AMPLIFY YOUR YEAR-ENDFUNDRAISING

Presented by Rachel Muir & Chris Taft

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Ready to Rise Above the Noise of Year-End Fundraising? Download the infographic at pursuant.com/riseabovethenoise

YOUR PRESENTERS

Rachel MuirVice President, Training Rachel.Muir@pursuant.com@rachelmuir

Chris TaftVice President, Client SolutionsChris.Taft@pursuant.com@chrisdtaft

Year-End Fundraising by the Numbers

ü 30% of annual online giving occurs in December.

ü 10% of annual giving occurs in the last 3 days of the year.

ü During these last few days, average giving spikes by as much as 50%, especially online.

Source: http://www.fundraising123.org/files/NFG%20Year%20End%20Fundraising%20Survival%20Guide%202014%20FINAL.pdf

Year-end fundraising is crucial, but that doesn’t make it easy…

ü It’s a lot of work in a short amount of time.

ü Competition for donors’ attention.

ü Busy holiday season.

Challenges Faced by Fundraisers at Year-End

So, how do you stand out?

Create an Immersive Experience

Example: Alabama Plant Your Flag

Results:

ü 18,000 new names

ü $288,000 raised in 14 days

Inspire Donors with a Compelling Case for Support

Example: FamilyLife Year-End Campaign

Results:Ø 10% increase in donorsØ 8% increase in revenue

YOY

Set a Challenge Goal to Drive Momentum

Example: Washington National Cathedral

Results: ü Raised more than 2x the goalü Started early with

#GivingTuesday

Example: Washington National Cathedral

Only an hour left this #GivingTuesday

Giving Tuesday: Cathedral Music

Giving Tuesday: Cathedral Preservation

Giving Tuesday: Your Cathedral

Example: Washington National Cathedral

Example: Pepperdine University

Delivered on 12/30 to increase urgency to give by

year-end

Delivered in early December

Year-End FAQs: Email

How many emails should we send?

What are the best dates & times to send emails?

What is the best subject line to get someone to open and give?

Key Dates for Communication

1. Thanksgiving à Engagement

2. Black Friday / Cyber Monday

3. #GivingTuesday4. Mid-December

5. Christmas (Give Thanks)6. December 28th, 29th, 30th, 31st

(Urgency Is Key)

Year-End FAQs: Planning

When should I start planning?

How do I coordinate my campaign with #GivingTuesday?

What are the benefits of a match campaign?

What about a monthly giving ask?

5 Tips to Get and KEEP Year-End Donors

#1 Homepage takeover, anyone?

Make donation page the homepage or do a “lightbox” (also known as pop up’s or shadowboxes)

Most urgent message is front and center

Makes it easy to act

@rachelmuir

3 pop up truth bombs

Your homepage donate button is competing with a LOT of other noise

You might find them irritating but they work

#1 place your donors are going is to your website

@rachelmuir

If you use a lightbox….

#1 Use compelling imagery

#2 Have a strong call to action

#3 Be brief. (i.e. 3-4 weeks)

#4 Offer easy exit to homepage

Source: CDR Fundraising Group Blog

#2 Prime Your Network BEFORE Year-End

Have you reported back on your donor’s most recent gift?

What do your donors want to hear from you MOST?

@rachelmuir

Source: Penelope Burk, 2013 Donor Survey

Source: Blue Frog

�About our mission

What you want to say

�Why we think you should support us�What our values are�Why we need your money�How you can support us�Our new approach �Why we’re different �We’ve been in the news! �How great we are �We’re on

Facebook/Twitter

The donor is the customer. They’re buying the experience of feeling good.

Make them feel that, you get rewarded.”

“Tom Ahern

“It’s (only) been ____ and ALREADY you…”

#3 Be prepared to thank incoming gifts.

ü More gifts = more staff time receipting and thanking

ü Allocate enough resources

ü An autoresponder tells me you got it. A thank you tells me why it mattered.

@rachelmuir

Say thanks WITH PASSION!

Thank you makeover - Before

When you give to ____________ , you’re making a major difference in the lives of children in your community. Each year, nearly 25,000 patients come to us.

Your gifts not only support our core medical, surgical and rehabilitative services, but also allow us to offer support to struggling families.

Thank you makeover - After

“You gave a worried mom of a child with cancer a home away from home tonight.”

Take them to the action with feeling

Donors don’t give because you’re excellent. They give because they are excellent and

you help them realize their awesome selves.

“Jeff Brooks,

How to Turn Your Words into Money

@rachelmuir

Innovative stewardship: digital stationary

Check out Feltapp.com

@feltapp @rachelmuir

Sample personalized stationary Feltapp.com

Craft a baseline plan to make EVERY donor feel heroic

Download at Pursuant.com/StewardshipPlan

Fundraisers rely too heavily on gift value as a determinant of future potential. ”

“Penelope Burk, The 2014 Burk Donor Survey

@rachelmuir

2

When & how they’ll be contacted

Annual, mid, major,

planned, lapsed and

new

How much you can

spend on them

The messages and offers they’ll get

Plan for donors who

upgrade/downgrade

#4 Craft a plan for every donor group

Source: Jeff Brooks, The Money Raising Nonprofit Brand

71% of donors feel more engaged whenthey receive content that’s personalized. ” “

Abila Donor Loyalty Study, 2016

@rachelmuir

#5 Plan the donor journey

Consider a survey to learn more about your donors and what they care about.

Bonus tip: Going out of the office?

Set a memorable auto-responder (include cell)

Spotlight your campaign

Let us help you rise above the noise this year.

www.pursuant.com/yearendaccelerator

Meet Pursuant’s Year-End Accelerator:

ü Digital Fundraising Campaignü Proven Best Practicesü Innovative Acquisition &

Cultivation Strategies

Rise above the noise and raise more money at year-end.

Let us help you rise above the noise this year.

QUESTIONS?

Pursuant ResourcesDownload our latest fundraising resources at pursuant.com/resources

www.pursuant.com/training

4 PART WEBINAR SERIESTUESDAYS: JAN 18, JAN 25, FEB 1, FEB 8 | 12PM-1PM CST

Fundraising Bootcamp Oct 26th Dallas, Texas

Overcome fundraising objections

Master board recruitment & structure

Qualify, retain & upgrade donors

The art of storytelling

Pursuant.com/training

Intelligent fundraising.