Do good, feel better.

Before I get this party started, big news! I'm moving my blog over to Wordpress (I didn't say exciting news). Specifically, to this address: www.dogoodfeelbetter.wordpress.com. Come join me over there? 

It’s Monday. Even worse, the Monday after the Superbowl. All those carbs you ate? Still slowing you down. Way down.

But you have a job to do. You’re a fundraiser, a solid one at that, and you have 3 things you need to get done today:

1. Send a thank you note  to Gary the Donor for increasing his monthly gift
2. Ask your colleagues to start sleuthing for donor quotes for the annual report
3. Write the creative brief for that donor video you need to produce

And you have to do these things because you didn’t do them last week. 

But instead, you start your morning attached to your computer screen, scanning emails for something else to do. I’m thirsty. Time for a Starbucks run. On the way back, you stop by your co-worker’s office, who fills you on her children’s weekend shenanigans. Oh yeah, where was I? Checking voicemail (don’t kid yourself, those aren’t calls you’re returning anytime soon.) Staff huddle time, and then the next you know it’s lunch.

How many of us start our days like this? Besides me. That’s right, I’ll admit it. I can make myself look busy and important.

But too busy and too important for donors?

Now you get it (or at least, I hope you do). Every day, your job is to make your donors feel incredibly awesome for their loyalty. And to move the needle on getting potential new donors excited about your work.

Sure there’s the LODO (lights on, doors open) work you have to get done, but don’t confuse that with distractions you’ve created for yourself. Instead, focus on those 3 things you need to do. Gary really wants to hear from you. Donors are waiting to share their story. And that video could inspire hundreds.

Will another empty Starbucks cup do that? You get it. Now go do it!

Here’s what I love about Thanksgiving. No, not the turkey (I’m more of a stuffing kind of gal). Gratitude! Giving it, sharing it, receiving it, all of the above—it’s just an all-around feel good kind of holiday. And considering the message, it’s the perfect time for nonprofits to say, thank you oh super fabulous donor, thanks for being awesome, generous, and loyal.

A couple of years ago, I recommended that our team move away from sending the dime a dozen holiday cards and piggy back on Thanksgiving by sending a gratitude card. It just made sense! So instead of jockeying for a mailbox position in December, we’re now front and center in November. And even better? We sign every card. With real ink and a personal message of thanks. We even moved our stewardship events to the same month and affectionately began calling our little gratitude campaign, ‘Thanks for Giving.’

Does your donor engagement strategy include a designated donor appreciation month? And if so, how do you surprise your donors with gratitude?

I'm a big fan of Seth Godin. I mean, who isn't? The man creates amazingly useful content faster than we can read it. And when we do, we all nod our heads and think, 'I'm with you, Seth. Excellent point.' But this time? Not so much. His recent rant about galas drives event fundraisers like me over the edge. Because within seconds, he discredits a fundraising tool that is, when done right, incredibly effective in building community, strengthening donor relationships, and yes, raising money. A lot of it.

So what do I mean by done right? Simple. The event is:

1. Mission-driven. It's cause first, party second. It's an evening program that highlights your programs in unexpected ways. Like serving a vegan dinner if you're an animal-rights charity.

2. Unique. No rubber chicken dinners here. The gala format is a framework, not a one size fits all approach. It means flipping the program on its head. Like dropping the live auction and giving the time back to your guests to chat, laugh, and reconnect with friends and your cause.

3. Donor-centered. You celebrate the people in the room. Your advocates, your influencers. You think of ways to make them feel special about their giving. Like surprising them with a handwritten note at their place setting that says, 'Thanks for being here. And forget the flowers, your generosity is our centerpiece is tonight.'

Pardon my rant while I address a major issue in event fundraising.

Two years ago, a friend asked me to attend a breakfast event for her charity of choice.  Absolutely, I said. Thanks for including me. My plan was to make the minimum gift that morning but I found myself so moved by the ask that I stretched my donation. Big time. 

So why, two years later, am I still waiting for that organization to ask me for another gift? Because the fundraising team had no idea what to do with me, that’s why. Is she an event donor only or an annual giving prospect? Should we keep her touches to event invitations only or consider soliciting her in our direct mail appeal? Confused, and without a follow-up plan in place for event donors, they made the worst decision possible—they ignored me.

Fundraisers, don’t make this mistake. Have the systems in place to make sure that every donor, event related or not, is stewarded to the nines and cultivated for that next gift. It’s not only your job, it’s also the expectation.  

Are you a fundraiser that…

 -- Thinks it’s impossible to provide meaningful touches to each and every donor?

 -- Avoids donor thank you calls by responding to day old emails instead?

 -- Considers social media a fad that has no donor engagement value?

 -- Solicits your donors for a second gift before sharing with them the impact of the first?

 -- Puts off adding important donor conversation notes in your database?

 -- Reads about an awesome campaign idea but never suggests it?

 -- Asks for donor feedback and then ignores it? 

 -- Rolls your eyes whenever you hear buzz words like multi-channel marketing?

 -- Yawns the instant you’re presented with donor analytics?

Well, stop it.

Tell me you don't have this problem. Your organization’s biggest fundraiser is right around the corner and your board members are sweating bullets because they know you’re going to ask them to invite some people. And in their rule book, friends don’t let friends ask each other to attend fundraising events. So instead of giving your board members anxiety attacks, try this strategy instead.

Let your board members know up front you understand their angst about leaning on friendships. That is why you suggest that they first ask their friends if they are interested in an invite. It's a simple and thoughtful gesture. Board members can take the opportunity to share their passion for the cause but let their friends decide, under minimal pressure, whether they'd like to be involved. Then, and only then, should they feel comfortable extending invitations. 

Voila! No strained friendships and board members stay happy.  

Asking a donor to meet with you is easy. Getting them to say yes is the hard part. If your donors turn you down over and over agian, you might want to get creative. Instead of giving them a way out, give yourself a way in. Want an example? I thought you might.

One of my donors is a voracious reader. I know that because each time we talk we're swapping reading lists and gushing over our Kindles. And perhaps it was because she had her nose in too many books that she kept declining my meeting requests. So what did I do? I mailed her a book. And then a couple of weeks later, I asked her if we could get together for a two person book club. Fabulous idea, she said. And there it was. My yes to an in-person meeting.

So did we chat about the impact of her gift during our coffee date? Or opportunities for another gift? Not at all. But we sure did at our next meeting. And that one wasn't nearly as hard to get!

Do you know what this is? It’s my happy place—a magic drawer stocked with cards for every occasion. And every good fundraiser should have one.

Great stewardship means having your donors top of mind. Is it their birthday? Tell them to eat cake. Are they welcoming their first grandbaby? Say congrats! Moving to their dream retirement home? Send them an abundance of good wishes. Whatever it is, let them know you’re thinking of them.

But can’t I do that in an email? Of course you can, but that’s too easy. You could type that email in your sleep. With a card, you’re telling your donor that they deserve a special kind of greeting. One that takes time, effort, and most importantly, thought. It’s touches like these that move your relationships forward and deepen the bond between your donors and your organization.

And want to know what card I recently added to my collection? An anniversary card. No, not the wedding kind, the kind to celebrate donor anniversaries. “Five years ago today, you changed the world. That was day we received your first gift, a gift that we still remember and appreciate...”

You're still here? What are you waiting for already? Find a drawer and buy some cards. Happy stewarding!

While registering for an upcoming conference this weekend, I noticed something that can drive a sponsor crazy. Like all donor relationships, paying attention to details can be the difference between a one-time gift and long-term giving. As fundraisers, we cringe when we’re notified that we misspelled a donor’s name. We pride ourselves for knowing better. And that’s why I was disappointed to see the following during my registration experience.

First you see this:

And then as you continue your registration, you see this. Can you spot the problem?

If you said, the Google map!, you were right. Google isn’t a partner. Microsoft is. Bing maps should be the tool! It’s these details that I’m talking about. Fundraisers should know better. It’s just good stewardship.

Have you experienced these types of missteps in managing donor relationships? If so, in what way? Here’s one of my own to start you thinking. At one event I managed, OfficeMax was a generous sponsor yet I had my volunteers using Staples clipboards. And guess who pointed that out? That’s right, my OfficeMax sponsor. It was that moment that I said to myself, “I will never miss that type of detail again. Ever.”

There are good events and then there are great events. What about bad events? Yes, there are those too, but since I'm a glass-half-full kind of gal, I'd never say an event failed unless somehow the organizers spent more than they raised (biggest fundraising no-no ever). So what types of things make the difference? Here are a few to consider:

1. Printing a start and end time on your invitation? Then follow it. A guest should be embarrassed if they arrive 15 minutes into your program. But on the flip side, blame yourself if that same guest leaves before your ask is over because you were too loose with your program timelime and not ending on time.

2. Is someone likely to cough when they hear your ticket price? Then pick up the tab on their drinks. No one likes to feel nickel and dimed at a charity event. And if they do, don't expect them to make a generous gift.

3. Convinced you need a VIP reception at your event? Then hold it on another floor or far enough away from the main foyer area. That way your volunteers won't ever have to tell an inquiring guest, "Yeah, sorry, this reception is for important donors only. Enjoy the cash bar though!"

Find this post helpful? Excellent! Then I hope you visit again soon. Or better yet, add a comment. I'm eager to hear what no-no you would add to the list.