lovely.

If I were really creative, I suppose I could figure out a way to link Monet’s repeated paintings of water lilies into some ode to loyalty. Obviously, Monet was loyal to his water lilies. But it’s a stretch to make a good fundraising metaphor out of the paintings.

However, we could think about raising money for important causes, like museums that preserve and show important works of art. And theatre that curates Shakespeare and features new plays, too. And universities that operate great international programs, exposing their students to other worlds. Worthy causes. Committed donors.

And it’s the fundraiser’s job – and the organization’s honor – to build loyalty, retain donors, and demonstrate the donor’s impact.

Effective donor-centered communications produces significant money – whether through direct mail letters or an extraordinary donor newsletter. (Donor newsletters done well can even produce more money than a direct mail solicitation letter.)

What’s the secret to spectacular donor communications? Being donor centric. But what does being donor-centric really mean? What does donor-centric writing look like (and sound like, t00)?

Ask Tom Ahern, one of the world’s leading experts in donor-centric communications. His writing raises a ton of money. And Tom has just created a brand new set of DVDs…that completely demystify how to write donor-centered communications.

This set of DVDs can revolutionize your donor communications, develop loyal donors – and just plain raise more money. Get your own Tom Ahern DVD by clicking here, http://www.TomAhernDVD.com

Learn to write with your donors in the center, as the hero. Yes, you will raise more money.

Hi there. It’s Simone, your information curator. Have you seen / read these? You might find them reaffirming or informative. You might use them with your executive director or board.

• Interview with Roger Craver, 1/2 of The Agitator duo. Donor retention. Social media in fundraising. Changes in the profession. And more. To listen, click here to download the audio file or visit the Fundraising Is Beautiful page here, where you’ll find several listening and subscription options. Thanks to Jeff Brooks, May 23, 2013.

• New! I want something new. Read Tom Ahern’s e-news about “new” and other variations like (secret and insider and launch and…) But also read Seth Godin when he talks about “neophilia.” And check out Jeff Brooks’ reprise. The bottom line: What works matters more than what is new.

• And that leads to this next item, “When your common sense leads you astray,” another Jeff Brooks posting. Some uninformed person – knowing nothing about fundraising – criticizes a fundraising letter. This makes me so angry. Stop the ill-informed and uninformed expression of opinion when expertise actually matters!

• Now here’s an amusing little tale for your board members who “don’t like your fundraising.” It’s the story of Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss…translated into fund development. It actually goes along with the opinion versus expertise issue.

• Here’s another amusing little tale, “Snow White and the Seven Small Woods People.” A fairy tale of fundraising from our Agitator pals.

• I just received my copy of the Donor Retention Project. Action guides. 12 interviews on 6 CDs. 2 CDs with mp3 and pdf files. Advice from Adrian Sargeant, Marc Pitman, Lisa Sargent, Simone Joyaux… Good stuff.

• I just finished this book by Dan Ariely: The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty: How We Lie to Everyone – Especially Ourselves. I liked it. I learned. It’s part of professional development to learn about life and community and the economy (yes), etc.

• Check out this blog, “Why Social Media Hasn’t Replaced the Traditional Marketing Funnel,” by Dianna Huff. Remember, fundraising is really good marketing/sales. By the way, Dianna is a really good search engine optimization specialist. She changed my website to the well-organized, easy-to-use site that it is now. And Dianna introduced me to the web designers who created my wonderful site.

• Another by the way, based on Dianna’s blog: Subscribe to the Stanford Social Innovation Review. And, read Jen Shang‘s work about social proof. Jen is the world’s first PhD in philanthropy – and the world’s only philanthropic psychologist.

• And finally: Check out Bloomerang if you need a donor database. Designed with Adrian Sargeant’s donor loyalty and lifetime value research. Coupled with Tom Ahern’s donor communications expertise. And the ease and intuitiveness of iPad and iPhones.

Loyalty is the holy grail of fundraising. Thanks to The Agitator for that great statement.

For us fundraisers, loyalty means donor retention. Focus on donor retention! Now! Stop treating donors like ATM machines. Stop rushing around trying to acquire new donors. First, keep the ones you have.

Do you want to retain donors? Then learn from the experts. Check out Pamela Grow’s Donor Retention Project.

Experts like Adrian Sargeant and Gail Perry. Marc Pitman and Lisa Sargent. John Lepp and Jonathon Grapsas. Pamela Grow herself. And me, too.

Pamela’s Donor Retention Project gives you proven donor retention strategies and techniques. You can follow templates and step-by-step instructions. You’ll hear expert interviews.

Get your own copy! 12 action guides. 12 interviews on 6 CDs. And more.

Please please. Keep your donors. Focus on retention. Remember, loyalty is the holy grail of fundraising – and all businesses.