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Strategic Planning and Major Gift Fundraising

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This post was originally published in 2016. 

At Spokes, we have been surprised – and impressed – by the number of nonprofit boards that have chosen to spend their summer completing strategic plans for their organizations. We know it’s not an easy choice to make when the sun is shining and the beach is only a few miles away. And, yet, we also know the vital role that strategic planning plays in the success and longevity of organizations. So, for all of you who have stepped up to the plate instead of into the sand, we commend you! Please find a refreshing drink with an umbrella and toast yourself as soon as possible!

In most of the strategic plans that Spokes’ consultants have helped create, there is a consistent theme of setting goals to increase revenues through major gifts. Even though evidence proves the value of major gift fundraising over event fundraising and other forms of development, lots of folks are terrified by it. It can be daunting to directly ask another person to make a significant gift to your organization. We understand and want to help you overcome your fears and successfully execute your strategic goals.

Kim Klein is a well-known and regarded fundraising expert who specializes in fundraising for smaller grassroots organizations, similar to most of Spokes’ members. In her two-part series published in the February 2016 issue of Nonprofit Quarterly, “Starting a Major Gifts Program,” Klein shares personal strategies for overcoming her own fear of asking folks for money. Her quick tips: remember that “feelings are not facts”. It may help to make a gift of your own so you stand “on firmer ground” when asking a donor to join you in making a gift.

Klein goes on to offer formulas and charts to guide you in determining how many gifts to seek and at what levels. Her experience tells her that, in healthy nonprofits:

  • 10 percent of the donors give 60 percent of the income
  • 20 percent of the donors give 20 percent of the income
  • 70 percent of the donors give 20 percent of the income

In the second part of her series, Klein offers tips to help your nonprofit decide what types of benefits it will offer donors, what types of collateral/promotional materials to create to help solicit donors, and a few basic steps to take in cultivating and stewarding major gift donors – including sending a personal note with every mailing.

Read through Part I and Part II of the series for a quick “virtual” class in major gift solicitation. Use your strategic plan and ask donors to join you in reaching the goals you have set to better serve all those who rely on your nonprofit. If you don’t have a strategic plan, get in touch to learn about Spokes’ consulting services. This time next year, you’ll have lots of reasons for more tropical toasts!

Part I
https://nonprofitquarterly.org/2016/02/11/starting-a-major-gifts-program-part-i/

Part II
https://nonprofitquarterly.org/2016/02/12/starting-a-major-gifts-program-part-ii/

Credible Crisis Coverage

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Spokes would like to thank Leslie Jones, Spokes Consultant and promotional marketing consultant for guest-writing this article. 

When a local natural disaster, school-related emergency, environmental or health crisis unexpectedly occurs, is your nonprofit ready to be the “voice of expertise” when the media and community start calling? Do you have an effective, written plan in place that can quickly be implemented? Are you prepared to be a reliable source of information?

Delving deeper into our ongoing disaster preparedness theme, we offer a summary of key steps for your nonprofit to build a “community-in-crisis” communications strategy plan.

  • Choose a primary spokesperson and a reliable support team. Your team can include staff, board members, volunteers, and community members. Explain the individual and collective roles.
  • Ensure that everyone on that team needs to share the same outgoing message. It’s helpful to utilize these questions: Who needs to know? What do they need to know? When do they need to know?
  • Prepare current educational fact sheets and statistics to easily share when a crisis occurs. Remember to keep it tightly focused and relevant to your nonprofit’s field of expertise. At the time of the event, you can add relevant information.
  • Keep website and social media pages updated with changes in services/operations.
  • Reconnect with your entire team after the crisis has passed. Brainstorm and openly discuss successes, needed improvements, and challenges.
  • Revise your written action plan based on that follow-up meeting and update all necessary media materials.

For a helpful media strategy checklist from nonprofitrisk.org, click here.

By preparing now for an unanticipated crisis, your nonprofit creates an opportunity to receive heightened, credible coverage. Most importantly, your nonprofit is able to effectively support and assist your community when it needs you the most. That is a true success story!

Does Great Branding Create Nonprofit Success?

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Your nonprofit brand is not just your name, logo, or service. A brand consists of the organization’s vision, mission, values, objectives, and personality. Nonprofit branding helps establish a relationship of trust and familiarity. Consistent actions, messages, and design create a unified message and bolster your organization’s brand recognition. A nonprofit that frequently changes their visual or verbal communication style may confuse people and ultimately undermine their social impact.

“Brand becomes critical when you’re seeking to create partnerships, when you’re seeking other funders, and when you’re looking to associate yourself with people in the field,” explained Diane Fusilli, a global brand consultant and former Rockefeller Foundation communications director. “A strong brand helps bring greater credibility and trust to a project quickly, and acts as a catalyst for people to want to come to the table.”

So where do you start?

Visually communicate your brand.

Many small, grass-roots nonprofits have marketing challenges. It’s important to remember that most people first experience your organization through event flyers or social media posts. When visual brand elements are not present, you lose the opportunity to create a meaningful memory and connection. Since great design is all about the details, spend the time and money to develop brand tools. Your brand toolbox should include:

·         a logo
·         core brand colors
·         one or two brand typefaces
·         images and illustrations

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or unsure about your brand tools, attend Spokes workshop, “Get More Out of Your Brand” on Thursday, May 17. Megan Condict, Art Director for Verdin will provide easy-to-follow tips for establishing brand guidelines, no matter your technical skill level.

Verbally communicate your brand.

Potential donors probably won’t make a gift to your nonprofit until they know who is leading it, what it does, and how it makes a difference in your community. Your nonprofits’ story is the best way to connect with supporters and potential donors. Choose consistent words and phrasing with care, since your story is the emotional heartstring that compels the majority of donations.

To define your organizations’ verbal brand, imagine that your nonprofit is a person. What would s/he sound like? To which audience is s/he speaking? What action does s/he want the audience to take? According to this helpful article by Stephanie Schwab with Crackerjack Marketing, a cohesive brand voice requires four key attributes:

·         Character/Persona
·         Tone
·         Language
·         Purpose

Remember to share verbal brand guidelines with everyone who writes or speaks on behalf of your organization. Don’t forget about volunteers, board members, and interns who all have opportunities to promote your nonprofit.

You work hard for your organization, so make it count. Schedule the time to produce brand messaging and design elements. Brand guidelines not only make it easier to produce content for social media, newsletters, and other marketing materials, they also allow improve connection with current and potential donors. As always, Spokes is eager to support your efforts and can point you towards additional tools and resources. Give us a call at (805) 547-2244 or email [email protected].

 

 

Is Your Nonprofit Risk-Aware?

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Life moves fast. In our haste to manage and innovate, we can overlook potential risks. Sometimes while we’re racing to keep up, accidents happen. Spokes is here to remind you to slow down and take a thorough inventory of who and what you need to protect.

Nonprofit board of directors are legally responsible for managing risks that could affect stakeholders and nonprofit property. These risks fall into a few distinct categories:

  • Governance risks – Is the board diligently overseeing the organization? Are they making reasonable decisions?
  • Financial risks – Is the board utilizing financial best practices to prevent fraud and ensure accurate bookkeeping?
  • Legal risks – Is the board adhering to laws and regulations regarding human resources, donations, and grants?

It’s in everyone’s best interest to make a plan for a deep and lasting commitment to safety, reputation and mission-protection. So where do you start?

Know your risks.
We sign up for risks anytime we host an event or launch a new program. Challenges and obstacles are inevitable; some come as surprises, while others can be assumed. Per the SAFE: Sound Advice for Functions and Events booklet, “Good prior planning, which includes safety and emergency procedures, appropriate documentation, and adequate staffing and security can both mitigate risk and reduce insurance costs. Not planning ahead can have a huge impact on both your reputation and your financial stability.” Click here to download.

Also, make a plan to watch Spokes video series Best Practices in Nonprofit Governance at your next board meeting. This short and information-packed series offers practical tips and strategies for protecting yourself and your organization. You can access the videos through your Member Benefits page after logging in to Spokes member portal.

If you’re a fan of checklists, the Free Management Library offers a Checklist of Nonprofit Organizational Indicators so your entire board or committee can track organizational goals and accomplishments.

Are you adequately insured?
Directors and Officers Liability, Volunteer/Participant Accident Insurance, General Liability…there are a wide variety of insurances available to nonprofits. A wise nonprofit will weigh innovative programming and supportive community services with a clear understanding of potential risks. The Nonprofits’ Insurance Alliance of California and Alliance of Nonprofits for Insurance has handy brochures that you can pick up at Spokes for details.

Do you have updated policies in place?
Policies protect and steer the board and staff as they fulfill the organizational mission. They are a reference tool for appropriate action, ethical decision making, and for dealing with potential or actual conflicts. Spokes has templates available for board-related policies, personnel policies, and financial policies. Examples include whistleblower policy, conflict of interest policy, and a gift acceptance policy. Contact us for details.

Giving Great Gratitude: Tips for Donor Appreciation

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Did you know that nonprofits receive nearly 31% of annual gifts during the month of December each year? In fact, 12% of all giving occurs in the last three days of the calendar year. And, were you aware that donors are more likely to give to your nonprofit again after they have received an average of three “thank you” responses?”

With all that is happening during this busy season, it is easy to choose to wait a few weeks to thank a donor for a gift. Doing so, however, could be costly. In many ways, how you respond to the donation you receive tomorrow will determine if you receive another donation this time next year.

Fortunately, giving thanks can be fun and creative; it doesn’t have to feel like a chore. To help inspire you to give great gratitude, we have compiled a few helpful tips:

The Balance, a financial management resource website, outlines the fundamentals of donor stewardship including quick, personalized thank you responses. One great idea explains how to use a postscript to catch your donor’s eye and better convey your key message. Read all the details here.

The fundraising platform Classy suggests designing a “welcome package” for first time donors and broadcasting short testimonial videos to offer meaningful thanks to multiple donors. Read Classy’s “Top 15 Creative Ways to Thank Donors” for more details on these ideas and other quick and easy ways to thank donors through websites and cultivation events.

In addition, last week’s issue of the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s article, “Do’s and Don’ts When Writing Donor Thank-You Letters by Timothy Sandoval includes the following suggestions:

1. Don’t send the same thank you letter to every donor. Donors will begin to catch on, ignore your letters, and the thanks you wish to express will begin to feel less sincere.
2. Keep your donor thank you letters short – no more than one paragraph, if possible.
3. Switch up your opening line. Most donor thank you letters start with “Thank you for your generous support…” Make your thank you letter stand out from other nonprofits by using an atypical opening statement that grabs your donor’s attention.
4. Embrace “snail mail.” As we become more and more overwhelmed with electronic communication, actual letters become rare – and appreciated.
5. Make sure someone prominent at your organization personally signs each letter.

We wish for your nonprofit lots and lots of opportunities to say “thank you” in the next few weeks. We hope these resources will offer you new strategies to do so more easily, meaningfully, and memorably!

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