Author: Steven

Steven Screen is Co-Founder of The Better Fundraising Company and lead author of its blog. With over 25 years' fundraising experience, he gets energized by helping organizations understand how they can raise more money. He’s a second-generation fundraiser, a past winner of the Direct Mail Package of the Year, and data-driven.

Spidery Handwriting and Responsibility

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Responsibility.

The note from the donor was scrawled in spidery handwriting at the bottom of the appeal:

In case that’s hard to read, here’s what it says:

“I strongly suggest you remove this statement.  Never imply obligations to donors, or make us feel responsible for what might happen if we don’t give.”

Though I’m sorry that the letter caused the donor to feel distress, she perfectly expressed one of the reasons that fundraising is so powerful for our society:

Fundraising reminds us that we are responsible.

Each of us bears some responsibility for what happens when we give.  And each of us bears some responsibility for what happens when we don’t give.

At Better Fundraising, we believe one of the functions of fundraising is to “remind people who care that there is work that needs to be done.”

That’s not the only function of fundraising, of course.  Fundraising should show the power of beneficiaries to triumph, show how the world can be made better, and show all of us what’s possible.

So in addition to reminding people that they have responsibility, fundraising also reminds people that they are good and they have power.

But the fact remains: if what your organization is working on is important, make it visible.  Remind your donors what’s needed and what’s at stake.  (Our world isn’t very good at solving problems that it can’t see and doesn’t know about.)

You’ll get the occasional comment like the one on the letter above – because humans don’t always like being reminded that they carry responsibility.  But at the same time you’ll build an army of devoted donors who love “doing work that needs to be done” with you.

Assume Speed

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High speed.

When sending mail and email to your donors, assume that each person reading your material is moving fast.

We might hope that donors pore over our emails, looking to deeply understand what our organization does and how we do it.  We can wish that they’ll read every word, get every nuance, and then thoughtfully decide to give a gift.

But it’s more useful to believe that each donor is moving fast, sorting the mail, already thinking about dinner, or processing email on their phone in between pickleball games.

When you assume donors are moving fast, you end up creating letters and emails that are more accessible.  You create fundraising that works for people who are moving fast and for your “true fans” who want to know more.  (Here’s a post where I explain how to do it.)

You’ll raise more from the donors you currently have, because you’ll have made it easier for them to know what’s going on and what their gift will do.

And more people will become donors because you’ve made it easier for them to know what’s going on and what their gift will do!   

I’d wager that you know from your own life how quickly you process email and the mail.  Assume your donors are the same way.  It’s a gift to them when you create fundraising that’s easy for them to understand quickly.

And it’s a gift that results in you raising more money.

The Gap and The Gift

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The Gap

There’s a gap between your organization and your donors.

Savvy fundraising organizations know that donors don’t know as much about your beneficiaries or cause as your organization does.

That donors often don’t care quite as much as you care.

That donors often use different words and phrases than you would. 

Savvy fundraising organizations know that the people on the other side of the gap are not likely to close the gap themselves.  Donors are quite happy as they are, thank you very much.  They don’t have a felt need to be educated, learn new jargon, or grow to an expert’s level of understanding.

So savvy fundraisers make the generous act of crossing the gap and meeting donors where the donors are. 

That means writing to donors at donors’ level of understanding.  It means no jargon.  It means being specific, not conceptual.

It means figuring out what motivates donors to give and crafting your fundraising around those motivators – even if those motivators are not what motivates the organization’s staff. 

And when you’ve done the generous thing – crossed the gap to meet the donor where they are – then you can ask them to take a first step towards involvement and greater understanding. 

That first step?  It’s usually a financial gift.  A check in the mail or a donation online.

And that gift happens because you gave them a gift, first.  You crossed the gap.  You went to them.

This post was originally published on November 17, 2020.

The Six Types of Asks

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Six types.

There are 6 main types of “asks” that I see in fundraising.  Let me tell you what they are, then make a couple of observations. 

As I go through these, look for the type that your organization tends to use…

More General Asks

The ask is Organizational

The donor is asked to support the organization.

  • “Will you please support our work?”
  • “Please join us as we…”
  • “Will you partner with us?”

The ask is Conceptual

The donor is asked to do or provide something that’s a concept.

  • “Will you please provide hope to a person”
  • “You’ll help provide refuge…”
  • “Will you walk alongside someone as they…”

The ask is About a Topic

The donor is asked to support one area or part of the organization’s work, but it’s still conceptual.

  • “Your gift today will provide education!”
  • “Will you help provide habitat restoration for wild birds?”
  • “For Moms experiencing homelessness, will you provide housing?”

More Concrete Asks

The ask is Specific

The donor is asked to do something more specific.

  • “Will you provide a year of school?”
  • “You can provide 1 square meter of sanctuary for wild birds.”
  • “Your gift will provide a night of housing for a Mom experiencing homelessness.”

Note: if you’re wondering how to highlight a specific part of your organization’s work while still raising undesignated funds, download our free whitepaper here.

The ask is Specific with a Price

The donor is asked to fund something specific, and given the price to fund it.

  • “You can provide a year of school for $78!”
  • “1 square meter of sanctuary for wild birds costs just $150.”
  • “Your gift of $48 will provide a night of housing for a Mom experiencing homelessness.”

The ask is Specific with a Price, and is Timely

The donor is asked to fund something specific, with a price point, and what they’re being asked to fund is needed/about to be needed.

  • “Your gift before August 26th will provide a year of school for $78!”
  • “Before the migratory birds arrive next month, will you please give $150 to provide 1 square meter of sanctuary for wild birds?”
  • “Your gift of $48 will provide a night of housing for a Mom experiencing homelessness.  No one should have to sleep in a car during this heatwave.”

As I thought about the different types of Asks, I noticed something that I hope will be helpful to you: there are times and places for both “more general” asks and for “more concrete” asks.   

Here’s what I’ve observed:

  • “More general” asks tend to be successful with people who have a lot of context about your organization and what you do.
    • These people already know the importance of your work, and they already know some of the specifics. Think “major donors that you’re in relationship with,” grant-making organizations, and at events when you have time to give people the whole picture.
  • More specific asks tend to be successful to people who do not have a lot of context about your organization and what you do.
    • Asks that are more specific tend to work better in direct response fundraising: email, the mail, on TV, etc. In those mediums, most of the audience does not have much context about your organization and what you do. They simply don’t know. So being specific and concrete is really helpful for them.

    The lesson, as always, is to know the audience for any given piece of fundraising, and meet that audience where they are.

    Happy Fourth!

    Steven  |  Repeat
    fourth

    This Independence Day we’re reminded of the line, “toward a more perfect union.”

    Not perfect, but trying to get better every year.

    Just like fundraising.

    Happy Fourth!

    A Personal Note of Encouragement to YOU

    Steven  |  Thank
    Encouragement.

    Hey friend,

    I’m reaching out to you today because I want to encourage you.

    Being a fundraiser can be a difficult and lonely job.

    It’s a job where it often feels like nothing is ever truly done. The hours can be long and – honestly – fundraisers rarely hear these important words:

    Thank you – you are doing a GREAT job!

    Because you ARE doing a great job.

    Friend, you have chosen to do a job not many people can do.

    You combine your passion for your cause with your ability to invite donors to do something meaningful.

    You make a lot happen without a lot of resources.

    When things get tough, you dig in, find a solution, and make sure your organization has the funding needed to continue.

    You are a gift to your organization and to your community.

    Thank you for choosing to do a tough and necessary job as a fundraiser.

    Today, why not help cultivate a culture of gratitude at your organization by taking a minute to thank a co-worker for what they do? This gesture doesn’t have to be limited to the people you interact with daily. You might like to thank a faithful volunteer for helping stuff envelopes, a colleague on your programs team, or the person who does your payroll (yes, definitely thank them!).

    We work hard to thank our donors for their generous support, so why not thank each other too?

    So whether it’s a high-five, a thoughtful email, or a plate of fresh-baked cookies, take some time today to thank your colleagues for making the world a better place.

    Inconvenient and Inefficient

    Steven  |  Report
    Inconvenient.

    We all want more people to just show up at our nonprofit, love what we do, and become donors for life. 

    Yet we all have “the donors who need to be convinced.”  The donor with a complaint who, after a real conversation, gives their biggest gift ever. The Foundation that just doesn’t get it… but once convinced, becomes your biggest fan.

    And we know those donors make a huge difference to the bottom line.

    It’s nicer when it’s easy.  It’s not convenient to stop what you’re doing to talk to someone with a complaint or questions.  It’s not efficient to email the foundation for the eighth time.

    But both are worth it.  Because what we’re really here for are the long-term results of the “easy & fun” and the “inconvenient & inefficient.”  Both are part of the deal for organizations that want to maximize their impact.

    Making Fundraising is Like Making Pancakes

    Steven  |  Repeat
    Pancakes.

    You know how when you start making pancakes, the first couple of ‘em aren’t quite right?

    Either the batter’s too thick, or the pan isn’t hot enough, or that little brown ring around the edge of the pancake that you like doesn’t happen.

    The point is, you need to make a couple before you get everything dialed in, and then pancakes come out the way you want.

    Your fundraising is the same way.

    If you’re only sending a couple pieces of fundraising a year, there’s almost no chance they come out the way you want them to.  It’s been so long since you made the last one that you just don’t have everything dialed in. It’d be like making one pancake every week.

    Contrast that to the rhythm of consistently making & sending fundraising.  Plus looking at the results to see what’s working best. And then getting that “sense” of what’s going to work and what isn’t.

    Just like with making pancakes, it’s when you get in a rhythm that the magic happens.

    One Test, Three Lessons

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    Three lessons.

    A long time ago, at an Agency far, far away, I was part of a team that tested two phrases against each other to see which one worked better in an organization’s fundraising.

    Here are the two phrases:

    Your gift will provide clean water to a person

    Your gift will provide clean, disease-free water to a person

    The phrase that included “disease-free” was the clear winner – more people gave money and more clean water was provided. 

    (Apologies to my fellow nerds out there, this was 20-something years ago and I don’t remember the exact results of the test.  But I do remember it was statistically significant and we used the “disease-free” variant of the phrase moving forward.)

    I took three lessons from this little test; they’ve been helpful to me and to others, and I hope they will be helpful to you.

    Words Matter

    Just a couple words here and there can make a material difference in how much money a piece of fundraising raises.

    The Words that Matter Most are the Words that Describe What the Donor’s Gift Will Do

    In my experience, the words you use to describe what a donor’s gift will do are the most important words in any piece of fundraising. 

    Put differently, changes to the words that describe what the donor’s gift will do are going to have the largest impact of any changes you make.  Focus on these words first.

    ‘Embed the problem in the solution’

    Adding the words “disease-free” to the original phrase reminds donors of the original negative situation that their gift will help solve. 

    When I saw this happen again and again, I created the phrase “embed the problem in the solution” as shorthand to remind myself to do this.  It’s not always possible, but it results in phrases like:

    “You can provide no-strings-attached financial aid to a student”

    “Your gift will provide a Bible in a person’s own language for just $4”

    “You can provide healthy, non-fast food meals to a person living in a food desert”

    I think you can feel how that phrasing is more powerful.  It’s more powerful because when donors are reminded of the current situation, they more clearly see and feel the whole impact of your programs and their giving.

    To close, I encourage you to apply these lessons to your own fundraising.  And when you make your writing decisions based on evidence-based lessons from head-to-head testing at scale, you’ll start to get a reputation as a donor whisperer.