Need to Know
— Share of fundraisers who disagree with the statement “donor stewardship is seen as everyone’s responsibility” at their organization
All of us who attended AFP ICON recognize that it was a big event. So big, in fact, that it was too much to cover in one article. I wanted to share some of the extra tidbits exclusively with loyal readers of the newsletter.
A session on the fundraising outlook for 2023 offered up some data from a joint study by the company Bloomerang and the Institute for Sustainable Philanthropy, “Fundraising Planning and Climate Report: Outlook 2023.”
Conducted in November of 2022, the research found that many fundraisers find themselves on an island, without organizational support. Just under half (47.5 percent) agreed that philanthropy is embedded into the core of the organization. More people disagreed with the statement (47.5 percent) that donor stewardship is seen as everyone’s responsibility at the organization than agreed with it (42.5 percent).
“Everyone needs to understand the role they play in fundraising,” said Rachel Muir, a consultant who was a panelist at the session. “Put that in everyone’s job evaluations. They need to understand the case for support and make the case for support.”
Jack Alotto, a consultant from the Fundraising Academy who co-hosted a session on digital fundraising, agreed that it is extremely important to “create a culture of philanthropy in your organization.”
Alotto and co-presenter LaShonda Williams noted that having a digital presence is necessary in today’s world. “Facebook, social media, email — this is how people start their day and why digital fundraising can be effective for you,” said Williams, associate director of alumni engagement and annual giving at South Texas College of Law Houston. “With digital fundraising, you can reach the masses and get ROI, when you do it properly with segmentation.”
She added that when people have questions about the information they receive digitally, it’s crucial that any staff member be able to provide help to potential donors.
“All you need is that one donor to call and for your staff not to have the answer to their question,” Williams said. “If they have to be transferred two times for an answer to a basic question, bye, bye. They’re gone.”
***
At a session on how to build your donor pipeline, attendees expressed concern about losing important donors who are elderly. One person said her best donor was 102 years old.
Destiney Patton, donor-relations manager at Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, suggested stewarding midlevel donors and trying to move them toward larger contributions. When Patton’s food bank was looking to secure $50,000 in matching funds, she went to several midlevel donors and explained the need for these funds, even though she knew there was a major donor who would probably put up the money if asked.
“We had three donors who gave $10,000 each,” Patton said. “They gave significantly more than they ever had. It was a lot more work, and it’s so worth it. Some of those donors said to me, ‘If you can’t get that $50,000, let me know. I can do more.’ So I really challenge you to start looking at those next-level donors whenever you have campaigns like this.”
Patton also advised organizations with a large portfolio of donors at the midlevel range to focus personal attention on those who are responsive to calls and emails and to use digital, automated messages to steward those who are unresponsive to the personal touch.
***
Finally, at several sessions, fundraisers recommended using volunteers to help provide support for fundraising staff. For example, organizations that send mailings or offer facility tours can have volunteers stuff those envelopes or lead the tours so fundraisers can focus on other activities.
Plus …
Digital Fundraising Tips. Several fundraising experts joined the Chronicle to discuss how nonprofits can use data to supercharge their online fundraising strategies in an increasingly digital world. My colleague Sara Herschander reported on the event.
“A lot of past thinking around websites and online giving was that it was nice to have but not a need,” said Cherian Koshy, vice president of development at Merit America, a work-force development nonprofit. Now, he said, it’s become an essential tool in nonprofit fundraisers’ arsenal and one that can be refined and enhanced by data.
It’s key that nonprofits make donating online as “easy and frictionless as possible,” said T. Clay Buck, a consultant who heads TCB Fundraising. He noted that any snag on a donation page, like a cumbersome form or a hard-to-find donate button, can make all the difference in virtual giving. “The more fields you have to fill out, the more friction,” Buck said.
To learn more or to see the recording of the discussion, check out Sara’s article.
