Author Archive
LinkedIn Expands Professional, Personal Resources
Posted by Terri Turner in Organizational & Personal Development, Technology on July 24th, 2009
As an associate with Jeffrey Byrne & Associates, Inc. we are asked to “live our mission” by actively engaging as volunteers with the nonprofits whose missions match our personal passions. I have chosen to support three organizations, one of which is the Kansas Women’s Business Center. Earlier this month, I reconnected with the Executive Director at the Kauffmann Center during the GivingUSA presentation. We agreed to get together in September. Following our meeting, I found she had a profile on LinkedIn. I requested that she join my network, and now we can keep up-to-date before our September meeting. I have found this professional networking site to serve not only as a personal avenue for finding former friends and colleagues, but as an excellent way to expand my professional networking and information gathering. Have you joined LinkedIn? What are your experiences? If you are looking to make more of your LinkedIn profile, check out this site: “33 Ways to use LinkedIn for Business.”
Well Planned Donor Communication Includes Non-Solicitation Messages
Posted by Terri Turner in Donor Cultivation on July 15th, 2009
The recently released Giving in Kansas City report cited the number #1 reason (68.9 %) respondents stopped donating to previously-supported organizations was “frequent appeals.” The number #2 reason (61.2%) was that they “lost connection” with the organization. I find it interesting that the top two reasons for declined gifts involve communication with donors.
In a recent webinar I attended, Rita Galowich, President of Fund Inc®, a strategic partner of Jeffrey Byrne & Associates, Inc. told attendees that taking care of your donors translates to sending correspondence separate from solicitations. She emphasized the need for nonprofit organizations to keep donors up-to-date on organizational current events and to thank donors for their support the old fashioned way – call them! In combining frequent communication with strategically planned appeals, organizations may be able to maintain and even build donor support year after year!
Broadening Your Prospect Base
Posted by Terri Turner in Campaign Planning & Management, Donor Cultivation on July 14th, 2009
In the July 13th Chronicle of Philanthropy news update, professional fundraisers declare “major changes are necessary in how campaigns are conducted to meet the challenges of the future.” Because experts expect to see a decline in the number of lead gifts ($1,000,000 or more) to campaigns, organizations will need to broaden their prospect base to include larger numbers of Major Gift and Community Gift donors.
While this new strategy may take more time and effort to cultivate donors, in the long-term this may be a “cup half full” strategy for many nonprofits. Organizations that employ creative donor cultivation and stewardship practices may turn one-time capital campaign donors into long-term annual supporters. Do you agree? Could a shift in resource allocation from pursuing a few megagift donors for a campaign to spending more time cultivating a larger base of mid-range gift donors be more prudent for long-term sustainability?