Smart ideas from Hartsook Companies, Inc.

March 9, 2010

Creating Donor Confidence: Part I

These days, it's difficult to watch the evening news without hearing a report on the state of "consumer confidence." Many fundraisers may think this has little to do with their work, but the reality is that consumer confidence is directly correlated to consumer spending, and in turn, philanthropy.

Still, some may think the state of consumer confidence is well beyond the fundraiser's sphere of influence. Well, we may not be able to affect consumers across the nation, but as fundraisers it is vitally important that our donors have confidence in our organization's mission, strategic priorities, financial stewardship and ethics. And we do have a tremendous opportunity to influence and build "donor confidence."

Creating and cultivating donor confidence is essential to maximizing gift revenue and securing contributions in an increasingly competitive environment for charitable gifts. A quick review of research that explores what donors desire from their nonprofits, illuminates how agency-focused we have become. Recognition programs are often designed to meet the needs of the nonprofit rather than the donor. For example, many programs have automated their acknowledgment process for the sake of efficiency, but at the cost of producing anything that maintains a personal touch. And the nonprofit's need for continued support can often rush the cultivation process - leaving our donors less than enthusiastic. In fact, research reveals that 46% of donors decide to stop giving because they do not receive meaningful information from the charity in response to their gift or because they feel their giving is not appreciated.

So, how can we champion donor confidence in our nonprofit? Based on current research, we can apply strategies that will instill our donors with confidence in our programs. According to author and researcher Penelope Burk, there are three key elements that contribute to making a fundraising program one that is "donor-centered." In her research of donors' desires for recognition, she discovered that donors want:

• prompt, personal acknowledgement of their gifts
• confirmation that their gifts have been set to work as intended
• measurable results on their gifts at work prior to being asked for another contribution.

Remember, not only does it take less to retain a donor than to replace a donor, a prompt, professional and genuine show of appreciation is simply the right thing to do!

Editor's Note: Stay tuned for Creating Donor Confidence: Part II in the next issue of Strategies for Success.

AFP International; Come See Us
We invite you to visit the Hartsook AFP Center (booth number 1149) at the AFP International Conference on Fundraising in Baltimore April 11-14, 2010. Author of five books and Hartsook Companies' Chairman and CEO Bob Hartsook, and the Hartsook Chair in Fundraising, and author of Fundraising Principles and Practice, Adrian Sargeant, PhD, will be on hand for book signings. Matt Beem, COO, will unveil and sign complimentary copies of his brand-new book, Performance-Driven Fundraising: Taking Control of Your Success. For a full listing of Hartsook-sponsored events, please visit our web site.

Giving Back
Hartsook Institutes for Fundraising and Hartsook Companies' National Day of Service provided more than 50 eligible nonprofits access to some of the nation's most successful and knowledgeable fundraising consultants in January and February at Avila University in Kansas City during the first leg of the Growing Philanthropy Tour.

Through a tailored discussion about their most pressing fundraising challenges, nonprofit executives, development directors and board members gained advice that can lead their organization to fulfill their missions through increased funding.

The next leg on the Growing Philanthropy Tour takes us to the Greater Baltimore and Washington, DC areas where Hartsook Companies and the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region will hold Day of Service sessions on April 9, 10 and 11 in conjunction with the AFP International Conference on Fundraising. Eligible nonprofits must sign up in advance. A limited number of spaces are available and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. To be considered for these limited sessions, please visit our web site.

Coming Soon
Matthew J. Beem, MPA, CFRE, President and Chief Operating Officer for Hartsook Companies, will soon release his first solo book. Produced by ASR Media, Performance-Driven Fundraising: Taking Control of Your Success, priced at just $29.95 (plus $5 S&H), will accelerate anyone's learning curve and serve as a handy, yet entertaining, reference tool for new and seasoned fundraisers. To reserve your pre-release copy for just $19.95, contact Tammy Weinman at tammy@hartsookcompanies.com noting "Performance Book Special" in the subject line.

Another Smart Idea...From the Hartsook Best Practices Collection^SM

"We stand out from other nonprofits by having our disabled clients personally sign thank you notes." - Allison McElroy, Foundation Director, Adult Development Center Legacy Foundation, Rogers, Ark.

If you are interested in Best Practices and smart ideas, see these additional resources from Hartsook Companies:

• The entire ASR Publishing collection is now available on Kindle. Books from Hartsook Companies' CEO Bob Hartsook include On The Money! - an enlightening collection of success stories and lessons learned from nonprofit fundraising campaigns nationwide; Closing that Gift! How to be Successful 99% of the Time - a reveal of the 29 secrets to closing a gift and the top 10 solicitation mistakes; Million Dollar Gifts - 101 strategies of amazing real-life stories of million-dollar gifts made by average Americans; Nobody Wants to Give Money Away! - stories, humor and more than two decades of fundraising experience in which Bob explores the nine fundraising truths essential to success; Getting Your Ducks in a Row - a tool box of strategies for effective campaign fundraising, including ideas, concepts, plans, strategies, approaches and suggestions that result in success; and "Reality Fundraising" - ideas, insights and lessons learned through hundreds of best practices from nonprofit professionals nationwide.

• "Best Practices Coast to Coast," a compilation of best practices from every state in the union.

• "Hartsook Best Practices Collection," our original collection of 250 best practices and great ideas.

For a free copy of "Best Practices Coast to Coast" or the "Hartsook Best Practices Collection", please email Tammy Weinman, tammy@hartsookcompanies.com, or visit our web site. We also invite you to contribute your own best practice by emailing Annette Lough, annette@hartsookcompanies.com.

On the Web

• Bob's Blog. Bob shares his knowledge and his perceptions candidly and passionately in his online blog. Learn more at our web site.

• Examine This ... Matt's regular submissions to the Examiner are posted upon publication. Watch for new entries coming soon, or peruse articles you may have missed on our web site.

• Timely Tips and Tweets! Follow us on Twitter at HartsookTips. Tweet of the Week: A donor prospect pool should be expansive and ever changing. When you think you've thought of everyone, think again.

• Facebook: Become a Fan. Get more fundraising tips and see what's new at Hartsook Companies by following us on Facebook.

• Searches Made Simple. We recently added Google Search as an easy way for site visitors to find relevant resources and information on our web site.

• Global Reach. Empresas Hartsook, Inc. es una empresa de recaudación de fondos completo servicio de consultoría. Or as we say in our native language: "Hartsook Companies, Inc. is a full-service fundraising consulting firm." To better accommodate international clients and prospects, Hartsook Companies' web site can now be translated into 40 languages via the Google Translate button on our home page.

  
  

Visit the Hartsook Companies web site for:

• Educational opportunities
• Books/reference articles
• Conference/workshop speakers

Strategies for Success explores smart ideas, connecting with more than 2,000 fundraising professionals bi-weekly. We welcome your contributions or comments. Send to Strategies for Success editor Annette Lough, annette@hartsookcompanies.com. If you'd like a free subscription to Strategies for Success - or its monthly companion, eHartsook on Philanthropy - contact Tammy Weinman, tammy@hartsookcompanies.com. You also can reach her at 816.298.8045, Ext. 8225.

Our web site is located at http://www.hartsookcompanies.com.