October 1, 2009 ADVERTISEMENT Reach advocates and donors to Center for Science in the Public Interest. These American consumers have become fighters for better nutrition and safer food, including nutrition labeling, increased food-safety inspections, banning trans. fats and more. This is a highly responsive audience to a variety of non-profit appeals. Contact: Hillary Taylor at 203-825-4631  www.rmidirect.com In This Edition: Caffeine Boosts Charity’s Social Network Donors ... Imagine your constituents dreaming of you Direct Mail ... Think like your donors when writing Monthly Giving ... You need sustainers in this economy ADVERTISEMENT    With Blackbaud Sphere Grow™, you can grow support for your organization right from your website. Blackbaud Sphere Grow is an affordable and easy-to-update content management system that includes a powerful email marketing toolset, and the industry's leading online 'athon and personal fundraising platform. >>Get free tips on maximizing your online fundraising efforts. NPT Jobs NPT Resource Directory Subscribe to NPT NPT Latest Edition NPT Advertising Contact Us      Please forward NPT Instant Fundraising to your colleagues so that they can also subscribe. Tell-a-friend! ADVERTISEMENT Did you know...31% of all nonprofits offer bonus compensation to the CEOs/presidents. See how they earned it in the new NonProfit Times 2009 Nonprofit Organizations Compensation & Benefits Report. Order your subscription today! Click here. Caffeine Boosts Charity’s Social Network Social networking, in part, helped Catholic Relief Services (CRS), in Baltimore, Md., gain $200,000 from a contest sponsored by Green Mountain Coffee. The company sponsored a contest to view proposals on climate change. CRS staff put the word out on CRS’ Facebook Fan page where people who responded could examine the proposal and respond to Green Mountain. To read the complete article click here...   Donors ... Imagine your constituents dreaming of you Musician John Lennon once said, “A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.” And how you present your organizational dreams can determine how many supporters want to make your dream a reality, according to Kay Sprinkel Grace, CFRE, a San Francisco-based organizational consultant. She explained that nonprofit development professionals should be dream brokers for donors at the recent Bridge to Integrated Marketing & Fundraising Conference, in National Harbor, Md. Here are some steps to take now: Make your dreams strong. How are you conveying the organizational dreams to donors? Think about how you set your goals and the stories behind them. Ensure that your board and staff are talking about the dreams as well. It’s not about you. Your donor is so important to your organization – no matter what the size of their gift. Their dreams and their support are what sustain the organization. Be transparent. You need to report back to your donors about where the money went and what impact their dollars had.  The world is flat. Globalization has changed philanthropy. Donors don’t just care about what is happening in their own neighborhood. Organizations have the ability to impact all corners of the world -- and show the impact. The local nonprofit chapter has to compete against national and international causes. Be open to change. Grace explained that for a sector that wants to change the world, nonprofits are sometimes stubborn when it comes to organizational change. Test to see if your way still works. If not, strategize to work more efficiently. Use appropriate technology. Most nonprofits have mastered the Web site donate button. But technology is not just another donation channel. The Internet and mobile phones are going to shape how organizations communicate with donors. Make sure you are not left behind. Engage partners and donors. Large-scale dreams require participation and innovative ideas. Direct Mail ... Think like your donors when writing Law enforcement officials have the adage, “If you want to catch a criminal, you have to think like a criminal.” While it isn’t a crime to ignore your direct mail, direct mailers should think more like their donors to optimize their pieces, according to Mal Warwick, founder and chairman of Mal Warwick Associates, based in Berkeley, Calif. Warwick explained how you can get into the minds of donors at the at the recent Bridge to Integrated Marketing & Fundraising Conference, in National Harbor, Md. Here are some of his thoughts: Why do donors give? Your organization may be amazing, but is that why donors decide to make a gift? Their hearts, minds and spirit can motivate donors to give. Your copy should change when you are trying to appeal to a donor’s logical side, emotional side or spiritual side. Your donors are multidimensional. Each donor could many facets of their organizational engagement. One donor may want to participate in the bike-a-thon and make monthly donations while another can be an activist willing to make a bequest. Talk to your donors about the many ways they can connect to your organization and let them make the choices. What your donors really want. To be treated like human beings. Doesn’t sound too hard, right? That includes kindness in all contacts, recognition of their support, appreciation of their contributions and access to information that will inspire them to continue the relationship. By focusing on the donor relationship you can minimize attrition and build long-lasting relationships. Look at what your donor sees. When you put together a mail piece, you may put blood, sweat and tears in the copy and make sure the response piece leads the donor to a higher gift. But, none of that matters if the donor doesn’t open the envelope. Actively think about sequence of what the donor will see with the mail piece -- from outer envelope, contents, lead paragraph to response device. Make sure that your donor will want to continue to the end. Monthly Giving ... You need sustainers in this economy Monthly giving programs set up nonprofits to receive predictable revenue streams in unpredictable times. Nonprofits that have monthly sustainer programs are fairing better in this economic downturn, according to Emily Farrell, director of donor programs at Defenders of Wildlife, and Lois Ephraim, vice president, creative director at Russ Reid. Monthly donors are more loyal and may have a longer lifetime value, and they are ideal donors to move into your middle and major donor pools. Monthly donors show their commitment to the organization month after month, and Farrell and Ephraim explained why you should pay attention to these donors at the recent at the recent Bridge to Integrated Marketing & Fundraising Conference, in National Harbor, Md. Here’s some of their tips: Create a winning monthly offer. Your offer should be compelling and tangible, all at a comfortable price point for donors. A $1,000 gift every month isn’t feasible. Focus on the outcomes of monthly giving and relate back to the beneficiaries. Forget paper, go for plastic. Credit cards are the best predictor of long-term value. Encourage donors to sign up with their credit cards. Make it easier for the donors by not just accepting one credit card carrier. Remember that credit cards have an expiration date – and have a mailer that addresses a credit card change. Multiple touch points. Don’t just send out a direct mail piece out about monthly giving. Create a multi-layered, multi-channel campaign that can reach out to all donors and expand your pool of monthly donors. Win them over, again.  Develop a rich delinquency communication stream so your donors can’t say no. Recapture lapsed donors and thank those who cancelled for their support. You may sway donors back to the monthly gifts. Keep an engaging communication stream. Monthly donors will only stay as long as they feel useful. Test a monthly communications stream that collects donations and renews the donor’s interest with stories, updates and testimonials. Don’t stop at the monthly gift. Don’t be shy about including another ask within billing statements. Monthly donors are engaged and want to support the mission, so asking them for additional support or other communication opportunities may be just what they are looking for. Don’t forget to say thank you. You never want to miss out on a supportive, willing monthly donor because you forgot to remind them how much they mean for the organization. Thank donors sincerely and often. Don't Forget Us! Changing positions? Or have you moved to another organization? Then, make sure you still get NPT's family of eNewsletters by simply updating your profile. Copyright @ 2009 The NonProfit Times. To read our Privacy Policy click here. To forward Instant Fundraising to your colleagues so they can also subscribe click here.