It All Starts With Thank You!

“Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone.” GB Stern

Sounds like a no-brainer, doesn’t it? Well, it is unfortunate how many nonprofits do not fully thank their donors.

Of course we thank them, you say.

But, are you sure?

I don’t believe for a second that the lapse is intentional. Now that I’m back on the other side of the fence responsible for implementation, I know how easy it is to inadvertently mess up.

The DeKalb Police Alliance like many organizations does not have a contact management database. All work to this point is done off of spreadsheets. So tracking is all but impossible.

This is not an unusual problem Most CRM databases are expensive. With donations down it is hard to justify the cost, especially when licenses and training on the system are not transferable from one staff person to another.

Then a colleague  suggested I check out Salesforce.com for the Alliance. I knew I didn’t have the budget and could not justify even a seemingly inexpensive CRM program.

Imagine my surprise and delight to learn that Salesforce.com has a Foundation.

“Salesforce.com set out to change the way companies think about philanthropy ten years ago, and today more than ever it continues to define us as a company.” Suzanne DiBianca, Executive Director Salesforce.com Foundation.

The Salesforce.com Foundation is based on a simple idea: Donate 1% of salesforce.com’s resources to support organizations that are working to make our world a better place.

I strongly suggest you check it out –www.salesforce.com/foundation.

Thank you for all you do for your community. And, thank you for following my blog.

 Now, if you’ll excuse me I need to get back to thanking our donors.

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Sponsors Mingle at Special Event

We all know that sponsorship is important to nonprofits and businesses alike. Sponsorship is all about marketing.

 Securing sponsors is about building effective partnerships that enhance your organization’s mission and the sponsoring company’s business goals. And, sponsorship is about raising money.

All sponsors want to reach as many people as possible in their target market. So, the more you know about your organization’s audience, the better your chances of securing sponsors.

But, do we know why special events are so significant in developing these relationships?

Chalk it up to experiential marketing – the best way to deepen the emotional bond between a company and its customers, through creating memorable experiences.

Experiential marketing is a well-known concept to business marketers. It is a great way to deepen the emotional bond between a company and its customers, through the creating of memorable experiences.

The goal is to establish a connection based on emotional and rational response levels and always contains a face-to-face interactive element. This is exactly what sponsors want. And, during a well-designed and executed special event this is exactly what they get!

On the other hand, special events are a way for the nonprofit to interact with its audiences including donors and prospective donors. They help raise the nonprofit’s voice in a crowded field and ensure that people will know who they are and what they do and why they are important.

Sponsorship guru Patricia Martin brings real focus to the issue with her post Just One Question to Ask a Sponsor in her Culture Scout blog post. She notes that no matter what shape the economy is in, sponsors still need to market their brands. And, what better way than in partnership with a cause?

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Hats Off To Aunt Cele

My family lost our Aunt Cele this week. She was high-spirited with a strong sense of fairness and generosity. She always had important life lessons for her family and everyone she met. She taught me to be committed to what I believe in and to do things right the first time.

So, in honor of my Aunt Cele, I offer these fundraising basics so that you and your organization can launch a successful fundraising campaign right from the start.

 1.     Remember, fundraising is all about getting people to be supportive of your organization.

2.     Have a passion and commit to your cause.

3.     Never ask a stranger for money. Cultivate your relationships and introduce each person you involve with your passion for your cause.

4.     Think of the needs of your donors. Find out their interests and how they will personally benefit from giving to your cause.

5.     Only ask for what you need. Do not create new ‘wants’ because you think they sound better.

6.     Personalize your solicitation. The more personalized “the ask” the more likely people will give.

7.     Raise money from the inside out. Start with your board and all volunteers involved in your fundraising.

8.     Raise money from the top down. Solicit your largest gifts first. Success is contagious and will impact your campaign.

9.     Make your case larger than your organization. Show donors how they, their children, and the community will benefit.

10. Don’t overreach. Make sure your strategy supports a successful campaign.

11. Run your fundraising campaign like a successful special event – Research, plan, implement and evaluate.

12. Be sure and say Thank You every chance you get.

 Thank You Aunt Cele.

And, Thank You all for reading my posts.

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“Imagination is more important than knowledge” Albert Einstein

Creative Thinking

What a dynamic session! I had the privilege of teaching another event management course for the Georgia Center for Nonprofit’s Nonprofit University.

I always encourage people to start the planning phase of all marketing communications initiatives with a brainstorming session. It is very useful when planning a new or updating an established special event.

Brainstorming creates a freewheeling environment in which everyone is encouraged to participate. There are no “wrong” or “bad” ideas.

Make sure participants have fun brainstorming. Encourage them to come up with as many ideas as possible, from the solidly practical to whimsical. Welcome creativity!

Here are some suggestions for holding a great brainstorming session. These are from Notes For Nonprofits :

1. Set a Goal – This helps keep everyone on track
2. Be Strategic – Invite people with diverging opinions. Be sure and create a mix of  big picture thinkers.
3. Post an Agenda – Brainstorming doesn’t necessarily mean a free for all. Creating an outline will keep you on task and help you focus on specific sections.
4. Start the session off with leading questions.
5. Encourage everyone to speak.
6. Determine data collection. I like to provide a flip chart so everyone can see all the responses.
7. Set a time limit. I suggest you break the session into 1/2 hour segments. If not, the session tends to become dry.

Brainstorming to add to your next special event? Once the goal is set, hold your brainstorming session. Betsy Wiersma and Karl Strolberg suggest using four open-ended questions to add WOW to your event:

• What will surprise our guests?
• What will they talk about after the event?
• What will leave a lasting impression?
• What will be extra special or unique?

Have you had any successes brainstorming? I would love to hear from you!

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