each month don’t forget to - amazon s3 · handwritten thank you notes. enlist a group of...

EACH MONTH DON’T FORGET TO...

• Donor retention and renewals

• Social media engagement

• Email open rates

• Website visits, bounces and hits to your web

donation page

• Donate page abandonment

•Monthly donors – new ones and renewed ones

Donor Loyalty: Create a donor engagement activity OR cool donor communication.

Social Media: Create videos to use on web and social channels.

Major Gifts: Meet with your major gifts team, review where you stand with your prospects and set next cultivation steps.

Self Care: Manage your stress and take your time off.

Check your metrics:

Lifetime donor relationships & a sustainable, growing funding base.

WWW.GAILPERRY.COM | @GAILPERRYNC | FIREDUPFUNDRAISINGBYGAILPERRYWWW.GAILPERRY.COM | @GAILPERRYNC | FIREDUPFUNDRAISINGBYGAILPERRYWWW.GAILPERRY.COM | @GAILPERRYNC | FIREDUPFUNDRAISINGBYGAILPERRY

JANUARY 2017Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30 31

Evaluate year-end results, look for trends and implications. Measure retention.

Refresh your thank you letters & make sure they are donor-centered.

Plan a welcome campaign for NEW donors.

Make a new year’s resolution to visit (##) number of major donors each month.


Show your gratitude & thanks.

New Year’s Day Epiphany

MLK Jr.’s Birthday

FEBRUARY 2017Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

26 27 28

FEBRUARY 2017FEBRUARY 2017Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 22 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

1212 13 1414 15 16 17 18

19 2020 21 2222 23 24 25

26 27 2828


Craft stronger stories for your appeals, proposals, oral presentations, web, donation page, and social media.

Teach board members storytelling skills.

Learn/practice video storytelling.

Plan Valentine appreciations to your donors for Feb 14th.

Refi ne your fundraising calendar for the year –grant deadlines, meetings, event and gala deadlines, and vacations.

Tell your story better.

Groundhog Day

Lincoln’s Birthday Valentine’s Day

President’s DayWashington’s

Birthday

Mardi Gras

MARCH 2017Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30 31

Run your donor data base through a wealth screening program.

Refresh your major gift prospect list. Evaluate and qualify your list again.

Review names of potential major donors and research them.

Meet with your major gifts team and meet regularly.

Plan your spring fundraising campaign - emails, direct mail, social media and phone calls.


Find new major gift prospects.

Ash Wednesday

Daylight Savings Begins @ 2am St. Patrick’s Day

First Day of Spring!

APRIL 2017Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

30

APRIL 2017APRIL 2017Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

11

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

99 10 11 12 1313 1414 1515

1616 17 18 19 20 21 22

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

30

Ask your major prospects about their personal philanthropic goals.

Practice your etiquette and social awareness skills.

Once a donor is qualifi ed, fi nd out what she is most interested in.

Create opportunities for your donors to learn more about their favorite area.

Ask them, “Would you like to know more about how you can support this project?”

Cultivate relationships with major donors.

April Fool’s Day

Palm SundayMaundy Thursday Good Friday

Easter


MAY 2017Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

28 29 30 31

MAY 2017MAY 2017Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 44 55 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

1414 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 2525 26 27

28 2929 30 31


Make sure the right person is doing the asking for the gift.

Learn a conversational approach to asking.

Learn to read your donor’s body language.

Adapt your presentation to suit your donor’s style and motivation.

Use the MPI approach: Would you consider a gift of $ (Money) to accomplish P (Project) making I (Impact.)

Practice face-to-face asking skills.

Nat’l Day of Prayer Cinco De Mayo

Mother’s Day

Ascension Day

Memorial Day

JUNE 2017Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30

JUNE 2017Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3

44 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

1818 19 20 2121 22 23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30


Create a detailed annual fundraising plan for the coming year.

First, assess how well your current fundraising programs and strategies are doing.

Second, lay out enhanced strategies for each fundraising program.

Only then, set new fundraising goals for each fundraising strategy and program.

Survey your mid-level donors ($1k and up) and craft a more personalized plan for them.

Create your annual fundraising plan.

Pentecost

Father’s DayFirst Day of

Summer

JULY 2017Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

30 31

JULY 2017JULY 2017Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

2 3 44 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

30 31


Independence Day

Create a systematic #donorlove plan to “touch” donors every month – either an experience or a warm communication.

Educate your board and staff on why donor retention is so important.

Ask your board to adopt donor retention as a priority project.

Create a series of “experiences” for donors at different giving levels. Set up opportunities for program staff to share their stories directly with donors.

Focus on donor loyalty & retention.

AUGUST 2017Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30 31

AUGUST 2017AUGUST 2017Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30 31


Create a 4-page donor impact report instead of an Annual Report. Get organized for year-end fundraising.

Plan your theme, goal, graphics, budget and sub-contractors.

Lay out a calendar for an integrated year-end campaign.

Hire experts to help craft the best year-end campaign ever.

Craft your year-end campaign (part one).

SEPTEMBER 2017Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

SEPTEMBER 2017Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2

3 44 5 6 7 8 9

10 1111 12 13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20 21 2222 23

24 25 26 27 28 29 30


Complete year-end fundraising plan.

Create special appeals and communications (it’s worth it!) to: • Donors renewing for the fi rst

time

• Current year’s donors

• Leadership annual fund

donors

• Mid-level donors who can

increase their gifts

• Major donors

• Board members & former

board members

Finalize your schedule and entire campaign.

Launch your year-end campaign with a thank-a-thon to your donors.

Craft your year-end campaign (part two).

Labor Day

Patriot Day

First Day of Autumn

OCTOBER 2017Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30 31

OCTOBER 2017OCTOBER 2017Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 99 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30 3131


Start sending year-end appeals in multiple channels.

Develop your #GivingTuesday theme, goal, videos, graphics and messages.

Enlist #GivingTuesday social media ambassadors and lead donors.

Test your Crowdfunding platform.

Will you be fi ling a Form 990 on November 15? Review it with your CPA or CFO before it’s fi led.

Plan your social media & #givingday campaign.

Columbus Day

Halloween

NOVEMBER 2017Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30

NOVEMBER 2017NOVEMBER 2017Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

11 2 3 4

55 6 7 8 9 10 1111

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 2323 24 25

26 27 2828 29 30


Write your last-minute email series, get them scheduled.

If you are in the US, send a thanksgiving message to donors.

Make a gift to your own organization online and evaluate how easy your donation process is.

Tweak your web site for year-end online gifts - simplify your donation form.

Add a wonderful video to your thank you landing page.

Polish your website & last year-end plan.

All Saints Day

Daylight Savings Time Ends Veteran’s Day

Thanksgiving Day

Giving Tuesday

DECEMBER 2017Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

31

DECEMBER 2017Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2

33 4 5 6 77 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20 2121 22 23

2424 2525 26 27 28 29 30

3131


Lay out your last minute year-end emails.

Plan holiday appreciations for your donors & your staff.

Plan face to face visits with your top 10 donors re: year-end gifts.

Make sure your offi ce is covered the last few days of the year.

Enjoy some time off!

Show some love!

First Sunday of Advent Pearl Harbor

First Day of Winter

Christmas Eve Christmas

New Year’s Eve

NEW STRATEGIES TO TRY!


Each month, try one of these strategies to develop the relationship with your donor and lead to sustainable, growing funding.

Handwritten thank you notes.Enlist a group of volunteers to write thank you notes weekly.Bring notecards to board meetings and have your board members write thank you notes before the meeting starts. Make sure your online donors get paper thank you notes. Craft one fabulous thank you to a current or former major donor.

Do something special for your monthly donors. Thank you visits to major donors – just to drop off something in appreciation.Invite donors to a panel discussion about your cause.

Create a heart-rending tour and have board members host one tour a month.

Hold an organization-wide conversation about building a culture of philanthropy.

Test out Facebook’s donation platform.

Have a conversation with your back offi ce and administrative staff about how

valuable they are to the entire fundraising effort.

Find a way to use more volunteers to engage and thank donors.

Start systematically educating your board members about fundraising.

Ask your board members to host a porch party (or fi reside party) as a way to open doors.

each month don’t forget to - amazon s3 · handwritten thank you notes. enlist a group of...

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