Fewer gestures are more cliché than proclaiming one’s New Year’s resolution as the ball drops in Times Square every January 1st. Whether it is to lose weight, quit smoking, be more punctual or stop procrastinating, seldom do these commitments last one week. As an act of contrition, those who failed to stick with their original promises sometimes will attempt to make partial amends by “renewing” their resolutions for the balance of the year in July.
In the world of fundraising, we’re also occasionally guilty of not following through with the personal and professional goals we so boldly set at the beginning of any calendar year. Luckily the start of July affords us a chance at redemption as well to reset and fulfill our commitments for the year’s remaining six (6) months. Since the summer is normally a slow period for many charities, it’s an ideal time for boards or staff to tackle those lingering fund development needs they’ve been putting off.
But what facet of fundraising should be the focus of our half-year resolution? The list of possible task areas requiring attention for most charities is vast and choosing which are the highest priority can be difficult. Below are three (3) elements of raising funds that your organization should take steps towards resolving during the summer:
1) Replace or update your fundraising CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system.
In today’s hyper-evolving digital universe, charities can’t afford the risk of clinging to outdated technology. If your organization is still using Windows 7, stores all its data floppy disks and has zero social media presence, its ability to complete its mission is significantly impaired. Likewise, if your charity’s CRM system is increasingly obsolete – or worse, if it does not have one – cultivating relations with donors will be done in a haphazard manner.
Take advantage of the casual pace of summer by installing the latest version of your CRM software or replacing it with a completely new system. An effective fundraising CRM system should segment donors according to giving levels, philanthropic interests, and other variables that are relevant to their connection to the cause.
Ensure that the system can meticulously track each donor’s journey with the organization and use the data to project the next call-to-action for each. Make certain that privacy and security settings are updated and correctly configured for optimum protection so there is no possibility that your donors’ information will be compromised. Before the Holiday Season, it would be prudent to familiarize your fundraising team with the CRM system’s upgrades, so they feel confident in operating it in advance of future campaigns.
A quality CRM system installed over the summer will strengthen your charity’s ability to engage and shepherd each donor along their philanthropic path. Ultimately, your organization will be in a highly favourable position to personalize, manage and steward relationships with your supporters and take larger steps towards building a passionate and invested donor base.
2) Enroll your fundraising staff and volunteers in future training and professional development activities.
Fall is a fruitful season for fundraising conferences and seminars and the dog days of summer are the best time for charities to prepare and register representatives for these vital training opportunities. During July and August, emails from trusted resources such as Charity Village, local Unites Ways, community foundations and the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) flood our inboxes with invitations to participate in educational sessions being offered in coming months. However, don’t simply share this information with your Executive Director or fund development staff. Let your board and volunteers also know about these enlightening opportunities.
Encouraging board directors and fundraising committee members to attend training events where they will learn new fundraising techniques and strategies can be energizing experiences that increase their affinity for the discipline of fund development.
It’s always exciting to learn new things. Exposing directors and volunteers to the finer points of major gifts, storytelling, peer-to-peer appeals, corporate sponsorships and special events is bound to inspire them to become more involved in their charity’s fundraising planning and execution.
Staff, board and volunteers participating together in fundraising training events are frequently unifying occurrences that quickly strengthen their organization’s overall commitment to building a sustainable base of support. Planning to take part in premier conferences such as the AFP Congress held every November can substantially galvanize organizations and enhance their ability to procure more resources to deliver maximum impact.
3) Reconnect with three (3) to four (4) lapsed donors.
People are generally more relaxed and approachable during the summer in comparison with the rest of the year. Thus, it seems like a reasonable period to reach and restart relationships with three (3) or four (4) donors with whom a charity hasn’t connected in years. It doesn’t matter if the lapsed supporter is an individual, company, foundation, service club or place of worship. What’s crucial is knowing why interactions with them stopped.
Approaching lapsed supporters is always better than cold calling prospects because they have already demonstrated a willingness to give. Even if relations fizzled under nasty circumstances, resurrecting old ties is a higher percentage move and less work than researching, qualifying and connecting with someone who may or may not contribute anything.
If you are new to the charity, chances are their departure cannot be attributed to any sequence of events with which you were involved. That is why you are properly suited to re-engage them since it is always nice to hear from a fresh voice.
Start the dialogue by immediately reaffirming your charity’s gratitude for everything the lapsed donor has selflessly donated. Next, remind them their aggregate generosity has enabled the organization to inch closer to achieving its mission.
Express how sorry the organization is for dropping the ball and allowing the connection to fade. Ask the donor if they would mind sharing their impressions regarding the breakup and what the charity should have done to prevent it.
Above all, when renewing relationships with former supporters DO NOT ASK THEM FOR A DONATION! The objective is to welcome them gradually and organically back to the organization’s community. Focus the conversation on them. Invite them to share what has been happening in their lives since your last communication. How are their families doing? How is their career going? Generally speaking, what is new and exciting about their lives?
Should they indicate they are not at all interested in re-engagement, thank them profusely one last time for all they did and let them go. Only if you succeed in re-establishing trust and rapport should you begin updating the donor about the charity’s recent impact and accomplishments. The purpose of this exercise is strictly to help the lapsed donor to reflect on how their previous involvement enabled the group to move closer to realizing its mission and vision.
