Let's Talk Fundraising
Welcome to "Let's Talk Fundraising" with Keith Greer, CFRE! This podcast is your go-to resource for mastering the essentials of fundraising while discovering how innovative tools and technology can supercharge your efforts. Whether you're a new fundraiser looking to level up your skills or a seasoned professional seeking timely reminders and fresh insights, each episode is packed with practical advice, creative ideas, and inspiring stories.
Join Keith as he explores the core principles that drive successful fundraising and uncovers the latest strategies to make your job easier, more enjoyable, and incredibly impactful. From relationship-building and storytelling to leveraging the newest tech, "Let's Talk Fundraising" is here to help you transform your approach and achieve remarkable results for your organization.
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Let's Talk Fundraising
Why Your Giving Day Campaign Hasn’t Worked (And How to Fix It)
Ready to transform your Giving Day fundraising efforts? Join me as I share my personal journey from early setbacks to a triumphant campaign that raised over $74,000 in the first attempt at launching a giving day campaign. We'll uncover the five essential steps to ensure your campaign's success, including setting ambitious yet achievable goals, devising a comprehensive marketing strategy, building complementary campaigns, maintaining momentum with real-time updates, and pre-planning evaluation metrics. These insights are crafted to help you not only hit your targets but also attract a wave of new supporters.
Ever wondered what makes a Giving Day campaign truly effective? This episode dissects the strategic elements you need to master, from analyzing donor patterns to deciding whether specific projects or unrestricted funds are more compelling. I'll show you how to set both monetary and non-monetary goals, and why a targeted marketing approach is crucial. We’ll delve into the power of personal touches, emotional storytelling, and how to create easy entry points for new supporters. Plus, we’ll explore the dual focus of fundraising and awareness campaigns to ensure your message resonates across all channels.
Finally, we emphasize the importance of pre-planning your campaign evaluation metrics to accurately measure success and refine future strategies. Learn how aligning metrics with your goals can keep your team focused and cohesive. We’ll discuss detailed tracking methods for donations, donor acquisition, and engagement metrics, as well as the value of qualitative feedback. And don’t miss out on the Giving Day Sprint—a fast-paced program designed to help you create a successful multi-channel campaign in just five days. Register now and elevate your fundraising game to new heights.
https://www.letstalkfundraising.com/sprint
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Hey, there, hi and welcome back. I can't believe we are only a few months away from Giving Tuesday, which means we need to start planning like now. Have you or your organization ever tried Giving Tuesday or any other kind of Giving Day before, only to see everybody else shouting out on social media how incredible it was for them? Meanwhile, you're back in your office looking at an unfilled progress bar or thermometer and frantically trying to take down all of your social media posts about this disaster of a day, desperately trying to hide any evidence that you even gave it a shot. I've been there too, my friends, multiple times. I had completely given up on even trying to give a giving day another go. Board members and CEOs would bring it up, wanting to know if it was something we should pursue, and I had a 30-minute monologue prepared for all the reasons why we should never invest another penny or ounce of energy into that kind of initiative. It was only for big players with huge social media presences. Our donors weren't giving through social media, so it was destined to fall flat. Our donors are already tapped out after the huge Black Friday and Cyber Monday spending they did. We were focusing on our year-end campaign instead. We've never participated before. It seems overwhelming, and if you're wanting us to take on this new initiative, we should have started planning this months ago. The truth was, it was both a strategy and an execution that I didn't fully understand. I hadn't figured out how to make this Giving Day campaign work in my favor. I literally didn't know what I was doing.
Speaker 1:Then, a few years ago, everything changed. My organization was going to give it a go and, leading my unit, I had to figure out a way to make it successful Because, with or without me, it was going to happen, and I don't like to fail. So I set a goal, started crafting a strategy and set out to put it into action. That first year we gave it a go. I raised over $74,000. And it's something you can do too. That's what today's episode is all about how to have a wildly successful giving day.
Speaker 1:So let's talk fundraising. Successful giving day so let's talk fundraising. Creating a successful giving day campaign is much easier than you think once you know the right strategy. I've actually broken it down into five simple steps that you can follow along with, so let's talk through these. If it helps, you take some simple notes on these, because these steps are so easy.
Speaker 1:The first thing you'll want to do is set your goals they should be realistic for your organization and then stretch them a little bit. When we stretch ourselves, it gives us a little more motivation to make sure that they are successful. When you're setting your goals, think about which causes in your organization tend to get the most donations. Think about which causes in your organization tend to get the most donations. Do most gifts go to your unrestricted fund, or is there something specific that people care passionately about? Whichever one it is, build your giving day campaign. Appeal around raising money for that.
Speaker 1:Step two is to start planning your marketing strategy. Now there are a couple of audiences you'll want to think about here. How are you engaging your major gift donors in this campaign? How are you going to involve people who haven't ever given before, or it's been a really long time since they've given? And how are you going to engage your passionate advocates? There are really two campaigns going on here at the exact same time. One is designed to raise money and increase your donor base, and the other is to create a ground swell of support from your champions.
Speaker 1:Step three is to actually build out your two complementary campaigns, and it's not only social media. You have to build out for in-person solicitations, emails, social media and even phone calls. Step four is to build out your real-time updates. These are how you will keep your donors, your ambassadors and stakeholders in the loop about how your campaign is performing on the day of the event. You want to keep up and build upon the momentum of your appeals. Let people know how close you are to reaching your goal and, who knows, maybe they will be the one to help you actually achieve it. Our fifth and final step is to have our campaign evaluation metrics planned in advance. These need to be based on your goals for the campaign, and when you plan them in advance, it will not only be easier to collect the data in the end, but it also makes sure that everything you do is built toward achieving these metrics.
Speaker 1:A giving day campaign doesn't have to be much more complicated than this, but it does take more than a spray and pray methodology. That's where you just post and send out as much content about your giving day as possible. That's the spray part and wait for people to flood your donation page with gifts. That's the pray part. So if you're motivated and you think this is something you can do. Stick around. If you're excited about having a Giving Day campaign that finally brings in some money, you're in the right place. Or if you're intrigued by the possibility of creating a Giving Day campaign that not only brings in money but also attracts new supporters, this is exactly where you need to be. Which one are you identifying with? It might seem a little bit silly, but if you're alone, shout out which one you identify with, and if you're like in an open cubicle or something, write it down and circle it a lot of times. Are you one, motivated that this is something achievable? Two, excited about having a giving day campaign that brings in real financial results? Or three, are you intrigued about how to use your giving day to attract new supporters? If it's multiple, shout out whichever ones hit the spot for you.
Speaker 1:Whatever your motivation, I am here to fully support you. So I want to take a moment, if you don't know me, to share that I've been in fundraising for almost 14 years full-time longer. If you count my college internships, I have a lot of success under my belt. I have raised millions of dollars for the non-profits I've worked at, from the performing arts to association foundations, to healthcare and higher education. I've led fundraising for local, regional and national organizations supporting programs that reach around the globe, and it lights me up when I can help others achieve the same or even better success than I did, because I'm able to share my experiences and the things I've learned along the way. Can you imagine how good it would feel to raise tens of thousands of dollars during a Giving Day campaign?
Speaker 1:Having a multi-channel campaign that includes non-donors, annual donors, major gifts and advocates for your cause is the single most powerful and strategic way to raise more money and gain new supporters for your organization during a day of giving. So let's dive into these steps a little deeper. When we're setting our goals for this campaign, it's important to make sure that they are realistic. It does nobody any good if you set your goals for this campaign to equal the total amount you raised in all of last year. These goals should be achievable based on your past experiences and your current resources. But here's the twist Don't just stop at realistic. Stretch these goals a little bit further. Why? Because when we stretch ourselves, we tap into deeper levels of motivation. It pushes us to go that extra mile, to think creatively and to engage more passionately. This can be the difference between a good campaign and a great one. Now, how do you set these goals?
Speaker 1:Start by looking at your organization's donation patterns. Which causes within your organization tend to attract the most donations? Are most of your gifts directed towards your unrestricted fund, or do specific projects or programs receive the lion's share of the support? Understanding this can give you valuable insights into what your donors care about most. For instance, if your unrestricted fund is the main recipient of donations, you might want to frame your Giving Day campaign around the broad impact of unrestricted gifts, how they allow your organization to be flexible and responsive to emerging needs. Highlight stories that showcase this flexibility in action. On the other hand, if there's a particular program or cause that your donors are passionate about, consider building your campaign around that. Maybe it's your youth outreach program, a scholarship fund or a specific community project. Use this focus to create a compelling, targeted appeal. Share stories and testimonials that highlight the impact of this specific cause. Show your donors the direct difference their contributions make. Remember, people give to people, not to organizations. They want to feel a connection to the cause they're supporting. So use your campaign to tell the stories that resonate with your audience. Share the successes and the challenges, the faces and names behind the programs.
Speaker 1:Setting your goals isn't just about the numbers, though. Think about other objectives you might have. Do you want to increase your donor base? Engage more deeply with your existing supporters, raise awareness about a specific issue. These non-monetary goals are equally important and can help guide your campaign strategy. You're going to want to set goals that you feel comfortable sharing with your team, with your supporters and even the general public. When everyone knows what you're aiming for, they're more likely to rally behind the cause and contribute to its success. Let's move on to step two of planning your giving day campaign creating your marketing strategy. This is where the magic happens, and a well-crafted strategy can make all the difference. Now let's break it down and look at the key audiences you'll need to engage in how to tailor your approach for each one.
Speaker 1:First off, let's talk about your major gift donors. These are the folks who have the capacity to make significant contributions and have already shown a commitment to your cause. Your goal here is to make them feel valued and essential to the success of your campaign. Major gift donors appreciate a personal touch. Consider setting up one-on-one meetings or phone calls to discuss your campaign and how their support can make a big impact. Personalized letters or emails that outline specific projects their donations will support can also be incredibly effective. Offering them an exclusive preview of your campaign materials or inviting them to a special event can make them feel like insiders and strengthen their connection to your organization. And don't forget about recognition. Plan for how you'll want to thank your donors publicly, whether it's through social media shoutouts, special mentions in your campaign updates or a dedicated section on your website. Make sure they know their contributions are appreciated.
Speaker 1:Now I know what some of you might be thinking. I work in annual giving. I don't work with major gift donors, or maybe my organization is so small we don't have major donors. Can we still make this work? And the answer is absolutely. If you work in annual giving, recruit a major gift officer to help find those major donors and ask them to make the pitch for them to participate in the Giving Day campaign. And if your organization is young and you don't have people giving at those heightened levels, look at who gave the 10 biggest gifts last year and ask them to give again this year. Or approach your CEO or board of directors and ask them to come together to make a big gift to this campaign. This is absolutely something you can do.
Speaker 1:Next, let's focus on those who haven't given in a while or are completely new to your organization. This group can be a bit more challenging to engage, but with the right approach, you can inspire them to take action. Use powerful emotional stories that demonstrate the impact of your work. Show them the tangible difference their contribution can make. Videos and testimonials are particularly effective for this audience. Make it easy for them to give, with clear, concise calls to action, and ensure your donation process is user-friendly. Highlight matching gift opportunities or special incentives to encourage participation. Provide multiple ways for them to get involved, whether through small symbolic donations, volunteer opportunities or social media engagement. The goal is to create a low barrier entry point that hooks their interest. The goal for this group has to beat the number of people giving rather than the amount of money raised.
Speaker 1:Your passionate advocates are your champions, the people who are already deeply committed to your cause and willing to spread the word. Leveraging their enthusiasm is key to creating a groundswell of support. Create an ambassador program where your advocates can sign up to help promote your campaign. Provide them with toolkits that include social media graphics, email templates and key messaging points to share. Encourage them to share their personal stories and reasons for supporting your cause on social media. Use specific hashtags and create shareable content that makes it easy for them to spread the word Publicly. Acknowledge their efforts, whether through social media mentions, newsletters or special events. Make sure your advocates feel appreciated and valued for their contributions. Remember you're essentially running two campaigns simultaneously one to raise money and increase your donor base, and another to build a wave of support from your champions.
Speaker 1:The fundraising campaign is focused on securing gifts with messaging that should be clear, urgent and compelling, with a strong emphasis on the immediate impact of donations. Use countdowns, progress bars and regular updates to maintain momentum. The awareness campaign aims to rally your supporters and create widespread awareness of your cause, highlight the broader impact of your work, share inspiring stories and encourage community involvement. Widespread awareness of your cause. Highlight the broader impact of your work, share inspiring stories and encourage community involvement. This campaign is about building relationships and expanding your reach. To seamlessly integrate these strategies, ensure your messaging is consistent across all channels, but tailored to the specific needs and interests of each audience. Use a multi-channel approach email, social media, direct mail and events to reach people where they are.
Speaker 1:Now let's dive into steps three and four building out your campaign. So step three is to actually build out your two complementary campaigns. It's easy to think of campaigns purely in terms of social media, but there's so much more to it. You need to create a comprehensive plan that includes in-person solicitations, emails, social media and phone calls. Let's break that down a bit. Start by drafting your in-person solicitation strategy. Identify key donors and supporters you can meet. Face-to-face Personal interactions can be incredibly powerful and having a well-prepared pitch will make a huge difference. Equip your team, if you have one, with talking points, materials and a clear understanding of your goal so they can communicate effectively.
Speaker 1:Next, let's talk about emails. Email campaigns are a staple of any fundraising effort. You'll want to segment your email list so you can tailor messages to different groups Major donors, lapsed donors, new prospects and passionate advocates. Craft, engaging, personalized emails that tell your story, explain the impact of donations and include clear calls to action. Don't forget to schedule follow-up emails to keep the momentum going. Social media is, of course, a vital part of your strategy for a giving day. Create a content calendar that includes a mix of posts, compelling stories, behind-the-scenes looks, countdowns and live updates. Use eye-catching graphics, videos and hashtags to increase engagement and reach. Remember to interact with your followers, respond to comments, share user-generated content and keep the conversation going. Then there are phone calls, and don't underestimate the power of a personal touch. Organize a phone bank with your team and volunteers to call supporters. This direct form of communication can be especially effective for reconnecting with lapsed donors or engaging older supporters who might not be as active online. Prepare scripts, but also encourage your callers to share personal stories and experiences to make the conversation more genuine.
Speaker 1:Moving on to step four, it's all about building out your real-time updates. These updates are crucial for keeping your donors, ambassadors and your stakeholders in the loop about how your campaign is performing on the day of the event. Real-time updates help maintain and build upon the momentum of your appeals. Start by setting up a system to track your progress throughout the day. You can use a live thermometer on your website to show how close you are to reaching your goal. Regularly update your social media channels with progress reports, shout-outs to donors and thank-you messages. Highlight milestones and share stories that illustrate the impact of contributions you've received so far. Keep your email subscribers informed with timely updates.
Speaker 1:Send out a morning email to kick the day off. A midday update to show progress and an evening email to push for those final donations. Make sure each email is dynamic and engaging, with clear calls to action and easy ways for recipients to share your campaign with their networks. Encourage your ambassadors to share these updates within their circle. Equip them with the latest stats, stories and graphics so they can spread the word more effectively. The more people who are talking about your campaign, the more visibility and support you'll generate. Phone calls can also play a role in real-time updates. Have a team ready to make calls throughout the day to thank donors, share progress and encourage further contributions. Hearing a friendly voice can be a wonderful reminder of the personal connection your supporters have with your cause. And don't forget to engage your audience live. Host a live stream event where you can provide updates, share stories and interact with viewers in real time. This can be a great way to build excitement and create a sense of community among your supporters. By thoughtfully planning these steps and keeping everyone engaged and informed, you'll create a dynamic and successful giving day campaign.
Speaker 1:Now let's dive into our last step planning your campaign evaluation metrics in advance. This step is crucial because it ensures that you can measure your success accurately and refine your strategies for future campaigns. First, let's talk about why planning your evaluation metrics ahead of time is so important. When you set your metrics before the campaign begins, it does more than just simplify data collection. At the end, it gives you a clear roadmap, ensuring that every action you take is aligned with your ultimate goals. This foresight helps to keep your team focused and your efforts cohesive.
Speaker 1:So how do you start? Begin by revisiting the goals you set for your campaign. What were you hoping to achieve? Was it a specific fundraising target, an increase in donor numbers, or perhaps greater engagement with your existing supporters? Whatever your goals, your metric should directly reflect these objectives. For example, if your primary goal is to raise a certain amount of money, your key metric will be total funds raised.
Speaker 1:But don't stop there. Break it down further. Track where the donations are coming from. Are they from new donors, returning donors or major gifts? Understanding the sources of your contributions can provide valuable insights into what's working and where you might need to adjust your strategy. If one of your goals is to increase donor numbers, then you'll want to measure metrics such as the number of new donors acquired, the number of lapsed donors re-engaged and the overall growth of your donor base. Again, look deeper into the data. Are these new donors coming from specific channels like social media or email campaigns? Which messages or appeals resonate most with them? This kind of detailed analysis helps you fine-tune your future efforts.
Speaker 1:Engagement is another critical area to measure. This could include metrics like email open and click-through rates, social media interactions, website traffic and even event participation. By analyzing these numbers, you can now determine how well your campaign is capturing and maintaining attention. For instance, high engagement on social media might indicate that your content is resonating with your audience, while low email open rates could suggest the need for more compelling subject lines or better segmentation of your email lists. Remember to set both quantitative and qualitative metrics. Quantitative metrics, such as the ones we've discussed, are straightforward and easy to track. However, qualitative metrics are equally important. These could include donor feedback, testimonials and overall sentiment towards your campaign. Feedback testimonials and overall sentiment towards your campaign.
Speaker 1:Conducting post-campaign surveys or focus groups can provide invaluable insights into your supporters' experiences and their perceptions. Another key aspect is to establish a timeline for your evaluation Plan checkpoints during your campaign to monitor your progress. These interim evaluations can help you make real-time adjustments to improve outcomes, for instance, if you notice midway through your campaign that your email open rates are lower than expected, you can tweak your messaging or try different send times to boost engagement. Finally, after your campaign ends, conduct a comprehensive review, gather your team, analyze your metrics and discuss what worked and what didn't. Celebrate your successes, but also be honest about the areas for improvement. This reflective process is not just about looking back, but also about planning forward. Use the insights gained to refine your strategies for future campaigns, ensuring each one is more successful than the last. Planning your campaign evaluation metrics in advance is about setting yourself up for success. It ensures that you stay focused on your goals, allows for timely adjustments and provides a clear picture of your campaign's impact. So, ambitious fundraisers, take the time to map out these metrics now, and you'll thank yourself later, when you have all the data you need to celebrate your successes and learn from your challenges.
Speaker 1:Now, do you have to do all of these steps to be successful? No, the first year I did a successful Giving Day campaign. I didn't do everything. I focused on one loose goal and was able to blow it out of the water. One loose goal and was able to blow it out of the water, but over the years, I've been able to refine my goals, strategies and execution to make it consistently successful. So, wherever you are, start there. Perfection is the enemy of done.
Speaker 1:Take what I teach you and make it your own. Would you like me to virtually hold your hand through the process of creating and launching your Giving Day campaign? At this point, you've got a couple of options. You could take this episode and go it alone, hunt and stumble your way through creating your Giving Day campaign, looking up information online, hoping you're learning from somebody who has actually gotten a result, or we could do this together and I could guide you through this process. I'm hoping you choose option number two and I want to invite you to join my Giving Day Sprint.
Speaker 1:The Giving Day Sprint is a quick-paced program that shows you how to go from nothing to a fully realized multi-channel campaign that not only raises money but attracts new supporters in just five days. Not only raises money, but attracts new supporters in just five days, each day, for five days. I'll guide you through the process of defining revenue and metric goals, planning your strategy for major gifts, annual gifts and donor acquisition. I'll walk you through the process of building your campaigns and creating engagement with your stakeholders on your giving day. Finally, we'll wrap it up with a campaign evaluation and the best part of my giving day sprint. It's absolutely free to join, but it's only open for a limited time. I'm releasing this episode on Monday, july 22nd 2024, and it will only be available until Friday, august 23rd 2024. Then the sprint begins the following Monday. So visit my website at wwwletstalkfundraisingcom forward slash sprint to register today. The link will also be in the show notes. And if you're from a distant future, long after this episode is released, and you want to participate in our Giving Day Sprint, still visit that link and sign up for my waitlist to get a notification when we are reopening registration.
Speaker 1:Now there is a pro version of the Sprint too. In the pro version, we'll move from daily emails to a full digital course that will give you detailed videos for every step of the way. You'll get a curated list of my favorite resources that can help you elevate your campaign execution. You'll gain access to my templates for content calendars, website landing pages, emails, social media posts and more. You'll have access to all of these long after our five-day sprint, all the way through the end of 2024. So if you want to go back and re-watch something and refine your approach. You can. Now.
Speaker 1:I am not extra special. I don't have access to exclusive experts, technology or resources. I just have a proven roadmap that I follow every single time I do a Giving Day campaign and that roadmap is inside the Giving Day sprint. I do a Giving Day campaign and that roadmap is inside the Giving Day Sprint. I also want you to know that if you sign up for the pro version, there is a risk-free money-back guarantee.
Speaker 1:Maybe you've tried a Giving Day campaign before and it didn't work out. I understand your hesitation. This Sprint is fast-paced, but we've got your back with a refund policy for the Giving Day Sprint Pro. We've got your back with a refund policy for the Giving Day Sprint Pro. You can request a full refund of the program anytime, up until 4 pm Mountain Time on Tuesday, august 27th 2024. You'll have the opportunity to explore the course, ensure it fits your schedule, set your goals and outline your marketing strategy before making a final decision. If, by 4 pm Mountain on Tuesday, august 27th 2024, you're not completely confident and motivated by your Giving Day campaign, just let us know and I'll refund your investment in the course in full.
Speaker 1:Now remember, the Giving Day Sprint is only available for a limited time.
Speaker 1:So head over to my website at wwwletstalkfundraisingcom, over to my website at wwwletstalkfundraisingcom forward slash sprint and head to the bottom of the page to register for either the daily email update or the pro version, filled with videos, templates and all kinds of extra resources.
Speaker 1:Once you're in, be on the lookout for my congratulations email to arrive in your inbox. For the pro version, you'll start getting access to my welcome video on August 12th, and for both versions, the sprint starts on Monday, august 26th 2024. So, whether you've made it this far into the episode because you have tried Giving Days before and haven't found success, or you're passionate about raising more money to make an impact or, you like, having a structured plan to follow, make sure to register for the Giving Day Sprint. The Sprint won't be available forever, so make sure to register before we close on Friday, august 23rd 2024. And if you're listening long after this episode posts, head over to wwwletstalkfundraisingcom forward slash sprint to join the waitlist and get notified the next time we open this registration. Thanks for joining me for this latest episode of let's Talk Fundraising. Go out there and raise a ton of money for your organization. Have a great day.
