Olivia Smith (Senior VP) of BKV, Inc. headed up a six month study on what charities are doing in email. Smith shared many of her findings during a session at the DMANF Conference in New York on August 25th.  It was quite fascinating and Smith told me they will be releasing a white paper on the study.

I want to touch on a couple of their findings here.  First a bit about their methodology as I understand it from Smith’s presentation:

Goal was to observe the emails from 100 charities of various sizes over 6 months

Their selection criteria included charities with the ability to accept donations online; and the ability to EASILY register/subscribe online to a newsletter or email updates.  This second criterion to “easily subscribe” eliminated 25 charities. That’s lesson number ONE – make it easy for prospects and donors to sign-up for your email communications.

Therefore 75 charities were chosen (none of which were clients of BKV, Inc.), in eight verticals: advocacy, animal, sponsorship, children, environmental, health, human services, and international. 

A $10 online donation was made with each charity with one email address.  And with a different email address than that used for the donation, Smith registered online with the same 75 charities.  Then the emails began to flow.

Over the course of six months she received 1546 emails as a result of the $10 donation; and she receive another 1583 emails by simply subscribing.

Want to stand out from the crowd?  Karen says . . .

Send BOTH a thank you email for online donations, and a thank you letter or card in the mail.  Why?  Because in Smith’s study only a handful of charities did this.

I was surprised by this – but maybe I shouldn’t have been – and also disappointed.  With the mountains of studies and proof that donors respond more often when communicated with across multiple channels . . . why not start off right by saying thank you online and offline?  Begin your relationship with a strong positive first impression through warm cultivation and gratitude.

Lesson number TWO – thank online donors in two ways: Online and offline. 

Welcome everyone and share more about what you do

Smith received more “welcome” messages when she subscribed than from her donations.  The welcome messages told more of “here’s what we do” and “how you can help.”

Surely the charities don’t assume that just become someone makes a $10 online donation, that donor knows everything about the charity! 

This is another MAJOR cultivation opportunity missed by too many charities.  Brand new online donors as well as non-donor email subscribers need to be welcomed to your nonprofit. 

Share success stories in your welcome that highlight in a simple “show and tell” fashion each of your programs.  Briefly introduce planned giving.  Share all the ways they can be involved and where to find you (e.g., social media, send them to your YouTube page, events, newsletters, etc.). 

Lesson number THREE – welcome everyone.  Don’t discriminate.

I could go on and on about this revealing study, but I’ll save the rest for another day.  Meanwhile I’ve given you three lessons on improving relationships with your supporters . . . three opportunities for your charity.  And they’re all comparatively easy to implement.

In the for-profit marketplace “lead nurturing” receives a lot of attention. It requires skill.  That’s because a lead can result in a sale.  A lead correctly nurtured generates revenue.

This is analogous to nonprofits nurturing prospective donors to a charity, or members to an association.  Each donor and member results in revenue.

LeadSloth by Jep Castelein has a blog post titled, “Finding Untapped Revenue in Your Marketing Database.”  Castelein says, “With a solid nurturing strategy you’ll find new sales opportunities from leads who you thought were not interested.”

Translated for nonprofits, Castelein’s wisdom means that . . . with a solid nurturing strategy, you’ll find new prospects you thought weren’t interested that become donors and/or members.  There are “untapped opportunities in your database.”

Castelein goes on to say there are six steps to uncover those untapped opportunities.  I’ve transformed his six steps into verbiage applicable to charities and associations, plus I added my thoughts on what it means to you:

1 – Choose The Right Audience . . . 100% of the population is not interested in your nonprofit and will not support it regardless of what you do. Stop trying to appeal to such a broad market.  If you want to attract more people, appeal to just a few.

2 – Know All About Your Audience . . . conduct more research into why people support you; surveys online and by anyone who answers the phone; talk to them at special events; study what they respond to and record all this in your database.

3 – Create Content That Your Audience Needs . . . and that they VALUE. This also includes donor-centric and member-centric copy.  It’s all about them and NOT you.  Cultivate your prospective donors and members. 

4 – Make Offers They Can’t Refuse . . . how you ask for a donation is an offer.  How you invite someone to join your association or renew their membership is an offer.  Is it a great offer from THEIR perspective?  Is it CLEAR?  Is it compelling?

5 – Have Conversations . . . ask for their opinion; invite comments on a blog; engage them in social media; talk to them on the phone; and do all this without always asking for a donation or for anything besides their thoughts!

6 – Collaborate With Your Communication Team . . . breakdown the silos. Development staff works with marketing and communications. Online staff works with offline staff.  Exchange ideas.  What’s working for each of you and what isn’t?  How can that knowledge be leveraged? Without integration at all levels, you’re hurting your bottom line.  You’re losing prospects.

Lead nurturing is just as important within the nonprofit industry as it is in the for-profit marketplace.  Do this well if you want to acquire more donors and members.  You’ll generate more revenue for you nonprofit as you simultaneously give supporters what they want.

Based on the questions after the session, and comments from attendees during the rest of the conference . . . our “Top Nonprofit Bloggers Tell It Like It Is” session was enjoyed by all.  Jeff Brooks organized this for the DMA Nonprofit Federation New York Conference (Aug 24-25, 2010).  Thanks, Jeff.

In the 12 minutes I had to “spout off” my goal was to open people’s minds to ALL the possibilities of mobile. As I often say, mobile giving is only the tip of the iceberg. 

I believe the true potential of mobile is CULTIVATION.   You can build stronger relationships and cultivate all your target audiences: donors, prospects, members, advocates, volunteers, and beneficiaries of your mission via mobile.

Are most of your donors over age 65? 

My idea on how to address this fact sparked considerable interest.  First let me say that there are MANY seniors and matures that use mobile devices. And a good percentage of them already send and receive text messages. 

But if you have mature supporters who don’t know how to text . . . help them learn.  Create a guidebook, video or another tool that shows them how to do this.  Yes, I know there are many different types of mobile phones and devices.  Choose the top 5 or 6 and create tutorials for them.

Second: Promote your texting learning tool to your mature donor database by appealing to the grandparents in the crowd.  Ask how many would like to communicate more often with their grandkids?  Texting is one of the best ways to do this. 

Why?  Because their grandkids probably do almost nothing but text. Teens and youths spend very little time talking on mobile phones.  Studies show they’re not too keen on talking.  They find it rude and invasive.  So although the grandparents may prefer to talk, at least they’ll be able to keep in touch via text instead of getting nothing but silence. 

Teach them how to send and receive text messages from their grandkids and you’ll definitely build a stronger relationship with these mature donors.  And then invite them to also receive mobile updates from your nonprofit via text.  Send them success stories, or other valuable content to help them keep their texting skills sharp for the grandkids. 

Remember, mobile is an extremely personal communication channel . . . the most personal channel available.  And personal touches are ideal for cultivating stronger relationships. 

What do you think of using mobile for cultivating stronger donor and supporter relationships?  Spout off with your thoughts and leave a comment.

More about the blogger’s panel for DMANF in New York:

Each of us spoke frankly on whatever topic we chose.  Anything that was happening within the nonprofit industry, impacting it, what we liked or didn’t like, where we thought things were headed, and so forth.  It was a fun time with my fellow bloggers.

Members of the Blogger’s panel were …

 Jeff Brooks, Future Fundraising Now    

Katya Andresen, Katya’s Non-profit Marketing Blog  

Sarah Durham, Duck Call (Big Duck) 

Roger Craver, The Agitator, and            

myself, Karen Zapp, Zapp Nonprofit Blog

Ain’t technology great?  Imagine taking a snapshot of a Mesozoic Era dinosaur with your cell phone.  That’s what you can do at the American Museum of Natural History.  But that’s not the only way 21st Century mobile technology is meshing with history at the Museum.

Earlier this month the American Museum of Natural History rolled out its “Explorer app” for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.  This application is designed to make it easier for Museum visitors to navigate through the various exhibitions.

Cultivation via Mobile

I view this as a terrific example of how mobile can be used to cultivate supporters . . . whether they’re visitors/prospects, donors, or anyone. This app provides several engaging activities to enhance the experience people have with this nonprofit. 

The Museum is really thinking hard about all the ways they can make it easier for people, and to maximize the quality of their experience with the Museum. 

For example: Visitors can use their own mobile device or borrow one of 350 that are available for free.  Plus they have an “App Support Team” of 25 young people to answer any questions visitors might have about using the mobile devices and the app.  That’s service.

What can visitors do with the Explorer app while at the American Museum of Natural History? 

 - pinpoint your location and get step-by-step (or turn-by-turn) directions to the next place you want to go.  Find your way through 45 permanent exhibition halls, theaters, restrooms (always an important room to find quickly when you need it), where to get a bite to eat, and of course the shops for gifts and souvenirs. 

 - create your own custom audio and visual tour

 - go on a fossil treasure hunt (that sounds fun)

 - get more information on the displays in the exhibit halls

Cultivation centers on creating a rich experience. Giving supporters content they want and value.  Making it easy for them.  Engaging them in a positive way.  Making them feel important.  I think the Explorer app by the American Museum of Natural History achieves all this.

When all is said and done, nonprofits are all about people in one way or another.  It’s also about the relationship with those people – your donors, advocates, prospects, volunteers, members, etc.  Mobile is an important way to create and maintain donor relationships . . . cultivation.

Read more about the Explorer app on Mashable along with a demo video, Navigate the American Museum of Natural History with New iPhone and iPad Apps

How can your nonprofit engage and cultivate supporters via mobile?  How can you build a stronger relationship with them?  What ideas does this example prompt for you, even if you don’t create your own app?

NOTE: Ready to discover more ways mobile can build donor relationships for your nonprofit? I’ve written a guidebook – or primer – that’s a soup to nuts aid to help you see the potential of mobile.

Today in Seth Godin’s blog, Accept all substitutes, he points out the folly of driving people to competitor’s sites. 

One of Godin’s examples was news websites.  They drive readers to free sites by requiring payment.  And it is very easy to find a substitute for paid news.

His point was that the Internet has contributed to more available substitutes.  Godin ended by saying, “That means you have to work far harder to create work that can’t easily be replaced.”

How easy is it for donors to find substitutes for what your charity does?

I’m betting it’s quite easy.  There are very few charities that are truly unique.  Not only that but search engines and sites like GuideStar make it easy to find charities with similar missions.

What drives donors to choose a substitute for your charity?  What drives them to give generously to someone else? 

Read the list below carefully.  If your charity is guilty of any of this then you’re driving donors to your competitors.  You’re driving them to give to a charity other than yours.

• Us, us, wow look at us. See how great we are and all the wondrous things we’ve done. (Self-centered messages like this drive supporters away – both online and offline.)
• It’s obvious what we do.  Why should we spell it out?
• We don’t want to give donors choices on how they give.  It’s easiest for us if we only allow credit card payments.
• Our website is organized based on how our charity is organized.  We don’t worry about usability.
• We don’t want donors calling and emailing us all the time.  We have too much work to do raising funds and executing our mission.  That’s why we only have a “contact form” on our website.
• Donor cultivation is satisfied by sending a thank you letter within a month or so of receiving the donation.
• We leverage our content by taking our direct mail letters and duplicating them in our emails and on the website.
• Every communication includes a hard ask for a gift.
• That’s not jargon!  Those terms are relevant to our work.  Donors need to get smarter.
• The need to give to our charity is obvious.  We don’t need to spell everything out and write all those stories. 

That’s not an exhaustive list.  But hopefully you get the idea on what NOT to do. 

Conversely . . . To attract and retain loyal donors you must do more than the bare minimum.  You must give them an exceptional experience.  You must communicate with them as they wish.  Give choices.  Make everything easy for your supporters.  Show how they make a difference.  Appreciate each person as an individual.

If you don’t, your donors will easily find a substitute charity that does all this and probably more.  As Godin says, “You need to work far harder…” to give donors and supporters an exceptional experience “…that can’t easily be replaced.”

You may not be doing as much fundraising or prospecting during the heat of summer.  But it’s a great time to cultivate donor and member relationships.  

Emails are an especially cost-effective tool for cultivation.  Check the “email category” of my blog to see more help on writing strong emails.

What do you say in these emails?  How exactly do you cultivate?  The answer is, send them information they value.

For example:  Keep sending them updates on your mission progress.  Share stories.  Show them the good they’re making possible.  Associations can send helpful articles (or links to articles), webinars, and more to help members with their careers.

And to catch the attention of your donors and members, you may need a few ideas.  Themes, angles, or twists that tie in with your content to add a bit of fun and a change of pace.

There are hundreds if not thousands of special observances throughout the year that can provide those ideas for you.  Get creative.  Have fun. 

Here is a partial list of those coming up in July and August:

July
National Cheer up the Lonely Day
Korean War Veterans Day
National Ice Cream Day (plus several other days devoted to specific flavors)
Amelia Earhart Day
Parents Day
Chocolate Day
Swimming Pool Day
International Puzzle Day
Bastille Day
Hug Week

August
Sports Day
National Kids Day
American Family Day
International Art Appreciation Day
National Relaxation Day
Joke Day
National Aviation Day
Dream Day

As I look at that list I can think of many ways make a connection to the missions of shelters, food banks, anything relating to the outdoors, families, health, kids, veterans, and so on.  And there were possibilities in the list for aviation associations, cultural, veterans, and even career aspirations for Dream Day!

Below are four links where lists of these special events can be found. I’ve noticed a bit of inconsistency on dates, so double check your data with more than one source.

Special Days on About.com

Special Days and Events on Missouri.gov

Bizarre Holidays on ThinkQuest.org

Holidays on Education-World.com

As a fundraising copywriter I’m always grateful for any sources of ideas. I’ve found sometimes just looking over the list can trigger a creative solution to my project. Hope you also find them helpful.

Want more ideas on how to tie your mission in with special holidays and observances?  I wrote an article on the subject.  Click here to read Creative Fundraising and Public Relations using Special Observances.  Detailed examples (i.e., creative ideas) include veteran’s organizations and museums, plus ideas for seven other types of nonprofits (including associations).

Summer time is ideal for strengthening donor relations and cultivating members.  Emails with links to your website are inexpensive and quick-to-implement techniques.  And have fun sharing value with your friends.

If you’re among the majority of nonprofits with a communications staff (i.e., marketing and fundraising), comprised of one or two, or maybe three or four people . . . then this post is especially relevant for you.

A few days ago I interviewed Kivi Leroux Miller, author of “The Nonprofit Marketing Guide: High-Impact, Low-Cost Ways to Build Support for Your Good Cause.”   We talked about key topics covered in her book released in early June 2010.

And you can listen to our discussion on helping small nonprofits market their cause by clicking on the play link below.  You’ll get a few takeaways you can use right now, and learn more about what’s covered in her book.

This quote from Kivi summarizes the reason she wrote her book, and how small nonprofits benefit from it:

“No matter how little financial support you have, or how few staff people you have, you can still do really good communications and marketing for your cause.  You can go reach out and touch people with a good call to action to get them to support your work.  You can do this in a few hours per week.”

That ought to encourage you!  Hopefully it also motivates you to listen to our chat, and to make the small investment to buy Kivi’s book.

Kivi and I talk about . . .

o donor cultivation
o how marketing fits in with building stronger loyalty and relationships with your donors
o the importance of an integrated multichannel marketing plan
o setting priorities for an integrated plan and how to deal with a few of the challenges that come with it

Here’s my interview with Kivi Leroux Miller on marketing for small nonprofits.

What was your reaction when you read that headline? 

Did you feel warm and fuzzy?  Did you grab your checkbook because you instantly saw how you could help make someone’s life better?  Did you feel happy, sad, sympathetic, angry, benevolent … or anything at all?

I doubt it.  Except maybe you felt offended by the brash approach.

Guess what?  Your donors are offended by this approach too.  That’s why I repeatedly stress the importance of using donor-centered copy.  If you’re an association … use member-centered copy.

Why is this so darn important?  Because as a donor I don’t give a hoot how great you think your nonprofit is.  I don’t want to hear you brag about how you did this and that.

What I do want…is to help.  I want to discover how my $25 or $100 will benefit a child. Or how I can help drill a water well in a village with no safe drinking water.

So please do NOT tell us how great your nonprofit is with copy like this:

Acme Charity saved 15,000 lives this year through the 11 tons of medicine, food, water, and other supplies that we shipped to Country X.  And we’ve been doing this since 1972.  There is so much work yet to do.  That is why we need you to give $25 today.

Instead, share with us how WE can help by writing donor-centered copy:

Maria is 11 and seldom lets her 5-year old brother Michael out of her sight.  They lost their parents in a mudslide last spring during the monsoons. 

Fortunately they’re not on the streets.  They live in an orphanage sponsored by donors like you through Acme Charity.  And although they have a safe place to sleep, in a country as poor as XXX it’s a daily struggle for the hard working people at the orphanage to properly care for all the children.

There just isn’t enough of anything to go around.  Your gift of $25 will feed Maria and her brother for a whole week! 

And if you can possibly give $50 or $100 they’ll not only have food, but some new clothes and supplies to attend school for a year.  This would be a precious gift because it’s through education that you can break the cycle of poverty.  Your gift to Acme Charity is their hope for a better future.

Write about what the donor can do.  Show how they can help another person or family.  Share how their donation will make a difference.  It’s all about them … not you or Acme Charity.  Donor-centered copy is essential to your nonprofit’s success.

Social media for nonprofits – used wisely – is a beneficial tactic to use.  But not without first developing a strategy for how it’s integrated into everything else you do. 

For example: Would you dive into direct mail or email marketing without a plan?  Without knowing what goals or objectives your nonprofit has for the marketing channel?  Without knowing all the ways you’ll use it such as acquisition, renewal and cultivation, fundraising, cultivation, sharing news, etc.?  Hopefully not!! 

Same holds true for social media (i.e., blogs, social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, social bookmarking, video, and so on).  Don’t dive in until you know what you’re going to do; how you’re going to do it; and why you’re going to do it.  Diving in without a strategic plan is as risky as diving into water without knowing how deep it is.  You can get hurt.

I’m not referring to writing a social media policy.  I AM talking about how it is integrated into everything else you do for a multi-channel approach.

In my opinion, if you participate in social media then it needs to receive the same attention as direct mail, your website, and email when you develop your annual fundraising and marketing plans.  Why?  Because anything that taxes your precious resources deserves careful thought.

More ways to use social media (SM) wisely:

> Don’t limit the use of SM to sending out blasts.  You need to be involved in an exchange.  For example: Where does it make sense for you to participate in someone else’s conversation?  It could be with consultants like me.  It could also be with organizations like the DMANF, AFP, Chronicle of Philanthropy, ASAE, the Foundation Center, etc.  And in some cases with other complimentary nonprofits. 

    You’ll show that you understand the true nature of social media – sharing.  You will also get more exposure for your nonprofit.

> Someone needs to be designated as the person responsible for monitoring the conversations that might be taking place about your nonprofit, the industry you’re in (applicable to associations and trade orgs), or events in the news that influence your organization within the social media channels.

> Whoever is out there representing you, well… make certain they have some customer service and people skills.  HOW they respond – tone and what they say – to people has a profound impact on your nonprofit.  This is true for any marketing and fundraising channel.

> Add value to the conversation.  Share your expertise without always clamoring for funds.  Share with supporters info they’re interested in.  Remember: What’s most important to them may not be what is most important to you. 

> Social media is an easy and effective way to recognize and praise donors, volunteers, and others. 

> This is a prime cultivation channel.  Nurture and cultivate your relationships with members, donors, advocates, volunteers, and corporate partners. 

> Search the social networks for people passionate about what you do.  Who is already talking about protecting children; helping adults read; living green; their love of animals; their love of music and the arts; etc.?  Compliment their insights without bragging about yourself.  Just start a conversation.  Your community of followers ought to grow.  Plus these folks with likely turn into 3rd party endorsements for what you do which is far more powerful than saying it yourself.  CULTIVATE the influencers and super users of SM.

> If you decide to also use SM for fundraising, trends show that a specific small project over a short time frame is generally the most effective approach.  For example: Over the next two weeks your goal is to raise $2,000 to send three adults to literacy night school classes.  Give progress updates on the campaign.   And if at all possible, updates from the beneficiaries once classes start.

Finally, don’t dive into social media until your website and email marketing are working well for you.  These are the two most important online tools which social media can compliment nicely. 

Integrate social media into your overall fundraising and marketing plans.  And based on your goals, dedicate the corresponding resources to support it in order for social media to be effective for your nonprofit.  Just don’t dive in blindly.

Who says mobile is just for raising funds? Donor cultivation is where I believe the really big payoff will happen.

In the last six to eight months there’s been a flurry of information published on mobile giving. Especially the text-to-give campaigns related to Haiti relief.

But if you think mobile giving is the only way to take advantage of this technology, then you’re only seeing the tip of the iceberg.

• Mobile is arguably the most personal communication channel in the world.  
• That makes it ideal for reaching donors anytime . . . anywhere. 
• People use their mobile device to keep in touch with family and friends.  And now you too can enter this private world. 

Those are just some of the reasons why mobile is such a powerful channel to build stronger relationships with your donors and volunteers.  And associations can just as easily use it to foster stronger relationships with their members.

You can send text or voice mail messages.  Send advocacy alerts.  Send tips related to your mission.  For charities they might be healthy eating tips; pet care tips; going green ideas; reminders of special events; call for volunteers; and on it goes.  For associations it might be career tips; networking tips; updates on webinars or conferences; links to resources; and so forth.

Sending valuable information via mobile that your supporters have agreed to receive it a great donor cultivation strategy.  If you want an in-depth resource with creative examples on using mobile for donor cultivation, plus mobile giving … here’s an A-to-Z report that makes you mobile savvy fast: Mobile for Nonprofits – Connecting to Donors Through the Power of Mobile.