| Motivating strangers to give their money away | | | | "Christmas dinner: $2.75." The message is |
| is one of the hardest jobs around. It's | | | | clear. Give a gift of $2.75 and you'll show |
| difficult to do face to face. And it's even | | | | compassion in a practical way to a homeless |
| tougher to do in a letter. But it can be | | | | person this Christmas. You can literally |
| done. And your chances of receiving gifts in | | | | "picture" the difference your donation will |
| the mail increase once you employ some of the | | | | make. Try to paint a picture like that with |
| tested methods that are used by leading | | | | each fundraising letter you drop in the |
| non-profit organizations around the | | | | mail.Empower your donorsEver heard of "donor |
| world.Make your message relevantYour appeal | | | | fatigue?" It's the phrase that fundraisers |
| letter needs to talk about what's important | | | | use to describe the feeling of hopelessness |
| to your donor. Like you, donors listen to | | | | that some donors get by reading fundraising |
| what interests them. They watch what | | | | appeals from dozens of worthy causes. The |
| interests them. And they read what interests | | | | weight of the world's troubles produces in |
| them. There is no reason that what is | | | | some donors a sense of futility, believing |
| important to you and what is important to | | | | that their small gift can't possibly change |
| your donor cannot be the same thing.Let me | | | | the plight of so many people worldwide.The |
| give you an example of an organization who | | | | way to prevent donor fatigue is to write |
| got it wrong. A national association raises | | | | fundraising letters that empower your donors. |
| awareness, provides services and supports | | | | "Donors are interested in you because of what |
| individuals affected by diabetes. Research | | | | you help them do. You are their agent in |
| shows that just about every one of their | | | | their personal mission to make the world |
| donors either has diabetes or knows someone | | | | better. That should be the topic of all your |
| close to them (father, wife, brother, cousin) | | | | fundraising," says Jeff Brooks, senior |
| who does.And yet this national organization | | | | creative director at the Domain Group, a |
| continues to mail appeal letters to its | | | | direct marketing firm that serves non-profit |
| donors describing diabetes in the most basic | | | | organizations.Show how past donations are at |
| terms. "Over two million people in our | | | | workAnother powerful motivator is proof that |
| country have diabetes," said a recent letter. | | | | a past gift made a difference and continues |
| "Approximately 10 % of people with diabetes | | | | to do so. Tell the story of the toddler whose |
| have type 1 diabetes," said another."If you | | | | life was saved by the speedy reactions of a |
| lived with diabetes and donated to this | | | | nurse. Describe how two bikers left a life of |
| organization, these appeal letters would be | | | | crime and gave up drugs thanks to the |
| irrelevant to you, wouldn't they? First of | | | | intervention of your volunteers.What you are |
| all, you already know about diabetes. And | | | | aiming for with the printed word is the |
| secondly, you don't care that "Approximately | | | | "feel-good factor." "When we communicate with |
| 10 % of people with diabetes have type 1 | | | | our donors, we need to continuously let them |
| diabetes" as much as you care that you have | | | | know how their gifts make the recipients |
| it. What this organization needs to do is | | | | feel. That sense of making a meaningful |
| start writing fundraising letters that speak | | | | difference in a needy person's life or |
| to their donors where they are now.That means | | | | helping to make a needed change in the world |
| crafting letters that help their donors live | | | | is the gift we give our donors," says Jeff |
| full lives even though they have diabetes. | | | | Nickel, group vice president for Grizzard |
| That means positioning themselves in donor's | | | | Signature Group, a direct response |
| minds as the single best source of | | | | fundraising agency.Appeal to head and |
| information for people who have or are | | | | heartMany donors are ultimately motivated by |
| affected by diabetes. Doing that would | | | | their emotions more than their intellect. But |
| increase their relevance--and their | | | | to attract and keep loyal donors, you need to |
| donations.By making your fundraising letters | | | | appeal to both head and heart. You need to |
| more relevant to your supporters, you will | | | | write with passion, appealing to each donor's |
| stand out amidst the many appeal letters that | | | | sense of compassion and empathy. But you also |
| your donors already receive from other | | | | need to write with clear-headedness, too, |
| charities.Use "make-a-difference" | | | | mentioning that gifts are tax-deductible, |
| languageDonors act like investors when they | | | | explaining how much of a donation goes to |
| give their money away. They want to know that | | | | programs and how much covers administrative |
| their gift will produce a return on | | | | expenses, sometimes listing the rational |
| investment, however intangible. What you are | | | | reasons for supporting your cause, and so |
| aiming to do with "make-a-difference" | | | | on.Raising funds by mail is not a science. |
| language is show why the world is a better | | | | Methods change because society changes. |
| place because of your organization.In my | | | | People change. But these principles have |
| local newspaper each Christmas, for example, | | | | worked for decades, and still do. Put them to |
| a men's shelter runs a small display ad that | | | | work in your next campaign and see what |
| features a photo of a homeless man seated at | | | | happens. Drop me a line and let me know how |
| a dinner table at the mission, eating | | | | you get on. |
| Christmas turkey. The headline reads: | | | | |