Recently, I attended the Bridge Conference, a conference hosted by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Washington DC Metro Area Chapter and the Direct Marketing Association of Washington. The Bridge Conference features regionally, nationally and internationally renowned speakers, offering some of the finest cutting-edge educational programming available to fundraisers and direct marketers. I left this fascinating event with a 10 key takeaways about how nonprofit marketers and advertisers can increase donations.
Muscle builds and grows when you push yourself: Dig deep and complete that extra second and third rep you thought you couldn’t do. The same principlrs apply when you are looking for that next creative idea. When you feel stuck, commit to going five minutes more. Genius is said to live on the outsides of our comfort zone, don’t be afraid to go there! You never know what you’ll find.
The Smithsonian had this brilliant idea of doing a Smithsonian Summer Showdown that pitted museum against museum in battle for the best attraction. Each museum had the opportunity to lobby on social media for the public to vote for a specific exhibit. This grew the Smithsonian’s following as well as educated the public on what all Smithsonian museums had to offer. Find a way to use your competition to your advantage.
The saying is true. You don’t get what you don’t ask for. Test out different giving levels and be specific with the amounts. Also, let donors know how much they gave last year and ask for an increase (i.e. “Ms. X, we thank you for giving $100 last year, can we count on you for giving $110 this year?”)
Remember that using Facebook and Twitter is like fishing in the ocean trying to catch a specific fish (i.e. people who care about your cause). That fish can also be found in smaller ponds and easier to catch. Look for the created virtual communities in blogs, e-newsletters, forums and become an active voice in those forums.
Only 5-10% of listeners will remember facts and figures, however 65-70% will remember information from a shared story. A good story includes engaging characters, a challenge that is believable, the hurdles to overcome, and a clear outcome.
We can get lost in our marketing efforts looking for the latest and greatest mousetrap in our digital marketing and fundraising. It’s easy to lose track and forget there are people on the other end donating there hard earned money. Quit typing on the keyboard and pick up the phone! Sometime a simply conversation to your network will garner more money. People give to people they like, and oftentimes the cause itself is secondary.
Adam Braun the founder of Pencils of Promise, started building schools in developing countries because he raised the money as a legacy gift for his grandmother. That’s what inspired others to do the same, raising money for a school to gift a legacy for a loved one. From that first personal connection and inspiration, Pencils of Promises have built over 300 schools worldwide.
Jonah Berger, the author of Contagious, encourages nonprofits to associate their cause with positive everyday life triggers. What can be the jelly to your peanut butter, or the beach to your Corona?
There is a magic ball to predict your future; it’s called your data. Learn how to collect, manage, sort, read and implement what your audience is telling you. If you don’t know where to begin, start with picking up the phone to your donor base and ask them: Why do you give? What keeps you giving? What would make you give me? Learn how to scale the collection of those answers.
Each nonprofit has a great cause, amazing story, and doing very important work. Many nonprofits have a silo way of approaching the market, thinking their mission is the most important mission. There are nonprofits as good as yours, doing equally as important work. It’s your passion and commitment through the challenging times, the ‘no’s’, the lack of funding that will persevere and have donors take notice. It’ll be the strength and fortitude of the people behind the mission that have the nonprofit shine above those asking for the same dollar.
Posted By
Categories
Branding, Digital Marketing, Plus Points