Notes from Fundraising Day, ePhilanthropy Symposium

I joined over 2000 colleagues who help nonprofits raise money at Fundraising Day last week.  Some takeaways:

Mark Rovner offered these tips:

1. Ask When the Time is Right - when your organization / cause is in the news
2. Avoid the Constant Ask
3. Synchronize Your Channels - direct mail, email, web site
4. Avoid ‘Soft Asks’
5. Ask for Feedback - surveys, online focus groups
6. Finish the Story, Close the Loop - don’t ask again after donation before informing how past donation was used
7. Don’t Ask for the Wrong Amount – know what levels your donors have previously gave
8. Recognize Cross Channel Behavior - many will donate online after receiving direct mail
9. Make Sure You Thank More Than You Ask
10. Test – Find Out For Yourself

Tom Gaffny demonstrated the value of asking for a specific amount for a specific purpose, rather than simply requesting a 'general donation.'

A day later, I attended the ePhilanthropy Social Networking Symposium, where we debated the value of social networking tools to nonprofits.  Some highlights:

Steve MacLaughlin, Blackbaud's Director of Internet Solutions suggested that we 'experiment first, plan later' to make sure our organizations are represented in these new web environments.  He suggested a POST approach:

• People - who are you targeting?
• Objectives - what do you want to achieve?
• Strategy - what will it look like when you're done?
• Technology - what tools will you use?

Philip King of Artez Interactive suggested the value of recruiting fundraisers instead of donors, and suggested that the 'from' line in an email will often be more important than the 'subject' line;  i.e. people give because of their relationship with people, not necessarily because they support the cause.  He also discussed the 'game changing idea' of Kiva, where people can donate without going through a nonprofit organization;  Oxfam Direct has also used this technique successfully.

To keep up with latest trends, many speakers mentioned the value of following sites such as Beth Kanter's blog.