your 2014 fundraising & marketing calendar · 2014-03-06 · january 2014 you’ve got to be...

Your 2014 Fundraising & Marketing Calendar

Copyright Pamela Grow 2013

From Pamela GrowSimple Development Systems

www.pamelagrow.com

January 2014

You’ve got to be very careful if you don’t know where you are going, because you might not get there.

Yogi Berra

When it comes to nonprofit fundraising and communications, the distractions are endless, aren’t they? If your donor communication plan includes less than 12 touches a year, it’s time to rethink your strategy. Remember, 12 touches minimum. Having a solid plan for all your donor communications, including stewardship, every ask (and

these include your monthly giving program, bringing lapsed donors back into the fold, your year-end appeal, email asks and more), your annual report, donor newsletters,

email communications, social media and more will actually make your work easier -- and you’ll raise more money (a whole lot more!).

Do you have a plan going forward? My eCourse, http://www.pamelagrow.com/your-fundraising-plan-case-support-the-basics-more/ for development directors, staff and board

members begins January 6.

Have you mapped out your communications strategy? Consider enrolling your team in Your Communications Calendar | The Basics & More, scheduled to begin February 4th.

Revamp your communications & make a Plan!

Upcoming eCourse

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Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

New Year’s Day

Martin Luther King Day

February 2014

“The top of the pyramid isn’t people with money. It’s people with deep connection to the mission. We’ve all seen instances where people without a lot of dispensable

income really stretched to make a significant gift to something that matters to them — to an organization where they feel engaged in the work, connected to the leaders, on fire about the impact. My husband and I have done that, when we were leaders on boards, and we’re not rich. If we think about the top of the

pyramid (or triangle) being the people with fire in their belly about our work, it takes the focus off rich people. I’d rather have a donor base full of people without a

lot of resources who care deeply, than with rich people who don’t.”Susan Howlett

Read that statement once. Now read it again. And make out a plan for reaching out to truly connect with your donors, on a deeper level this upcoming year. How?

Consider:

• Thank you visits• Feedback visits

• “What’s your story?” visits• Just *because* visits

http://www.pamelagrow.com/3078/share-your-story-page-addition-fundraisers-arsenal-tools/

Connect with your donors

Resources

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March 2014

Do you ever wish that you could build a predictable monthly revenue stream and create donor loyalty for your organization? What about lowering your fundraising

costs while simultaneously reducing donor attrition? The world’s leading fundraising authority, Dr. Adrian Sargeant says “The wider adoption of monthly giving (also

known as regular or sustained giving) in the U.S. could itself transform philanthropy.” Like anything sustainable, growing your monthly giving program takes care and

nurturing -- but the rewards are well worth it.

Monthly Giving for Small Nonprofits: 8 Tips for Keeping It Simple http://nonprofit.about.com/b/2013/07/24/monthly-giving-for-small-nonprofits-8-tips-for-

keeping-it-simple.htm

Monthly Giving for the Small Shop – Interview with Harvey McKinnon http://www.pamelasgrantwritingblog.com/1369/monthly-giving-for-the-small-shop-

interview-with-harvey-mckinnon/

Your backend: The most important element of your nonprofit’s monthly giving program http://www.pamelagrow.com/3375/the-important-element-nonprofits-monthly-giving-

program/

If you’d like to launch your organization’s monthly giving program, or grow the one you already have, you won’t want to miss Monthly Giving | The Basics & More, http://www.

pamelagrow.com/monthly-giving-the-basics-more/ my four week eCourse with Fundraising Authority Joe Garecht.

Launch Your Monthly Giving Program

Resources

March eCourses

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April 2014

April is a great month to review your database with an eye to letting your lapsed donors know that you love them and miss them and want them back!

Time to pull up those LYBUNTs (Last Year But Unfortunately Not This) and SYBUNTs (Some Year But Unfortunately Not This) and reach out and touch.

Loving lapsed donors back into the fold | Simple, brilliant and oh so swipe-able! http://www.pamelagrow.com/3878/loving-lapsed-donors-back-fold-simple-brilliant-oh-

swipe-able/

Have you been holding steady without seeing any appreciable gains? You might be interested in my four week eCourse with Fundraising Authority Joe Garecht, Getting to

Your First Million | The Basics & More!

Are you loving your lapsed donors back into the fold?

Resources

April eCourses

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Easter Sunday

May 2014

Does your organization have an email auto-responder series for new subscribers to your enewsletter? Think of it as an online “welcome kit.” Surprisingly enough, research shows that the time to actively pursue new gifts is immediately following

exhibited interest. A series of three to five welcome emails, spaced over a period of three to six weeks will help to cement your relationships with your new subscribers,

bring in additional gifts -- and condition them to hearing from you on a regular basis.

Tell me again...why aren’t you using email? http://www.pamelagrow.com/2367/tell-again-why-arent-using-email/

Nonprofit email fundraising: Are you overlooking the role consistency plays? http://www.pamelasgrantwritingblog.com/2353/email-fundraising-does-consistency-trump/

The Mercifully Brief, Real World Guide to Raising Thousands of Dollars With Email [Review] http://www.pamelasgrantwritingblog.com/2341/the-mercifully-brief-real-world-guide-to-raising-

thousands-of-dollars-with-email-review/

Whether you’ve dabbled in email newsletters or haven’t started yet, May’s eCourse, Email Marketing | The Basics & More, will give you a solid plan to reach your supporters online.

And if you’re gearing up for your spring appeal, you won’t want to miss Direct Mail Fundraising | The Basics & More!

What’s your plan for growing online giving?

Resources

May eCourses

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Memorial Day

June 2014

Do you find yourself telling your organization’s same stories, over and over and over again? Do you ever feel like your stories could be more emotional but you’re

uncomfortable writing “that way” or your boss thinks emotion is “hokey” and pulls out the red pen?

Learning how to tell your organization’s stories well will dramatically increase your fundraising success.

Nonprofit donor newsletter brings in $2M | The power of storytelling http://www.pamelagrow.com/3520/donor-newsletter-brings-2m-the-power-storytelling/

Three lessons in nonprofit storytelling from HONY (Humans of New York) http://www.pamelagrow.com/3732/three-lessons-fundraising-hony-humans-new-york/

Nonprofit Storytelling | How to hook your reader from the first sentence http://www.pamelagrow.com/3831/nonprofit-storytelling-how-hook-reader-first-sentence/

If your organization’s storytelling could use some work, consider June’s Basics & More eCourse, Nonprofit Storytelling. http://www.pamelagrow.com/nonprofit-storytelling-the-

basics-and-more/In this course, I’ll be joined by Michelle Brinson, storyteller extraordinaire and in-the-

trenches fundraiser for the Nashville Rescue Mission.

How are you telling your story?

Resources

June eCourses

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July 2014

The other day I was talking to a small nonprofit organization about their individual giving. Now this organization, like all of the agencies I come into contact with, is engaged in vital, truly

inspiring work in their community.

Yet what I was hearing from them was that “funders aren’t interested in us because we don’t do blah blah blah.” And “it’s so hard because we work with men and most of the funders want

programs that work with women and children.”

Listen up. Have you ever read the famous Russell Conwell speech titled “Acres of Diamonds”? Conwell contends that most people look everywhere for opportunity, success, and happiness,

except the one place where they’re most likely to find it: under their own two feet.

The idea behind “Acres of Diamonds” actually translates to one of the greatest secrets of fundraising. It’s been my experience that most organizations fail to fully mine the gold hidden

within their own database, within their own circle. Instead, they’re continuously looking for new donors and new methodologies -- and looking outside their organization for those elusive “major

donors.”

Major Gifts: Four Basics before You Beginhttp://www.pamelagrow.com/1466/major-gifts-four-basics-before-you-begin/

Building Your Major Gifts Program http://members.simpledevelopmentsystems.com/webinars/building-your-major-gifts-program/

A special Simple Development Systems recorded webinar presented by Jeff Schreifels of the Veritus

Group (use Password schreifels1013kts to access)

Our four-week course, Small Shop Major Gifts | The Basics and More (Presented jointly with Paul Jolly of Jump Start Growth) runs through July.

Major donors month!

Resources

July eCourses

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Independence Day

August 2014

Do you have a system in place for foundation followup? Oftentimes organizations that could build a reliable core base of foundation funding, give up after the first few declinations. Did you know

that often the ‘third time’s the charm’ when it comes to foundation funding? Is your grant proposal or grant report the only time a foundation officer hears from you?

Grow those relationships with your foundation funders by developing a twice yearly “Foundation Letter” tailored to foundations who have funded you - and those who have not. Make the time to

thank foundations who have declined your application.

8 Grant Writing Myths Bustedhttp://nonprofit.about.com/od/foundationfundinggrants/a/8-Grant-Writing-Myths-Busted.

htm

Your Grant Proposal’s Been Rejected: Now What?http://www.fundsraiser.com/apr08/your-grant-proposals-been-rejected-now-what.html

What to do When Your Proposal is Declined. (Hint: It’s the Beginning, Not the End!)http://www.pamelasgrantwritingblog.com/59/what-to-do-when-your-proposal-is-declined-

hint-its-the-beginning-not-the-end/

Foundation Grants & Corporate Support | The Basics & More. This six-week course will guide you through the steps of foundation research, drafting a compelling grant proposal,

tracking, and relationship building.

Are you systematized for foundation grant success?

Resources

August eCourses

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September 2014

In a 2010 Grow Report, I shared my own formula for a donor newsletter. It was based both on my personal experiences and a seminar with Penelope Burk of Donor Centered Fundraising. And it consisted of a three-times-yearly newsletter (Penelope had noted that when donors were polled

they didn’t notice the difference between a quarterly and three-times-yearly publication).

I thought I had the answers but I was wrong. I learned first-hand from Tom Ahern that newsletters could be much more than simple stewardship devices - they could raise money (lots of

it!). It’s time to revamp your newsletters, both print and email, putting the focus on your donor.

Making Money with Donor Newsletters http://www.pamelasgrantwritingblog.com/2380/making-money-with-donor-newsletters-

the-how-to-guide-to-extraordinary-results/

Is your print newsletter an afterthought? In the Nonprofit Newsletters | The Basics & More, Presented jointly with Beth Brodvosky of Iris Creative, you’ll learn the secrets to creating

newsletters that WOW your donors (and raise money).

Revamp your newsletter month

Resources

September eCourses

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October 2014

Now’s the time to overhaul your stewardship plan (before your year-end appeal goes out). You’ll want a plan that includes sample thank you letters for any eventuality (annual fund, monthly

giving, in memoriam, foundation grants, in-kind, etc.), as well as factoring in regular updates to all of your correspondence.

How will you thank your donors via social media? Write it down! How can you involve your board in thanking donors?

I make it a practice with clients of scheduling Thank-a-Thons or Thank-You-Note-Intermissions during board meetings. Board members will receive either a list of donors to call (along with a

sample script and giving history), or note cards, names, gift amounts and samples to pen their own handwritten thank-you notes. Donors love it!

SOFII’s famous ‘Thank You Letter Clinic’http://www.sofii.org/showcase?hall=274&id=68

The Donor Retention Projecthttp://donorretentionproject.com/

How hopeFound says ‘Thank You’ (and how they can help you sa thank you too)http://www.pamelagrow.com/1079/how-hopefound-says-%E2%80%98thank-

you%E2%80%99-and-how-they-can-help-you-say-thank-you-too/

A free thank you letter you can swipe! (downloadable template)http://www.pamelagrow.com/2833/a-free-thank-letter-template-can-swipe/

November Nonprofit Blog Carnival | Giving Thanks (lots of great ideas for you)http://www.pamelagrow.com/3854/november-nonprofit-blog-carnival-giving-thanks-

gratitude/

How can you get everyone in your organization on board, understanding the power of donor retention? Consider enrolling your

entire team in my Basics & More eCourse The Power of Thank You, http://www.pamelagrow.com/the-power-thank-you-the-basics-more/

presented jointly with Claire Axelrad, CFRE.

How are you thanking donors?

Resources

October eCourses

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November 2014

Come up with a plan for how you’ll exceed your year-end goals -- one that includes direct mail, the phone, face-to-face asks, email, and social media. What story/s will you be sharing and how will

they translate for each medium? How will you be segmenting your year-end appeal?

The Key to Less Stress and Better Year-End Fundraising http://www.pamelagrow.com/3789/the-key-less-stress-better-year-end-fundraising/

One simple tweak to maximize your year-end online giving http://www.pamelagrow.com/3899/one-simple-tweak-maximize-year-end-giving/

Calling All Procrastinators: 7 Tricks to Raise More Money With Your Year End Appealhttp://www.pamelagrow.com/3597/calling-all-procrastinators-7-tricks-raise-more-money-

with-your-year-end-appeal/

November: Targeting Your Year-End Goals

http://www.pamelagrow.com/target-your-year-end-goals/

Make your year-end fundraising rock!

Resources

November eCourses

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National Philanthropy Day Veterans Day

President’s Day

December 2014

Yes, you’ll be crazy busy this month. Yes, you’ll be scrambling around dealing with year-end fundraising, parties, your own holiday plans. Talk about stress!

What do I do when I’m stressed out? I focus in on gratitude with a laser-like intensity! Who makes your work possible? Your donors! Thank ‘em. Don’t forget to thank your board members,

staff and volunteers. Everyone needs to feel appreciated.

Happy Holidays! I’ll see you in 2015!

Could giving be the secret to getting? http://www.pamelagrow.com/3715/could-giving-secret-getting%E2%80%A8/

December: Online Fundraising http://www.pamelagrow.com/online-fundraising-the-basics-more/

Gratitude month

Resources

December eCourses

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Christmas Eve Christmas Day

New Year’s Eve

your 2014 fundraising & marketing calendar · 2014-03-06 · january 2014 you’ve got to be...

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