Simple Acts Can Have Forever Impact With Your Donors

My husband and I recently decided to make a charitable gift in honor of the week our dog spent at his parents' house while we took a vacation. We tried a new charity this year for the gift in their honor, Little Paws Dog Rescue. Little Paws is where we adopted our dog from. Animal charities are also near and dear to my in-laws' hearts. 

Within three days of mailing the check, we received the note above in the mail. Kim is the founder of Little Paws. Her 5-10 minutes spent preparing this thank you note had a forever impact on our plans for future gifts to the organization. Kim offered clear impact information: out gift helped  a heart-worm positive dog staying with a volunteer foster family. In the same envelope was a small receipt we could easily add to our tax paperwork.

Last year when we went on vacation, we made a gift to another nonprofit close to their hearts to say thank you for dog-sitting . The check we wrote last year was promptly cashed by the charity. After that, our interest in their organization was apparently important enough to them to become lost in a black hole of no more communication. The request we made to have an acknowledgment of the gift sent to my in-laws was ignored. Eleven months after the fact, we have no idea what is going on with the nonprofit we made an investment in.

Guess which of the two organizations we will be making gifts to in the future?

Little Paws understands an existing donor is an organizational asset worth investing time and effort in to show appreciation. 

If you don't have them already, I strongly recommend investing in note cards or postcards with your department's logo. Give them to a volunteer or volunteer's spouse particularly good with following through on details. 

Some gifts may come to you completely unsolicited-what an honor! Some gifts may come to you through your annual meal at the fire station. Some gifts may come through your direct mail campaign. However they arrive, promptly and specifically thanking the donor is one of the best investments you can make in furthering your incredible mission. 

What's working well at your department in terms of showing appreciation to your donors? Please comment below. 

An Attitude of Gratitude: Outreach Ideas for Your Department

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With Thanksgiving just over five weeks away, now is a great time to think about how you can apply an attitude of gratitude to your department's overall outreach.

With Christmas/holiday cards, wishes and gifts coming in multiples each day in December, why not distinguish yourself by utilizing Thanksgiving to thank those who have strengthened you during 2010? 

A few ideas you might start working on now to apply an attitude of gratitude to this Thanksgiving and strengthen your fundraising efforts and overall operations in 2011 in the process:

1. Have your officers personally sign a Thanksgiving card for each of your volunteers. Include at least compliment for the volunteer on something they've done well with the department in 2010.
2. Prepare a note for each volunteer's spouse or significant other in recognition of the important role they play in supporting their loved one through missed meals and more. 
3. Prepare a note for the direct employment supervisor of each of your volunteers to state how grateful you are for the difference their team member makes in the community. 
4. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving, gather a few volunteers at the station and call your biggest supporters for the year, just to say thank you. Leaving a voice mail is just fine.
5. Send a postcard or Thanksgiving card to your donors for the year letting them know specifically what you've been able to accomplish because of their support. Be sure to include your significant in-kind donors like the business that donated the meat for your pancake breakfast. Consider adding your City Council and/or Fire Board members to this outreach. 

FlashPoint offers communication services to assist in crafting these messages if you would like. Contact us today for more details.
What's working for your department in terms of sharing your attitude of gratitude?

What Moves Donors' Windmills in Rural Areas?

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The Association of Fundraising Professionals recently discussed a Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University study the differences between rural and urban fundraising in their September/October member magazine. For purposes of this study, rural fundraising was defined as anyone living in communities with populations of 20,000 or less.  More than 8,000 households particulate in this long term study.

Think it's hard to raise funds in rural communities? This study is filled with hope for your fundraising efforts! Findings of note include:

1. On average, rural donors contributed 3% of their income to charity. This is higher than than the 2.6% contributed by their urban counterparts.

2. Rural donors were more likely than urban donors to report being motivated to donate because of their values. 

3. Rural donors were more likely than urban donors to report they would give more to charity if they knew more information to confirm the group furthers a cause they care about. 

4. Rural residents who have attended college, are married and who itemize deductions are among the most likely donors to secular causes. 

What does this mean for your rural fundraising?

1. Despite research, a focus on those who are naturally connected to your cause is still the highest and best use of your fundraising resources.

2. If married couples are part of your fundraising outreach, be sure to address both spouses by their preferred name, instead of just addressing the man of the household. Since women have the highest giving tendencies of tender, basic donor connection starts with addressingg them by name.

3. Consider fundraising messages that appeal to your community members' sense of helping those less fortunate,  giving back based on being a grateful service recipient, and religious beliefs.

4. Consider what additional clear, concise information you can provide your community to show how your efforts towards a safer community match with your donors or potential donor's "cause they care about."

What trends are you finding in your rural communities? Share your comments below.

Your Unique Position: A Focal Point for Enhancing Your Fundraising Communications

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Significant dialog continues in the nonprofit community on how the more than 1.2 million 501 (c) 3 organizations in the United States might compliment and collaborate more. Competition isn't necessarily a positive force for nonprofit work when program overlap exists in a community. 

The case for support of a your department's mission work is strengthened by your unique position. Your immediate response to the 911 calls during times of greatest need for your residents and guests is, by and large, not duplicated. 

What other nonprofit in your community is equipped to provide firefighting services, auto extrication, storm watch, gas leak response, medical first response, and all the other types of calls you face in a given year?

Pull a copy of your department's fundraising and general community communications. How well have you reinforced your unique position to respond to community emergencies? 

The next time you write your direct mail letter, grant application or other fundraising communication, the time invested in explaining your unique position will yield a positive impact for your department. 

To discuss how to start your fundraising communications with a case statement that clearly and concisely quantifies your community impact, contact FlashPoint Fundraising today.