I recently attended the Association of Fundraising Professional’s 51st International Conference on Fundraising. It was a great opportunity for VanillaSoft to interact with one of the key industry verticals we serve – fundraising professionals. The conference provided a lot of great information and insights to attendees that fundraisers can turn into action in their organization. Here are a few great insights from the Twittersphere that fellow attendees posted that I thought I would share.
Donor loyalty is not about the donor being loyal to you, it is you being loyal to the donor.” #afpicon #afpshift
— Harvey McKinnon (@harveymckinnon) March 25, 2014
Much in the same way a company has to provide great products and service to keep a loyal customer, a nonprofit has to service its donors. Being loyal to the donor includes acts like:
- Email communications that explain how their gifts are serving the nonprofit.
- Drip campaigns throughout the year that keep the donor apprised of the organizations activities and goals.
- Special messages that thank the donor throughout the year.
- Calls during fundraising season that acknowledge and thank donors for past support and praise the wins gained for the organization through that support.
Just follow these for building your #case. If you can’t say it in 50 words… @thattomahern #afpicon pic.twitter.com/GoPJeq26Rn
— Beth Ann Locke (@FundraiserBeth) March 25, 2014
This photo from the event is a great framework for building your telefundraising script. Before you start your next phonathon campaign, ensure your script includes
- A hook
- A promise
- A brief description of the problem/solution
- Proof – success stories of how donor dollars have helped reach goals
- The ask
- Gratitude for the time, consideration, gifts
Have you ever thought how different history would have been if MLK said “I have a strategic plan” – dreams inspire #afpicon
— Erin Shy (@ErinShy) March 24, 2014
What a great reminder of the power of language! As fundraisers, it’s key to remember the motivations that move people to give often come from an emotional, passionate place. Ensure your outreach messages contain and match the passion of your donors to keep them engaged.
Regardless of your message or cause, VanillaSoft has a telefundraising software solution to help you deliver the right message at the right time to the right donor. With a combination of outreach options like email, drip campaigns, and calling campaigns. We can help you quickly and easily get your next phonathon and volunteers up and running in no time.
