In This Edition:

• 4 Ways To Take The ‘Annual’ Out Of Giving
  
  
• Capital Campaigns ...
  Give me an A. Give me an S. Give me a K.
  
  
• Online ...
  You’ve got to tell them about it

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4 Ways To Take The ‘Annual’ Out Of Giving

It feels like just yesterday that your annual giving campaign ended. And now, you have to start all over?

Jill A. Pranger, president and founder of Pranger Philanthropic, shared some tips about how to prepare for yet another annual campaign at the 46th annual Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) international fundraising conference in New Orleans. Are you ready?

• Change your definition of “annual campaign.” Donors will think they are in the “Twilight Zone” doomed to repeat the same thing every year – ask, amount, time. Instead, break your annual campaign into a series of smaller campaign asks throughout the year.
• Look at last year. Dump tactics that failed miserably and tweak strategies that you liked and worked well. You don’t have to recreate the wheel for your annual campaign -- just grease it up a little.
• Climate control. Evaluate the philanthropic, organizational and economic climates to get an idea about what you should expect from the campaign.
• Set goals. Everyone would love to have a $10 million goal. But your goal shouldn’t be a number picked out of a hat. Be honest with yourself. Know how much you should expect the campaign to make and what gifts are feasible.
  

Capital Campaigns ...
Give me an A. Give me an S. Give me a K.

Do you want to build excitement around your capital campaign? It might be time to enlist the help of some cheerleaders, according to Michael J. David-Wilson, executive director for the Middlesex County College Foundation in Edison, N.J.

That doesn’t mean run out and find pom-pom tossing athletes who can spell. David-Wilson explained that organizations need people who get pumped about the campaign at the 46th annual Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) international fundraising conference in New Orleans.

Here are some tips on how to S-T-A-R-T:

• Find individuals, either in your leadership team or volunteers, who are excited about the campaign. They will be your cheerleaders. Express the group the urgency and timeliness points of the campaign to energize support.
• Schedule meetings with your cheerleaders. Encourage them to share their ideas and how to best attack the campaign.
• Ask what motivates them. Once you figure out what pushes these cheerleaders, you may use that insight to cultivate other donors. Or even the cheerleaders themselves – they are still potential donors and you will know exactly what drives them to your campaign.
• Rally the group. Share what you expect from the campaign. And dream big. According to David-Wilson, big ideas will appeal to the creative side of your supporters and get them geared up for the campaign.

Online ...
You’ve got to tell them about it

If you want donors to give online you have to remind donors of that option, according to Valerie Lambert, assistant director of development at Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth in Baltimore.

Lambert presented her tips about moving donors online at the 46th annual Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) international fundraising conference in New Orleans. Here are some ways to nudge donors online:

• Where are you now? Incorporate online donations into communications you are already sending – that includes direct mail.
• Make the distinction. Unique hyperlinks can help you track what communications are driving web traffic the best. Be aware that some donors will not use distinct hyperlinks, even if you tell them to. Pay attention to lifts in overall Web traffic after a communication drives people online.
• Tie it all together. Try to make distinct hyperlinks mirror the appeal for easier recall. For example, if your appeal is about a specific food drive you might want to link to a page to that ask, such as LocalFoodPantry.org/ FallHarvestFoodDrive.
• Know the language. People who give online should know the Web basics. For example, you won’t have to include www. before any site reference. If you want to make it clear, use the distinctive blue underline designated for Web addresses.
  

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