Author: Guest Posters

1. Your Bequest Program: It’s Easy Getting Started by John Elbare, CFP

The simple bequest, which is a charitable gift in a donor’s will (or living trust), still accounts for most planned gifts. Bequest marketing should be a part of every fund raising program. Simple marketing messages can reap huge future revenues for your organization.

All of your loyal donors are good prospects for a bequest. Let them know that you are interested in gifts by will. The idea of arranging a bequest simply does not occur to most people. Provide them with a steady stream of reminders.

Put your bequest reminder in all of your communications. The message is simple: Please remember us in your will. Include that tag line on your stationery and your donation receipts. Make sure every newsletter contains a brief article or simple display ad about leaving a bequest. Add basic information on bequests to your website.

Let your donors know how important bequests are to your mission. Use testimonials and stories from people who have already arranged bequests … telling why they did it. Emphasize the idea of endowment. Many people like the idea of leaving their bequest to an endowment fund that will support your organization long after they are gone.

Prepare a simple fact sheet that tells your donors how to arrange a bequest. Make sure you include your organization’s exact legal name, address and tax ID number, so their lawyers can write the bequest correctly. Improperly worded bequests can cause major headaches during probate, when it’s too late to correct your organization’s name..

Use every opportunity to get your fact sheet to your donors. Offer it in your newsletter and on your website. Include a check-off box on your donation envelopes, that says “Please send me information about arranging a charitable bequest.” And, always carry a few copies when you visit with your donors.

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John Elbare, CFP, has spent the last 30 years helping non-profits
raise more money through large, planned gifts.
He shows them how to add an effective planned giving
strategy to their current fund raising effort
without a lot of extra expense or staff.
You can contact him at John Elbare, CFP.
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2. Being Quick and Genuine with Your Thanks To Donors by Tony Poderis

Thanking donors seems like something so basic that we shouldn’t even have to talk about it. But more mistakes, with more devastating results for donor loyalty, are made in the thanking of donors than anyplace else.

So, let’s go over six, absolutely essential rules for saying, “Thank you.”

— Thank A Donor Immediately. Send a thank-you note for a gift no later than the day after the gift is received. Nothing is more important than a prompt thank-you.

— Be Humble. Don’t act as if or communicate the thought that you were expecting the gift as something that was the donor’s responsibility to do.

— Praise The Donor’s Generosity. Do not stint. Let the donor know how important the gift is. You met goal; You are on your way to meeting the goal; Their gift is among others which set a new record for donors contributing.

— Praise Your Donor’s Leadership. Anyone who gives is a leader and should be treated as such, and call attention to the fact that their gift will influence others to give. This is important as a way to let the donor know that your cause is worthy and attractive when they see/know of the endorsements of others.

— Thank Your Donors For Past Support. When you receive today’s gift remind the donor how appreciative you are of past support, but do not talk about future support. Do not say thanks out of one side of your mouth and hint at future requests out of the other. Some organizations I know actually send along with their thank you for a donation received, yet another gift return envelope – that’s a bad practice.

— And finally, Never Let A Hint Of Disappointment Show. Never, ever show a lack of gratitude for a gift, whatever its size. Never make mention that the gift was lower than that which they had given previously. Chances are they had a very good reason for the reduction, something which could be troublesome to them. Don’t make them even more uncomfortable by reminding them.

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Have a question or comment about the above posting?
You can Ask Tony.
There is also a lot of good fundraising information on his website:
Raise-Funds.com
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Have you seen
The Fundraising Series of ebooks ??
They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99 – $4.99)
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If you would like to comment/expand on either of the above postings, or would just like to offer your thoughts on those subjects, we encourage you to “Leave a Reply” at the bottom of this page.

1. Four Major Donor-Retention Sins
by Jonathan Howard

You know that the key to net gains and year-to-year growth of your direct mail fundraising lies with your donor retention rate. Helping first time donors become loyal friends can generate as much as an 80 percent return on investment.

That’s a pretty great business model. But few nonprofits get it right. Here are some key reasons why American philanthropy’s donor retention stinks.

Stingy thank-yous. I just sent you money to change kids lives or save the world. Now I want swift assurance that my money is making that important difference. Instead, I get a form letter back, focused on the tax-deductibility of my gift from some mid-level employee in the development office. Often these aren’t even personally signed.

Awkward introductions. I’ve just taken one step into your world. Are you going let me know you’re happy to see me, bring me up to speed on your work and dreams and introduce me to other people I’d find interesting? That’s the job of the friendly welcome package that donors … the “package” they should get within two weeks of their gift. But generally don’t.

News I can’t use. My donation is not a license to bore me with “news” about your meetings and big shots, or just as bad, to give me no news at all. I want to know how you help me be more like the person I want to be: compassionate, effective, wise. Donor communications should be all about the donor, not the organization. The word “you” should appear in every item.

Ineffective asks. Some nonprofits fail at mail because they don’t ask for repeat contributions soon enough or often enough. Others fail because they treat donors like automatic teller machines. Both groups fail because they don’t offer donors good reasons to give again. It’s not “mail” that donors dislike – it’s the lack of sincere respect and regard for them that turns donors off.

The answer isn’t turning off the mail. The answer is using mail to build an honest relationship of head and heart with your recent donors.

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Jon Howard is Vice President of Cause & Effect, Inc.
He has helped nonprofits develop successful direct response strategies and
effective donor communications for more than 25 years.
Contact Jonathan Howard or
visit the Cause & Effect website
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2. Make your Grant Proposals More Visually Appealing
by Jayme Sokolow

For better or worse, I have looked at thousands of proposals in my lifetime, both inside and outside the government. Many of them have been visually unappealing. They repel rather than attract readers and are difficult to read. They are uninviting and hence a chore to analyze and evaluate.

This is odd, as the people who put proposals together are often highly intelligent. Perhaps because they are so focused on the content, they ignore the obvious need to make their proposals readable … pleasing to the eye.

We know a great deal about what makes proposals visually appealing. There are ways to avoid giant blocks of plain text without a great deal of effort.

Bryant Freeland has some simple, practical suggestions that we can all follow to visually help separate our proposals from the others:

• Every page should have a graphic, table, or color to get the reader’s attention. A good page template with your organization’s logo and headers and footers can help make each page more inviting. Even text-oriented readers need visual cues. Good graphics, tables, and color increase interest and understanding, especially when they are well-integrated with the text.

• Create heading styles that easily show sections and subsections. Chunks of text should be broken down into manageable sizes for readers.

• Use page breaks and binder tabs to show where sections begin and end.

• Use different font sizes, bold text, and color to highlight important points.

• Use plenty of indented, bulleted and numbered lists to display information and emphasize major points.

These are simple tips, but they will make a big difference in how your proposal appeals to evaluators.

Do not, however, value style over substance. Good grant proposals, regardless of how they look, must demonstrate an understanding of the identified problem, emphasize features and benefits, and present a superior solution to the problem identified in the grant guidelines.

If you can do this and make your proposal visually appealing, you are likely to have a much more competitive application.

Next Week, Watch for a Fascinating piece about
How Fundraising Managers
Can Work Effectively with Millennials

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Dr. Jayme Sokolow, founder and president of The Development Source, Inc.,
helps nonprofit organizations develop
successful proposals to government agencies
Contact Jayme Sokolow..
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Look for Jayme’s ebook on
Finding & Getting Federal Government Grants.
It’s part of
The Fundraising Series of ebooks
They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99 – $4.99)
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If you would like to comment/expand on the either-or-both of the above pieces, or would just like to offer your thoughts on the subjects of this posting, we encourage you to “Leave a Reply.”

1.
A Different Kind of Scheduling May Help Improve Your Grant Proposals
by Jayme Sokolow

As grant proposal professionals, we are very focused on schedules. In fact, it is one of the first things we do when making a decision to bid.

There is, however, another kind of scheduling that we often slight when developing proposals, and that is our own schedules.

According to Mason Currey’s Daily Rituals: How Artists Work (2014), we might learn something about how creative people structure their days by studying the lives of artists.

Around 1822, Ludwig van Beethoven usually slept eight hours and upon waking carefully ground 60 coffee beans (some say 57) for his morning coffee. He then composed for eight hours, had dinner with wine, took a long, vigorous walk with a pencil and blank sheet music, stopped at a tavern to read the newspaper, and then ended his day with a simple supper followed by a beer and a pipe.

In 1852, Victor Hugo slept eight hours and liked being awakened by the daily gunshot from a nearby fort. He drank freshly brewed coffee and ate two raw eggs while composing a letter to his mistress. He then wrote for five hours, took an ice bath on the roof of his house, and then entertained guests and had lunch.

Afterwards, he did strenuous exercises on the beach, visited his barber, went on a carriage ride with his mistress, and ended the day with a combination of letter-writing, dinner, and cards at his mistress’s house with friends.

While I would not recommend that anyone follow the specific schedules of any artists described in Currey’s book, I do think we can learn some things about scheduling from these artists.

Despite the variety of their routines, they all balanced a regimen of sleeping, eating, exercising, and socializing with family and friends with work. They lived busy but not frantic lives.

Perhaps a different kind of scheduling can help make us better proposal professionals … and more fulfilled adults.

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Dr. Jayme Sokolow, founder and president of The Development Source, Inc.,
helps nonprofit organizations develop
successful proposals to government agencies
Contact Jayme Sokolow..
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Look for Jayme’s ebook on
Finding & Getting Federal Government Grants.
It’s part of
The Fundraising Series of ebooks
They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99 – $4.99)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

 
2.
A For-Profit Salesperson’s Guide to Getting a Job in Non-Profit Development
by Tony Poderis

During the past decade or so there have been a considerable number of sales and marketing professionals losing their jobs due to “downsizing” of their companies … and the poor state of the economy in general. Many have asked me how they might be able to make the transition from sales to development.

The primary and most direct way for sales professionals to obtain positions as development professionals in non-profit organizations is for former sales professionals to promote and demonstrate their sales skills and experience as relevant to what they would do in a non-profit development setting. Maybe that’s your current goal.

When transferring your for-profit skills to the non-profit world, you must adjust your jargon accordingly: use “Development Speak”—in terms of donors, not customers; fundraising goals, not sales quotas; solicitations and proposals, not sales presentations; constituency, not market area, etc.

If you want to transfer your skills to a non-profit setting, then you must work to transfer the terminology as well if you want to command attention and interest. For your additional language changeover procedure, observe and utilize the “same-as,” and “not-so-same-as” elements comprising commercial sales plans and non-profit fundraising plans, as is shown on the comparison matrix.

This for-profit to non-profit comparison of sales and development components should encourage you to realize that your for-profit experience and skills will work in a non-profit setting.

Now you need to convince the non-profit interviewer and her or his associates. Just remember to cite the many line-item similarities and to be at home with the simple differences in terminology for the others that function much in the same way.

Perhaps with a more open mind and a change in attitude, non-profits can directly help to promote a new, readily available, and most promising pool of development professionals. Non-profit officials can take on a new and enlightened view of what it takes to be a fund-raising development officer.

Non-profit organizations can more quickly, and with confidence, seriously consider what experienced, competent, capable, and customer-oriented sales professionals can bring to the organizations’ attraction of charitable funds.

By hiring such professionals—the ones whose sales methods and techniques will surely never compromise the integrity of their organizations—those non-profits can greatly relieve the often arduous, and sometimes fruitless, search for good development professionals.

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Have a question or comment about the above posting?
You can Ask Tony.
There is also a lot of good fundraising information on his website:
Raise-Funds.com
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Have you seen
The Fundraising Series of ebooks ??
They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99 – $4.99)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

If you’re reading this on-line and you would like to comment/expand on the above, or would just like to offer your thoughts on the subject of this posting, we encourage you to “Leave a Reply.”

1. Is There A Role for Direct Mail in a Capital Campaign? by Hank Lewis

First, a quick look at Direct Mail. But, since The Fundraising Blog currently has a Direct Mail Expert addressing that topic, I’ll be very general in my observations.

Direct Mail is the tried and tested tool for Donor Acquisition – (see the postings on “Direct Mail” at Direct Response Fundraising) – but a Capital Campaign is definitely not about Donor Acquisition.

The success of a Capital Campaign relies on obtaining a sufficient number of major gifts/commitments to reach its goal; and, major gifts are (almost always) obtained through personal (face-to-face) cultivation and solicitation, not through Direct Mail.

A Capital Campaign should, in fact, be able to reach its goal relying only on major gifts. That doesn’t mean there’s no place for Direct Mail in a Capital Campaign, quite the contrary. Direct Mail can play an important role in a Campaign’s success.

So, isn’t success in a Capital Campaign measured in dollars?, in reaching its goal? Not completely !! Success is based on a number of elements:

1. If we reached or exceeded our dollar goal.
2. If the campaign leaders are happy with their roles, effectiveness and recognition.
3. If those leaders would be willing to “do it again.”
4. If the major donors now want greater participation with the organization.
5. If prospective major donors have been identified for the next such effort.
6. If corporations and foundations were “impressed” with the broad support, and would, therefore, be more likely to provide support in the future.
7. If the people who comprise the nonprofit’s “community” feel that they are an important part of the successful effort.

And, those last two items are where Direct Mail plays a part in a capital campaign. That role is not in the dollars that can be raised in response to mailings, but in the number of people/donors that can and wanted to be a part of that major fundraising effort.

Of course the dollars are welcome, but Direct Mail in a Capital Campaign is about getting a broad range of people to feel that they are part of the nonprofit’s “community” … and its success. The greater the “community’s” participation, the greater the potential support of the nonprofit on an ongoing basis … from corporations, foundations and individual constituents.

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Have a comment or a question about starting, evaluating or expanding your fundraising program?
AskHank
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Have you heard about
The Fundraising Series of ebooks?
They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99-$4.99)
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2. Millennials in Fundraising: An Introduction – Part II by K. Michael Johnson

Last week, I introduced you to the Millennial generation and highlighted their increasing presence in the workforce. I also pointed out that many in older generations find Millennials to be entitled, distracted, and even downright obnoxious.

But are we truly that different, or is this characterization just the typical “kids these days” attitude every generation has toward the ones that follow?

Well, the data is all over the place. One thing that can be said with absolute certainty is that we Millennials are the first generation to grow up connected to the internet. In fact, many Millennials don’t even remember a time before broadband.

According to data from the U.S.Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Millennials are more optimistic about the future, as well as more ethnically diverse than previous generations.

And there is some data to validate the popular view that we were raised by over-indulgent, hovering parents, who solved all our problems for us and made sure that all of us (not just the winners) got trophies in every activity. All we had to do was show up, and we got an actual award !!

So, we Millennials clearly grew up in a very different world. And as a result, we have a unique perspective about work.

Our transition into the workforce has certainly caught the attention of the media and the broader business community. Whether perception or reality, much of the conversation around Millennials in the workforce tends to fall within one of three categories:

• Millennials are very tech-savvy, yet always multi-tasking and unfocused.
• Millennials are entitled and self-absorbed, how can anyone manage them?
• Millennials want to make a difference, but have little loyalty to and faith in institutions.

Given our desire for impact, it makes sense that many in my generation seek work in the nonprofit sector. This is a good thing, and should be encouraged.

But, in many ways, we’re not wired like the fundraisers who have gone before us. We have much to learn and there are, indeed, pitfalls to avoid. There are also new opportunities to be seized.

Stay tuned – I have some advice for my fellow Millennials in fundraising. And I have some thoughts about how older colleagues and managers can have productive and (dare I say it) enjoyable working relationships with us.

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K. Michael Johnson is a major gift officer at a large research university
and the founder of Fearless-Fundraising.com,
where he discusses the inner game of deeper relationships and bigger asks.
You can contact him at K. Michael Johnson.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Have you seen
The Fundraising Series of ebooks ??
They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99 – $4.99)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

If you would like to comment/expand on the either-or-both of the above pieces, or would just like to offer your thoughts on the subjects of this posting, we encourage you to “Leave a Reply.”

[Also introducing a new member of The Fundraising Blog family, K. Michael Johnson, who will be writing on the subject of Millennials in Fundraising — Those who are already part of the development world, and those who might become part of that arena.]

1. Millennials in Fundraising: An Introduction – Part I
by K. Michael Johnson

Self-absorbed. Entitled. Distracted. Soft. Flaky. …and those are just some of the words commonly used to describe the Millennial generation.

Now, contrast those terms with the desirable qualities most nonprofits list in fundraising job descriptions:

Dynamic. Energetic. Motivated. Professional. Innovative.

The two sets of adjectives couldn’t be further apart !! So how can Millennials ever fill these jobs? But they must !!

Millennials are an increasing percentage of the labor force, including the nonprofit sector. And, when it comes to development, Millennials will be responsible for more and more of the “asks” our sector makes over the years ahead.

This is the first installment in a series that will tackle the topic of Millennials in fundraising. We will consider common barriers to success and how they can be overcome. We’ll also think through the upside of Millennials engaging in fundraising work. And, of course, we’ll take a look at generational differences in the workplace and what that means for nonprofit organizations.

But first, who are Millennials? The Pew Research Center defines Millennials by the birth year range 1981-1998, which essentially means people aged 16-33 today.

And, depending on who you ask, the Millennial generation is roughly the same size as the Baby Boomers, or a bit larger. Either way, it’s a big group, possibly the largest generation in history, accounting for about 80 million people in the U.S.

Before we get too much further, I should disclose that, yes, I am a Millennial, albeit one of the oldest you’ll find !! Facebook wasn’t around until just after I graduated from college, but I did get my first email address (remember AOL?) in sixth grade.

As an older Millennial, I feel I have a unique vantage point. In many ways I relate to my generation. In many other ways, I find us obnoxious.

What do you think ?

This “Introduction” continues next week.

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K. Michael Johnson is a major gift officer at a large research university
and the founder of Fearless-Fundraising.com ,
where he discusses the inner game of deeper relationships and bigger asks.
You can contact him at K. Michael Johnson.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Have you seen
The Fundraising Series of ebooks ??
They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99 – $4.99)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

2. Retention – Where The Money Is by Jonathan Howard

The best business is repeat business, whether you are selling razor blades, cars or support for a worthy cause.

In fact, many retailers take a loss on a special offer just to attract customers. They know that some of these new customers will spend enough over time to offset the total cost of their loss-leader.

The same principle applies to direct mail. An estimate from the Association of Fundraising Professionals says that nonprofits spend $1 to $1.25 for every dollar raised in new donor acquisition mailings.

But the cost per dollar raised for renewal mailings to past donors is just 20 cents, according to AFP. You really aren’t adding net resources to your cause until you secure second gifts from those first-time donors.

That’s why a second gift is even more important than the first.

From that gift on, the value of each donor to your organization grows. The lifetime value of a loyal donor can make that small loss on acquisition fade into insignificance. The donor’s value to the organization grows with each subsequent gift.

Unfortunately, something like 70 to 80 percent of first-time givers don’t make a second gift.

Think about that. Some generous person ran the gauntlet of distractions to open your new donor appeal. They took in your message and responded with sympathy. They weighed the pros and cons of giving. They made a decision to act. They acted: wrote a check, found a stamp, walked to the mailbox.

They must have felt pretty good about donating to help your organization. Your acquisition mailing made them believe that their donation would make a difference that they wanted to make.

Yet seven or eight of these new enthusiasts will probably never repeat this satisfying act of support to your organization. We’ll look at why – and how you can beat those odds – in a future post.

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Jon is Vice President of Cause & Effect, Inc.
He has helped nonprofits develop successful direct response strategies and
effective donor communications for more than 25 years.
Contact Jonathan Howard or
visit the Cause & Effect website
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Have you seen
The Fundraising Series of ebooks ??
They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99 – $4.99)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

If you would like to comment/expand on the either-or-both of the above pieces, or would just like to offer your thoughts on the subjects of this posting, we encourage you to “Leave a Reply.”

1. Understanding Donor Retention
by Jonathan Howard

In a prior post, we looked at a mailing designed to bring in new, first-time donors, a process called donor acquisition.

Now lets’ talk about the other side of an effective direct mail program: keeping the donors you already have, called donor retention.

I compare the interplay of acquisition and retention as similar to what happens when you pour water into a bucket that has a hole in the bottom. Whether the water rises or falls depends on whether you add more water to the top (acquisition) than you let pour out of the bottom (through poor donor retention).

Good donor retention makes the difference between winners and losers in direct mail fundraising (and most other types of fundraising, too). High retention means lower fundraising costs, higher return on investment and a much better chance of growing donor numbers and income over time.

But you can’t hit a target that you can’t see. So take the first step to succeeding by putting a number on your donor retention. Start by comparing data from the last two full years.

The math is simple:
• Count the number of donors who made a gift at any time in 2012. Count individuals, not gifts.
• Now, run a query or manual count to find out how many of those same also gave you one or more gifts in 2013. These are your “retained” donors. (The missing people are your “lapsed” donors – the hole in your donor bucket.)
• Now divide your 2013 retained donor number by the 2012 total donor count, then show the result as a percentage. That’s your retention rate !

For example:
Total individual donors in 2012 = 1,000
2012 donors who also gave in 2013 = 500
Your retention rate = 50% (500 divided by 1000)

Retention drives your net donor income. Moving that needle upwards must be a key objective in any direct mail program.

Next Wednesday, we’ll look into how retention drives donor income.

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Jon is Vice President of Cause & Effect, Inc.
He has helped nonprofits develop successful direct response strategies and
effective donor communications for more than 25 years.
Contact Jonathan Howard or
visit the Cause & Effect website
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Have you seen
The Fundraising Series of ebooks ??
They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99 – $4.99)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

2. The U.S.-Style of Fundraising Can Work in Other Countries
by Tony Poderis

The Steps Needed To Make It Work
Three weeks ago, I posed a number of “loaded” questions; and, if you answered, “Yes,” to even one of these questions, you already know that change may be difficult to initiate.

But, with the understanding/acceptance that the charitable impulse lives in (almost) everyone, everywhere, it becomes your job, as a fundraiser, to introduce in your country or to your charitable organization the system of philanthropic fundraising we use so successfully in the U.S.

Growing the Philanthropic “Habit” in Your Country
It is likely that you will need to start a new philanthropic “habit” where none exists. This can be accomplished by patiently and politely introducing people to the process of fundraising and explaining why it is necessary. You should also explain that such expressions of charity and compassion can be just as rewarding to the individual donor as helping a neighbor in need – in fact, if you can get an actual donor to make that point, all the better !!

To assist nonprofit organizations in building the philanthropic spirit and the habit of giving in your country, you must show potential donors that all contributions will be used in exactly the way each organization promises.

The names/identities of your leaders should be public information … to give your potential donors confidence that your organization is being guided competently and honorably.

You must also honor the confidentiality of your donors. Their names should not be made public without their approval.

Openness, honesty and reliability are key issues if you wish to build trust among potential donors, so you must prove not only the value of an organization’s work, but also the efficiency and honesty with which it delivers its programs and services.

Only then are you ready to begin real fundraising.

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Have a question or comment about the above posting?
You can Ask Tony.
There is also a lot of good fundraising information on his website:
Raise-Funds.com
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Have you seen
The Fundraising Series of ebooks ??
They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99 – $4.99)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

If you’re reading this on-line and you would like to comment/expand on the above, or would just like to offer your thoughts on the subject of this posting, we encourage you to “Leave a Reply” at the bottom of this page.

1. April 27th was National Tell a Story Day
by Jayme Sokolow

What, you may ask, is the connection between National Tell a Story Day and grant proposals? A great deal, at least from my perspective.

Stories are universal because we use stories to create meaning. When you cite a statistic or make an argument, often your listener’s eyes glaze over. But when you tell a good story, you engage, entertain, and make a point.

Although grant guidelines often make sustained storytelling difficult in proposals, there are always opportunities for short stories or anecdotes to help support your argument(s).

When you tell stories in proposals, you engage reviewers just as you do when you chat with colleagues at the office or talk with friends over dinner.

I recommend that you follow these six tips for telling better stories in your proposals. They are based on a recent Grammerly post on “Storytelling 101” that appeared in the May 5, 2014 HuffingtonPost.

Show, Don’t Tell: Don’t just tell the reviewer what to think – paint a vivid picture through a good story and your point will be richer and more impactful.

Be Specific: Engaging stories provide their readers with vivid details. Tell a good story in your proposal by providing rich details, and make your point come alive.

Engage the senses: In your proposals, tell stories that engage all the senses. Make a point and be as vivid as possible without becoming florid.

Be concise: Cut out unnecessary words, avoid repetition, and get to the point quickly. Your distracted reviewers will appreciate it.

Cut out most of the adverbs and be sparing with adjectives: Don’t reply too much on words that end with “ly” (adverbs) or modifiers (adjectives).

Proofread: Nothing destroys confidence in a story or a proposal like too many typos and grammatical errors. Proofread carefully.

Stories can engage those busy reviewers who are easily distracted. Tell a story that holds the reader/reviewer, and your grant proposals will become more compelling.

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Dr. Jayme Sokolow, founder and president of The Development Source, Inc.,
helps nonprofit organizations develop
successful proposals to government agencies
Contact Jayme Sokolow..
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Look for Jayme’s ebook on
Finding & Getting Federal Government Grants.
It’s part of
The Fundraising Series of ebooks
They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99 – $4.99)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

2. Donor-Centered Planned Giving – Part II
by John Elbare

Look at your donor stewardship process and imagine how it feels to be a donor to your organization. Are they thanked promptly and properly? Are they kept informed about your service goals and results? Are they invited to tour your facility or meet with your CEO? Are you doing everything you can to help them feel part of the mission?

A good way to measure how well you are building relationships with your donors is to measure your donor lapse rate. It should go down as you improve your stewardship. The lower your donor lapse rate, the more loyal donors you will develop, and planned gifts are made mostly by loyal donors. You need to grow your base of loyal donors.

Next, keep an eye on your growing pool of loyal donors and look for opportunities to begin cultivating relationships on a personal basis. You can do this by visiting with them, learning about their concerns and values, understanding why they care about your mission, and then – when the time is right – propose a planned gift idea that is perfectly aligned with their values and charitable goals.

Done this way, planned giving becomes routine and productive. Your donors will appreciate the opportunity to help in a significant way.

The hardest part is getting your own organization to understand the value planned giving and the need to invest in it now for donations that will arrive several years in the future.

Done right, planned giving is not a side-line to the other fund development activities. Instead, planned giving is the big prize that is earned at the end of the donor development process. Get your organization to understand the donor development process, and you will finally be on a clear path toward raising the all the funds your organization needs.

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John Elbare, CFP, has spent the last 30 years helping non-profits raise more money
through large, planned gifts. He shows them how to add
an effective planned giving strategy to their current fund raising effort
without a lot of extra expense or staff.
You can contact him at John Elbare, CFP .
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Have you seen
The Fundraising Series of ebooks?
They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99 – $4.99)
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If you would like to comment/expand on the either-or-both of the above pieces, or would just like to offer your thoughts on the subjects of this posting, we encourage you to “Leave a Reply.”

1. Donor-Centered Planned Giving – Part I
by John Elbare

Planned gifts almost always result from strong donor relationships, yet many non-profits fail at this. When a donor feels a part of your charitable mission, planned giving become almost inevitable. But when donors feel neglected or ignored, planned giving is very difficult.

Do you work hard to raise funds? Perhaps you hold fund raising events, send out mail solicitations, seek online donations, and conduct an annual fund program. You work your heart out, put in long hours and use all of your creative juices just to meet your annual goals. Yet you may be leaving the big prize on the table, unclaimed.

In almost every case, a donor can leave a planned gift that is much larger than his or her cumulative lifetime giving. Yet many organizations are solely pre-occupied with bringing in immediate, spendable dollars, and they ignore this potential for huge future revenues.

If you focus solely on immediate revenue, you are not taking the long view. You are overlooking the real value of your donors, if all you ever ask for is an annual gift. Sooner or later you will hit a ceiling where it becomes very hard to achieve significant increases in revenue from year to year.

The only dependable way to break out of this trap is to make a serious effort to raise planned gifts. The beauty of planned giving is that it allows your ordinary donors, even those of modest means, to make large gifts in the future.

These planned gifts can be transformational for your non-profit, as they provide large fusions of revenue, once they start arriving. It is paradoxical, but the only sure-fire way to achieve big increases in fund raising revenue is to take the patient approach of developing donor relationships.

The trick is to turn your donors into loyal donors. Given their future value as planned gift donors, the effort is time well spent.

(Part II posts next Wednesday)

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John Elbare, CFP, has spent the last 30 years
helping non-profits raise more money
through large, planned gifts. He shows them how to add
an effective planned giving strategy to their current fund raising effort
without a lot of extra expense or staff.
You can contact him at John Elbare, CFP .
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Have you seen
The Fundraising Series of ebooks?
They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99 – $4.99)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

2. Using Both Reason and Emotion in Grant Proposals – Part II: Emotion
by Lynn deLearie

Last week I emphasized that the use of reason – or logic – is important because proposals must logically show that non-profits will use grant funds to effectively deliver the outcomes that grantors are hoping to achieve.

The use of emotion is important because decisions about grants are made by people, and people are swayed by emotions. We have all heard the phrase: “You need to connect with someone’s heart before you can connect with their wallet.” This is certainly true in individual fundraising – that’s why we all receive so many heart-touching direct mail appeals. This element is as important as reason, when seeking grants.

In Using Emotion:
• Give hope in your needs section. People want to help you accomplish something. They want to feel that they are helping you to help others; and, they tend to disengage when they feel your cause is hopeless.

• Cite credible research in your needs and methodology sections. People listen to authority figures. Credible research tends to set proposal reviewer’s minds at ease, and allows them to more easily make decisions based on their feeling.

• Include a client profile in your demographics section. People connect more to a real person than to a bunch of statistics.

• Mention/discuss your collaborators and other stakeholders, even if not requested. People like to be part of a pack, and grantors want to know that you are part of a larger cause … a cause with other involved stakeholders.

• Include other local, relevant, institutional donors and giving amounts in your program budget and program sustainability sections. Let foundation reviewers know that their peers have already evaluated “you,” and have approved !! That’s peer pressure at work.

• Include tangible results in your evaluation section. Tangibility bolsters the belief that the grant will make a difference.

• Include a cover letter – even when not requested. Include photos and stories about your clients – again this helps people at the foundation connect to your cause.

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Lynn deLearie Consulting, LLC, helps nonprofit organizations develop,
enhance and expand grants programs, and helps them
secure funding from foundations and corporations.
Contact Lynn deLearie
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Look for Lynn’s ebook on Grants & Grantsmanship.
It’s part of
The Fundraising Series of ebooks
They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99 – $4.99)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

If you would like to comment/expand on the either-or-both of the above pieces, or would just like to offer your thoughts on the subjects of this posting, we encourage you to “Leave a Reply.”

1. Using Both Reason and Emotion in Grant Proposals – Part I: Reason
by Lynn deLearie

Successful grant proposals are often carefully crafted using both reason and emotion. This week I’ll address…The Use Of Reason.

Grants are NOT no-strings-attached gifts. Grants are contracts between grantors, who provide the funds, and grantees, who perform the tasks and deliver the outcomes described in the proposals. Proposals must, therefore, logically show how non-profits will use grant funds to effectively deliver the outcomes that grantors are hoping, and expect to see achieved.

In Using Reason:
• Follow the guidelines, follow the guidelines, follow the guidelines – ‘nuff said!

• Use credible research in your needs section, to help make the case for support. This demonstrates that you clearly understand the needs of your target population within the broader context of your community. Citing credible research also adds to the credibility of your organization. Check with your program staff – they are the experts on what your organization does and will have the most relevant and up-to-date research related to their programs. Ask them for data and statistics to use to make a strong case for supporting what they do.

• Use demographic data to describe your target audience. Include all relevant statistics: race, age, gender, income, etc.

• Indicate that your program model is rooted in research-based best practices. Reference the studies from leading institutions that your organization used to develop your program model.

• Include quantitative metrics in your evaluation section. Quantitative metrics are measurable, and grant reviewers are increasingly asking for more meaningful data. Programs are intended to change behaviors and/or attitudes. Measuring how many people showed up is no longer good enough. Measuring knowledge before and after a particular program activity (pre- and post-testing) would be a viable quantitative metric.

• Indicate that you use your evaluation findings to modify program design. This will demonstrate that your organization takes program evaluation seriously. You are evaluating your programs to improve their effectiveness, not just because grant applications require that you do so.

• Financials – definitely need to be reasonable here… and follow the guidelines! Many foundations define reasonable as spending at least 75% of your annual operating expense on programs and services.

Next Wednesday I’ll take a look at the Emotion side of proposal preparation.

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Lynn deLearie Consulting, LLC, helps nonprofit organizations develop,
enhance and expand grants programs, and helps them
secure funding from foundations and corporations.
Contact Lynn deLearie
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Look for Lynn’s ebook on Grants & Grantsmanship.
It’s part of
The Fundraising Series of ebooks
They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99 – $4.99)
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2. The U.S.-Style of Fundraising Can Work in Other Countries
by Tony Poderis

Understanding the Concept and Asking The Hard Questions
The United States, Canada and the United Kingdom share a long tradition of people helping others through their support of nonprofit/nongovernmental organizations.

Fundraising for charitable organizations that promote human welfare—as well as for arts and cultural entities, and for NGOs that do good works—is not just accepted, but is encouraged in our societies.

While the U.S. and some other countries enjoy a long heritage of private support for charitable organizations, individuals in other countries are just as caring and supportive as Americans, Canadians and Britons.

The philanthropic process of raising money, however, has been entirely unknown to folks in countries other than those three or, at best, only introduced in recent decades.

The fundraising process should be the same no matter where it is practiced. What’s missing in countries with young or newly emerging nonprofit and NGO charities is the philanthropic system itself, and the habit of fundraising/giving. These are, of course, formidable challenges. But I know from experience that they can be overcome.

Where Do You Stand?
First, let’s determine exactly what challenges you may face by reviewing the following questions:

— Is there little or no tradition or habit of fundraising in your country?

— Are there few, if any, favorable tax provisions or other incentives in place to encourage charitable giving by individuals and businesses?

— Is there a long-standing tradition of parents bequeathing all, or most, of their assets to their children?

— When government funding of nonprofit organizations and NGOs is cut, do nonprofit organizations in your country turn first to the international community for support, rather than developing fundraising capabilities at home?

— Regarding the seeking of funds from the international community, on the other hand, does your government inhibit foreign funding from coming into your country?

— Do some in your government discourage the work of charities for selfish gain? Do they themselves secure funding that they directly apply to the public’s needs so they can make their constituents beholden to them, thus helping those officials retain their positions in the government?

— Are your government’s laws, regulations, and its general oversight of charities operated through a maze of bureaucracy whose red tape makes it harder for charitable organizations to be established in the first place and to freely function later?

This posting continues on July 9, addressing the Steps Needed to Make It Work.

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Have a question or comment about the above posting?
You can Ask Tony.
There is also a lot of good fundraising information on his website:
Raise-Funds.com
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Have you seen
The Fundraising Series of ebooks ??
They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99 – $4.99)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

If you’re reading this on-line and you would like to comment/expand on the above, or would just like to offer your thoughts on the subject of this posting, we encourage you to “Leave a Reply.”

1. Successful Proposals Find Common Ground with Funders
by Jayme Sokolow

In a recent issue of the Chronicle of Philanthropy, Daniel Pink, the author of To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others (2012), discussed what he found in his research about fundraising. His advice is refreshingly clear and straightforward. The following is my summary of his basic principles, and how I would apply them to making your proposals sell.

Rethink your notion of selling. Successful sales are about how to find common ground with your customer. “Selling is helping/getting people to do what they’re already inclined to do,” says Pink.

See things from the customer’s perspective. Learn about the funder’s interests.

We must get “out of the anchor of our own position” and see the world from other people’s points of view. To do this, you often have to take a lower profile and listen and ask questions rather than make statements.

Listening is really important. Most people don’t know how to listen well, but you can really understand your funder only by carefully listening and actively reacting to and complying with what they are saying.

When you address your problems, do so through a narrative. Stories engage the reader, and funders respond when they are engaged. The bigger the grant being sought, the more important it is to begin and sustain a conversation with and appeal to people through stories that convey a sense of purpose.

Proposals should convey a sense of resilience. Anyone doing proposals will become familiar with rejection. To survive that rejection, to get past the “No,” to make it through to the next acceptance, your proposals should demonstrate optimism, competence and forward-visioning.

According to Pink, selling and fundraising are about finding common ground. Raising money via grant proposals is pretty much always about finding common ground with your customers, your funders. Find this often elusive common ground, and your proposals are likely to be more persuasive.

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Dr. Jayme Sokolow, founder and president of The Development Source, Inc.,
helps nonprofit organizations develop
successful proposals to government agencies
Contact Jayme Sokolow..
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Look for Jayme’s ebook on
Finding & Getting Federal Government Grants.
It’s part of
The Fundraising Series of ebooks
They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99 – $4.99)
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2. The CFC and Non-Profit Sustainability – III
by Bill Huddleston

As I noted, last week, the fundraising pyramid is a pretty good model for what it shows … that a relatively small percentage of the non-profit’s supporters will provide a relatively larger percentage of its funds.

With the emphasis on the 80/20 rule, or the 90/10 rule, what can be easily glossed over is the fact that in order to have the 20% percent, you also need the 80% base.

You have to deliver excellent service to all of your supporters, including volunteers, donors and others who just call and ask a question about what you do.

Over time, some of these first time contacts will become your major donors, but there’s no way to tell at the beginning of the relationship, which ones will develop into your biggest supporters.

Another aspect of the CFC that is often not recognized, because all the results are reported annually, is that many CFC donors are multi-year donors, giving for five, ten and twenty years during their Federal career.

Because of the popularity of the “anonymous donor” option, and that the results are reported only on an annual basis, this important factor is often overlooked.

A CFC donor who donates $10 per pay period for ten years has given $2600. Those dollars are reliable, predictable and unrestricted, putting the small regular donor in a higher level of giving category than you may realize at first.

Another reason that you don’t want be too quick to abandon your workplace giving fundraising program is that it is the only method of non-profit fundraising that is subsidized by the sponsoring organization.

The sponsor absorbs many costs that don’t fall on either the donor or the non-profit, costs that never show up on the non-profit’s balance sheet, even though the organization benefits !!

Examples of the subsidies are the salary costs that are paid to the CFC volunteers who plan, manage, and conduct the CFC campaigns and solicitations each year; plus the space that is made available for charities at charity fairs – they pay no “booth rental fee” the way they would at conferences.

This was just one small example of how the matrix map can give you another, valuable perspective on your fundraising, and help you assess your CFC program in a larger context. It can also be a very valuable tool for a non-profit to use as part of its strategic and business planning efforts.

My next series of posts will look at some ways you can, and should, increase your CFC visibility during the summer months.

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During his 25-year career in the Federal sector, Bill Huddleston, The CFC Coach,
served in many CFC roles. If you want to participate in the Combined Federal
Campaign, maximize your nonprofit’s CFC revenues, or just ask a few questions,
contact Bill Huddleston
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Have you seen
The Fundraising Series of ebooks.
They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99 – $4.99)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

If you would like to comment/expand on the above, or would just like to offer your thoughts on the subject(s) of this posting, we encourage you to “Leave a Reply” at the bottom of this page.