That is the subject of an email I received yesterday from the DCCC (Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee). It's one of seven emails I've received from them in the last 48 hours asking for money, and mostly they read like text book examples of what not to do.
Setting aside the all-caps yelling, telling your potential donors that "all hope is lost" is a terrible idea. If all hope is truly lost, why would I give you money? Wouldn't that be futile? My instinct was to delete it right away without opening it. The only reason I read this email was to write about it.
Just like everything else about this election cycle, this was an extreme example. Nonprofits make similar mistakes every day. Much of the work we do involves big, complex, heartbreaking and terrifying issues. The problem is that too much scary or sad makes people close their wallets and stop listening. So, if you talk about a big, scary problem, you better follow it up quickly with the solution you offer and the prospect of a happy ending. And, even if you feel it sometimes, don't ever say it's hopeless.
Friday, July 22, 2016
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Too Soon?
At 7:00 a.m. this morning as I sat blurry-eyed at my computer hovering over the "Post" button on Facebook, I hesitated for a few moments about publishing a post related to Hurricane Sandy. Would people object? Would they think I was taking advantage?
The Facebook page is for my employer, The Immigrant Learning Center, and we use it to publish information about how immigrants strengthen the U.S. The post in question was a quote from Governor Haley Barbour of Mississippi about how immigrants helped his state recover from Katrina. I decided to go for it. So far, the results have been good - eight likes, one share, and no negative comments. (We recently launched the page and only have 78 fans so far.)
I was reminded of an interview I saw with the comedian Louis CK where he said merely waiting until some time has passed after a tragedy to say a joke is like "fake decency." "If I wait a while, why is that better?" I think the same thing can apply to marketing.
So, the test is not "is it too soon" but "is it too self-serving?"
For example, my bank and credit card companies know I live in the Boston area. As soon as Sandy swept through town they sent me emails offering assistance with things like cash advances, waiving fees, customer service reps waiting to help me, etc. Yes, they did it to make money, but I didn't mind because, if I had needed any of those things, I would have been grateful.
Mitt Romney, on the other hand, has been slammed in the press and social media for his attempts to "help" storm victims. I'm not saying whether what he did was good or bad, but the campaign clearly did a poor job of managing perception, and, from where I sit, the backlash looks completely predictable.
In my situation it was a pretty safe bet because our Facebook fans want and expect content that talks about immigrants and their contributions.So, sometimes it is appropriate to use current events to further your message. Just be careful you understand your audience first.
The Facebook page is for my employer, The Immigrant Learning Center, and we use it to publish information about how immigrants strengthen the U.S. The post in question was a quote from Governor Haley Barbour of Mississippi about how immigrants helped his state recover from Katrina. I decided to go for it. So far, the results have been good - eight likes, one share, and no negative comments. (We recently launched the page and only have 78 fans so far.)
I was reminded of an interview I saw with the comedian Louis CK where he said merely waiting until some time has passed after a tragedy to say a joke is like "fake decency." "If I wait a while, why is that better?" I think the same thing can apply to marketing.
So, the test is not "is it too soon" but "is it too self-serving?"
For example, my bank and credit card companies know I live in the Boston area. As soon as Sandy swept through town they sent me emails offering assistance with things like cash advances, waiving fees, customer service reps waiting to help me, etc. Yes, they did it to make money, but I didn't mind because, if I had needed any of those things, I would have been grateful.
Mitt Romney, on the other hand, has been slammed in the press and social media for his attempts to "help" storm victims. I'm not saying whether what he did was good or bad, but the campaign clearly did a poor job of managing perception, and, from where I sit, the backlash looks completely predictable.
In my situation it was a pretty safe bet because our Facebook fans want and expect content that talks about immigrants and their contributions.So, sometimes it is appropriate to use current events to further your message. Just be careful you understand your audience first.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
What Happened to About Us?
From time to time someone will tell me about a cool new website (usually trendy or social media-y) and when I go there I can’t tell what it is or why I should care about it. Sometimes, these sites don't even have an “About Us” page. Just to be clear, every website should have an “About Us” and a “Contact Us” page. Without them, the user is left to assume either (1) you are hiding something (like a scam or trying to look larger and more experienced than you are) or (2) you are talking to yourself (because you don’t know how to talk to strangers or you assume you are so cool everyone will already know about you).
This is just an extreme example of mistakes that most everyone makes with their website when they, for example, use jargon or assume a given level of subject matter knowledge. Your website should be interesting and understandable to those who know you best as well as those who have never heard of you before. Try to pretend you don’t know you and read your website. Can you easily tell who this is, what they do, and why you should care? Better yet, ask a stranger to read your website and then tell you who you are. You might be surprised.
This is just an extreme example of mistakes that most everyone makes with their website when they, for example, use jargon or assume a given level of subject matter knowledge. Your website should be interesting and understandable to those who know you best as well as those who have never heard of you before. Try to pretend you don’t know you and read your website. Can you easily tell who this is, what they do, and why you should care? Better yet, ask a stranger to read your website and then tell you who you are. You might be surprised.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
False Promises
The recent news about the failed merger (or should I say re-merger because they used to be one organization) between SmileTrain and Operation Smile reminded me of a blog post I’ve been meaning to write for some time. So, here it is.
One of the trickiest things for a fundraiser to figure out is how often to communicate with donors and prospects. Contact them too often and you risk losing money and alienating your supporters. Too few contacts could mean you’re leaving money on the table. Usually the decision criteria include things like dollars raised vs mailing costs or, for new donor acquisition (which frequently involves an initial loss), it may be average cost per new donor compared with lifetime value. Both of these approaches make sense from an ROI standpoint and both leave out the individual donor experience.
I know more than one person who has complained to me about being a long-time supporter of an organization and giving up because they saw all their donations return to them in the form of direct mail. So, that calendar or tote bag you just mailed may have netted you more income, but did it lose you some formerly loyal supporters? I believe that many people think twice before donating to a cause that interests them because they don’t want to get on the mailing list.
That’s why I was so intrigued when I first saw SmileTrain’s “donate to us and we’ll go away” pledge starting in early 2009. Once a quarter they would send me a letter that said this:
“…Smile Train only needs to ask our donors for just one gift. Now don’t get me wrong, we love to communicate with our many supporters. ... But we don’t want to be pushy. So, if you want to make just one gift to help us save one or more children, just check the box on the enclosed reply form when you send in a tax-deductible donation. We’ll honor your wishes and never ask you for a gift again.”
And here’s what the reply form looks like:
I was impressed when I first saw this. It’s a bold move. SmileTrain already has a compelling value proposition - $250 changes the life of a child forever. This approach could be seen as blackmail (give us your money or we’ll keep sending you mail) or it could be seen as giving people a chance to make a valuable contribution with the confidence that their funds will go toward the mission and they won’t be bombarded with requests for more money. It could entice many more people to make an initial donation and motivated donors have a chance to opt-in on future mailings. Even though it could save the organization from wasting money on future mailings that dont get results, it’s still awfully hard to give up on the idea of future solicitations. It’s a risky move.
I watched and waited for someone to study this bold experiment. Did this unique approach work for SmileTrain? I found nothing. So, I decided to do a little experiment of my own. In June 2010 I sent them $10 and I checked the box that said “Please don’t ask me for another donation.” I figured I would at least save them the expense (and the trees) of future mailings. In return they sent me a mailing that included a DVD of a documentary called “Smile Pinki” and a buck slip inviting me to order more DVDs and donate more money. There went a big chunk of my $10 and all of SmileTrain’s credibility with me.
I received two more letters from SmileTrain in September and December of 2010. The December letter acknowledged that “we promised that we would never ask for another donation again. And we won’t.” Technically, neither of these letters included the words “please donate.” But really - is that what you thought I meant – go ahead and send me as much mail as you like just don’t ask me for anything? This strikes me as really disingenuous. The good news is that I haven’t gotten any mail from them in 2011.
It turns out that I could have saved myself $10 if I had waited a little longer. This article from the August 2010 Charity Rating Guide & Watchdog Report from the American Institute of Philanthropy indicates that at least one other donor had a similar experience. They are clearly not fans of SmileTrain. Just to be clear, I am not writing this story to discourage anyone from supporting SmileTrain. If you feel motivated to help children with cleft palates, this might be a great way to do it. Just know what you’re getting into.
So what is the moral of this story? I’d still be fascinated to find out how well this approach works for them. I don’t have the magic answer of how often to mail what to whom. But consider this – no matter how many pieces you send, you’re not doing a mass mailing. You are sending one piece of mail to one person at a time. So, in addition to running the numbers, take into consideration the experience of individual donors. Remembering the basics of segmenting, testing, and listening doesn’t hurt either.
One of the trickiest things for a fundraiser to figure out is how often to communicate with donors and prospects. Contact them too often and you risk losing money and alienating your supporters. Too few contacts could mean you’re leaving money on the table. Usually the decision criteria include things like dollars raised vs mailing costs or, for new donor acquisition (which frequently involves an initial loss), it may be average cost per new donor compared with lifetime value. Both of these approaches make sense from an ROI standpoint and both leave out the individual donor experience.
I know more than one person who has complained to me about being a long-time supporter of an organization and giving up because they saw all their donations return to them in the form of direct mail. So, that calendar or tote bag you just mailed may have netted you more income, but did it lose you some formerly loyal supporters? I believe that many people think twice before donating to a cause that interests them because they don’t want to get on the mailing list.
That’s why I was so intrigued when I first saw SmileTrain’s “donate to us and we’ll go away” pledge starting in early 2009. Once a quarter they would send me a letter that said this:
“…Smile Train only needs to ask our donors for just one gift. Now don’t get me wrong, we love to communicate with our many supporters. ... But we don’t want to be pushy. So, if you want to make just one gift to help us save one or more children, just check the box on the enclosed reply form when you send in a tax-deductible donation. We’ll honor your wishes and never ask you for a gift again.”
And here’s what the reply form looks like:
I was impressed when I first saw this. It’s a bold move. SmileTrain already has a compelling value proposition - $250 changes the life of a child forever. This approach could be seen as blackmail (give us your money or we’ll keep sending you mail) or it could be seen as giving people a chance to make a valuable contribution with the confidence that their funds will go toward the mission and they won’t be bombarded with requests for more money. It could entice many more people to make an initial donation and motivated donors have a chance to opt-in on future mailings. Even though it could save the organization from wasting money on future mailings that dont get results, it’s still awfully hard to give up on the idea of future solicitations. It’s a risky move.
I watched and waited for someone to study this bold experiment. Did this unique approach work for SmileTrain? I found nothing. So, I decided to do a little experiment of my own. In June 2010 I sent them $10 and I checked the box that said “Please don’t ask me for another donation.” I figured I would at least save them the expense (and the trees) of future mailings. In return they sent me a mailing that included a DVD of a documentary called “Smile Pinki” and a buck slip inviting me to order more DVDs and donate more money. There went a big chunk of my $10 and all of SmileTrain’s credibility with me.
I received two more letters from SmileTrain in September and December of 2010. The December letter acknowledged that “we promised that we would never ask for another donation again. And we won’t.” Technically, neither of these letters included the words “please donate.” But really - is that what you thought I meant – go ahead and send me as much mail as you like just don’t ask me for anything? This strikes me as really disingenuous. The good news is that I haven’t gotten any mail from them in 2011.
It turns out that I could have saved myself $10 if I had waited a little longer. This article from the August 2010 Charity Rating Guide & Watchdog Report from the American Institute of Philanthropy indicates that at least one other donor had a similar experience. They are clearly not fans of SmileTrain. Just to be clear, I am not writing this story to discourage anyone from supporting SmileTrain. If you feel motivated to help children with cleft palates, this might be a great way to do it. Just know what you’re getting into.
So what is the moral of this story? I’d still be fascinated to find out how well this approach works for them. I don’t have the magic answer of how often to mail what to whom. But consider this – no matter how many pieces you send, you’re not doing a mass mailing. You are sending one piece of mail to one person at a time. So, in addition to running the numbers, take into consideration the experience of individual donors. Remembering the basics of segmenting, testing, and listening doesn’t hurt either.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
If you lived here, you’d be home by now
I borrowed this title from Lisa Williams who spoke at Tuesday night’s Ethos Roundtable. It turns out not only was this saying on a billboard, it’s also the title of a book and a TV Show. Williams’ talk was about the “hyper local” movement and how motivated bloggers try to use modern communication techniques to make the places we live feel more like home.
I often meet with nonprofit groups at Marketers Making a Difference who want to know how to get press coverage. Specifically, they usually want to know how to get into The Boston Globe. The Globe is a great publication but it’s not always the best choice. For example, one group served the Medford/Somerville/Cambridge area exclusively. They needed to focus on media that covered their service area. In addition to focusing on the traditional media that their target audience is most likely to read, I usually suggest they identify blogs that appeal to their constituents.
In the past, the best ways I knew to identify relevant blogs were Google and Technorati.com. Tuesday night, I learned some great new ways to find local content. Lisa Williams is the creator of Placeblogger, the largest searchable index of local weblogs. If you’re looking for someone who writes about your neighborhood, this is the place to look.
Local content seems to be popping up everywhere. There’s also Patch. This is a project funded by AOL that employs journalists to write local content for their “Patch.” There are currently 75 Patches in Massachusetts. Then there’s Wicked Local which is specific to Massachusetts and currently covers 162 locations. (But not Boston, Lowell, or Worcester. This is for content that might be missed by the major media outlets).
So, if you’re cause is local, you now have more tools than ever to meet your constituents where they live.
I often meet with nonprofit groups at Marketers Making a Difference who want to know how to get press coverage. Specifically, they usually want to know how to get into The Boston Globe. The Globe is a great publication but it’s not always the best choice. For example, one group served the Medford/Somerville/Cambridge area exclusively. They needed to focus on media that covered their service area. In addition to focusing on the traditional media that their target audience is most likely to read, I usually suggest they identify blogs that appeal to their constituents.
In the past, the best ways I knew to identify relevant blogs were Google and Technorati.com. Tuesday night, I learned some great new ways to find local content. Lisa Williams is the creator of Placeblogger, the largest searchable index of local weblogs. If you’re looking for someone who writes about your neighborhood, this is the place to look.
Local content seems to be popping up everywhere. There’s also Patch. This is a project funded by AOL that employs journalists to write local content for their “Patch.” There are currently 75 Patches in Massachusetts. Then there’s Wicked Local which is specific to Massachusetts and currently covers 162 locations. (But not Boston, Lowell, or Worcester. This is for content that might be missed by the major media outlets).
So, if you’re cause is local, you now have more tools than ever to meet your constituents where they live.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Help A Reporter Out
At today’s Marketers Making a Difference meeting I learned about a great resource called Help A Reporter Out (HARO). It’s a service that reporters can use to find sources and you can use to find reporters who are looking for experts in your knowledge areas.
This is the kind of service that used to only be available to PR professionals through expensive subscriptions to services like Cision. HARO is advertising supported and therefore free to users. I can’t speak to the relative quality of the leads, but it seems to me that this part of the ongoing democratization of information made possible by the internet.
The good news is, this makes it easier for you to get media contacts. The bad news is, it makes it easier for everyone else to get access too. Maybe that’s not bad news after all. It means that instead of putting resources into getting access, you should be putting into having something to say.
For more cool marketing-related resources, check out our Delicious resource list: http://delicious.com/mmdboston
This is the kind of service that used to only be available to PR professionals through expensive subscriptions to services like Cision. HARO is advertising supported and therefore free to users. I can’t speak to the relative quality of the leads, but it seems to me that this part of the ongoing democratization of information made possible by the internet.
The good news is, this makes it easier for you to get media contacts. The bad news is, it makes it easier for everyone else to get access too. Maybe that’s not bad news after all. It means that instead of putting resources into getting access, you should be putting into having something to say.
For more cool marketing-related resources, check out our Delicious resource list: http://delicious.com/mmdboston
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
BOGO!
If you know that BOGO stands for “Buy One Get One” then you already have a sense of how much this concept has been ingrained in the American psyche. Even the government is getting in the act with programs like the Social Innovation Fund where grantees must match government funds with private donations 1:1 or even 2:1 or more. Programs where a supporter is offering to match private contributions up to a specified limit for a particular period in time are known as “challenge grants” and are a great deal if you can get them.
“Matching Funds” usually refers to corporate programs that provide matching funds to employees for nonprofits that meet their guidelines. Even in tough economic times, many companies still offer matching funds and they are available 365 days a year. All you have to do is ask. But, many nonprofits don’t because of one thing that everyone hates – paperwork. The donor has to file paperwork with the employer to get the matching funds and the nonprofit has to process paperwork to receive the gift. But, now there are some tools that can help. Matchinggifts.com from HEP Development Systems offers a searchable database of matching gift companies and tools for processing them.
Fancy tools or not, everyone can (1) identify the major employers in your area that offer matching funds (2) collect data about where your donors work, and (3) publish information about matching gifts in thank you notes, on your website, etc. Why? Well it’s obvious that matching gifts represent money you could be leaving on the table. Research also indicates matching gifts can increase revenue per solicitation and the response rate, as indicated in this article from AFP.
But it’s not just about maximizing a single transaction. I don’t have research to back me up, but I believe that matching gifts can be another way to cement your relationship with your donors. Yes, you are asking them to do a little extra work. But, they are giving you money in order to do good in the world and this gives them the opportunity to double what they can do. Everyone wants to do more with their money. Help them help you.
“Matching Funds” usually refers to corporate programs that provide matching funds to employees for nonprofits that meet their guidelines. Even in tough economic times, many companies still offer matching funds and they are available 365 days a year. All you have to do is ask. But, many nonprofits don’t because of one thing that everyone hates – paperwork. The donor has to file paperwork with the employer to get the matching funds and the nonprofit has to process paperwork to receive the gift. But, now there are some tools that can help. Matchinggifts.com from HEP Development Systems offers a searchable database of matching gift companies and tools for processing them.
Fancy tools or not, everyone can (1) identify the major employers in your area that offer matching funds (2) collect data about where your donors work, and (3) publish information about matching gifts in thank you notes, on your website, etc. Why? Well it’s obvious that matching gifts represent money you could be leaving on the table. Research also indicates matching gifts can increase revenue per solicitation and the response rate, as indicated in this article from AFP.
But it’s not just about maximizing a single transaction. I don’t have research to back me up, but I believe that matching gifts can be another way to cement your relationship with your donors. Yes, you are asking them to do a little extra work. But, they are giving you money in order to do good in the world and this gives them the opportunity to double what they can do. Everyone wants to do more with their money. Help them help you.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Easy As Pie
I was very impressed last night by the talk I heard at the Directors of Volunteer Administration meeting by Community Servings' CEO, David Waters. The subject of the meeting was corporate partnerships. Community Servings is a not-for-profit food and nutrition program providing services throughout Massachusetts to individuals and families living with critical and chronic illnesses. Around Thanksgiving every year they sell a whole lot of pies to raise funds for their programs. The program is so successful that it even has it’s own web page pieinthesky.org. Part of what makes it so successful is the partnership with Coldwell Banker.
The evolution of the program is pretty interesting and I’m going to do my best to paraphrase David. Back in the beginning of the program, Community Servings was looking to for a partner to help sell pies. The best source of skilled salespeople they could think of were Realtors. So, they approached three Boston-area realty businesses and convinced them to compete over who could sell the most pies. We all know that salespeople are competitive by nature. But the real draw of this program for the Realtors was the opportunity for a great conversation starter with new prospects and the ability to bring people into their offices to pick up the pies and further build relationships. Over time, the three businesses merged into one as part of Coldwell Banker and not only do they continue the pie sales, they throw in additional cash donations from the company as part of the project.
Sweet deal, huh? This is a great story and a great partnership because everybody gets a piece of the pie. Community Servings sells a lot more pies and raises a lot more funds than they could on their own. Coldwell Banker gets to build relationships and goodwill with potential clients. Corporate-Nonprofit partnerships have benefits and costs to both parties. The key is to make sure the benefits far out way the costs for everyone involved.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Thank You
Doesn’t that feel good? “Thank you” are two words most of us don’t hear often enough. I read a lot about the importance of thanking donors in a fundraising context. And, there’s been a lot written about rewarding and motivating volunteers. What about advocacy? This note from a friend of mine got me thinking …
“(I was) reading yet another newsletter from some random 'green' organization urging me to walk more, take the bus, change my light bulbs, insulate my house, etc., when I've already done or are doing much of that. Nowhere did it say 'thank you.'”
When it comes to changing behavior, we are often so passionate about our mission and so anxious to give advice that we don’t take the time to say thanks. In order to spur action, we often lean heavily on creating a sense of urgency. But, it’s easy to go too far and create a sense of guilt or overwhelm that results in inaction.
Chances are anyone who is interested in your mission is already taking some sort of action. Even the act of reading what you write is worthy of thanks. Thanking donors is generally accepted as a good way to motivate them to give more money. Likewise, wouldn’t thanking advocates motivate them to do even more? Get creative about ways that your supporters can take credit for what they’re already doing and be motivated to do more. If the same creativity that goes into thanking and recognizing monetary donors went toward letter writers or recyclers we might see change happen more rapidly.
Thanks for listening.
“(I was) reading yet another newsletter from some random 'green' organization urging me to walk more, take the bus, change my light bulbs, insulate my house, etc., when I've already done or are doing much of that. Nowhere did it say 'thank you.'”
When it comes to changing behavior, we are often so passionate about our mission and so anxious to give advice that we don’t take the time to say thanks. In order to spur action, we often lean heavily on creating a sense of urgency. But, it’s easy to go too far and create a sense of guilt or overwhelm that results in inaction.
Chances are anyone who is interested in your mission is already taking some sort of action. Even the act of reading what you write is worthy of thanks. Thanking donors is generally accepted as a good way to motivate them to give more money. Likewise, wouldn’t thanking advocates motivate them to do even more? Get creative about ways that your supporters can take credit for what they’re already doing and be motivated to do more. If the same creativity that goes into thanking and recognizing monetary donors went toward letter writers or recyclers we might see change happen more rapidly.
Thanks for listening.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
“If you can’t tweet what you do, the problem is not Twitter.”
That quote was delivered by Allison Fine last night at a presentation by Fine and Beth Kanter about their new book The Networked Nonprofit.
Her point was that nonprofits should keep it simple. Don’t try to be everything to everyone. Concentrate on what you do best and partner for the rest.
I had occasion to quote her at today’s Marketers Making a Difference meeting. Our featured nonprofit had been telling us about themselves for about 15 minutes and we still didn’t know what they did. So we spent the rest of our time helping them craft a new mission statement.
By the end of the meeting they had a vastly improved one-sentence mission statement and a short list of key concepts to flush it out. They were thrilled with the progress but also frustrated that they were still struggling with how to describe themselves after a year of working on it.
Sometimes a group of strangers can be better at describing what you do than you are (especially if they’re all marketers). Still, speaking with your target market is even better. I suggested they continue to refine the mission statement until they were comfortable with it and then run it by a few teachers (their target market).
The truth is, short and simple is not always easy and it takes time and effort. Can you tweet what you do?
Her point was that nonprofits should keep it simple. Don’t try to be everything to everyone. Concentrate on what you do best and partner for the rest.
I had occasion to quote her at today’s Marketers Making a Difference meeting. Our featured nonprofit had been telling us about themselves for about 15 minutes and we still didn’t know what they did. So we spent the rest of our time helping them craft a new mission statement.
By the end of the meeting they had a vastly improved one-sentence mission statement and a short list of key concepts to flush it out. They were thrilled with the progress but also frustrated that they were still struggling with how to describe themselves after a year of working on it.
Sometimes a group of strangers can be better at describing what you do than you are (especially if they’re all marketers). Still, speaking with your target market is even better. I suggested they continue to refine the mission statement until they were comfortable with it and then run it by a few teachers (their target market).
The truth is, short and simple is not always easy and it takes time and effort. Can you tweet what you do?
Friday, September 24, 2010
I Love to Count
It’s not surprising that in tough economic times performance measurement has become a hot topic.
From a donor’s perspective, there are few tools available to evaluate the best use of their charitable dollars. The most widely used rating agencies – Charity Navigator and the BBB Wise Giving Alliance – rely heavily on measures like “overhead” to rate a nonprofits effectiveness.
Don’t get me started on “overhead.” Plenty of other people have made the case against this short-sighted perspective, so I don’t need to rant about it here. For example, see this article by Katya Andresen, about the commotion at this year’s DMA Nonprofit Federation meeting.
From a nonprofit manager’s perspective, we often feel so stretched for time and money that performance measures seem like a great idea that we’ll get to some day. Many of us also have an inherent distrust of statistics (damn lies and statistics). We sometimes prefer “touchy feely” measures or rely on “experience” to guide decision making.
From Andrew Wolk’s perspective, performance measurement is critical. Wolk is the founder of Root Cause, a nonprofit research and consulting firm. Yesterday at an event titled “Learning from Performance Measurement, Investing in What Works” he made the case that in an environment of limited resources and urgent social issues, we must concentrate investments on solutions that have the greatest impact. In order to do that, we need reliable performance measures. But, these measures are not just to guide decision-making for outside investors; they are also a management tool for continuous improvement and sharing best practices.
Paul Carttar, Director, Social Innovation Fund, Corporation for National and Community Service was also there. He shared that while government cannot take the lead in innovation, it can take a leadership role in identifying innovation, and performance measurement is key to that process. Simply by changing the way government funders like the SIF measure performance, they can have a ripple effect on the nonprofit sector. Carttar strongly urged private funders to demand performance measures to guide their philanthropic investments as well.
From a marketer’s standpoint, I advise caution. There is plenty of research that shows you can raise more money with one compelling story than with statistics. As much as we like to think we are rational beings, people make decisions for emotional reasons.
So, if you believe in performance measurement, do you share your results with donors? You absolutely should use data to make decisions. And you absolutely should make performance data available to all your stakeholders. Your annual report, website, and even your grant proposals are excellent places for this data. You might not want to build a fundraising campaign around it. But, don’t take my word for it. Test it yourself. Part of that data you are collecting should include message testing for your appeals.
Root Cause provides plenty of resources for building a performance measurement system on its website.
To hear Wolk & Carttar’s comments for yourself, here is also a podcast of yesterday’s discussion.
Happy counting.
From a donor’s perspective, there are few tools available to evaluate the best use of their charitable dollars. The most widely used rating agencies – Charity Navigator and the BBB Wise Giving Alliance – rely heavily on measures like “overhead” to rate a nonprofits effectiveness.
Don’t get me started on “overhead.” Plenty of other people have made the case against this short-sighted perspective, so I don’t need to rant about it here. For example, see this article by Katya Andresen, about the commotion at this year’s DMA Nonprofit Federation meeting.
From a nonprofit manager’s perspective, we often feel so stretched for time and money that performance measures seem like a great idea that we’ll get to some day. Many of us also have an inherent distrust of statistics (damn lies and statistics). We sometimes prefer “touchy feely” measures or rely on “experience” to guide decision making.
From Andrew Wolk’s perspective, performance measurement is critical. Wolk is the founder of Root Cause, a nonprofit research and consulting firm. Yesterday at an event titled “Learning from Performance Measurement, Investing in What Works” he made the case that in an environment of limited resources and urgent social issues, we must concentrate investments on solutions that have the greatest impact. In order to do that, we need reliable performance measures. But, these measures are not just to guide decision-making for outside investors; they are also a management tool for continuous improvement and sharing best practices.
Paul Carttar, Director, Social Innovation Fund, Corporation for National and Community Service was also there. He shared that while government cannot take the lead in innovation, it can take a leadership role in identifying innovation, and performance measurement is key to that process. Simply by changing the way government funders like the SIF measure performance, they can have a ripple effect on the nonprofit sector. Carttar strongly urged private funders to demand performance measures to guide their philanthropic investments as well.
From a marketer’s standpoint, I advise caution. There is plenty of research that shows you can raise more money with one compelling story than with statistics. As much as we like to think we are rational beings, people make decisions for emotional reasons.
So, if you believe in performance measurement, do you share your results with donors? You absolutely should use data to make decisions. And you absolutely should make performance data available to all your stakeholders. Your annual report, website, and even your grant proposals are excellent places for this data. You might not want to build a fundraising campaign around it. But, don’t take my word for it. Test it yourself. Part of that data you are collecting should include message testing for your appeals.
Root Cause provides plenty of resources for building a performance measurement system on its website.
To hear Wolk & Carttar’s comments for yourself, here is also a podcast of yesterday’s discussion.
Happy counting.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
What's on Your Backside?
This may be a little off topic, but it's on my mind because I just ordered business cards. Business cards used to be simple things that conveyed contact information. Now, like a lot of things, they have gotten fancier and fancier as individuals try to stand out from the crowd. As a result, many people choose to put content on the back of the card. I always find this annoying because I like to make notes on the back of cards I receive. Today, among other things, I was offered the opportunity to add a calendar to the back of the card. The print is so small I'm not sure how it helps me or the recipient.
The one thing I did add to the back of my cards was the recycle symbol. Recycled content seems far too hard to find, but that's a rant for another day. The point is, it's important for me to reflect my values in everything I do. That's how you build a brand - consistency and congruity.
Years ago I interviewed with an environmentally-focused organization and I asked why their glossy annual report wasn't printed on recycled paper. It was, they just weren't taking credit for it! Whether you have an environmental mission or not, your constituents will be turning you over and looking at all your decisions - from purchasing to your HR policies and more. Make sure your backside is covered.
The one thing I did add to the back of my cards was the recycle symbol. Recycled content seems far too hard to find, but that's a rant for another day. The point is, it's important for me to reflect my values in everything I do. That's how you build a brand - consistency and congruity.
Years ago I interviewed with an environmentally-focused organization and I asked why their glossy annual report wasn't printed on recycled paper. It was, they just weren't taking credit for it! Whether you have an environmental mission or not, your constituents will be turning you over and looking at all your decisions - from purchasing to your HR policies and more. Make sure your backside is covered.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Piling On
I’m a little strange. I collect fundraising solicitations. What’s even stranger is I open every envelop I receive. That makes me really rare. Here is a photo of the pile of direct mail I received in 2009.
On the left are “friends” and the right are “strangers” with a number ten envelop in front for scale. I use the term “friend” broadly. The friend pile includes the five hospitals where I have received care in Massachusetts, the two universities where I earned degrees, three organizations where I have applied for jobs, a few organizations where I have volunteered, and even a few to whom I have previously given a donation.
What’s the point? If you are going to send a direct mail solicitation, you need to keep in mind that you’re letter will be added to this pile. What will you do to make sure it gets opened? Read? Responded to?
On the left are “friends” and the right are “strangers” with a number ten envelop in front for scale. I use the term “friend” broadly. The friend pile includes the five hospitals where I have received care in Massachusetts, the two universities where I earned degrees, three organizations where I have applied for jobs, a few organizations where I have volunteered, and even a few to whom I have previously given a donation.
What’s the point? If you are going to send a direct mail solicitation, you need to keep in mind that you’re letter will be added to this pile. What will you do to make sure it gets opened? Read? Responded to?
Monday, November 2, 2009
Corporate Self-less-ness ?
This post was inspired by a tidbit I ran across and wanted to remember but didn't know how to file the information. Since I think it's pretty cool, I share it with you and preserve it for future reverence at the same time on this blog.
It turns out that Self magazine conducts "Good" research which "which explores womens' emotions resulting from the good a consumer perceives she does by purchasing socially responsible products and brands." How cool is that?
The latest research found something very interesting about skepticism (a leading reason companies shy away from cause marketing).
1) Only 16% of consumers meet the magazine's definition of highly skeptical.
2) If you can convince these skeptics, they are actually MORE likely to purchase products from companies they perceive as doing good things.
3) Skeptics are highly involved in supporting causes -- their skepticism comes from caring.
Wow. Maybe this is what is known as "healthy skepticism." To see the full article about it in Advertising Age click Here.
To give credit where credit is due, I paraphrased this little summary from the "Cause Marketing Today" email newsletter by the Cause Marketing Forum.
It turns out that Self magazine conducts "Good" research which "which explores womens' emotions resulting from the good a consumer perceives she does by purchasing socially responsible products and brands." How cool is that?
The latest research found something very interesting about skepticism (a leading reason companies shy away from cause marketing).
1) Only 16% of consumers meet the magazine's definition of highly skeptical.
2) If you can convince these skeptics, they are actually MORE likely to purchase products from companies they perceive as doing good things.
3) Skeptics are highly involved in supporting causes -- their skepticism comes from caring.
Wow. Maybe this is what is known as "healthy skepticism." To see the full article about it in Advertising Age click Here.
To give credit where credit is due, I paraphrased this little summary from the "Cause Marketing Today" email newsletter by the Cause Marketing Forum.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Something Old, Something New
Recently, I heard Stacy Joseph, Director of Annual Giving at Dana Farber Cancer Institute, give a talk about “Annual Giving and Best Practices.” It was a great talk. But, before I discuss it I’m going to digress about “annual giving.” I think it’s a terrible term. It’s useful internally for distinguishing between operating funds, campaign donations, and major gifts. The problem is - it’s very “inside baseball.”
At a previous talk, the presenter asked us if we participated in annual giving. I didn’t raise my hand. It’s not that I don’t donate, it’s just that I don’t necessarily donate to specific organizations once a year. I donate when I feel moved and able to afford it. I think a lot of people do that. The term “annual fund” doesn’t resonate with donors. Because I believe in the power of words, I’d say even just using it internally has a bad influence. Plus, it’s really, really hard to keep people from using internal terms with the outside world.
Now that I’ve gotten that rant out of my system, I’ll revisit the issue of the dreaded mailing labels. I wrote previously about my dislike of mailing labels but according to Stacy Joseph, lighthouse mailing labels outperform every other solicitation they’ve tried. Dana Farber is a sophisticated operation, so I’m sure they’ve tested a lot of great ideas. Admittedly, they’re mailing list skews toward an older demographic. If it works, don’t fix it. But they don’t stop there. They started offering eCards not long ago. The minimum donation to send one of their eCards is $5 and according to Stacy, the average donation is $19.
See, eCards really are cool. Do you know what’s even cooler? Ringtones. Dana Farber’s “ Rally Against Cancer” campaign encourages schools to compete to see who can raise the most for the Jimmy Fund. When kids register to be part of the campaign, they can receive exclusive ringtones from the Redsox’ Jon Lester or Joe Catiglione.
Smart marketers like Dana Farber use cutting edge techniques to attract new supporters while continuing to offer the base of loyal supporters what they want, whether it’s cool or not.
At a previous talk, the presenter asked us if we participated in annual giving. I didn’t raise my hand. It’s not that I don’t donate, it’s just that I don’t necessarily donate to specific organizations once a year. I donate when I feel moved and able to afford it. I think a lot of people do that. The term “annual fund” doesn’t resonate with donors. Because I believe in the power of words, I’d say even just using it internally has a bad influence. Plus, it’s really, really hard to keep people from using internal terms with the outside world.
Now that I’ve gotten that rant out of my system, I’ll revisit the issue of the dreaded mailing labels. I wrote previously about my dislike of mailing labels but according to Stacy Joseph, lighthouse mailing labels outperform every other solicitation they’ve tried. Dana Farber is a sophisticated operation, so I’m sure they’ve tested a lot of great ideas. Admittedly, they’re mailing list skews toward an older demographic. If it works, don’t fix it. But they don’t stop there. They started offering eCards not long ago. The minimum donation to send one of their eCards is $5 and according to Stacy, the average donation is $19.
See, eCards really are cool. Do you know what’s even cooler? Ringtones. Dana Farber’s “ Rally Against Cancer” campaign encourages schools to compete to see who can raise the most for the Jimmy Fund. When kids register to be part of the campaign, they can receive exclusive ringtones from the Redsox’ Jon Lester or Joe Catiglione.
Smart marketers like Dana Farber use cutting edge techniques to attract new supporters while continuing to offer the base of loyal supporters what they want, whether it’s cool or not.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
How Does Your Garden Grow?
I’ve been attending a number of seminars, workshops, courses, and the like about fundraising. They all talk about the importance of “cultivation.” That’s a lot more than just asking for money. You’re not likely to raise very many funds from people who have never heard of you or your cause. All of the experts I’ve heard stress the importance of seeing fundraising as relationship-building rather than managing transactions (one-time gifts).
Just like a garden, once you’ve done proper cultivation the next step is stewardship. The Association of Fundraising Professionals defines “stewardship” as “a process whereby an organization seeks to be worthy of continued philanthropic support …” Really? Fundraising is the “sales” of the nonprofit world and often has some of the same negative stereotypes. Just like a professional sales force, when done well fundraising is much more than “show me the money.” The definition continues “… including the acknowledgement of gifts, donor recognition, the honoring of donor intent, prudent investment of gifts, and the effective and efficient use of funds to further the mission of the organization.” Wow. That’s a tall order.
So, when it is time to ask, especially for serious money, what do you do? Some of the best advice I’ve gotten so far was not from an instructor, but from a fellow class mate. She works for MIT and told me they have a saying that goes “If you want advice, ask for money. If you money, ask for advice.” That intuitively makes a lot of sense. If you ask for money without first establishing trust, you’re likely to get some unsolicited advice on what you should be doing with that money. What she didn’t say (but I believe she meant) was - when you ask for advice, even though you are hoping for money, you have to respect your donors opinion and sincerely want advice. Being open to insights from your constituents and respecting your donors is all part of “being worthy of continued support.”
Just like a garden, once you’ve done proper cultivation the next step is stewardship. The Association of Fundraising Professionals defines “stewardship” as “a process whereby an organization seeks to be worthy of continued philanthropic support …” Really? Fundraising is the “sales” of the nonprofit world and often has some of the same negative stereotypes. Just like a professional sales force, when done well fundraising is much more than “show me the money.” The definition continues “… including the acknowledgement of gifts, donor recognition, the honoring of donor intent, prudent investment of gifts, and the effective and efficient use of funds to further the mission of the organization.” Wow. That’s a tall order.
So, when it is time to ask, especially for serious money, what do you do? Some of the best advice I’ve gotten so far was not from an instructor, but from a fellow class mate. She works for MIT and told me they have a saying that goes “If you want advice, ask for money. If you money, ask for advice.” That intuitively makes a lot of sense. If you ask for money without first establishing trust, you’re likely to get some unsolicited advice on what you should be doing with that money. What she didn’t say (but I believe she meant) was - when you ask for advice, even though you are hoping for money, you have to respect your donors opinion and sincerely want advice. Being open to insights from your constituents and respecting your donors is all part of “being worthy of continued support.”
Thursday, April 23, 2009
This is Amost Brilliant!
I got very excited when I saw an email from the American Cancer Society titled "Who is the official sponsor of your birthday?" Brilliant! I had to open it. The Cancer Society has started a new campaign to be the "official sponsor" of birthdays - reminding people that every birthday is a victory over cancer. In the email there was also a link to this web page:
http://www.morebirthdays.com
Guess what it has ... ecards! Yes! Just what I was asking for! There's also a YouTube and Facebook tie in. Brilliant! Unlike the cards and address labels I get in the mail from various causes that have little or no tie to the cause, these cards are a little too much about the Cancer Society for my taste. They probably won't replace my use of Hallmark.com anytime soon. I would prefer a happy medium. So maybe this is just short of brilliant.
I'm not sure where it goes from here. There was is no obvious way to donate if I chose to use an ecard. I might actually be more inclined to send the ecard if it included a message saying I made a donation in the recipient's name. Perhaps the lack of focus on donations was intentional. It could just be a list-building activity. When I gave them my birthday to add me to the list of 13,103 birthday's they are sponsoring, they invited me to give them my friends emails so they could get sponsored too. Then I got an email thanking me for joining and saying "By joining the movement for more birthdays, you are helping save lives by creating a world where cancer can’t steal another year from anyone’s life." I'm not sure how telling them when my birthday is helps fight cancer. I'm thrilled if it does. I'll keep you posted on my experience with my new birthday sponsor.
http://www.morebirthdays.com
Guess what it has ... ecards! Yes! Just what I was asking for! There's also a YouTube and Facebook tie in. Brilliant! Unlike the cards and address labels I get in the mail from various causes that have little or no tie to the cause, these cards are a little too much about the Cancer Society for my taste. They probably won't replace my use of Hallmark.com anytime soon. I would prefer a happy medium. So maybe this is just short of brilliant.
I'm not sure where it goes from here. There was is no obvious way to donate if I chose to use an ecard. I might actually be more inclined to send the ecard if it included a message saying I made a donation in the recipient's name. Perhaps the lack of focus on donations was intentional. It could just be a list-building activity. When I gave them my birthday to add me to the list of 13,103 birthday's they are sponsoring, they invited me to give them my friends emails so they could get sponsored too. Then I got an email thanking me for joining and saying "By joining the movement for more birthdays, you are helping save lives by creating a world where cancer can’t steal another year from anyone’s life." I'm not sure how telling them when my birthday is helps fight cancer. I'm thrilled if it does. I'll keep you posted on my experience with my new birthday sponsor.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Just 'Cause
I know it’s been a while, but I’m still intrigued by this year’s Academy Awards. It wasn’t the awards themselves that caught my attention, it was the ads. Oscar night ads don’t attract as much attention as Superbowl ads (the awards ceremony had a mere 36.3 million viewers compared to 98.7 for football). But with that much audience it has become another opportunity for advertisers to show off some of their best work. And, I noticed these ads were very different from those at the Superbowl. To me, that says the advertisers believed that different people watch each event (I happened to watch both). Or at least they expect the viewers to have different motivations.
For example, the most popular ad from this year’s Superbowl was a Doritos ad featuring two guys in an office hitting someone in the groin with a snow globe. At the Oscars, the most advertised snack was True North nut snacks (owned by the Frito Lay division of Pepsi Co). They aired mini-documentary spots about people doing good. They were great stories but I wasn’t sure what they had to do with nuts.
True North wasn’t the only one trying to increase the value of their brand by borrowing from the good work of others. Diet Coke spent a bundle on ads with Heidi Klum to promote women's heart health and the American Heart Association. I didn’t learn anything about women’s heart health and didn’t understand what it had to do with Diet Coke.
Don’t get me wrong, I am all for creating win-win promotions between corporate America and the non-profit sector, often called “cause marketing.” And, I was impressed that in this climate when so many companies are cutting back sponsorship and advertising, there was so much money being spent showcasing causes. But, I wonder what benefit these companies realized and how they justified the expense.
Cause marketing doesn’t have to involve expensive campaigns with Fortune 500 companies. Not long ago a brilliant, small-scale example appeared in my mail box. It was a mailing from The Gary Rosenthal Collection announcing the Art Tzedakah Box Contest. To decode that for you, Gary Rosenthal is an artist that produces a line of Judaic art and a tzedakah box is a coin bank for collecting money for charity. The artist is giving away $5,000 in prizes to causes based on the creativity of people who design tzedakah boxes in the shape of their cause. It’s targeted, it gets people involved with the brand, and it’s “viral.” I sent a link to this website to two people and I’m not even Jewish! It’s not just plucky artists that use this kind of approach, Virgin Atlantic gave away money to promote their launch in the Boston Market. It was not quite as creative or targeted as Rosenthal, but it was interactive and viral. I might not have even noticed Virgin otherwise. So, I think even in a tough economy cause marketing isn’t going away. Like all good marketing, it needs to be targeted and meaningful.
For example, the most popular ad from this year’s Superbowl was a Doritos ad featuring two guys in an office hitting someone in the groin with a snow globe. At the Oscars, the most advertised snack was True North nut snacks (owned by the Frito Lay division of Pepsi Co). They aired mini-documentary spots about people doing good. They were great stories but I wasn’t sure what they had to do with nuts.
True North wasn’t the only one trying to increase the value of their brand by borrowing from the good work of others. Diet Coke spent a bundle on ads with Heidi Klum to promote women's heart health and the American Heart Association. I didn’t learn anything about women’s heart health and didn’t understand what it had to do with Diet Coke.
Don’t get me wrong, I am all for creating win-win promotions between corporate America and the non-profit sector, often called “cause marketing.” And, I was impressed that in this climate when so many companies are cutting back sponsorship and advertising, there was so much money being spent showcasing causes. But, I wonder what benefit these companies realized and how they justified the expense.
Cause marketing doesn’t have to involve expensive campaigns with Fortune 500 companies. Not long ago a brilliant, small-scale example appeared in my mail box. It was a mailing from The Gary Rosenthal Collection announcing the Art Tzedakah Box Contest. To decode that for you, Gary Rosenthal is an artist that produces a line of Judaic art and a tzedakah box is a coin bank for collecting money for charity. The artist is giving away $5,000 in prizes to causes based on the creativity of people who design tzedakah boxes in the shape of their cause. It’s targeted, it gets people involved with the brand, and it’s “viral.” I sent a link to this website to two people and I’m not even Jewish! It’s not just plucky artists that use this kind of approach, Virgin Atlantic gave away money to promote their launch in the Boston Market. It was not quite as creative or targeted as Rosenthal, but it was interactive and viral. I might not have even noticed Virgin otherwise. So, I think even in a tough economy cause marketing isn’t going away. Like all good marketing, it needs to be targeted and meaningful.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Going 2.0
I actually don’t like the term “Web 2.0” but it’s convenient short hand. I’ve decided it’s about time I integrate my nonprofit marketing-related efforts with the online networking tools I use. So, I’ve created a Linked-In group for Marketers Making A Difference, Boston. All those marketers who come together to help Boston-area nonprofits once a month can now network online whenever they like. I also converted the old-fashioned, 8-page Word document that contains all the nonprofit marketing-related resources I’ve collected into a series of links on Delicious (which I just discovered is no longer Del.icio.us – when did that happen?)
Whew! I feel more modern already.
Whew! I feel more modern already.
Address Labels Are So Last Century
Since October 2008 I have collected 51 pieces of direct mail fundraising solicitations. Seven of them (14%) have included address labels. One of them was from my alma mater, Indiana University, but the rest were from organizations I don’t have a relationship with and the labels generally don’t have an obvious relationship with the mission. What’s worse, they don’t bother to say why I should send money. Usually they just send the labels and a reply form. (See the example from the American Heart Association below.)
There is a commonly held belief that if you send someone something they will feel obligated to reciprocate and your response rate will go up. However, I think that in today’s economy you need more. If you send me something I didn’t ask for and don’t want and you don’t even try to make an emotional connection with me, I don’t feel compelled to send you money. Even if I do send a small amount on impulse, I’m not likely to be a loyal donor. As a group, nonprofits have a dismal track record in retaining donors. More than once I’ve seen my meager donation used up with a series of expensive mailers sending me more and more stuff I don’t want.
Specifically address labels and cards. I used to use the labels for bills but then I switched to online bill paying. I don’t send cards or letters to friends except at Christmas time. I do send ecards. I’m a big fan of Hallmark’s ecards and I send them for friend’s birthdays or just pick-me-ups. If a nonprofit with a mission I care about offered me an ecard, I might pay for that. I would be highly likely to use it for free and perhaps one of my friends would donate. I’ve never been offered an ecard. Perhaps it’s because these organizations seeking money from me don’t have my email address. Well, if they sent me a direct mail piece telling me about their ecards, I just might give it to them.
A quick Google search turned up three sources for ecards ranging from $500 to $5,000 and up. I cannot endorse any of them, but include them here to illustrate that they’re not hard to find:
IncentiveXT
Thoworlds
Convio
I’m not saying ecards are a panacea. The point is that many organizations are relying on outdated tactics that show a lack of understanding of the needs of their audience. It’s time to start thinking creatively about what people want now.
There is a commonly held belief that if you send someone something they will feel obligated to reciprocate and your response rate will go up. However, I think that in today’s economy you need more. If you send me something I didn’t ask for and don’t want and you don’t even try to make an emotional connection with me, I don’t feel compelled to send you money. Even if I do send a small amount on impulse, I’m not likely to be a loyal donor. As a group, nonprofits have a dismal track record in retaining donors. More than once I’ve seen my meager donation used up with a series of expensive mailers sending me more and more stuff I don’t want.
Specifically address labels and cards. I used to use the labels for bills but then I switched to online bill paying. I don’t send cards or letters to friends except at Christmas time. I do send ecards. I’m a big fan of Hallmark’s ecards and I send them for friend’s birthdays or just pick-me-ups. If a nonprofit with a mission I care about offered me an ecard, I might pay for that. I would be highly likely to use it for free and perhaps one of my friends would donate. I’ve never been offered an ecard. Perhaps it’s because these organizations seeking money from me don’t have my email address. Well, if they sent me a direct mail piece telling me about their ecards, I just might give it to them.
A quick Google search turned up three sources for ecards ranging from $500 to $5,000 and up. I cannot endorse any of them, but include them here to illustrate that they’re not hard to find:
IncentiveXT
Thoworlds
Convio
I’m not saying ecards are a panacea. The point is that many organizations are relying on outdated tactics that show a lack of understanding of the needs of their audience. It’s time to start thinking creatively about what people want now.
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