It doesn’t matter whether you’re a charity, a professional association, a company selling products and services to other businesses (B2B), or a consumer brand (B2C) … accurate data that you can segment, filter and analyze is vital to the success of your organization.

That was just one of the 25 points I wrote about in the January 10th issue of my newsletter, the Zapp Nonprofit Leader … “How to grow your nonprofit and raise funds in 2012.”

Why is quality data and how easily you manage it essential in today’s world of fundraising and marketing? Reasons include:

◊ Your ability to create tailored messages that donors and members are more likely to respond to depends on collecting data on your supporters.

◊ A solid database can bridge the gap that might occur with staff turnover.

◊ A donor or member database can tell you when you last spoke to them personally.  When you last emailed them.  When you last sent them a letter. It’s a collection of everything you know about a supporter including what they respond to. (Suggest you read the first bullet again to emphasize the value of this data.)

◊ The efficiency and effectiveness of all your marketing and fundraising efforts improves. And isn’t that an exciting ROI in today’s economy?!

◊ If your data is spread across different systems that don’t talk to each other, then you’re losing opportunities for growth right and left. This includes opportunities to enhance acquisition, loyalty and cultivation, retention, upgrading, advocacy, gaining more volunteers, etc.

◊ Great data and the ability to easily access it is fundamental to stewardship and cultivation.

My friend and colleague Blase Ciabaton (TheDirectMailMan.com) has interviewed five database software companies for the nonprofit sector. Here are the questions he asked of all five vendors:

1 – Is there a certain size nonprofit that your software is best suited for?  Please explain.

2 – What do most users consider to be the 3 best features or benefits of your product?

3 - Is there a trial version of your software available for nonprofits who would like to test drive it?  If so, how long does the trial period last and how do they access it?

4 – What sort of user training is available for your software and is it included with the price of the software?

5 – When nonprofits are ready to launch a direct mail appeal, how do they export their mailing list?

6 - Why do you feel that it’s important for nonprofits to invest in database management software?

As Ciabaton says, “The increasingly complicated mishmash of communication channels for donors [members, advocates], and volunteers has driven many nonprofits to the brink of chaos.  What are you to doing to keep your database organized? How are you easily staying in touch?  Picking the right software to keep tabs on existing data while allowing for the integration of new data is a huge decision.”

Below are links to Ciabaton’s interviews of the five nonprofit database software and management vendors on his blog:

GiftWorks

NonProfitEasy

Sumac

Trail Blazer

Wild Apricot

And here are more nonprofit database management choices Ciabaton has become familiar with over the course of the last few years, listed in alphabetical order: Atlas Software Technologies, Blackbaud, DonorPerfect, eTapestry, and TheDataBank.  Most offer free trial periods and extensive information about the features and benefits of their products.

And I’ll add Results Direct which is dedicated solely to membership associations and organizations.

When you study the interviews on his blog you can quickly compare the vendors. This ought to give you a jump start on your research if you’re in the market to invest in database software and support. The marketplace for nonprofits demands collection of quality data you can easily access and use to grow your organization.

Ever wonder what donors, members and prospects say behind your back?  Every wonder how they feel about the experience they have with your nonprofit?

Are their thoughts pleasant? Or are they bitter? Seth Godin wrote a blog post last week titled, Memories of bitterness. His point was that a negative experience leaves a bitter memory for a long time.

And people will talk about that bitterness with their friends and colleagues whenever something jogs their memory. So as a fundraiser and marketer … you need to care about the conversations and the memories your supporters have.

Why? Because the bitter memories and negative conversations will reduce the number of people who choose to support your nonprofit.  In other words, you earn less revenue.

Besides caring, what can you do to help ensure their experience with your charity or association is positive? Or better yet, an exceptional experience?

Be brutally honest with yourself as you answer these questions:

◊ How sincere was that last thank you letter?

◊ How friendly is your staff when they answer the phone? How helpful are they in connecting callers with the right person? Is your staff genuinely eager to help donors and members?

◊ How do you think about your supporters? As the life blood and soul of your nonprofit? Or as a number … a source of revenue?

◊ How hard do you work to find out what is of interest to your donors and members … what is important to them?

◊ When you write an email, page of web copy, direct mail letter or Tweet … are you thinking, “How does this help my reader? What does this mean to them?”

◊ Are you writing copy the way you want to see it … or in a way your readers most enjoy, appreciate and respond to?

◊ How considerate are you … really considerate … of the people who support your nonprofit?
Are they first in mind when redesigning your website?
Are they first in mind when creating an online donation form?
Are they first in mind when writing any copy?
Are they first in mind when planning an event?
Are they first in your mind?

Your answers to those questions determine the memories and feelings your donors and members have toward you. Your answers determine the tone of the conversations people are having about your charity or association.

You might be helping your cause. Or you might be undermining it.

As the fundraiser and marketer, I firmly believe your donors, members, prospects and advocates need to be foremost in your mind. They ought to have a higher priority than the people your mission serves.

The front line staff employees can have the beneficiaries of your mission top of mind. But again I say, as the marketer and fundraiser … for you it’s the supporters of your mission.

Customer Service. Donor Service. Member Service. Volunteer Service. Make it all exceptional for sweet memories and conversations. You’ll also raise more funds.

More posts on exceptional service and donor cultivation:

Because You Care and THEY Need to Know You Care

Why fundraising isn’t enough for your charity

Whether writing to donors of your charity, members of your association, or any other supporter of your nonprofit … your marketing copy must be centered on the reader.  For simplicity in this post I’ll always refer to it as “donor-centric” copy.

Before getting into the “how” let’s briefly cover the “why”: It’s essential to be skilled at writing this type of copy because it yields higher response, larger gifts, increased loyalty and retention, more conversions, and so forth which all lead to more revenue for your nonprofit.  That’s enough for now on WHY.

The path to follow

A perspective popped into my mind today on a path you might follow to help you write more donor-centric copy:  Marketing (which includes EVERY communication with your supporters) should be more of a service than a message.

In other words, as you write that fundraising direct mail letter, or email appeal, Tweet or Facebook update, or even as you create the video …

o  How are you serving your donors?

o  How does your message help the donor (i.e., your reader)? 

o  What service are you providing to your readers as they digest your content?

Ask yourself those questions.  I believe this shift in thinking will help you write more donor-centric copy. 

The frame of mind that puts you on the path to writing more donor-centric copy is this:  You’re not only serving the beneficiaries of your mission, but also those who support you.  Service.  Think of your copy as more of a service than a message. 

Related links to more posts on writing donor-centric copy:

How Aspiration Benefits Your Nonprofit ― Aspiration also leads to donor-centric copy

Giving Once. Giving Twice. SOLD to the charity with the right message! ― Serve donors by giving them the info they want

Copy that your donors and members like ― Before and after example

Has your nonprofit ever sent a survey, poll or questionnaire to your donors or supporters?  Have you ever used a telemarketing company to help you do this?

If yes – or if you’re considering it – please read this cartoon.

When asking ANYONE to “donate” their time to help you, make certain they have a good reason to do it. 

Look at it this way … In your email and direct mail campaigns you give people plenty of reasons to respond.  You don’t just send a short, blunt note like this: Return your gift today using the reply form and enclosed envelope. Acme Charity has been doing great work since 1973.

They also need good reasons for responding to your surveys. Be respectful of the respondent’s time. Help them see how important their answer truly is.

I’m not saying you have to pay them to respond.  But make it crystal clear how their answers might make a difference; or what’s in it for them.

Here are two ideas on how you can share a benefit to the respondent without “paying” them a consulting rate as our cartoon character requested:

Charity: We want to ensure you’re helped quickly and with courtesy on every visit you make to our hospital – whether for a routine check-up or something more urgent.  You visited within the last 30 days and I’ll like to ask you 3 questions to find out if you were treated courteously. 

Association: To keep membership dues from increasing, and to ensure you’re receiving the benefits that matter most to you, we’re calling members and asking for 3 minutes of your time to answer 5 questions.

If the opinions, thoughts, and preferences of your donors or members are truly important to you, show that you value the time it takes them to provide those answers.  Explain the benefits they’ll experience by answering your questions. 

Taking this approach will not only get you more responses, you’ll also be practicing good stewardship.

—————-

Cartoon is from Nicky510

Here are the six (6) top cultivation methods to building loyalty, retention, revenue, and the size of your list/file:

Carefully cultivate your precious friendship with donors & members.

1 – Stop talking like a nonprofit and start talking like a human.  Write in your own voice. 

2 – Focus on information your donors want and need so they’re more likely to keep supporting you.  Give them valuable and relevant updates, stories, and more.  This includes writing reader-centric copy.

[Associations: Focus on what your members want.]

3 – Say thank you.  Say it fast (i.e., the acknowledgement is in the mail within a week or less of receiving the gift). And don’t use a form letter.  Oh, and sprinkle some gratitude into all of your communications. 

[Associations: When members join, renew, or purchase a webinar, conference ticket, etc., say thank you fast …]

4 – Get personal. Get and keep accurate data so you can use the donor’s name, where they live, what they’re most interested in, how long they’ve supported you, etc. in your fundraising appeals, renewals, thank you letters … anywhere and everywhere you can. 

Go beyond their name and get personal.  As you do this you’ll also be more relevant which increases retention even more.

5 – Think like a donor [member]. For example: Design your website, Facebook page, etc. for how a donor thinks and wants to interact with you.

Start by eliminating jargon, making everything easy and obvious to THEM, and give them choices.

6 – Give and you shall receive.  Give them a sense that you care about more than their pocket book and you’ll receive their support in return.  Stated another way: Have plenty of emails, letters, text messages, tweets, and so on that are pure cultivation. All you do is share information. Zero “ask” is included (neither a hard, soft, nor an implied ask). 

Those are my top six.  Needless to say there are more cultivation methods.  But in my opinion these ought to be the heart and soul of your stewardship program. 

One more tactic to mention is LISTENING.  Social media ― Twitter, Facebook, blogs, etc. ― is an ideal place to monitor and listen.  Inbound calls to your nonprofit are another source of intell.  What are donors and members talking about?  What are they concerned about?

You can gain enormous insight and understanding of your donors [members] by listening and then ACTING on what you learn.

What are your top 2 or 3 cultivation methods?  What would you add to this list? Share in the comment box below.

An experience with an association triggered this post.  But I have no doubt it applies to a number of charities as well.

It illustrates the importance of making everything EASY for your members, donors, advocates, subscribers, volunteers, etc.  And how important it is to think like they do.  View their interactions with you FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE – from their side of the table.

Here’s what happened:

Help your subscribers manage incoming email THEIR way

Hank is a member of AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association). He has a primary email address on his account that we’ll refer to as PrimaryHank-dot-com (a fictitious address).

Renewal notices, event announcements, promotions, and other offers are sent to his primary email address.

One of the offers was to receive a daily email with news from the aviation industry – called Smart Briefs.  This offer is available to NON-members AND members.

Hank subscribed but with a different email address (we’ll call this fictitious address SecondaryHank-dot-com).  Daily emails – even on a topic you’re interested in – can clog an in-box.  Many of us can’t get read them every day.  This is why Hank used a secondary account so his main email in-box wouldn’t be cluttered and he could work more efficiently.

Here’s the annoying problem
 that resulted for Hank

At PrimaryHank-dot-com he continues to receive offers to subscribe to Smart Briefs (even though he has already subscribed).  And at SecondaryHank-dot-com he gets offers to join AOPA (even though he’s been a member for over 20 years).

The system – their database – doesn’t recognize multiple email addresses for a member.  And there’s no way for Hank to correct it himself and stop receiving unwanted emails without unsubscribing.  He hasn’t called AOPA yet to see if they can do something manually; but that time-consuming step isn’t good service for subscribers.

This is very annoying to a member, subscriber, donor, or a customer of any organization.  I have a similar situation with a company that must have zero file segmentation. I’m not impressed with the fact that they don’t recognize the business I’ve already done with them (and it’s appreciable), and therefore don’t seem to appreciate my business too much. 

In fairness to AOPA, overall it’s a terrific association that accomplishes a great deal on behalf of its members and general aviation.  I too am a member.  

I just felt this snafu in their database is an example worth mentioning.  I hope many others can learn from it.

This problem highlights how easy it is to view a situation one way while at work as the membership director, development director, communications officer, etc. . . . And look at it 180-degrees out when on the other side of the table as the user, subscriber, or even consumer.

Think about it:  How many email addresses do you have?  I have five.  And I segregate my mail for efficiency.  I couldn’t get much done during the day if 100% of my incoming emails all went to the same address … the same in-box.

How might AOPA
or any organization “fix this problem?”

When Hank was signing up to receive the daily Smart Briefs, ask if he is already a member.  If not, sign-up with his name and email.  However, if he is a member then send him to a different sign-up form.  Verify his membership and give him the option to CHOOSE a different email address.

Ideally send him to a form where he can choose what newsletter, news briefs, etc. are sent to which email address.

That’s stewardship.  That’s putting members first and recognizing that we have multiple email addresses and may even want to use more than one to interact with your organization.  Make it easy and convenient for us.

Have you had a similar experience with a nonprofit?  Do you have an idea how to fix the problem?  Please share below in the comment box.

Best answer on when your nonprofit ought to send out email is to TEST. No two organizations are alike.  Therefore frame your strategy around a plan to test frequently.

Look at your data.  When do you get the highest open rates, click-through-rates, and conversions? I’ll remind you that your content also influences response.  Just be certain to consider all factors when analyzing results (i.e., content, offer, design, timing, frequency of mailings, from line, subject line, etc.).

Outside of that fundamental principle – testing and analyzing results – I read a good article in the May 2011 issue of Direct Marketing News with a few more specifics, “Trial and error determines best email timing strategy to maximize response.”

Key points, suggestions, and factors to consider as you determine when to send nonprofit email include (from the DMNews article):

When are you most likely to stand out in their email in box? It may not be an ideal day except that the volume of email is low and therefore you become more visible.

Understand your prospects, donors, members, and advocates.  When are they most likely interested in hearing from you?  What are their needs?

At what time of day and day of the week are people signing up for your email? That may be a good starting point for when you send out emails.

Link email analytics to conversions (e.g., donations, joined your association, etc.).  If the open time doesn’t correlate to when they convert … use the conversion time.  It’s more important.

Recognize that mobile is an important factor. How many subscribers open your email on smartphones? Optimize your creative to appear on these mobile devices.

Test.  Test.  Test.  And test over several months and years.  Use data to maximize response rates and conversions and your nonprofit email campaigns will yield exciting results.

Are your low response appeals “Robin” you of new donors or members?

Do you need to be a superhero in order to acquire new members for your association, or new donors for your charity?

Shine the Light on Your Readers

No, I don’t think you do need to be a superhero.

Just do a super job of shining the spotlight on your readers – your prospective donors and members – instead of on your nonprofit.  And here are eight fundamental tactics to help you do that.

The primary way to accomplish this is to write donor-centric (or member-centric) copy.  For example:

YES: You make it possible to …

NO: Acme Charity does …

————-

YES: You’ll be more competitive for promotion because you stay current reading weekly industry updates from All-For-One Association.

NO: All-For-One Association sends you weekly industry updates.

You ought to boost response even more when you also do a super job with these seven additional fundamentals:

Personalized appeals tailored to the audience.

It’s possible to go beyond the prospect’s name when personalizing acquisition.  Granted you won’t have as much data as in your house file, but work with your list broker and use all that you can when writing the copy.

This topic has been getting attention in blogs lately too.

Examples Showing How Getting Personal With Donors Can Make a Big Difference (from my friend, TheDirectMailMan.com – Blase Ciabaton)

Messages That Motivate: The Tailored Approach (from the Association of Fundraising Professionals)

Integrated campaigns.

Direct mail, your website, email (e.g., any email subscribers yet to become donors?), social media, Google Adwords (take advantage of Google Grants), mobile web ads, plus ads on social networking sites, enticing story in a press release, etc.

Shower them with praise.  Schmooze the reader.

Sincere flattery is always appreciated.  And it builds stronger relationships.

Always, always, always test, test, test.

Write to a friend. Forget the business letter.

Use a conversational style of writing.  Have plenty of white space for a light, airy look to the appeal.  Short sentences.  Few words of three or more syllables.  And short paragraphs.  Oh, and don’t use tiny font!

Associations – this applies to you too.  The most effective and influential B2B copy is not stoic.  It’s professional yet conversational.  Make it interesting.  Tell a story.  Pump in some emotion.

Have the right mindset.

Ask yourself, “Do I really care about the reader?  Or do I care more about the revenue the reader represents?  Which do I think about the most – the reader or the revenue?”

Your conscious and subconscious thoughts come through in your writing.

To acquire more members or donors, think about what’s best for the reader.  What are they most interested in knowing?  What do they care about?

Choose your lists wisely.

Based on what motivates people to respond to your cause or to join your association . . . what are they reading?  Where are they hanging out online? 

Superhero storylines are straight forward: Hero sees a bad guy doing something bad and stomps him out.  Simple job but rarely easy.  Result? Good triumphs over evil.

Translating the superhero storyline into nonprofit lingo: Donor (hero) see sonething bad happening (what your mission corrects) and donates to stomp it out.  The donor-hero helps you (the nonprofit) do what you promised in your appeal.

Your task is also straight forward: Do your research, use the right tools, shine the spotlight on your readers and stomp out mediocre response.

Simple fundamental direct response tactics that are rarely easy to execute.

Result? Great work triumphs over short cuts and hurried efforts.  Response rates go up.  You save the day and your boss thinks you’re a hero.  Congratulations Batman!

A friend of mine received a flyer in the mail last week from an organization called, RTCA.

This mailer was promoting their RTCA 2011 Annual Symposium and inviting him to attend.  Trouble is, he has no idea who the organization is.  He’s not a member.  He’s never heard of them.

The mystery plot thickens.

No where on the 10×18-inch tri-fold, two-sided, full color mailer is the organization identified.   Next we went to the website clearly displayed on the mailer . . . www.RTCA2011Symposium.com

Again, no where on that website can you find what RTCA stands for.  Well, at least neither of us could find it (my friend and I).  I even looked on the FAQ page for a question that read, “What the heck does RTCA stand for?”  And no, it wasn’t to be found.

What do you think RTCA stands for?

I did a Google search on “RTCA” and here are the results:

• Radon Testing Corporation of America
• Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics
• Race Track Chaplaincy of America
• Robert Toombs Christian Academy
• Regional Counterdrug Training Academy
• Rivers, Trails & Conservation Assistance program
• Rat Terrier Club of America

Quite a diverse set of possibilities.

Now I’ll tell you that there were clues on the mailer and the website that RTCA has something to do with aviation.  And that the focus of the Symposium was on “NextGen” – whatever that is – but beyond that . . . who they are and what they do was still a mystery.

While still searching for clues to solve the mystery on the Symposium website I clicked on a link at the very, very bottom of a page: RTCA Homepage. I found myself on a new website.

Sorry to say that once again there’s nothing in the header or in the body copy on the home page that tells a visitor what RTCA is. Nothing in plain English that says who they are and what they do in a few sentences, tag line, slogan . . . NOTHING.

Finally on the “About Us” page they state they are the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics.

Why am I sharing all this and

How might it help you?

Don’t assume everyone knows who you are.  Don’t make your identity such a mystery!

Associations seem to suffer most from Acronym Mystery Love Affair.  I call it a love affair because I believe it’s narcissistic to assume everyone knows what your acronym stands for.  Or that just because we end up on your site or receive your mail we know who you are.

Some folks might even consider it thoughtless when you don’t spell out your association / organization name on your header so it appears on every single page of your website without visitors spending their valuable time searching.

Also, in your mailings (event promos, letters, emails, etc.), give up a fraction of an inch to write out the name of your association.  Take the mailer my friend received for the RTCA 2011 Annual Symposium as an example:  Have a spot somewhere to help prospects and newbies get to know you.  Share a couple sentences about what you do.

If you don’t you’ll frustrate the be-jeebers out of them and that lowers response.

Break off the love affair.  Don’t be mysterious and frustrate us with acronyms.  Instead, be kind to the people you want supporting or joining your association or organization.

You and I know there are many factors that influence how your prospects and supporters respond to a direct mail letter, an email, a landing page, a press release … or anything else.

But there’s one thing I guarantee will mess up response: Anything written by committee.

For example: Your Board of Directors demands to review and approve your letters. Or you have any other type of committee for your development communications.  Or there are 3, 4, or more people in the chain that have to approve everything.

Each person makes changes based on their personal preferences, whether based on data from testing or not.  Besides that, how many members of this committee are representative of your target audience?

That’s not all.  Joe’s advice conflicts with Mary’s whose thoughts don’t align with Martha’s.  This leads to compromise and mauling of the copy.

By the time it’s through the gauntlet your letter or email is beaten, battered, and bloodied beyond human recognition.

In other words, everyone has put in their 2-cents worth and it no longer sounds like a single, distinct voice.  It doesn’t even sound human.  No normal person on the planet would ever talk like that!

Bottom line: It kills response.

Oh, I’m not saying you get ZERO response.  But it won’t be as high as it would be without the committee.

Get rid of the committee.  Have one skilled copywriter craft your message.  Have it checked and approved by one person.  Send it.

Don’t believe me?  Test it. 

Just make it a fair test and again, use a copywriter who can eliminate jargon, write reader-centric copy, be succinct, infuse the right amount of emotion, and can tell a great story.  Response will go up.

Remember the old joke: A camel is a horse designed by committee.

Or perhaps you remember this expression: Death by committee.

Moral of the story … Don’t let a committee kill your response rate.