Category: Ask

The Amount of the Match

Steven Screen  |  Ask
Matching dollars.

Here’s a super tactical, deep-cut of a post for you.  Save or bookmark this for the next time you have a matching grant to use in email or the mail.

Specifically, this post is about how to communicate the amount of matching funds you have. 

Most pieces of fundraising always mention “there is a match” and the “amount of the match” in the same breath throughout the letter.  You don’t want to do that. 

The fact that you have a match, and the amount of the match, are two distinct pieces of information.  And one of them is far more important than the other.

Here are the rules of thumb that we try to live by…

Guiding Principles

  • It’s the match itself that makes people respond, not the amount of the match.  Therefore, the amount of the match is not a piece of information we want to over-communicate or over-emphasize.  
  • The amount of the matching funds only needs to be mentioned once in the email or letter.  Sharing the amount honors the provider of the match, and lets donors know that the funds are limited. 
  • Include the amount of the match on the landing page and/or the reply card.   Do this so that donors who don’t have the letter or email will still see that the funds are limited.  But remember that other copy points like “the donor’s gift doubles” and “what the gift will do/fund” and “the deadline” are more important for creating a response than the amount itself.

Specific Guidelines

  • Even though you should mention the match itself early and often, mention the amount of the match just once in the email or letter.
  • Specifically, mention the amount of the match the second time the match is mentioned in the body of the email or letter.
    • For example, in the context of a letter I will highlight that there is a match on the outer envelope, in the upper right corner/johnson box, and in the first three or four paragraphs of the letter.  Then, the second time the match is mentioned in the letter, I include the amount of the match.  (This usually happens 1/2 or 3/4 the way down the first page of the letter.)
  • If you want to mention the amount again on the second page, fine.  But do it at least three paragraphs before the end of the letter.  Don’t mention the amount in the PS.

Edge Cases

  • If the amount of the match is so large that it’s almost a news item of its own, mention the amount of the match more often.  For instance, say you’re a small organization and you’re given $500,000 in matching funds.  By all means, mention it more than once.
    • But remember – for the donors reading your letter or email, it’s still usually more important that “their gift will be doubled” than “how big your match is.”
  • When using email or social to promote a match, mention the amount more often when the matching funds are almost gone.  As in, “There are only $570 in matching funds left, give now to have your gift doubled!” 
  • Sometimes the amount of the match is very important to the person / Foundation / Organization that has given it.  If you need to mention that amount more often for them, no problem. 

I hope these rules of thumb help you raise even more money the next time you have a matching grant!

Who Is Shining?

Steven Screen  |  Ask
Shining.

You know games like Monopoly or Uno or Exploding Kittens?  Well, of the Top 5 best-selling games in the world right now, three of them were created by one guy. 

His name is Elan Lee.  He is one of the top “game designers” of our generation. 

And here’s what Elan said recently when talking about creating games:

“We do not make games that are entertaining.  We make games that make the players entertaining.”

Read that quote again.  Seriously.  I had to read it three times before I really understood that second sentence. 

He wants players to have the feeling of, “I was fun to be with, and the people I played with were fun” – not “that game is so fun.”  He knows that if the players feel great about themselves when playing the game, they will want to play again.

Put another way, he wants the people playing the game to shine, not the game itself. 

This idea perfectly maps over to fundraising.

Think about your organization’s fundraising to individual donors for a second.  And think about your donors as “the people playing your game.”  Does your fundraising make the people playing your game shine, or does your fundraising make your organization shine?

For instance, is your fundraising to individual donors mostly about your organization, mostly about the great things you’ve already done, and then asks your donors to support your work?  If so, you’re making your organization shine.

But fundraising to individual donors is a lot like human relationships: if you can make someone feel good about themselves, they are likely to feel good about you.

Helping a person feel and be great is a surer path to relationship than telling them that you are great.

There are millions of people playing Elan Lee’s games because he designed the games to make the players shine.  If you’d like to have more people donating to your organization, design your fundraising to help your donors shine.

Embrace the ‘In Between’

Steven Screen  |  Ask
Waiting.

The time in between when you make a fundraising ask, and when you start to receive gifts, is tough. 

You’ve completed your work.  You’ve thought it through.  There’s nothing you can do to make it better and then of course you start to worry.  What if there’s a typo?  What if the link goes to the wrong page?  What if, as the people at your event pick up their giving forms, they aren’t inspired?

But also, it’s a time of excitement and expectation.  You can’t wait to have people react to it, to hear what questions they have, to see the money start to come in.

And you never know whether it’s going to work.  (Well, when it’s the 15th time you’ve done a Back To School campaign and they all work great, you are pretty sure.  But you still don’t know.)

And after the “in between” tension of waiting, there’s the first gift that comes in 3 minutes after you send the e-appeal.  There’s the long-lapsed major donor who calls after receiving your letter.  And sometimes it’s middling results and a realization of what you could have done better.  Every once in a great while it’s just mostly silence.

Always exciting.  Sometimes a little stressful.

This tension and expectation “in between” will always be a part of trying to grow your impact.  Because if you want to grow, you need to talk to more people than you can talk to one-to-one.  Which means that for the life of your organization you’re always going to be making asks of groups, and sending out letters & emails, and then experiencing the “in between.”

Embrace it.

How to Make Sure a Low-Priced Offer Does NOT Produce Small Gifts

Steven Screen  |  Ask
Plate of money.

Here’s a question I get every time an organization is thinking about using a good fundraising offer with a low price point:

  • “OK, so our offer is $7. Are we going to get a ton of $7 gifts? Aren’t we going to raise less money this way because our donors are going to give less?”

The short answer is:

  • Not if your Ask Amounts for each donor are at or above what that donor gave last time.

Let me explain…

Offer Amount vs. Ask Amount

There’s a difference between your Offer Amount and your Ask Amounts.

Your Offer Amount is the cost of your offer – the cost to do the thing you promise will happen if a donor gives a gift. (We’ve talked about how those amounts should usually be less than $50.)

Your Ask Amounts are the amounts you list for your donor to give on your reply card. They often look something like this:

  • [ ] $50
    [ ] $100
    [ ] $150
    [ ] $_______

Those are your Ask Amounts. (This is also often called “gift ask string” or “gift ask array” but we’re going to refer to them as Ask Amounts for clarity’s sake.)

Think of it this way:

  • Your Offer Amount is how much it costs for the donor to do one meaningful thing.
  • Your Ask Amounts are how much you’d like the donor to give today.

Make sense? Still with me?

How Smart Organizations Raise More Money

This is simple to explain, but it takes a bit of work to do. But here’s what the smart organizations do:

  • They customize the Ask Amounts for each and every donor.
  • The customized Ask Amounts for each donor are in increments of the Offer Amount.

Here’s what that looks like. Say I had recently given a donation of $100 to an organization. And they were writing me with an offer of “$35 will train one volunteer to advocate for our cause.” My Ask Amounts would look something like:

  • [ ] $105 to train 3 advocates
    [ ] $140 to train 4 advocates
    [ ] $210 to train 6 advocates
    [ ] $______ to train as many advocates as possible

There’s a lot going on in that example that’s helpful.

  • First, the Ask Amounts are all in $35 increments – increments of the Offer Amount. Because remember, your whole letter (or email, or newsletter, or event) should be about the Offer. So it will make more sense to your donor if your reply card has amounts that are based on the offer you are writing them about.
  • Second, the beginning Ask Amount is at or above how much I gave last time. This is key to helping donors give how much they gave last time… or more!
  • Third, the description text (“…to train 3 advocates”) describes how many of the outcomes my gift will fund. This helps donors know exactly how much good their gift will do. It’s a proven tactic.

To do this, most smaller organizations use Excel to calculate the Ask Amounts and Outcome Amounts (“3 advocates”) for each donor. Then they merge in those amounts onto the reply card.

This takes real work. It’s worth it.

The Benefits to You

When your Offer Amount is low, and your Ask Amounts are at or above how much your donor gave last time, two positive things happen:

  • More people respond because your barrier of entry is so low. In other words, more people respond because it costs so little for them to make a meaningful difference.
  • You’ll raise more money because donor’s gifts will usually be at or above what they gave last time.

Increasing the number of people who respond + keeping their gifts at the same size or larger = more money for your cause!

This post was originally published on May 7, 2019 as part of a series on creating successful offers. Click here to download the e-book we created from these posts.

Why You Shouldn’t Use the Word “Vulnerable” in Your Appeals

Steven Screen  |  Ask
vulnerable

Though I’m a great believer in being vulnerable when you create your fundraising, I never use the word “vulnerable” when writing fundraising.

And when organizations that I work with use the word “vulnerable” or the phrase “the most vulnerable,” I delete it.

Here’s Why

When you’re Asking for support in your appeals and e-appeals, what usually works best is to present donors with a problem that is happening right now, one that the donor can solve with a gift today.

The problem with the word “vulnerable” is it accidently tells donors that there is not a problem today.

According to Webster’s, Vulnerable means:

  1. Capable of being physically or emotionally wounded.
  2. Open to attack or damage

Look at those definitions again. In both of those cases there is nothing wrong right now. A person is “capable” of being hurt. Or is “open to attack.”

Think about it this way. Say you received two simple e-appeals right next to each other in your inbox. One e-appeal asked you to give a gift to help a person who is in need today. The other e-appeal asked you to help a person who might be in need sometime soon. All things being equal, most donors will give to help the person who is in need today.

By describing your beneficiaries as “vulnerable,” you’re focusing donors’ attention on the fact that there’s nothing wrong yet. You’re telling donors that there might be a problem in the future. So there’s less of a reason for a donor to give a gift right now.

By using the word “vulnerable” you’ve caused fewer people to send in a gift today.

Here’s What I Replace “Vulnerable” With

Instead of focusing on what might happen, focus on what’s happening right now.

What this usually means is that instead of focusing your fundraising on all the people who might need help, you focus it on the people who need help right now.

Here are a couple of examples…

“Your gift to help vulnerable children in our schools learn to read will…” becomes, “Your gift to help a child who is a grade behind in reading level will…”

“Your gift to protect people who are vulnerable to this disease will…” becomes, “Your gift will help people who have this disease by… “

“Your gift will help the most vulnerable…” becomes, “Your gift will help the people who need it most right now…”

If your organization uses “vulnerable” or “the most vulnerable,” edit your future fundraising to talk about the people (or a person) who needs help now. You’ll start to raise more money.

The Big Picture

If you stop using “vulnerable,” will your next appeal raise twice as much money? No.

But if my experience is any indication, I think you’ll raise more money than you’re raising now.

Two reasons.

First, even though your use of “vulnerable” is a small thing, successful appeals and newsletters are made up of a hundred of small things. The better you get at noticing and improving the small things, the more money you raise.

Second, not using “vulnerable” is a very real step on the way towards a powerful principle to operate by. The principle is that you’ll raise more money with your direct response fundraising (appeals, e-appeals, radio, TV, etc.) if you share the most compelling problems your organization and/or beneficiaries are experiencing right now.

Sharing a current problem (not a potential future problem) with donors is one of the ways you can break through all the noise and increase the number of people who send you gifts.

And anything you can do to break through all the noise right now will help, don’t you think?

This post was originally published on June 18, 2020.

How to Choose What to Underline and Why

Steven Screen  |  Ask
Underlining your letters.

I’m going to teach you to raise more money by showing you what to emphasize in your fundraising letters.

Because if you underline or bold the right things, you’ll raise more money.

NOTE: for brevity, I’m going to lump all forms of visual emphasis as “underlining.” You might use underlining, or bolding, or highlighting, doesn’t matter. All of those are different tactics. I’m talking about the strategy of visually emphasizing small portions of your letters and e-appeals.

First, let me tell you why your underlining is so important.

Underlining has two purposes in fundraising writing. Almost nobody knows the second – and more important – purpose.

  1. Bolding or underlining signals that a sentence is important. This is true of almost any writing.
  2. But underlining also serves a second, more important purpose. The most effective fundraisers use underlining to choose for your donor which things they are most likely to read.

Because remember, most of your donors won’t read your letter from top to bottom. They will scan your letter – briefly running their eyes down the page. And as they scan, when they see a sentence that has been emphasized, they are likely to stop scanning and read.

It’s this second, more valuable purpose that most organizations don’t know about. So they underline the wrong things.

My Rule of Thumb

Here’s what I try to do. This doesn’t apply to every letter, but I try this approach first on every single letter I review or write:

  • The first thing underlined should be a statement of need, or a statement describing the problem that the organization is working on.
  • The second thing is a brief explanation of how the donor’s gift will help meet the need or solve the problem mentioned in the first underlined section.
  • The third thing is a bold call-to-action for the donor to give a gift to meet the need / solve the problem today.

If you do that, I can basically guarantee that your letter will do well. A MASSIVE number of fundraising letters don’t even have those elements, let alone emphasize them. If you have them, and you emphasize them, here’s what happens:

  • Donors know immediately what you’re writing to them about
  • Donors know immediately what they can do to help
  • Donors know immediately that they are needed!

Because of those things your donors are more likely to read more. And more likely to donate more.

There Are Some Sub-Rules

  1. No pronouns. Remember that it’s very likely that a person reading the underlined sentence has not read the prior sentences. So if you underline a sentence like “They need it now!” the donor does not know who “they” are and what “it” is. The sentence is basically meaningless to the donor. Their time has been wasted.
  2. Not too many. You’ve seen this before; there are four sentences that are bolded, five that are underlined, and the result is a visual mess that only a Board member would read. Be disciplined. I try to emphasize only three things per page, sometimes four.
  3. Emphasize what donors care about, not what your Org cares about. If you find yourself emphasizing a sentence like, “Our programs are the most effective in the county!” … de-emphasize it. Though it matters a lot to you, no donor is scanning your letter looking to hear how good your organization is at its job. But donors are scanning for things they are interested in. So emphasize things like, “Because of matching funds, the impact of your gift doubles!” or “I know you care about unicorns, and the local herd is in real danger.”
  4. Drama is interesting. If your organization is in a dramatic situation, or the story in the letter has real drama, underline it. Here are a couple of examples from letters we’ve worked on recently: “It was at the moment she saw the ultrasound that life in her belly stopped being a problem and became a baby” and “The enclosed Emergency Funding Program card outlines the emergency fundraising plan I’ve come up with.”

And now, I have to share that I got the idea for this post when I saw this clip from the TV show “Friends”. It turns out that Joey has never known what using ‘air quotes’ means – and he’s using them wrong (to hilarious effect). I saw it and thought, “That’s like a lot of nonprofits trying to use underlining effectively.”

If you’re offended by that, please forgive me. I see hundreds of appeal letters and e-appeals a year. I developed a sense of humor as a defense mechanism. 🙂

The good news is that learning how to use underlining is as easy as learning to use air quotes!

You can do this. Just remember that most of your donors are moving fast. Underline only what they need to know. That’s an incredible gift to a compassionate, generous, busy donor!

And if you’d like to know how Better Fundraising can create your appeals and newsletters (with very effective underlining!) take a look here.

This post was originally published on March 15, 2018.

They’ll Fund the Playground. Will They Fund the Plumbing?

T. Clay Buck, CFRE  |  Ask
Leaky plumbing.

The following is a hand-picked guest post from Clay Buck. Enjoy, and you can read more about Clay below.

***

The hardest story in fundraising – and the one you have to tell.

Let’s start with a truth you probably already know:

Raising money for a new playground? Easy. 
Raising money for snacks at the staff meeting? Yikes. 
Raising money to keep the lights on, update the printer, and pay your brilliant-but-underpaid program staff?

Well… that’s the hard one. But it’s also the most important one.

This is the story fundraisers often *don’t* tell well – the story of unrestricted giving. 
It’s not flashy. It’s not always tied to a single heartwarming moment. 
But when you get it right? You raise the kind of money that makes *everything else* possible.

Why Unrestricted Gifts Matter More Than Most Donors Realize

Most donors don’t think in a chart of accounts.

They don’t wake up wondering whether their $100 will be categorized under “program services” or “general operating expenses.”

What they care about is this:

*Are you making the world better in a way that aligns with the kind of person I believe I am?*

That’s it.

But too often, when we lead with *programs*, we accidentally steer donors toward restricting their gifts. We hand them a menu instead of inviting them into the kitchen.

So they say, “I’ll support the literacy program,” not realizing that it’s the unrestricted dollars that buy the bookshelves, cover the training, and pay the rent on the room where the program even happens.

Unrestricted dollars are not *extra* – they are *essential*. They are the fuel, the oxygen, the infrastructure that makes the impact *possible*.

Why It’s Hard to Tell This Story

It’s hard because it’s abstract. 
It’s hard because it doesn’t sound inspiring when you say, “Help us cover our budget.” 
And it’s hard because we’ve trained donors – unintentionally – to give to “things” instead of *change*.

But here’s the secret: the best case for unrestricted support isn’t about overhead or admin or general operating. 

It’s about the mission. It’s about the vision. It’s about the *promise* of what’s possible.

Mission Brings Them In. Vision Keeps Them Engaged.

Let’s take a breath here and go back to something I say often (because it’s true):

*It’s the mission that brings them in, but the vision that keeps them engaged.*

Mission is what your organization *does*. It’s the hunger you fight, the dogs you rescue, the students you serve.

Vision is what the world could look like if you do your work well – and keep doing it.

  • No more hungry kids. 
  • No more lonely seniors.
  • No more wayward wombats. (We support alliteration here.)

And donors give because they want to be part of that vision. They don’t want to *buy a service*. They want to *fund a future*.

So your job is to show them how unrestricted giving is the rocket fuel that gets us there.

Can You Say Your Mission in One Sentence?

Here’s a challenge: Can you describe your mission in *one clear, compelling sentence* – one that a donor could read and say, “Yes. That’s me. I believe in that.”

Not a paragraph. Not a five-point plan. One sentence.

Let’s say your nonprofit is called *Rescuing Wayward Wombats*. Here’s a version you might find in a strategic plan:

“Our mission is to provide comprehensive, multidisciplinary rehabilitation and long-term rehoming services for marsupials experiencing habitat displacement and trauma-related behaviors in a geographically diverse ecosystem.”

Technically accurate? Sure. 
Inspiring? Not exactly.

Now try this instead:

**“Helping displaced wombats find safety, healing, and home.”**

That version speaks to identity. To shared values. To a vision we can all believe in.

And when donors see themselves in your mission – they’ll give to the whole thing. Not just the piece with the cute photo.

How to Make the Case (Without the Jargon)

You don’t need a PowerPoint presentation with pie charts. You need a few great sentences that help people see – and *feel* – why unrestricted support matters.

Here are some ways to get there:

1. Talk about the Whole, Not the Parts
Instead of saying: 
“Please give to our after-school tutoring program…”

Say: 
“Your gift helps us create a community where every child has the tools, support, and safe spaces they need to succeed – inside and outside the classroom.”

Then make it clear: unrestricted support lets you do *all of it*. Not just a sliver.

2. Paint a Picture of the Dream
Use your vision boldly.

“We imagine a city where no family goes without food, where no senior is forgotten, where every child has access to learning – and your gift brings us closer to that world.”

That’s a lot more compelling than “Support our annual fund.”

3. Explain the Trust, Not the Transaction
People don’t give unrestricted gifts because they *love* accounting flexibility. 
They give unrestricted gifts because they trust you to use their dollars where they’re needed most.

So say that. Out loud. Directly.

“When you give without restrictions, you’re saying, ‘I believe in you. I trust your team. I know you’ll put this gift to work where it’s needed most.’”

It’s not a technical choice – it’s a *relational* one.

4. Tell a Story That Shows the System
Instead of a single program story, tell a *systems* story.

“Last year, Emily joined our food access program. But what kept her coming back was the community garden our unrestricted donors helped us build, the transportation we could offer because of flexible funding, and the new staff we hired to support her family in other ways.”

One person, one story – but a whole *web* of impact that only unrestricted dollars made possible.

Practical Tips to Strengthen Your Case for Unrestricted Support

Ditch the jargon. Say, “the gift that fuels all our work.” 

Use identity-based language. “If you believe every child deserves a chance…” 

Include unrestricted giving in your default ask. Normalize it. 

Name the value of flexibility. Show how fast you can respond. 

Show the donor in the outcome. “Because of you, another student graduated.”

A Final Thought (Because This Is the Hard One)

Unrestricted fundraising is hard because it requires clarity, confidence, and trust.

You have to believe in the value of your whole mission – not just the pieces. 
You have to be able to articulate it in human words, not internal budget codes. 
And you have to remember: the best donors don’t want to sponsor a line item.

They want to believe in a better future. And they want to help build it.

So show them that future. 
Speak it boldly. 
And make it crystal clear:

Unrestricted giving isn’t boring. It’s transformational.
It’s the kind of giving that fuels your mission, strengthens your vision, and builds a world worth believing in.

***

Steven says, “Clay is the founder and principal of Next River Fundraising Strategies, creator of the Fundraiser’s Planner, and co-host of the #1 ranked fundraising podcast Fundraising is Funny. He’s a wide-eyed optimist about the power of generosity to change the world and focuses primarily on individual giving, strategic planning, and building the systems and storytelling that support and empower successful, ethical fundraising.”

Deadlines and Consequences

Steven Screen  |  Ask
Deadline.

When I’m reviewing an appeal or e-appeal, one of the simple questions I ask is:

“Is there a deadline or consequences?”

Deadlines focus people’s attention – and cause more people to take action.  Consequences help people know what’s at stake – and cause more people to take action. 

So the next time you’re creating or reviewing an appeal or e-appeal, be sure to include a deadline or consequence.  You’ll help donors see how their gift to you is important and timely. 

And ultimately, it’s pretty simple: if you don’t give your donors a reason to give a gift today, you’ll get fewer gifts today.

Is Your Charity ‘Age-aware’?

Tom Ahern  |  Ask
Young donor.

The following is a hand-picked guest post from Tom Ahern. Enjoy, and you can read more about Tom below.

* * *

“We need younger donors!” Yes? No? Ummmm…?

What could possibly go wrong?

Three factors to consider: (1) most giving in the US comes from older people (for a mundane reason that co-exists with, but is not driven by, compassion); (2) charity leadership might not be aware of this; (3) have you heard of Dr. Ken Dychtwald?

——

Who gives (really)?

This is American data… and I don’t mean to be US-centric. But it doesn’t shift all that much across the English-speaking world, is my understanding. I’ve been loosely tracking it (via real experts) for more than 2 decades.

All I want is a solid mountain of data to climb… and Blackbaud has one.

What you often hear from well-meaning, really-trying-to-be-helpful board members, bosses, program staff and others is this:

“We NEED younger donors!”

Sounds like a reasonable strategy?

Or IS it? (Cue dramatic music.)

To my flimsy knowledge (raise your hand if, like me, you’re NOT a credentialed researcher): NO.

Au contraire: it’s an untutored, uneconomic, unrealistic, ill-advised strategy. A bright idea. A pillow dream. A “just add water” solution that sounds good until a charity attempts to execute it and meet its budget.

Dear sensible nonprofits…

There’s a sound economic reason you SHOULD chase OLDER donors: it’s about the money.

People AGE into their PRIME giving years.

Those donors who will prove most lucrative AGE into their “Now, I have more disposable income to give away” years.

That happy life-event happens around age 55, after other big-ticket items have been bought. According to the Wall Street Journal in 2022, “it now costs $300,000 to raise a child” through high school graduation.

Around 55, those who are “philanthropically-inclined” can START to give more to their favorite charities.

NOW… at long last… hallelujah [skip the ads]…  these age 55+ individuals / households finally have enough extra income to throw at beloved good causes, the ones their hearts always yearned to support.

——

Who’s Dr. Dychtwald?

Here’s a 2022 YouTube intro to psychologist and futurist Ken Dychtwald’s studies and conclusions. It’s about 5.5 minutes long. And, trust me, it will BLOW YOUR MIND (to revert to the phrasing of my youth).

His last name is pronounced “Dyke Wald,” BTW. And I want to thank Sallie Mitchell for reminding me of his insights and wisdom. She’s worked with Ken. And Sallie’s always been an enviable over-achiever “who gets sh*t done.”

When you’re younger, you’re building your life.

Except for some dot.com baby millionaires, you’re likely spending what you’re earning.

Of course, you’re intrinsically generous.

Maybe you were brought up that way. Maybe it’s baked into your core values. After all… major faiths around the planet command that you help others who are worse off.

So you WANT to help.

You CRAVE helping. Maybe you have passion and some time to spare, so you volunteer.

But surplus cash for young adults can be lean… and far between. I fed on food stamps for a decade after I hauled in my MA from an Ivy League school. I was white (privilege). I was male (privilege). I had parents who insisted I get a college education (privilege). And I was broke.

Eventually, lucky me, all that unearned privilege worked in my favor. Today is different than then. I escaped curbside doom. To my shock, I’m no longer poor. Destitute. Abandoned. Lucky me. Thanks to SO many others. I’m VERY lucky…

One more time: you – blessed, lovingly privileged – age into your prime giving years.

You become a force for good.

THE UN-BITTER TRUTH: Many people are generous beyond all reason… at all ages.

But until you have surplus income (after you’ve bought and built your life), you probably can’t give away all that much.

That happens around age 55, experts like Jeff Brooks concur.

——

STILL not convinced?

IF you’re buying the coffee (though I’d prefer cocktails) – I’m delighted to explain in greater detail (with PowerPoint and a dump-truck of world-sourced evidence) the undeniable economic realities re: why younger donors are not the Grail, the Golden Goose, the Miracle Whip, the Lottery, the Secret Sauce, the donor Magic, my father’s Leprechaun (he had one), nor the Easy Solution.

Fundraising is hard.

Don’t trust anyone peddling a glib financial solution like, “We need younger donors.”

At least not on the assumption that a donor acquired in her 20s will still be giving to the same causes in her 70s (the CDC’s birth-to-death lifespan is currently 76 years).

Why?

Because the average donor to the average charity doesn’t stick around that long.

Sure, some truest of true believers give for 30 years and even in their wills.

But… most give to a new-to-them charity for something like 4-6 years at best (annual donors) or 4-8 years at best (monthly donors), according to a poll I ran past top agencies globally.

All those agencies are data geeks. They hemmed and hawed. But in the end they confessed that most new donors do not stick around that long… and that’s WHEN you’re doing a GREAT job of donor cultivation (which few charities do).

Here’s the biggest kick in the pants for many charities: MOST (7-to-8 out of 10) FIRST-time donors do NOT make a SECOND gift. (Which is another great reason to promote monthly giving: it automatically cures that “second gift” collapse.)

To harp (I’m of Irish descent; I have the right; we all have harps): Fundraising is hard.

There are no easy solutions. Guessing doesn’t help at all. Know the data. Know what you’re up against.

Here are three data sources I lean on year after year, to set expectations for myself and clients (some unicorns were killed [or at least made tearful] in the making of this reality check):

Blackbaud Institute (a vast donor sample)
Giving USA (what’s happening in America)
M+R Benchmarks (digital/online fundraising)

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Steven says, “Tom Ahern was described by the New York Times as “…one of the country’s most sought-after creators of fundraising messages.”  Tom has what I’d call the industry-leading newsletter about fundraising.  Being mentioned in it was a career highlight for me.  You can (and should!) subscribe for free here.”