Talk WITH your donors, not AT them

Turnbull Marketing Group strives to help nonprofits help others by implementing affordable, effective fundraising and marketing strategies. But we can’t do it by standing on a soapbox and shouting. The only way we truly help nonprofits is when we talk with them, when we engage them in meaningful conversation.

The same principle holds true when it comes to getting your donors truly committed to your mission. You can’t shout at them or lecture them on why your mission is important. Well, you can, but I don’t recommend it.

Instead, try engaging your donors in a conversation. Encourage their feedback. Learn what is important to them, and then talk to them about it.

Well, that’s all fine and dandy, but exactly how do we this, you say. Good point.

Here are some tips to get you started:

• Write your appeals and newsletters in a conversational tone. Appeal to your donors’ emotions — their hearts — not their heads.
• Keep your donors updated on the great results of your efforts. They need to know they’re making a difference.
• Ask for your donors’ feedback. If you’re a Christian organization, ask for prayer requests. Share your prayer needs.
• Start a blog on your web site where you bring your donors into the moving stories that are created every day through your work. An excellent example of this is Aloma’s Travel Journal from Food For The Poor.

Once you start talking with your donors and not at them, they’ll start talking back. And one of their favorite ways to talk is through their giving.

How to Write an eAppeal

Fundraising letters are the heart of most nonprofits fundraising programs. And as electronic communications become increasingly mainstream, many nonprofits are looking to expand their eFundraising. But electronic communications are not written the same way as traditional direct mail — at least not good ones

Turnbull Marketing Group has written a very short white paper on the topic to help you get started. You can access it on the resources section of our website.

A lesson from the birds

My husband and I have a bird feeder in our backyard. And the bay window in the breakfast nook has become a household favorite. In fact, I think we spend more of our waking hours here than any other place in the house. We love to sit and watch the birds feed. The squirrels scurry under the bird feeder, picking up the seeds that drop. On occasion, one of the birds will even fly right up to the window and look at us, as if to say hello.

There’s just one catch to this picture-perfect scene: You have to remember to fill the bird feeder.

We go through birdseed at an alarming pace. And the last time the bird feeder was emptied, we had no more seed in reserve. We forgot to buy more the next time we ran errands, and the next time, and the next time… until several months had passed. By this time, the birds had disappeared. The squirrels only made a brief appearance. Our busy backyard was dead quiet.

Last week we finally got around to filling the bird feeder again. Each time I would pass the bay window, I would look out eagerly to see if our friends had returned. Nothing. The seeds just sat there.

“They’ll be back,” my husband said. I wasn’t convinced. But he insisted. “The birds want food. And if we leave it there long enough, they’ll be back. ”

It turns out, he was right. (He usually is.) Today, the bird feeder is in high demand. In fact, I counted 5 different varieties of birds at one time.

The point? Your donors are like my backyard birds. If you stop communicating with them, if you don’t give them what they want, they’ll just go away. But they’re not lost forever. Start talking to your donors. Feed your relationship with them. Give them what they want. Soon, they’ll be back. And they’ll be happier than ever.

Need help learning how to feed your relationship with your donors? Contact us at Turnbull Marketing Group. You can call us at 919.741.5072 or visit us online at http://www.tbullgroup.com. We don’t just help you raise more money, we help you help others.

Look back to move forward

It’s the beginning of a new year. And just like individuals make resolutions to create a new them, organizations do the same. “This year, we’re going to implement a new fundraising strategy — one that actually works.” Or “This year, we’re going to try a new fundraising event.” Or “This year, we’re going for a brand new look.”

New is exciting. And often, it’s exactly what’s needed. But what deciding what kind of new to implement is just as important.

Before you get caught up in the spirit of new for new’s sake take a moment to look back — all the way back to your mission statement. That’s right — your mission statement. Remember that dusty old thing filed vertically somewhere at the bottom of a stack of strategies, best practices, and failed attempts at jump starting your fundraising program? That’s the one. Now is the time to take it out, dust it off, and look at it. I mean, really look at it. Read it. Think about it. Live with it.

Your mission statement is more than an obligatory paragraph to be tacked on to your web site and printed brochures. Your mission statement is what drives everything you do. Or at least, it should be.

Donors don’t give to your organization because they like you. (Even if you are the most likeable group around. And I’m sure you are.) Donors give because they believe in what you do. And what you do is your mission. (You can see where I’m going with this.) Donors give to your mission.

If you really want to reach your donors, let your mission statement drive. Center every appeal around your mission — tell the story of how your organization is making a difference. And don’t do anything unless it enhances the story of your mission. That includes premiums, graphics, and packaging.

Mission-focused fundraising is the only way to  longterm success in your fundraising program. So if you want your organization to move forward this new year, take a look back at what drives you.

Need help establishing a mission-driven fundraising program? It’s what we do best. Call us today at 919.741.5072 or visit us online at http://www.tbullgroup.com for more information. We can’t wait to help you help others. 

Go Viral and Be Contagious

Many nonprofits are seeking creative ways to acquire new donors. Everybody knows that donor acquisition programs are daunting. They cost money instead of make money — at least up front — and they are not a little intimidating. Viral campaigns, despite their rather unattractive name, are a cost effective, distinct way to use your current donor base to feed you new potential donors. Viral marketing is especially economical because it’s typically run through email, which costs a minute fraction per piece than traditional direct mail pieces, and it’s fueled by your own donors. Plus, you don’t have to rent an expensive list since you use your house file to seed the campaign.

Nonprofits are often reticent to use viral marketing since, by nature, viral campaigns are unconventional and often controversial. Controversy can be a good thing — a very good thing, in fact. The key lies in knowing what kind of controversy to create, while keeping it engaging and appealing enough to pass on to friends.

Incentives such as competitions or free gifts are an excellent way to encourage your donors to “sneeze,” or pass on the email. This can add to the cost, and depending on what type of organization you are, competitions or gifts might not be appropriate. But they are definitely worth a close look.

The “what can I get out of this” motive is one tied and true incentive. But if you’re a nonprofit with a healthy support base, chances are that the “what can I give with this” motive is a strong driving force for your donors. That’s a terrific motive for a viral campaign.

We’ve all seen matching gift appeals where “your gift of $20 will be doubled to $40 thanks to the generosity of a longtime friend of this organization.” Now, think viral. Think about incorporating a matching gift where each referral brings in $1 or $5 from a longtime friend of your organization. That’s huge. Your donors don’t even have to cut a check. They just have to spread the word about the incredible organization they already support. They can help change the world by passing on an email. If that doesn’t inspire, then I don’t know what will.

Of course, there are a few sticky details you’ll need to work out. But this should be enough to get you ready to sneeze…

Bless you.

If you’d like to learn more about seeding a viral campaign to acquire new donors, contact Turnbull Marketing Group at 919-741-5072 or info@tbullgroup.com. We help you help others — contagiously.

Green is good

There seems to be no shortage of green nonprofits these days. Environmental activists and nature conservationists abound. Personally, I think that is a good thing. But the green groups aren’t the only ones who should be concerned about their carbon footprint.

Every single nonprofit, NGO, or charity out there needs to be concerned about their impact on the environment — regardless of their cause. Not just for their well being, or the future of our children. (Though these are certainly noble motives.) No, dear readers, they should be concerned because it’s good business. Individuals are becoming increasingly aware of and concerned about the environmental woes that plague our beautiful planet. They are troubled by the waste that seems insurmountable. And they are guilt-ridden, acknowledging the part that each one of us plays in the continued degradation of the environment. News stories of extreme acts to reduce one’s carbon footprint are becoming more and more common. Take for example, Tracey in Carrboro, NC (next door to us in Durham) who promised to go without air conditioning as much as possible this summer. If those reasons alone don’t convince you, then try this: the person who is most likely to care enough about your cause to take out her wallet and sacrifice some consumerist pleasure so that she can give to your worthy organization is the very same person who is likely to feel not a little angst over the state of our planet. Aha! Now you see where we’re going with this.

Thankfully, it doesn’t take a lot to move in a greener direction and watch your donor relations (and donations) pick up because of it. Just a few minor tweaks will do:

1. Start printing on recycled paper. This seems like a no-brainer. But many nonprofits choose the cheapest stock possible, regardless of the source, to keep their short-term overhead down. The long term costs, as we all know, are too high to continue with this practice. Fortunately, recycled stock has come down significantly in price. There is now only a negligible difference in the short-term cost, while the long-term gains border on heroic. (Ok, well, maybe not heroic, but they’re excellent at the very least.)

2. Print your color mailings using soy-based inks. These inks give just as nice of a finish as the traditional inks, they often cost no more (if they do, switch printer), and they are biodegradable and non-toxic.

3. Let your donors opt out of paper newsletters and appeals to make the switch to e-newsletters and e-appeals as much as possible. It works for banks. It’ll work for you. This solution dramatically reduces paper waste and cuts down on your overhead. Woohoo!

4. Start implementing more environmentally friendly practices in your own homes and offices. Use energy-saving bulbs. Reuse paper. Make your own notepads out of scrap paper. Turn off your computers, printers, and other electronics at the end of the day. Buy energy credits to offset your use. Better yet, buy energy credits from a place like Native Energy that gives back to communities, just like you do. Not sure what your office’s footprint is? Green Office can help you calculate it.

5. Inform your donors. It doesn’t do you much good in the donor relations department to implement these important changes secretly. So tell them about it. Write a press release. Include a special note in your next mailing that tells your donors you have “gone green.” You could even take the next step and include a simple brochure with some basic steps they can take to be better stewards of the environment. And then, after the initial announcement, remind your donors in each subsequent mailing. You don’t have to use neon lights or flashy gimics. A simple line in the same place on every reply will do just fine.

If this all sounds a little overwhelming, don’t despair: it’s not. Turnbull Marketing Group can make your transition even easier. Like many of you, we have already taken important steps in reducing our carbon footprint. And we’re happy to help you — whether you need us to find an environmentally friendly printer, design a brochure for your donors, or write up a press release announcing your important transition. We’re only a phone call away: 919-741-5072. You can also email us at info@tbullgroup.com or visit us online.