Another email from Barack Obama

Barack Obama hasnt stopped emailing me.

He always addresses me personally, he always tells me how important I am, he sends me links to videos, and always tells me what he is doing and what I can do to help him. Its been great, I have enjoyed being in such close contact with Barack (Im sure he wont mind me calling him Barack, its how he signs off on all his emails to me).

So if Barack gets elected President in November, will he stay in touch?

My gut is that he wont. Ok so he will be planning to run a pretty big country and Im sure thats a pretty busy job. But why would he stop? Why should he stop?

If I voted (and I do vote but Im not American so I cant in this election) I would have been one of the reasons he got into the White House. So why does he need me less now than he did when he was on the road.

Obama’s campaign was run on a grass roots level, it had a really personal feel to it. I even thought the ask for donations, as little as $5 was great, it made me feel like I can help, no matter what my financial situation is. I was a part of this movement of change.

So it looks like he is going to win (although as he reminds me often, the job is not done yet, I still need to get out and vote). So why would he stop contacting me. I, as far as he is concerned, am one of the reasons he succeeded. Would I care less about what he is doing now….NO….I probably care more now than ever.

I have emailed the Obama campaign to ask them about this, what their intention is once the election is over. I havent heard back…a worrying sign!

Whats the point?

Well I think as fundraisers we often communicate with people only when we need them, and then drop them. I think we spend so often asking that we don’t spend enough time talking, communicating, informing. People want to be a part of something successful, so talk about the successes. This all comes down to donor care. You need to care for your donors not just before and immediately after their donation but all the time. Because here’s the thing they care about your organisation. Don’t be like Barack (or how I suspect he will be if he gets to the white house).

Don’t just talk to me when you need me and then ignore me when you don’t.

here is a similarly themed post from Nancy E. Schwartz

Recession Fundraising Series Pt 10: Word on the Street

This is from Sean Triners Fundraising Recession Watch Blog and the anecdotal evidence he gets isnt far off what I reported in my survey results (check them out here). Worth a watch:

Recession Fundraising Series Pt 9: IoF Survey ‘Managing in a Downturn’

 The Institute of Fundraising and the Charity Finance Directors’ Group have joined forces with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP to produce THE definitive piece of research on the impact of the current economic climate for fundraising organisations.

It is intended that the survey will be completed by finance and fundraising departments to ensure a comprehensive and useful piece of research. Results of the analysis and a copy of the final report, will only be available to Institute members and members of the CFDG.

Closing date for taking part in the survey, which will take about 15-20 mins to complete and will be analysed by PWC, is Nov 5th.

Click here to access the survey

Recession Fundraising Series Pt 8: Some Good News

Philanthropy.com reports that a survey conducted in late September, after the start of the financial crisis, has found that 70% of Americans intend to donate the same amount online as they did in the 2007 holiday season

The study’s questions focused exclusively on online-giving habits of people who use the Internet. Here are some of the key findings

• 83% of people who say their financial situation has remained the same in the past year plan to give the same amount or more this holiday season.
• Amazingly 46% of those who said their financial situation had become substantially worse over the past 12 months still plan to donate online in November and December.
• 41% of those who plan to donate online said they intended to support groups such as food banks and homeless shelters.
• Slightly more than one third said they planned to give to religious organizations, and about the same proportion of donors plans to give to organizations that fight diseases.
• 24% plan to donate to animal-welfare organizations, and 22 % said they would give to support disaster and international relief groups.
• Households earning less than $35,000 per year were more likely than wealthier households to send online donations to social-service organizations: Nearly half of online givers at the lower income level said they would support those causes, while 38 percent of online donors in households making more than $100,000 annually said the same.
• The wealthier households that said they would give online were more likely to support health charities: 39% of those in the $100,000 and above range said they would donate to such groups, while just over a quarter of the $35,000 group said they would.
• Sixty-four percent of people with a household income of more than $100,000 plan to donate online. 9% of that group said they would increase their giving this holiday season.
• 46% of those who are 18 to 24 years old and half of those 25 to 34 plan to donate online, with 13% of the younger group planning to donate more this holiday season than last.
• More than half of people 55 to 64 plan to donate online this holiday, which researchers say proves that online commerce is not just for young people.
• 27% of online donors said that a charity’s Web site is the most helpful factor in deciding which organization to support.
• 15% said that an e-mail message from a family member or friend would make them more likely to donate online to a particular charity, and only 10% said that they would turn to a charity watchdog group to decide which organization to support.

original report by Cassie J. Moore can be read here and the original report is available here  

Pudsey Badges

I was in Boots today and saw the new Pudsey Badges they are selling, they look good and are 2 for £1. No idea of it has anything to do with the economy, i.e. we should give more for the donation, I actually doubt it. But I wonder what the thinking behind it was. I bought one and honestly would have bought it if there was only one for a pound.

Fundraising Recession Series Pt 7: Jeffrey Byrne’s Thoughts

Interesting article on Jeffrey Byrne & Associates website:

Lately I have been asked by donors, nonprofit organizational leaders and board members to comment on the recession, how nonprofits should respond, and how to position their fundraising programs.

First, let me tell you I took one economics course as an undergraduate student, and I’m not an economist. Just like millions of other Americans, I worry about what the recession will do to the good work that millions of nonprofit organizations do for their constituents.

Second, we must face the reality that dramatic slowing or even negative GDP (gross domestic product) growth is a fact, and that further declines in production, retail sales, income and employment are upon us. The signs are becoming more and more evident that the U.S. economy did, in fact, enter its current downturn somewhere in late 2007. Dr. Ben Bernanke, Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, has stated that the U.S. may be entering a period of weakness.

That being said, the history of philanthropic giving in the United States supports the notion that our nonprofit sector has weathered every economic downturn since we began tracking how Americans give more than 50 years ago.

A business and marketing expert recently offered the following advice to for-profit businesses seeking to learn how to deal with current economic conditions: “Consider the race car driver,” he said. “When you’re approaching a curve, give it more gas.” Sales experts tell us that tough times mean you should be looking for more leads to fill your sales pipeline.

A recent report in The New York Times points to the potential of this year’s economic stimulus checks as an opportunity for some nonprofits. While national surveys suggest that only three to four percent of those receiving rebates plan to donate at least a part to charity, an average gift of $1,000 per taxpayer in that group would result in a $5.2 billion windfall for nonprofits, according to our Giving Institute colleague, Robert Sharpe, who has analyzed economic stimulus giving on the heels of IRA incentives in Congress’ Pension Protection Act.

According to Sharpe, the key is for charities to recognize that, while 95 percent of the people getting rebates need them to pay for “necessaries,” the five percent who can afford to give away the proceeds from their stimulus checks means a lot of potential giving to the nonprofit sector.

Click here to read NYT article.

So, what strategies can you deploy to buttress your nonprofit and ride out the economic slump? How have you positioned your organization to weather this recession?

First, consider your own “pipeline.” Put more emphasis on donor cultivation, donor communication and articulating your mission and purpose than on asking for the dollar. By focusing your energy and your message, you are getting ahead of the curve.

Think about your competitors. Smart organizations look for partners to help them in an economic downturn. Share your story with other organizations that do similar work. Strengthen your program and message by forging collaborations. See if you both can’t become better organizations by outlasting the economic downturn.

Don’t look back, look forward. Devise special messages for donors. Let them know what’s going on in your organization. Don’t be afraid to ask for special help. Now, don’t cry wolf if the wolf isn’t at the door. But for so many organizations, the wolf is at the door. Reach out and don’t be afraid to ask for what you need. Your best donors will respond. Don’t be timid. Those who are timid in tough times will lose.

By following some of these strategies, you will strengthen your fundraising to help you outlast the downturn and speed into the recovery

Charity Fundraising Costs Overestimated

Taken from nfpSynergy:

23 October 2008

The public think charities spend far more on fundraising than they actually do, according to a new report.

Research consultancy organisation nfpSynergy found people think 35 per cent of a charity’s income goes towards fundraising.

The actual amount they spend is much lower, with the independent charity advisory website Intelligent Giving saying it is between 12 and 25 per cent.

Joe Saxton, a spokesperson for nfpSynergy, said it makes sense for charities to spend more of donations on fundraising if it will increase their income for future years.

“The survey should prompt charities to better explain the true level of, and the rationale for, all of their costs,” he added.

On average people felt it was acceptable for a charity to spend 23 per cent of its income on fundraising.

Britains Most Admired Charities Announced

Britains Most Admired Charities were annouced earlier this week.

Winners of the four awards were The Children’s Society (Most Admired Charity pictured above), Clare Tickell of Action for Children (Most Admired Chief Executive), London Community Recycling Network (Most Innovative Charity) and Duncan Bannatyne (Celebrity Charity Champion).

A shortlist for the awards was drawn up with the help of a panel of voluntary sector leaders and experts, and 215 chief executives cast votes to select the winners.

Click here for articles about the awards, winners and runners up

Blah Blah Blah – or – What not to write

I have come across this story on a number of blogs. I actually can’t believe that a fundraising department approved a letter that used “blah” in it 137 times! When I read this I checked my calendar to make sure it was April 1st! What not to write…this story from USA Today:

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. (AP) – An attempt to reach younger donors with a breezily written letter that uses the word “blah” 137 times has some Framingham State College alumni questioning the school’s professionalism, judgment and … blah, blah, blah.

The Sept. 5 letter, signed by the president of the school’s alumni association, was sent to about 6,000 recent graduates who hadn’t donated to the school. It used standard fundraising pitches, interspersed with sentences of nothing but “blah.”

“With the recent economic downturn and loan crisis, it has become even more important for Framingham State College to receive your support. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,” one part of the letter read.

 

Christopher Hendry, the school’s vice president of college advancement, told the MetroWest Daily News of Framingham he approved the letter, which he said was written in a marketing style expected to appeal to younger donors.

Alumnus Ken Shifman, a 2003 graduate, said the letter “insults the intelligence” of alumni.

“It just doesn’t seem like something from a legitimate university,” Shifman said.

After several complaints, Hendry sent a letter of apology a month later in which he called the first letter a “misguided and embarrassing attempt to connect with alumni in a different way.”

However, Hendry notes that after the “blah” letter was sent, the school collected about $2,000 from nearly 40 alumni who had never previously given money.

Mobile Volunteering

I came across this on Lucy Bernholz Blog. Interesting enough, I have to admit my first reaction was a bit like Lucy’s…Huh….or mine was more like…Eh not sure!

Maybe my Eh not sure reaction is because I am more interested in seeing how we can, effectively, use mobile phones to raise funds. And Lucy makes the point that the way the system will help nonprofit managers and community organizers think in terms of 20 minute time bits I thought, oh boy, change is coming.

Giving on Facebook

Howard Lake reports today that Great Ormond Street have over 92,000 members on their Facebook causes page yet this has resulted in only $280 in donations. Amnesty International have over 312,000 members have managed to raise just over $15,000.

This is something i have been wondering about for a while and I asked Beth Kanter in April if she knew how much had been raised by the Causes application and you can read her reply here. (And check out Beths Blog for all things Social Media)

Does this mean that charities shouldnt be on Facebook or similar sites. No I dont think so. Does it mean that charities shouldnt rely on it to raise funds for them…absolutely. As Howard says in his post: That doesn’t mean that these supporters haven’t given or won’t give by other means. They just haven’t given via Causes/Facebook.

I think if you are putting your cause up on Facebook and getting people to sign up that you need to work them to be active in other ways in terms of donating. I think the Causes Application should be seen more as a badge or an affiliation that someone wants to display on their homepage to tell people something about themselves and what they stand for. So if you join a Breast Cancer Research Cause well you are stating that you support Breast Cancer Research.

Changing the Causes Application ?

I would like to see some sort of application that makes these badges more prominent on home pages. So it becomes more of a statement. Like when you buy a pin or ribbon in a shop to support a cause, you wear it proudly on your coat or jacket, so maybe Facebook could consider an online version of this? Would you pay for it? I think I might if it was part of an overall campaign. So perhaps Facebook can become an additional tool that could be used.

I would like to see Facebook make some changes to the application to make this possible. Imagine having a Pink Ribbon displayed on your homepage during October…you buy it for $1…same as you would in a shop.

Other Social Networks

I wonder what this means for other social networks who are encouraging charities to come on board. Ammado comes straight to mind and I would love to hear what their stats are on giving. I will drop them a line and see what they say. Perhaps it is working better for them.

Is your cause raising money from Social Networking sites? Would love to hear your thoughts

Recession Fundraising Series Pt 6: Giving USA facts

Giving USA released a report on Fundraising in Hard Economic Times. I came across this on the For Impact Blog and here are some of the key points:

With history as our guide, we know that’s not true. In fact, while charitable giving is impacted by recessions and/or economic slowdowns, it’s not by nearly as much as one might expect.

Total giving has increased in current dollars in every year but one since recording began.

When the economy shows stress, whether it’s a recession or not, giving may grow more slowly… but it’s important to note that giving still grows!

Giving USA suggests under a heading of What Organizations Need to Do, that the most important step is to ask people for ‘contributions’ (Their word. Mine, obviously, is investments.) in a clear and focused manner.

I think the following quote is important, and lets face it, it echoes the sentiments in all the other posts, no harm keeping it in mind though:

“It is important at this juncture for cooler heads to prevail and for non-profits to not listen to those who would claim the sky is falling,” Ruotolo said. “Those charities with a clear and compelling case and an established loyal donor constituency will continue to succeed, even in difficult times.

When Celebrity doesnt work

I have spoken before about Celebrity and sometimes how it doesnt work (read the post Does Celebrity Work? here) I came across this video on the Ray Foley Show Blog and while it isnt a fundraising piece I think we can learn lessons from it.

This piece just doesnt work. Here you have celebrities talking about economic crises and healthcare and stuff that, really, you cant help feeling dont affect them. I think this piece comes across, at best, as patronising .

Whats the point? Well we often think that a celebrity endorsement will lead to the success of our campaign (often sponsors think that too, maybe more than we do) but this piece proves, even a who’s who of Hollywood can get it totally wrong.

Recession Fundraising Series Pt 5; Fundraising in a Cold Climate

2 into 3 have compiled a report about recession fundraising called: Fundraising in a Cold Climate. The aim of the report is to look at previous periods of economic downturn and see what we can learn from them and how we can apply those lessons to today.

Here are some of the reports highlights

The Centre on Philanthropy at Indiana University carried out a review of data on economic trends and philanthropic giving. It focused in particular on times of crisis in the US. Excluding one exception, the rate of growth varied from 1.2% to 46.8%. In addition, in the year following each economic crisis studied, the rate of growth in donations exceeded that of the year of the event

Philanthropy showed resiliency in the face of stock market volatility, fluctuating less dramatically than the stock market.

 

Mission, Donor Profile, Organisation size all appear to play a role in the results an organisation may expect to have, for example certain human services groups, average rate of growth more than doubled to an average of 5% during the four years with eight or more months of recession

 

The report goes on to consider what may happen now in Ireland and reviews the main revenue streams in most organisations

 

So what can you do.  Well similar to other posts in my Recession Fundraising Series they too suggest that you should:

• Examine your income streams.
• Diversify your income streams..
• Re‐focus on donor retention,
• Keep communicating with your donors.
• Do not stop efforts to try to find new donors.
• Keep in touch with people who have stopped making donations
• Research, research, research.
• Consider your use of planned giving,
• Avoid fundraising cuts if possible.

You can read the full report here

 

 

 

 

Recession Fundraising Series Pt 4: Great new site

Here is a great site by Pareto Fundraising, Fundraising Recession Watch. Great work guys.

Damian has sumarised the feeling at the IFC as follows: Dealing with the recession. To paraphrase, quit whingeing and keep fundraising.

Love it!

At the same time think we should keep an eye on techniques and tools to help ourselves through it so . I will continue to add to my fundraising recession series.