Thoughts for Today
“Here is the great challenge of life! You can have more than you’ve got because you can be more than you are.” Jim Rohn
“People will often overestimate what will happen in the next two years and underestimate what will happen in ten.” Bill Gates
“If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere.” Frank A. Clark
“Conscience warns us before it reproaches us.” Marie de Beausacq
Engaging New Donors
One challenge we continual face with our client’s is the need to recruit new donors into the organization. It may be that a client’s database has become tired and overused, or it may be that the organization has failed to implement an effective marketing program to secure new donors. Either way nonprofit organizations need to have an effective strategy for developing contacts and bringing in new donors. Here are a few tips to help you along the way.
Use your existing donors to multiple your efforts. The greatest ambassadors for your organization are your current donors and volunteers. Encourage them to recruit others through small group dinners, invitations to attend volunteer projects, or by setting one on one meetings with staff members (best with large gift potential donors). We have seen organizations double their contact list simply by asking their current donors to help them.
Look for new ways to market your organization. If you have had the same events, same dinners, and same direct mail pieces going out – change things up. Add a new twist to the traditional dinner. One great way to develop new strategies is to create a brainstorming group among your most active donors and volunteers. Many of these people are active in lots of other organizations and can bring fresh ideas to the table.
Go back to the basics. An area that readily gets overlooked by nonprofits is effective use of the media. See if your media list is current. Look for unique things going on in your organization that would make good press. Call and invite local writers, editors and news people out for a visit to your organization.
There is a natural attrition factor to any organization’s database and contact list. Developing new contacts and new donors must be a priority for your organization.
Trent Wheeler
Are you in a capital campaign or looking for a boost in major gift giving this year? Wheeler & Associates is currently offering a special rate on our donorgraphics product. Through the end of February, we can append important demographic data to your donor database beginning at $0.35 per record. That is less than the cost of a postage stamp. 5% to 10% of your donors have the potential to give more than all of your database combined. Through our donorgraphics program you can reduce your direct mail costs, increase your response and focus your time on the most effective donors. For more information call Wheeler and Associates at (615) 427-8688.
Outrageous Events
What is the most outlandish, outrageous, creative and innovative event that your organization has had the courage to undertake? Wheeler & Associates is looking to collect the 52 most outrageous fundraising events ever attempted and share them with our readers around the globe.
As an incentive to send us your most outrageous event. We are going to contribute $500 to the organization that sends us the most creative submission. The second and third place winners will receive a “Relational Fundraising” video training series. In addition every organization that provides an event that we use in our newsletter or publications will receive a copy of our upcoming book, “Outrageous Events.” Send your submissions in a Word or Text file to trentwheeler@comcast.net.
Content provided by:
Wheeler & Associates
100 Williamsburg Place
Franklin, TN 37064
(615) 427-8688
trentwheeler@comcast.net
www.donorgraphics.com
