New Year's Resolutions for Fundraising

New Year - New Fundraising Goals

Whether your fiscal year ends on December 31st or not, January feels like a good time to set new goals.

Even though just 45% of Americans set New Year's resolutions, and just 8% of them successfully achieve them, the beginning of a new year is still a good time to start some new habits that could bring better results.

You could be that 8%, which would put you out front of everyone else.  First, let's talk about the keys to successfully following through on your New Year's resolution.  Second, we'll talk about some good resolutions to set related to fundraising.

Keys to Achieving Your New Year's Resolution

I did a little research on what that 8% does to achieve their New Year's resolutions, and my favorite pieces of advice include:

• According to The Women's Club Blog (www.thewomens-club.com), "Leaving your comfort zone can be very daunting but it is this discomfort we must face in order to truly reach our goals." 

• According to Winners Drink Milk Blog (www.winnersdrinkmilkblog.com), "Write down and publicly announce your goals.  Tell your friends, broadcast it on Twitter, Facebook or whatever your choice of communication. You are much more likely to make improvements than someone who hasn't made a formal resolution."   

• According to The Telegraph Blog (www.telegraph.co.uk), "Break your goal into a series of steps, focusing on creating sub-goals that are conrete, measurable, and time-based.  

What Does This Have to do with Fundraising?

If you want to get different results in fundraising, then you'll need to change your behavior just like you have to when you want to lose weight, manage stress, get a better job or recycle or volunteer more.  

That's why I love the three keys to success I found above.  Let's relate them to fundraising. 

#1 - Leaving Your Comfort Zone 

My clients who get the best results are so open to THINKING about things in a new way and suffering through the discomfort of DOING things in a new way.  My favorite clients say, "Deb, just tell us what to do; we're ready."  They have a little faith and when they try what I ask them to try, they're so pleasantly surprised by the results.   

• Pick up the phone and talk to people.  Whether you are the development director or a board member, this is the number one thing holding you back.  Go find my blog on case statements and elevator pitches and just start practicing on someone, anyone.  Whatever is the most difficult thing for you to do is probably the most important thing for you to do - just like exercising.  Stop saying you don't have time.  That's really an excuse for avoiding something you're uncomfortable with. If you can call on your discipline to JUST DO IT, you will get results. 

#2 - Share Your Goals 

I recently worked with a client that had a goal to increase their patrons.  They already a significant number of very loyal patrons who just adored them.  I asked, "Have you told the people who already love you that you're looking for more people like them?"  People like to help; but they need to know how.

• Don't be afraid to let your supporters know about your goals.  There's a kind of intersection of magic that happens when an organization inspires someone who has the desire to make a difference.  It's actually a gift to the donor AND the organization!  No one knows how hard your're working and what you need unless you tell them.  In the words of one of my clients, " I have also gotten more specific in identifying what people can do to help - specific number of drivers and specific things we need to buy.  It really seems to motivate folks to hear specifics - even if they can't do it they may hand me a check [for some amount]." 

#3 - Break Your Goal into Steps and Celebrate Along the Way 

Let's say your goal is to raise an additional $100,000, and your total budget is just $2 million.  That's a big increase.  How can you break this into smaller, achievable steps? 

• Figure out what this $100,000 will pay for.  Be specific so prospective donors know exactly how they can make a difference.  For example, maybe you need $6,000 to pay for two lego robotics sets, $15,000 for Chrome Notebooks for 60 students, $6,000 for Discovery Education Online Curriculum, $15,000 for student project supplies, and $58,000 for a new computer lab.  Defining your needs will allow prospective supporters to know exactly what their contributions mean. 

• Schedule one hour more per week focusing on relationship culivation.  One hour more per week equals at least 50 hours per year, and that can really make a difference when it comes to cultivating relationships.  Think about it.  One more hour per week could mean a significant number of interactions with people every week:  10 more phone calls thanking donors, two more tours, one more lunch with a new donor or research on two more people that might be inspired by your work - EVERY SINGLE WEEK!  While there is no guarantee you will receive a specific gift from a specific person, there is a guarantee that if you do the activities (research, calls, tours, meetings, etc.), you will get more than you got before. 

• Celebrate small success to provide more momentum.  A  lot of this work is done by volunteers like board members, who are really looking to make a meaningful contribution.  It's important that they feel there's progress being made, even if it's small.  It's just not motivating to feel like what you're doing is never good enough.  If your goal is $100,000, and you've just raised your first $5,000 of that amount, send out an email to your entire boad congratulating them.  Do a little dance to celebrate.  Think about what recognizing your children for their little accomplishments does; it makes them want to do more.  We really never grow out of that need for positive recognition.  

Share the Joy! 

There's enough to go around.  You don't have to be in competition with anyone.  The more you share, the more you receive.  Please share your success stories on my blog - spread the joy! 

Happy Holidays!  

Deb

Holiday and End-of-Year 
Fundraising Appeals

If you're already planning on a year-end appeal, how can you maximize your results? 

If you've never done a year-end appeal, how can you quickly write and get one out by the end of this week?


But Aren't People Tired of Being Asked to Give?

Your donors support you because you are doing something important.  If you have done a good job of showing your gratitude and using their donations wisely, then your supporters expect you to continue asking for help.  

And there are two really good reasons to appeal to people for support at the end of the year.  

FIRST, in the hustle and bustle of planning family gatherings and shopping for presents, many people take a step back and think about the idea behind holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.  These are opportunities to think about family members, neighbors and community members, people we don't know but are in need, and organizations doing good work. 

SECOND, the end of the year is an opportunity to follow through on goals and pledges related to charitable giving.  An added benefit is the tax deduction that comes with a donation to a qualifying organization.  

So, DO NOT feel badly about asking for more support.  People will make their own choice about whether or not to give at the moment.  Offer them the opportunity.  


3 Steps to Maximizing Your Results 

Step #1 - Say thank you and tell them why you're asking for help up front.  

Always begin your letter or email with a big fat THANK YOU for all the support you've already received.  You can't say thank you too many times.  The second sentence should make clear why you are writing again.  

Here's an example: 

• Dear community member, we are so excited about how our first year is going at Tomorrow River Community Charter School!  

• We have so many people to thank for our successful launch - the families who chose our school for their children, our amazing students, volunteers who helped get our classrooms ready and continue to step up for any task we need help with, and community members who are interested in offering hands-on experiences to our children. 

• We welcomed 52 students this fall, and we're in the process of growing our enrollment by more than 30 more students next year, and even more the year after that.  We'll outgrow our space soon, and that's why we're writing.  

Step #2 - Celebrate your successes so your donors know how their past support has made a difference. 

No one knows how hard you're working or the impact you're having if you don't tell them.  People will feel very excited when you share stories with them that help them understand the meaning and impact of their donations.  Take this opportunity to tell them a story that brings your mission to life.  

For example: 

We want to take a moment to share some exciting accomplishments:

• Hands-on learning and field trips.  We're so excited to report that just three months into the school year, our students have been able to take their learning outside of the classroom almost every week through field trips plus hands-on activities.  These opportunities are critical to our unique Waldorf approach.  

• Transportation funding.  For many of our families who come from other school districts, transportation is an obstacle.  We're excited to share that our parent group was able to raise enough money and work with our local bus company to make transportation affordable.

Step #3 - Share your vision and priorities and explain why you're asking for support.  

The last step is to let people know more about what you need help with.  You have expressed gratitude for their support and helped them see how they have already made a difference.  Now it's time to share your new priorities and be specific about what you need to accomplish those.  

For example: 

• Tomorrow River Community Charter School is excited to have opened our doors to 52 students this year, but we will soon outgrow our space.  We plan to build a sustainable, nature-inspired building that is suited to our unique approach.  This new facility will allow us to expand enrollment to eight classes totaling 160 students.  

• The building will blend into the natural surroundings of the Central Wisconsin Environmental Station (CWES), which is located on 200 acres of woods bordering beautiful glacial Sunset Lake.  The building will utilize many energy efficiency measures and solar to produce electricity and to heat the building. 

• Our next task is to secure $4,500 to create drawings and a design.  We hope to raise this amount before the end of the year.  

• I know many people that make donations to charities in lieu of receiving gifts for the holidays.  If this sounds like you or someone you know, consider a gift to Tomorrow River Community Charter School for our facilities campaign.  Let us know if you want to make a gift on someone's behalf and we'll be happy to recognize both you and the other person. 

• We're enclosing our professional case statement, which tells you more about our philosophy and approach, as well as our facilities case statement.  Please feel free to pass it along to others to let them know what we're up to.  In the meantime, your donation of $1,000, $500, $250, $100 or other amount will help us achieve this next important step in our facilities plan. 

Get Your Appeal Out Via Mail, Email or Facebook by the End of This Week! 

You've got a small window though to do this.  The end of the year is very busy, and you should try to get it out before December 10th.  As always, let me know how it goes, especially if you've never done this before.  Others can benefit by your experience. 

Deb