10 Steps to a Perfect Year-End Giving Campaign

Year-end is my favorite time of the year, not just because I love #GivingTuesday. Year-end giving is a perfect time to share your nonprofit's message with an audience in the mood to give. Therefore, I am excited to share ten steps to make your year-end giving campaign perfect for your small shop nonprofit.

1. First, start by reviewing the previous year's totals and goals. What was your goal last year? How much was raised? Who contributed? What strategies did you use?

2. Take some time with your board and your finance committee and review your current financial position. How are you doing on your budget? How close are you to your fundraising goal for the year?

3. Use this information to set some serious goals.

4. Identify your resources. Do you have a board that is active in fundraising? Are you able to rally the support of volunteers? How much time do you have? What materials do you have at your disposal?

5. Set your scope. Start by segmenting your audience. Audience segmentation means dividing your donors into groups based on their interests, behaviors, and communication preferences. This will allow you to identify donors who can be instrumental in hitting your year-end giving goals.

6. Find your anecdote, decide on a theme, and figure out your messaging.

7. Identify your timeline. In most cases, I suggest starting on #GivingTuesday, if you can. Your social media push on #GivingTuesday can be used as a soft launch for your year-end giving campaign. Make sure your timeline works for your organization.

8. Make the ask(s). Use every appropriate communication channel to make your year-end giving requests. You should use social media, direct mail, email, one-on-one meetings, newsletters, websites, and phones.

9. Develop a follow-up plan. Remind the segmented donors who have not yet given to your year-end campaign, and vary your follow-up appeals across multiple channels. Many donations come in on the last day of the year!

10. Always thank your donors; if you can, thank them at least twice. Regardless of gift size, try to send each donor a personalized thank you. Whether that means a customized thank you by phone, email, or note, always tell that donor about the impact of their donation and express your sincere gratitude.

I want to hear about your year-end giving successes and challenges! Drop a comment below and let other small shops know what has or has not worked for your year-end fundraising.

Special Events - What is the point?

If you are a long-time fundraising professional, the words "let's do an event" may make you cringe just a little bit. Many people naturally think that a fundraising event is your fundraising solution. Or, if you are new to the world of fundraising, all you may know about fundraising is what you see in your community. Much of what people know about fundraising is what is advertised and promoted, which is special events. So, naturally, people tend to believe that events are a fundraising solution.

I am not a big special event fan, and everyone who has worked with me can agree with me here. But, there are components of events that I do like. For example, I would much rather work on sponsorships than sit at the fourth committee meeting discussing decorations. But, I believe that fundraising events have a point, but only if they are done right. So, in this blog post, I want to tell you how to do events well.

First, sit down with your board (or your staff, if you have one) and decide who your target demographic is for your fundraising event. Do you work with children? Does it make sense to have several drop-in events for parents? Does your organization deal with very uncomfortable topics, and does it make more sense to get your constituents together in one room for one epic night? Once you decide on your target demographic, you can choose how many events you want to pursue the following year. Make your decisions, and stick to them.

Second, decide on what types of events fit with the mission of your organization. For many, it may be a Gala. The critical part of fundraising events is stepping outside the mold, offering your constituent base a unique experience. In my community, there is a Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and they do this event called 'Dinner in the Dark' and have everyone eat their dinner while wearing blindfolds. What a way to connect your mission with your cause! This will make your fundraising ask much more powerful.

Third, decide on venues that are attractive and affordable. A quick way to lose a large portion of your audience is not to have the right location. Then, with a location in mind, you need to decide how you will raise money. Does that mean you are going to have a silent auction? Or can you get your constituents to participate in games that generate additional revenue? Many online resources can help you pick out your fundraising 'add-ons.' No matter what, make sure you carefully plan your ask.

In closing, when you start planning your fundraising event, you and your board need to decide on a realistic budget and some realistic goals. First-time fundraising events may never raise as much as those events that have been going on for fifty years. Be realistic, not only in your fundraising goals but also in the behind-the-scenes work necessary to pull off your event. An excellent special event is several months in the making, sometimes an entire year. One of my favorite resources is Greater Giving and their Auction Planner.

Although I am not the biggest fan of special events, there is something special about getting hundreds of people in a room to celebrate your successes and challenges. I hope that special events are something you and your organization can take on - make sure they have a point!

Three Ways to Handle a Difficult Volunteer

The title of this blog post may be a bit deceiving... So, let me start by saying that I have spent much of my career working with volunteers. It has truly been my favorite part about working in the nonprofit sector. My first 'real' job was as a volunteer coordinator, managing over 100 passionate volunteers. Of those volunteers, I want to say that less than 1% of these dedicated volunteers have been described as "difficult." But, those difficult volunteers can cause some serious mayhem. That is why I wanted to use this blog post to briefly touch on my experiences on how to best deal with that 1% of difficult volunteers.

For starters, you cannot ignore a difficult volunteer. Difficult volunteers can create division and lower morale, causing people to become frustrated and even leave your organization. To avoid these disastrous scenarios, I would like to present three ways to handle a problematic volunteer:

1. Define the problem and separate the person from the problem. Interview employees and volunteers that are familiar with the situation. Do not engage in the gossip of any kind.

2. Have a face-to-face conversation with the problematic volunteer. Depending on the situation, it may be essential to have someone with you. Over the past year, I have learned first-hand how important it is to converse with someone rather than send out a blanket policy memo.

3. Solidify a follow-up plan. A follow-up plan includes checking on the person, as they may have verbalized a personal issue in your face-to-face conversation. A follow-up plan should also include an evaluation of progress. It is essential to agree on evaluation criteria to evaluate growth best.

Like all employees, volunteers must have clear roles and a complete understanding of their duties and responsibilities. Consistent and regular training is required for volunteers, as they do not need you for a paycheck. They do not have to be there, and working with volunteers should be considered a privilege. Do you have a specific question about a problematic volunteer?

Reach out to me through the 'Contact' section of this website.