blue strike webinar recapturing lost donors (updated) - jan. 8, 2014

Recapturing Lost DonorsBLUE STRIKE

Blue Strike Webinar: Recapturing Lost Donors (Updated) Jan. 8, 2015 bluestrike.org

BLUE STRIKE: WHAT WE DO

Blue Strike provides advice and assistance to advocacy organizations seeking to elevate their performance in fundraising, marketing, and communications. Using time-tested methods and cost-effective solutions, our goal is to help you implement sustainable programs that reach people in meaningful ways.

This is a 45-minute webinar focused on one of the most common fundraising problems: lost donors.

Intended for development staff who have responsibility for individual giving.

Developed with advocacy organizations in mind.

Features straightforward, low-cost strategies for getting lapsed donors back on board.

WELCOME


The first part of the webinar will focus on some of the most common reasons people stop giving.

In the second part, we will use that framework to prioritize a sample list of lapsed donors.

Then, we will talk about the strategies for getting priority donors back in the fold.

We will pause between each section for questions.

And we will wrap up by 2:00 PM .

WEBINAR AGENDA


These are short-term lapsed donors; last gift was between 12 and 24 months ago.

We are looking for donors with a high probability of coming back as well as those who are worth a special effort.

We need to allocate resources carefully.

The goal is to develop a target list for high-touch contact and . . .

Bring donors back on board!

ASSUMPTIONS


ALL DONORS WHO GAVE LAST YEAR BUT NOT THIS


RUN THE “LYBNT” LIST:

NAMELAST GIFT

DATE LAST GIFT AMOUNT REASON PRIORITY

Margaret Chen 2012-03-15 $1,000.00

Al Johnson 2012-06-20 $1,500.00

Henry Abrams 2012-08-25 $250.00

Carlos Gonzalez 2012-04-10 $100.00

Craig Arroyo 2012-12-31 $350.00

John Miller 2011-12-15 $2,500.00

Amanda Jones 2012-11-15 $250.00

Maria Salas 2011-12-31 $1,000.00

Mary Smith 2012-06-18 $250.00

Robert Stein 2012-08-20 $750.00Blue Strike Webinar: Recapturing Lost Donors

(Updated) Jan. 8, 2015 bluestrike.org

WHY DONORS STOP GIVING


COMMON REASONS

NAMELAST GIFT

DATE LAST GIFT AMOUNT REASON PRIORITY

Margaret Chen 2012-03-15 $1,000.00 tribute gift

Al Johnson 2012-06-20 $1,500.00 deceased

Henry Abrams 2012-08-25 $250.00 suppressed

Carlos Gonzalez 2012-04-10 $100.00 memorial gift

Craig Arroyo 2012-12-31 $350.00 intermittent

John Miller 2011-12-15 $2,500.00 angry donor

Amanda Jones 2012-11-15 $250.00 crisis donor

Maria Salas 2011-12-31 $1,000.00 unaware lapsed

Mary Smith 2012-06-18 $250.00change incircumstance

Robert Stein 2012-08-20 $750.00 moved/changedBlue Strike Webinar: Recapturing Lost Donors


YES, NO OR MAYBE?


PRIORITY:

NAMELAST GIFT

DATE LAST GIFT AMOUNT REASON

PRIORITY?

Margaret Chen 2012-03-15 $1,000.00 tribute gift Maybe

Al Johnson 2012-06-20 $1,500.00 deceased Maybe

Henry Abrams 2012-08-25 $250.00 suppressed Yes

Carlos Gonzalez 2012-04-10 $100.00 memorial gift No

Craig Arroyo 2012-12-31 $350.00 intermittent Yes

John Miller 2011-12-15 $2,500.00 angry donor Maybe

Amanda Jones 2012-11-15 $250.00 crisis donor No

Maria Salas 2011-12-31 $1,000.00 unaware lapsed Yes

Mary Smith 2012-06-18 $250.00change in

circumstance Yes

Robert Stein 2012-08-20 $750.00 moved/changed YesBlue Strike Webinar: Recapturing Lost Donors


USING DONOR GIVING HISTORY


SORT YOUR LIST

Once you’ve prioritized your list based on the reason for not giving, you can push the low probability recaptures to the bottom of the list.

Then, you will want to sort by giving levels and giving history to focus your efforts on donors who are well worth your time to recapture, usually long-time donors, high dollar donors.

Other key stakeholders may merit special attention, such as former board members.


NEXT STEP: A SECOND CUT

NAMELAST GIFT

DATE LAST GIFT AMOUNT REASON

PRIORITY?

Maria Salas 12/31/2011 $1,000.00 unaware lapsed Yes

Robert Stein 8/20/2012 $750.00 moved/changed Yes

Craig Arroyo 12/31/2012 $350.00 intermittent Yes

Henry Abrams 8/25/2012 $250.00 suppressed Yes

Mary Smith 6/18/2012 $250.00 change in

circumstance Yes

John Miller 12/15/2011 $2,500.00 angry donor Maybe

Al Johnson 6/20/2012 $1,500.00 deceased Maybe

Margaret Chen 3/15/2012 $1,000.00 tribute gift Maybe


FOR LAPSED DONORS

RE-INSTATEMENT STRATEGIES


Send a lapsed letter as soon as the fiscal year closes and you know who has fallen off.

Do not send a special appeal or additional program info. Just a one-page letter that says “your membership has expired” or “the date of your last gift was [date of last gift] and amount” with a request for renewed support and a deadline.

Include language that says, “if we somehow missed your gift, please contact us so we can update our records.”


STEP 1: THE ABSOLUTE MINIMUM

Send a personal email, mail a statement-style letter and make a personal phone call - all at the same time.

This all-at-once approach is designed to cut through the noise, to get their attention.

Make sure your contacts reference one another.

Set aside a week to 10 days as a reinstatement campaign and enlist other staff.

Recruit and train interns to call as volunteers.

STEP 2: THE 10-DAY BLITZ


Share lapsed list with board members or development committee members and ask for help with follow up.

Recruit volunteers for outreach, not fundraising.

Brief volunteers on the importance of these donors by highlighting their giving history.

Try three-way conference calls to facilitate calls.

Make calls in evenings or Sat/Sun afternoon.

STEP 3: ENGAGE VOLUNTEER LEADERS


Lower the threshold or minimum ask.

Develop affinity groups or new categories for donors who have to scale back.

Send a case statement that provides more substantive program info; an explanation for a position on issue.

Appeal to them with a special request, such as a matching campaign.

STEP 4: CHANGE THE ASK


Analyze data on your lapsed

Gather more feedback.

Launch targeted reinstatement using custom campaign materials.

Donor engagement strategies.

Plan for the ebb and flow.

STEP 5: ANALYZE AND TARGET


MORE INFO

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES


The Hidden Gold in Your Donor File – Lapsed Donors

Presentation by Becky Odom CFRE, Barton Cotton and Krista Humphrey, Nat'l Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, direct mail, file segmentation, retention is the new acquisition

Baby Come Back? Wooing Lapsed Donors

Presentation by Amy Ricigliano, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Nicole Titus, OMP, and Graham Hunter, Direct Media for the Direct Mail Association. See page 4.

How to Write a Fundraising Letter that Wins them Back by Alan Sharp for Network for Good


OTHER RESOURCES:PRESENTATIONS AND REPORTS

http://www.bridgeconf.org/site/DocServer/Odum__Becky_-_The_Hidden_Gold.pdf?docID=564

http://www.the-dma.org/mtspeakers/00005027/NP201090003/Littlefield_Baby_Come_Back.pdf

http://www.fundraising123.org/article/how-write-fundraising-letter-wins-back-lapsed-donors#.UudNgBAo7b1


THANKS FOR JOINING US!

Sign up to receive notices of upcoming events, check out our calendar of free webinars, or download some of our Blue Strike tip sheets to make your day a little easier.

Mary Dillon Kerwin, PresidentBlue Strike: Inspiring Support for Civic [email protected]

http://www.bluestrike.org/sign_up

http://www.bluestrike.org/calendar_of_events

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blue strike webinar recapturing lost donors (updated) - jan. 8, 2014

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