Beyond #GivingTuesday Crafting a Winning Year-End Strategy Presented by: Margo Jacobs Director of Development, Campaigns United Nations Foundation Laura Aikens Senior Vice President CCS Wednesday, July 20, 2016 1:00-2:00 pm ET
Today s Speakers Margo Jacobs Director of Development, Campaigns United Nations Foundation Laura Aikens Senior Vice President, CCS 2
About CCS Founded In 1947 Consulting and Management Services New York, Baltimore, Boston, Washington DC, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, St. Louis, London 6 Senior Partners 274 Permanent, Professional Staff Comprehensive Services Data Analytics, Communications, IT, Learning, Prospect Research Departments $15 Billion In Campaigns Under Direct Management Advised 40% of America s Top 100 Performing Charities 95% Repeat and Referred Business 3 4
Session Objectives Understand the role year-end giving plays in your annual fundraising plan Explore successful strategies for maximizing yearend fundraising Learn how to go utilize and beyond #GivingTuesday for a comprehensive approach 4
United Nations Foundation Connecting people, ideas and resources to help the United Nations solve global problems. 5
YEAR-END GIVING AND YOUR ANNUAL FUNDRAISING PLAN 6
The Power of Year-End Appeals 31% of annual giving occurs in December, with 12% happening in the last three days of the year 50% of organizations receive the majority of their contributions between October and December The average person makes 24% of their annual donations during year-end 79% of people would rather have a charitable donation made in their honor than receive a gift 470% increase in online donations on #GivingTuesday since 2012 Sources: Charity Navigator; Guidestar; Network for Good; Nonprofit Hub 7
Annual Fundraising Plan Source and Method! Year-end appeals are not stand-alone efforts. They are one tactic among an overarching strategy. Major Gift Prospects Engagement Methods Individual visits Personalized print/digital outreach Custom message Engagement Methods Loyal Annual Supporters Phone calls Personalized Mail/email Custom message #GivingTuesday New Donors & Broader Public Engagement Methods Direct mail/email Social media Phone-a-thon Letter writing campaign Online/print marketing Generic message 8
Strategies for Maximizing Results 1. Create an activity timeline & benchmarks 2. Develop a unique case for support 3. Analyze and segment donors 4. Know your engagement strategy 5. Follow up Key Questions Gap analysis: how much has been raised and what is your goal? Resources: what is possible during this time period? Past: where have you been? Present: where are you now? Future: where do you want to be, and how can donors help? By constituency: individuals, corporations, foundations By giving: annual, capital, renewal or upgrade Major: face-to-face fundraising Annual: mail, phone, or newsletter Planned: awareness and multiple approaches Multi-step: sequential reinforcement of key messages Multi-channel: phone, email, mail, newsletter, social media 9
Poll What sources are you most interested in tapping into through your year-end appeals? a. Board and major donors b. Annual supporters c. New donors and the broader public d. Corporations and foundations 10
Poll What methods are you most interested in learning about? a. Personal requests b. Direct mail c. Events d. Social media strategies e. #GivingTuesday 11
SOURCES OF GIVING & END OF YEAR TACTICS 12
Board and Major Gift Prospects Board Members Great time to complete their annual fundraising plan Strive for 100% participation Custom approach/tailored message Involve in stewardship activities Major Gift Prospects Year-end is a closing strategy, not an ask strategy Custom approach/tailored message TIP: Look for any donors that might be able to consider a Challenge Gift. This not only increases dollars raised, but also helps build momentum. Individual visits with targeted follow up (start now)! Charitable IRA rollovers can be a great additional giving vehicle for certain donors. 13
SOLICITATION PLAN EVALUATION Engagement Strategy Board and Major Gift Prospects Year-End Major Gifts Strategy Previous Giving Is there a history? If so, what motivated it? If not, how can we draw the prospect closer? Does the donor have a pattern of giving that suggests a preference for year-end? Research Does the request amount make sense? Do immediate needs align with the donor s philanthropic passions? Request Timing When will we ask this prospect, and why then? Do we have sufficient access to the donor to make an immediate appeal? Would they be motivated by yearend? Clear Rationale Special project, urgent need, personal circumstances. A major contribution from the donor now would enable XYZ in 2017. The Solicitation Team Can they influence the prospect s decision? Has he/she made a gift equal to or greater than the request amount? Who is closest to the donor? Who could best convey a sense of urgency? Power of Influence Are there other donors who should be involved? Are there others who are stepping forward in advance of year-end? Defined Solicitor Roles Does everyone know what to say and when? Who will present critical deadlines and announcement opportunities? Gift Recognition Do they reflect the prospect s style and interests? Will there be one opportunity or several? At what events could you make an announcement? Could a match be persuasive? 14
Loyal Annual Supporters The traditional target for year-end appeals Renewal Upgrade LYBUNTS/SYBUNTS Use a multi-channel approach Focus on your case: why now? Complete your story arc human impact is where it s at! Stewardship is an important year-end message Studies show that prospective donors respond more positively and give more generously to human impact stories than to statistical accomplishments.! Don t forget to segment your annual supporters. Not all of them will make a great year-end prospect. 15
Engagement Strategy Loyal Annual Supporters Making the Most of Direct Mail Some factors have a greater impact on success Key things to remember: Mailings should be interesting, conceptually simple, and easy to read Grab attention early Make an irresistible offer Focus on the need Ask for a specific amount and give a reason Address individuals as personally as possible Organization Reputation and Cause 50% Copywriting 5% Format 5% Design 5% The "Offer" 10% List Selection 25% Source: Hank Rosso - Achieving Excellence in Fundraising 16
New Donors and the Broader Public Appeal to natural constituencies not new constituencies Give focus to multi-channel awareness activities Identify and utilize connection points Meet donors where they are at Friend-to-friend Holiday parties Volunteer opportunities Build on feelings of nostalgia Take advantage of national activities in later months Tip: Focus on prospective donors one step removed from your current supporters. Year-end is a good time to mobilize current supporters! Don t forget about National Philanthropy Day! This can be a great tool for reaching out to donors and volunteers! 17
Engagement Strategy New Donors and the Broader Public Promoting Your Case via Social Media Concentrate on your homepage Place your mission statement in a prominent spot Boost donor confidence Use stories to show the power of a gift Let your contributors speak for you Show where the money goes Make your donation buttons big and colorful A visually appealing page will give your donors the confidence to click on your Donate Now button. Online visitors have a short attention span, so capture their attention. Prominently display your Charity Navigator and Better Business Bureau badges. Provide compelling stories and visuals on your homepage and donation pages to illustrate impact. Ask those who give their time and resources to your organization to tell others why they do it. Donors want to know what you do, how you handle their money, and how their gift makes a difference. Larger donation buttons convert more donors, especially when they are colorful and high-contrast. 18
Corporations/Foundations Corporations Not appropriate audience for year-end appeals Can be a good time for stewardship (impact reports) Making their funding decisions for the next year Looking for partnership opportunities for their employees Foundations Similar to corporations making their funding decisions for the next year Tip: Corporations are interested in partnering with organizations beyond just a donation. What co-branding or volunteer opportunities can you create as a value-add?! Most corporations make funding decisions the year prior. Make sure you are being considered! 19
Follow Up - The Key to Success Phone calls Personal visits Email follow-up Social media outreach Text outreach Matching gifts 2 nd mailings! People give because they re asked - so follow up! 20
Activity Timeline Aug/Sept Planning & early implementation Board/Major Donors: Submit requests Annual/New Supporters: Fall appeals and targeted marketing Corporations/ Foundations: Identify partnership opportunities and submit proposals October Materials finalization & early follow-up Board/Major Donors: Secure matching gifts Annual/New Supporters: Begin broad-based donor communications Corporations / Foundations: Follow-up begins Nov/Dec Closing strategies & follow-up Board/Major Donors: Closing activities and holiday gatherings Annual/New Supporters: Appeals, #GivingTuesday and follow-up activities Corporations/ Foundations: Board presentations & decisions! Start early. Gifts, especially major gifts, take time to secure. 21
ABOUT #GIVINGTUESDAY 22
Trends with #GivingTuesday What are some winning #GivingTuesday strategies? Strategic plan Specific beneficiary and fundraising goal Fundraising Plan Multiple Impressions Morning and evening emails Social media updates Challenge or matching gift Gift benefits Special Offers Top Five Issues Talked About: Education, Environment, Animals, Healthcare, International Affairs #GivingTuesday 2015 $116.7 million total dollars raised More than 2x the amount raised in 2014 Mean gift of $107 1.08 million total gifts from nearly 700,000 donors Social media mentions jumped 86% 23
Case Study: United Nations Foundation The Strategy: Initiated #GivingTuesday Efforts in November Used #GivingTuesday to Launch Year-End Fundraising Appeals Heavy Focus on Donor Recognition & Donor Benefits The Results: Differentiated asks allowed for two bites at the apple Recognition > Request Higher returns in year-end fundraising (also higher burden on staff capacity) 24
Comments and Discussion 25
Additional Year-End Appeal Resources #GivingTuesday http://www.givingtuesday.org/ National Philanthropy Day Official Website http://www.afpnet.org/content.cfm?itemnumber=4032 Blackbaud 2014 Charitable Giving Report https://www.blackbaud.com/nonprofit-resources/charitablegiving Knight Foundation Giving Day Playbook http://givingdayplaybook.org/ Charity Navigator Charitable Giving Statistics http://www.charitynavigator.org Greater Giving Online Year-End Fundraising Tips http://www.greatergiving.com/resource-library/fundraising-tips.aspx 26
Thank You Laura Aikens Senior Vice President, CCS laikens@ccsfundraising.com Margo Jacobs Director of Development, Campaigns, United Nations Foundation mjacobs@unfoundation.org OUR MISSION is to help non-profits elevate theirs, by providing fundraising counsel, development services, and strategic consulting.