5 tips to great donor-centered year-end appeal letters
/No doubt you’ve started thinking about the holidays, not only as regards reconnecting with family and friends but also your NPO’s donors and donor prospects. What’s that, you say? “Is it that time of year already?” Yes, yes it is. But don’t panic. Below are 5 tips on how you can get back to top of mind with them before 2014 and how you can learn, for free, strategies to create a results-driven, effective campaign.
Year-end appeals are used by many NPOs as a relatively effortless “topping off” of a fiscal period’s revenue. It’s also a chance to reconnect with lapsed donors, give updates on the NPO’s work and accomplishments during the year, get another gift from those who gave earlier in the year, get gifts from those who will only give at year end, and get gifts or increased gifts from those who gave last year or some years but not this year.
But these attempts can be a kind of shot in the dark, especially if you’ve had a number of campaigns during the year that didn’t garner much in the way of fundraising, and in consideration of the fact that every NPO and their brother could be competing for your prospect’s time and attention at this time of year. Back in the day I was the staffer who, while unwavering in my belief that you can never ask too many times, occasionally wondered if this would be the year some donor would scream “Enough already!” And really, by the time the fall rolled around, though it was almost at the middle of the fiscal year at most places I worked, I was tired and really doubtful that I could create yet one more awe-inspiring message with packaging that would prompt a curious look-see inside and a generous check.
So your frustration at disappointing prior attempts is understood. But along the way I discovered there are a few things I could do to give my NPO’s campaign a better chance at success, and I’m pretty sure they’ll work for you too. Starting with the premise of getting your prospect’s attention by recreating or recapturing what got them interested in your NPO to begin with, just use a little imagination, perspective, and the following:
Show appreciation for their past gifts and/or involvement. The best way to ensure a recurring gift is to appropriately thank the donor prospect for their last connection with your NPO. Turn Janet Jackson's "What Have You Done for Me Lately?" on its ear by making very clear how sincerely grateful you are for their time, talent and treasure.
Inform your donor prospect. We know how savvy our donor prospects are and just putting yourself in their place as regards how they make philanthropic decisions should support growing evidence that the most effective appeals include facts and figures as well as words and photos.
Give hope. Your phrasing should be forward looking, engendering confidence in your donor prospect that the work you've done, are doing and will do is changing beliefs, behaviors and conditions. Your donor prospect understands this will take time but be honest with them about whether their contributions will lead to a light in the tunnel and if so, whether that light is a weigh station or the end of the line.
Be credible. Especially important if this is your first time soliciting gifts, either from the donor prospect or as an organization. Your moving prose and jarring photos may elicit strong emotions, but in the end your donor prospect also wants assurance that they’re not being snowed. Make sure you include in your letter some supporting evidence that you are reputable and can be trusted with their investment.
Tell your story. If you’re the founder, talk about what lead you to start the organization. If your NPO has served as a change agent in some way, talk about how. If there’s some success that was achieved by past gifts given to a particular program, state what it is. This builds credibility, a stronger relationship with the donor prospect, and effectively states your compelling case for support.
You know, the thinking is that because people are more generous around the holidays it’s more likely that you’ll get a gift. However, because it’s often the only time that NPO’s directly solicit their entire donor database, I challenge you to think about these letters as more than a solicitation. With the busyness of our lives and the fleeting attention to meaningful communication prompted by social media, a written letter can offer your donors a moment to be still with your words and images and reflect on why they have, or urgently need, to invest in your NPO’s mission. Letters bring us back to the here and now, allowing our experiences to linger on their own time. Done well it can be an effective stewardship tool, giving you the opportunity to thoughtfully illustrate through words your donor prospect’s value to, and experience with your NPO.
To further support your efforts to this end, I’ll release a pre-recorded webinar in Mid-November that will teach you how to better frame your message, update your donors on the accomplishments you’ve made, and in turn ensure that your NPO is number one with them not only during the end of the year but all year long. This webinar will include strategies on direct mail package design, how to determine the right amount to ask for, whom to ask, costs and what to consider before mailing, etc.
So, to take advantage of the FREE training in this webinar, use the form on this page to send me your name and email address so I can send you a notice when it’s released. It’ll be a part of another valuable free offer I’ll be announcing in a couple of weeks, which you’ll learn more about once you’re registered.