introduction - eleo online fundraising & donor management ... · setters for your fundraising;...
TRANSCRIPT
1
INTRODUCTION
WHY DO YOU NEED A FUNDRASING PLAN?
WHERE DO I START?
STEP ONE: ALL SYSTEMS GO
STEP TWO: LOOK BACK BEFORE MOVING AHEAD
STEP THREE: KEEP IT REAL
STEP FOUR: STAY ON SCHEDULE
STEP FIVE: FINISH STRONG
CONCLUSION
2
3
4
5
13
16
18
20
22
www.eleoonline.com
Small nonprofits with limited staff, budgets and resources can find
themselves fundraising on the fly. They organize fundraising
events, post on social media, send out mass email blasts, but none
of this is strategically planned together in a coordinated effort. This
approach to fundraising is highly stressful, not sustainable and in
most cases ends up with poor fundraising results and low donor
engagement. Does this sound familiar to you? If so, use this guide
to advance your fundraising efforts to the next level.
Does this sound familiar to you? If so, use this guide to advance your fundraising efforts to the next level.
2www.eleoonline.com
“If you fail to plan, you’re planning to fail”-Benjamin Franklin
The simple fact is that creating a plan helps everyone stay on the same page.
• You stay focused on the mission
• You create a stronger fundraising team
• You build better donor relationships
• You use resources more effectively
• You improve time management
• And… You and your team have time for happy hour!
3www.eleoonline.com
Starting can feel intimidating! Try not to let the process paralyze
you. This e-guide is designed with you in mind. It provides a simple
framework for developing a fundraising plan from scratch, focusing
on five key steps:
Step 1: All Systems Go - Get your systems in place
Step 2: Look Back before Moving Ahead - Review past fundraising efforts
Step 3: Keep It Real - Set realistic, measurable goals
Step 4: Stay on Schedule - Manage your timeline with a shared calendar
Step 5: Finish Strong - Learn the Art of Donor Follow-Up
TIP! As you get started, it’s important to make sure your Fundraising Plan is aligned with your nonprofit’s overall mission.
4www.eleoonline.com
The first step in creating your fundraising plan, is to make sure you have all the basic systems you will need in place. This will set you up for success now and in the future. You need:
I. A Dedicated Fundraising Team
II. An Online Donor Management System
III. An Email Communication Platform
IV. Online Donation Pages
5www.eleoonline.com
If you’re a ‘small shop’ nonprofit, then you know fundraising is
an “all hands-on deck” proposition. Your efforts to raise money
need to stay on everyone’s radar – your staff, volunteers, board
members, key donors and supporters.
When it comes to forming your fundraising team, be clear and
get commitments! Identify a group of key people who can work
well together and agree to take active, specified roles in your
fundraising plan.
Who should organize this fundraising team? Within your
nonprofit, there may be a fundraising chair or development
professional – however, you can think about expanding the
inner circle and delegate someone different to serve as the
TEAM LEADER.
6
www.eleoonline.com
www.eleoonline.com
A Dedicated Fundraising Team
“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way”- John C. Maxwell
How to spot a team leader?Look for an individual who is:
7www.eleoonline.com
Passionate about your causeKnows the history of your organization, has experience on other
projects and is a dedicated donor
A skilled communicatorLoves to make calls, send emails and talks to
strangers about your nonprofit!
Well organizedColor coordinated folders, lots of hand outs, a full
calendar until 2025 makes their life complete!
A smart delegatorUses team members’ talents effectively,
assigns tasks appropriately!
Your nonprofit’s cheerleaderEncourages cooperation and collaboration, celebrates the
nonprofit’s successes and always offers a helping hand!
Let’s start with a few questions –
• Is your donor information on a collection of
Excel spreadsheets?
• Scattered on different platforms?
• A messy system with duplicate records?
• A combination of all the above?
If you answered ‘YES’ to any of the questions above, you are NOT alone! Your current strategy is simply no longer meeting your needs. This is usually a signal that it’s time for a change!
YES NO
8www.eleoonline.com
An Online Donor Management System
Benefits of Donor Management System –
Donor management system allows you to organize and maintain a single
version of the truth for all your donor information.
System let’s all members of your fundraising team update donor records,
manage event activities, send thank you letters and generate reporting on the
progress of your fundraising plan.
Database streamlines your integrated email communications, online
donation processing, and automated thank you’s.
Online system gives you access anywhere – on your phone, tablet,
laptop, desktop, - where ever life leads you.
We all know in today’s world of instant communication, that it is
essential to reach people via email. It’s cost effective, direct and
arrives to the recipient within seconds. We know that email
communication platforms help your nonprofit capture the attention of
your supporters. But… Why?
9www.eleoonline.com
An Email Communication Platform
Branded messages make your organizational “look” come to life.
These emails can be used for all aspects of your fundraising plan -
invitations, newsletters, thank you messages and more – all branded
with your nonprofit’s logo and mission.
Let’s discuss.
Email platforms allow for :
• Colorful messaging
• Picture Inserts
• Your Nonprofit Logo
• Professional Appearance
• Scheduled Delivery
• Open Rates & Responses
By integrating your email platform with your donor management
software, you can tailor your messaging to specific groups and lists of
donors. Instead of sending a generic email to everyone in your
database, an effective email communication platform allows you to
segment and target particular people.
Another important part to note - Your Fundraising Plan will have a
communications timeline (don’t worry, we’ll get there). An Email
Communication Platform also allows you to schedule the delivery date
of emails. The goal is to send your branded messages in coordination
with other planned fundraising efforts.
10www.eleoonline.com
BEST IN BREED EMAIL PLATFORM SUGGESTIONS:
Alert! Make sure you’re not violating the Can Spam Act!
The CAN-SPAM Act, a law that sets the rules for commercial email, establishes requirements for commercial messages, gives recipients the right to have you stop emailing them, and spells out tough penalties for violations. ... The law makes no exception for business-to-business email.
One of the key components for your success in fundraising is making it
easy for donors to donate! Online donations are growing rapidly every
year. It’s therefore particularly important to have your online pages
optimized for success!
Place your ‘Donate Now’ button on your website, social media pages, emails, etc. - where the donor can see it clearly.
Create a straight-forward form with simple options to improve completion rates.
Try offering a few donation levels (Don’t go crazy!). Allow donations to be made ‘in honor of’ or ‘in memory
of’. Suggest a recurring donation to let your donor give
repeatedly. Include a simple option to cover the processing fee. Choose a donor management system that automatically
collects and processes donor information. Have your form send automatic thank you’s and receipts.
Here are a few to help your donation page thrive:TIPS
11www.eleoonline.com
Online Donation Pages
Check It Out Below -
12www.eleoonline.com
Anatomy of an Online Donation Page
The lessons we learn from history tell us - you have to look back before
you can move forward. The details of your nonprofit’s fundraising history
can offer valuable insight - the good, the bad and the ‘let’s try something
new!
How much money did you raise from each specific fundraising
activity or appeal last year? Two years ago?
What are the financial needs of the organization this year?
Which appeals worked and which didn’t? Why?
What improvements can be made for each activity/appeal to be
even more successful?
13www.eleoonline.com
Start with a few questions -
1. Identify how you achieved the increase in donations.
a. Was it one major donor, or business sponsor?
b. Or was it a result of an activity at the event?
2. Find out why attendance went down.
a. Was your event too expensive?
b. Did potential guests have a “been there – done that”
attitude?
3. Create a strategy to engage non-participants.
a. What follow-up will be done for those who did not attend?
b. Will they have the opportunity to engage in a different way?
Example of a Post Event Review -
Correct Follow Up Questions -
14www.eleoonline.com
Your Gala Event raised $50,000 from 150 attendees. The attendees of the event raved about the music, the lavish meal and the decorations. However, even though you exceeded your overall monetary goal by 10%, there were 50 fewer people in attendance. You raised more money but from fewer attendees.
Let’s Practice!
1. Details of your organization’s budget
2. Previous fundraising totals
3. Organizational financial needs
4. Projected plans and growth
Taking a ‘Look Back’ should be comprehensive. Keep in mind that
budgeting is not just money. Budgeting includes the time and
resources of staff, volunteers and board members. This is an important
part of creating a realistic fundraising plan and optimizing efforts
across the organization.
At the end of your review, you should know the following:
15www.eleoonline.com
It’s important to shoot for the stars with your fundraising aspirations.
Brainstorm Big! Get Creative! But then it’s essential to take a step back,
gather your best ideas and attach them to realistic, attainable goals.
We know it costs money to fundraise. Large galas, direct mail
campaigns, and golf outings attract donors, but they are also expensive.
When creating your fundraising goals, it is just as critical to know the
costs of each individual appeal as well as it’s revenue.
Setting fundraising goals starts with creating a Fundraising Budget. The
budget will project income (dollars raised) and expenses (dollars spent)
for every fundraising activity.
TIP! This is where ‘Looking Back’ in Step 2 acts as a helpful starting point.
16www.eleoonline.com
Steps for
List all of your fundraising activities for the year. Some examples are: small and large events, email and letter appeals, online donation page, face to face solicitations, social media posts, grants and more. Determine a fundraising goal for each activity.
Review your current donor database and identify your donor levels and groups. Some examples are: major gift donors, mid-level donors, annual donors, sponsors, event attendees and new donors.
Focus on major donors first. Your major gift donors are the pace setters for your fundraising; they provide security and stability. For example – Determine that you would like a 5% increase in their annual donations.
After considering projected major gift totals, allocate your fundraising goals for the remaining donors and appeals. This would include things like donations from your online pages and ticket sales at events.
GOAL SETTING:
Statistics: Typically, the top 10 percent of your donor base is responsible for 90 percent of giving. If this true for your nonprofit, then these donations need to be secured first.
17www.eleoonline.com
Goal setting is the fun part! Keeping it realistic can be challenging, but it is
do-able. It’s also fulfilling - setting and meeting attainable goals allows
you and your team to celebrate the successes of your fundraising plan.
Time has a way of sneaking up on us. We finish up our end-of-year
appeal and before we know it, the spring event is upon us. This
seemingly unstoppable merry-go-round can be stressful.
So, what can we do about it?
Mapping out the timeline for your fundraising plan can be particularly
helpful. Work with a detailed calendar, visible to your entire fundraising
team. Within this universal calendar, input all your date-related tasks and
assign them to who is responsible. Task examples include: team
meetings, donor appointments, appeal communications, thank you
mailings, and events.
TIP! Choose a Donor Management System that includes a calendar. It helps keep everything in one place.
18www.eleoonline.com
Keep in mind, each fundraising appeal will have multiple calendar
items to complete. Scheduling and assigning tasks thoughtfully will
allow each team member to get the job done successfully. To do this,
it can be helpful to look at your calendar from a bird's eye view. Take in
the full year of planning. Once you’ve seen which months are busy or
slow, you have the opportunity to shift your strategy.
The fundraising calendar also impacts your donors and volunteers.
Hold your events when you know the largest number of donors can
attend. It can be helpful to check community and school calendars to
minimize conflicts on dates. And, most importantly, do your best to
schedule appeals strategically! Donors will give more money and
volunteers more of their time, if they are able to spread out their
generosity. This avoids burnout for everyone involved!
19www.eleoonline.com
The answers to some of these questions lie within the donor profiles in
your donor management system. Your donor’s record should tell you a
number of things, including: communication preferences, when you
last called or emailed them, what they’re interested in and events
they’ve attended. With up-to-date donor records, you have the key to
make donors feel special. Use it!
20www.eleoonline.com
Donor follow-up is an art.
• When is it time to say “thank you”?• How much follow-up is too much or not enough?• Should you communicate by mail, email or phone?• How do you make the donor feel appreciated?• What does an effective “thank you” letter look like?
Questions to Consider After a Fundraising Appeal:
21www.eleoonline.com
It’s also important to note - The automated “thank you” notification at
the time of donation is great! It saves you time and resources.
However, it takes more than that. For every donation received or event
attended, you and your team need to send multiple acknowledgments.
Not only does this increase the likelihood that they’ll donate again, but
also that they’ll give more!
Timeline: Send your first thank you immediately. This should be an automated email after an online donation or event registration. Your second thank you should be branded and personalized. It is recommended that you send a hard copy letter 1-2 weeks after the donation or event.
Quick Review:Step 1: All Systems Go - Get your systems in placeStep 2: Look Back before Moving Ahead - Review past fundraising effortsStep 3: Keep It Real - Set realistic, measurable goalsStep 4: Stay on Schedule - Manage your timeline with a shared calendarStep 5: Finish Strong - Learn the Art of Donor Follow-Up
You made it! We hope you enjoyed the journey through our ‘5 Steps to
Creating a Fundraising Plan’. We developed this e-guide with you in
mind. While the notion of creating a fundraising plan seems daunting,
having one at a small nonprofit is possible. After all, a framework that
can guide your fundraising efforts, year after year, is the key to
continuing your mission.
“Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.”- Pablo Picasso
22www.eleoonline.com