Where’s the Easy Money In

Fundraising Today?

Gail Perry MBA CFRE

@gailperrync #firedupFR

FiredupFundraising.com

Who Am I?

Just hit 30 years in fundraising!

Blogger, coach, consultant

Author “Fired-Up Fundraising: Turn Board

Passion into Action”

AFP Triangle Fundraiser of the Year

International speaker and workshop leader

#firedupFR

@gailperryncGail Perry MBA CFRE

How Much Money Might

Be Out There For Your

Organization

This Year-End?

Discussion

Today’s Powerpoints

Plus a Free Workbook:

Skyrocket Your Fundraising with a Major Gifts Program

gailperry.com/resources-

wisconsin-2016/

Giving USA

@gailperrync

6

Giving Trends Through 2015

https://www.mobilecause.com/year-end-fundraising-tips-2014/

28% of organizations

raised 26-50%

of their annual income.

How

Important is

the Year-End

Ask?

http://www1.networkforgood.org/digitalgivingindex

How Important

is December?

#1 Year-End Fundraising

Strategy for 2016

Renewing Your Donors is Where The EASY Money Is Today

Why Are Your Current Donors the

Easiest People of all to Renew?

They already

believe in you!

Focus on Renewing Your Donors

Your top priority is always to

renew your past donors.

They are your customer base

– your “money in the bank.”

Don’t let them slip away.

Don’t lose their gifts!

13

How much $$ from people

who might . . .

Or might not . . .

renew their gifts?

($ individual gifts from last year)

What’s the

Probabilitythat Your Donors Are

Going to

Renewtheir Gifts?

16

17

Donor Loyalty = Donor Retention

!

Your Fundraising Program is

a Leaky Bucket!Roger Craver, “Retention Fundraising”

19

Fundraising’s

Dirty Little

Secret:Waaaay Too Much

Donor

ATTRITION

#1 Strategy for Easy Money:

Renewing Donors

10% improvement in donor retention yields

a 50% boost in donor revenue immediately.

~Tom Ahern on Dr. Adrian Sargeant’s research

In our surveys, less than 45% of fundraisers

knew their current donor retention rate.

Do you know your retention rate?

Donor renewals

are more important than

donor acquisition.

Donor renewals

are more important than gaining

new donors(!)

Keeping Your Donors is Where The EASY Money Is Today

25

How To Improve Donor Loyalty?

• Amazing donor experiences.

• Terrific thank you programs.

• Terrific post gift servicing.

• Meaningful info on how we used their gift.

• Donor-centered communications.

• Make them feel appreciated.

• Help them feel good and part of the cause.

How The North Carolina

Symphony Builds Donor Loyalty

T

Strategies to Improve Donor

Renewals and Donor Loyalty

for 2016 Year-End

@gailperrync

Benefit Type Giving Levels

Tangible Intangible Event $100 + $250 + $1,000 + $2,500 + $5,000 + $7,500 + $10,000 + $15,000 + $25,000 +

Open Rehearsal Pass 1 x

Patron Appreciation Concert

1 x

Single Ticket Discount 1 x

Summerfest Patron Appreciation Concert x

Listing in program book 1 x

New Bern donor room 1 x

VIP parking 1 x

Two tickets to Summer concert 1 x

Private event w musicians 1 x

Donor Rooms & Parking 1 x

Donor concierge by staff 1 x

Private onstage recital 1 x

Post concert reception 1 x

Two tickets to concert of choice 1 x

Priority seating for renewals 1 x

Event with Music Director 1 x

Post-concert dinner with CEO 1 x

Invite to Chairman's Circle Trip 1 x

Concert naming rights 1 x

Donor Relations = A System of Engaging Donor Benefits

@jenlove @agentsofgood

THow can you

give your donors

some amazing experiences this fall

BEFORE

you send your fall appeal letter?

@gailperrync

NC Symphony musician making thank you calls to donors.

What Happens When

Board Members Make

Thank You Phone Calls?

• Donors received a thank you phone call

from a board members within 24 hours of

receiving the gift.

• The next time they were solicited, they gave

39% more than the other donors who did

not receive a call.Donor Centered Fundraising, Penelope Burk

Thank you for making a difference with your contribution!

As a new donor to the North Carolina Symphony we are grateful for

your support of <$_____>.

As a voluntee,r I appreciate your choice to make a gift that sustains

this outstanding orchestra in its work to educate our state’s children and

perform concerts which are unmatched in quality anywhere in the state.

I hope your gift will begin a long and satisfying journey of annual

support with the North Carolina Symphony, one which I have

enjoyed enormously. Our staff stands ready to serve you and

answer your questions at (919) 733-2750.

Best regards,

Person’s name,

Trustee North Carolina Symphony

THow can you

creatively thank

your donors this fall

BEFORE

you send your fall appeal letter?

@gailperrync

• “You made this happen . . . .

• “You created this wonderful experience

• “You helped feed this family, fund this research, educate this student, cure this disease, find people homes . . .

• “You are partnering with us to . . .

• “Your gift has helped to save this river, stage these performances . . .

Remove YOUR ORGANIZATION as the

intermediary between your DONOR and the

IMPACT she makes with her gift.

NO: “Your gift helped our organization serve xxxx

people.. . . .”

YES: Your gift will help serve xxxx people.

Give the Donor Credit for YOUR Work:

How to Create a Donor-Centered

Thank You

T

How can you

give your donor credit for your work

BEFORE

you send your fall appeal letter?

@gailperrync

#1 Year-End Fundraising Strategy

Mount An All-Out Campaign for Donor Renewals

Easy Money Renewals Checklist(for the easy money)

1. Thankathon to all current donors.

2. Segment your list: Top 10, leadership, &

donors.

3. Personal visits to your top 10 donors.

4. Phone calls to your leadership donors.

5. Very personalized renewal letters.

6. Board phonathon to renew gifts.

6. A gentle reminder in December.

http://www.gailperry.com/2014/11/1-year-end-fundraising-tip-will-bring-highest-dollar-return/

© Gail Perry, 2014

Phone Calls “We’re hoping you’ll renew your support!”

“The kids need you this year!”

“We are trying to (DO WHAT) this year!”

“We’re tackling xxxx next year and hope you will be a partner in

this effort!”

“Face to face and phone will always do much betterthan online and mail fundraising.”

Simon Scriver of Total Fundraising, @TotalFR

changefundraising.com.

Personal Meetings with Donors

“Face to face and phone

will always do much better than

online and mail fundraising.”

GET ALL MY POWERPOINTS

Plus a Free Workbook:

Skyrocket Your Fundraising with a Major Gifts Program

gailperry.com/resources-wisconsin-2016/