Slow news day? Not Groundhog Day! February 2, 2012 By Ewlacasse

Turning on the local (Pennsylvania) noon news today, I groaned as the announcer previewed the next segment in which she would report the “sightings” of ten area groundhogs.  And whether they saw their shadows or not!

Minutes later, I am interviewing Brent Hafele whose webinar series “Live Out Loud” begins this month! 

        1. Developing Your Story
        Thu, Feb 9, 2012 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EST
        Registration here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/725308400

        2. Pitching Your Story
        Thu, Mar 8, 2012 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EST
        Registration here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/959999913

        3. Interviewing Success and Following-up with Style 
        Thu, Apr 12, 2012 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT
        Registration Web Link: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/812331504

Hafele quips: “You can make a news story from Groundhog Day—if you’re a homeless shelter!  Contact your local media and invite them to do a story on what difference it makes to the homeless and those who care about them if winter continues for six more weeks!”

Brent Hafele, CEO of NewDay Nonprofit Solutions, promises to ignite your creativity as you learn how to make headlines and increase your nonprofit’s exposure and income using the news media.  He’ll cover media basics (we all need a review!) and help you see how Your Organization can develop stories the media will want to run.

Hafele’s first caveat is that your organization has two media publics:  1, obviously, the donor or prospective donor; 2, not so easy to see from where we usually sit, the reporter.  To place a story with the media, you need to think about your story from the perspective of the reporter—who needs a quick story, with a new angle that his readers will relate to.  If you are supplying the story idea and the facts, he needs to trust that you have your facts straight.

So, for the groundhog story, you’d have contacted him last week with some stats, experts, locals who can provide a picture of what six more weeks of winter means to your city’s homeless. You’ve given him enough time to do some prep work, interviews, photos, and earn him/herself a front-page story for February 2!  It will be a great success for the reporter and for your organization; and the reporter will be eager to entertain your next story idea!

Learn how to get your stories placed and your message out. Raise more money as potential donors learn more about your nonprofit. Leave with practical tools and tips from a veteran who successfully placed over 90 different stories in just four years.  This three-part series will take you through the four steps of Media Relations: Developing Your Story, Pitching Your Story, Interviewing Success, and Following-up with Style.


Join GiftWorks and Brent on Thursday, February 9^th, March 8^th, and April 12^th, at 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET!

 

Handle Donors with Kid Gloves; Handle Donor Data with Double Checks January 10, 2012 By Ewlacasse

A good way to start the year is with a staff review of the Most Common Missteps you can make to turn off otherwise-happy donors.  You might want to lighten the atmosphere by making up examples in the extreme.  People learn better in a cheerful atmosphere than with a knife being held to their throats..

Not necessarily in Disaster order, since in each case, it all depends on the generosity of the donor and the perceived flagrancy of the staff member.

 In the category of database negligence:

• You misspell the donor’s name
• You misspell the donor’s wife’s name
• You misspell the donor’s child’s name
• You address “Vaughn Hanline” as Dear Sir, when Vaughn is a lady. You address “Marian Thomas” as Dear Madam, when Marian is anything but a madam.
• A donor’s name got duplicated in the database; you mailed two appeals to the same donor at the same address before the donor asked you to stop (if you’re lucky!)
• You address a 10-year donor as “Dear Friend.”

 In the category of more personal negligence:

•  A thank-you letter (gift acknowledgement) arrives a month after the receipt of the gift.
• The donor asked for no more phone calls and the receptionist phoned her to say OK.
• The donor asked for no more fundraising appeals by mail, but someone decided that Christmas was an exception.
• A donor’s  spouse died and left you a large bequest.  Direct mail appeals continue to be addressed to “Mr. and Mrs.”
• The donor asked that his gift not be acknowledged in the annual report, but it was.
• You promised to follow up with a donor in a week, but (for whatever reason) you did not.
• A major donor asked the Development Assistant to send him your audited financial statements, but it never happened.
• You engraved your wealthiest donor’s name on the donor wall, at the wrong giving level.  
• A donor who attended last year’s gala was not invited to this year’s gala.
• Your new Major Gift Officer sat next to your most generous supporter at the gala and didn’t say a thing.
• Your on-hold music/radio station plays “Give it to me one more time."

In most cases, the misstep is not intentional, but the damage can spread farther than just a disgruntled donor.  It’s clear that you need to develop (and reinforce) systems of “check” and “double check” to avoid these potential catastrophes.  Making all staff aware of the danger of a moment’s inattention can save the day all around!

Year-End Reports: Beyond LYBUNT January 5, 2012 By Ewlacasse

GiftWorks Certified Consultant Sally Funk offers some insights into making your year-end reports work for you.  Based in Colorado Springs (CO), Sally is Donor Systems Specialist with McConkey-Johnston International, a fundraising and marketing consulting firm for nonprofit organizations.

You’ve finished entering gifts for 2011. Now’s a great time to run “big picture” reports to help you plan better and work smarter in 2012.

But which reports?

Remember, the main purpose of any report is to answer a question. With that in mind, what questions are the most important to ask – and answer – about your fundraising efforts last year?

The first thing that comes to mind is usually something like “How did we do last year?” or other performance-related questions. Basically, you need to know: “Did we work the plan?” and, “Did the plan work?” This translates into a number of comparison reports: actual to goal, this mailing vs. that mailing, this year vs. last year, etc. Use your Appeal and Campaign reports to get this information, but you’ll also need to gather data like expense and number mailed/invited to get the clearest picture.

The next question should be, “Did it make a difference?” Did your efforts to acquire new donors actually bring donors in the door? Are your continuing donors increasing, both in numbers and in giving amounts?

Think of the different steps donors can take with your organization. How many signed up last year? How many gave their first gift (and how much)? How many continued giving from 2010 to 2011? How many lapsed? How many lapsed donors came back on board? Of your continuing donors, how many gave more – or less?

You can use Smartlists to create these reports, and then you can compare growth – or lack of it – to your efforts last year. Here’s a sure way to focus your efforts for the year ahead.

 

Engagement: Keys to Success in Fundraising Today December 9, 2011 By Ewlacasse

Fundraising guru and GiftWorks friend Mal Warwick takes a fresh look on donor engagement.  From Mal’s newsletter:

In recent months, I’ve been developing a new perspective on fundraising, born of the increasing frustration I’ve felt trying to understand today’s fundraising environment through the lens of yesterday’s truths. To understand the concept of Engagement, you need to get your head around a new way of looking at donors.

Most of the time, we think of donors as just that: people who send us money. But donors may have multi-faceted relationships with us—for example, as volunteers, as former staff members, as providers of in-kind products or services, or as direct beneficiaries of our work. For them, and possibly even for us, those other aspects of their relationships may be even more important than their financial support. And even donors who are now only donors may be able to contribute more meaningfully to our work in non-financial ways than they do as donors. So, don’t think of Engagement in a narrow way as a means to get more money from them. Take a holistic view. Think of the possible benefits for both parties in a broader relationship.

Four routes to donor Engagement

• Volunteering. First, if your organization offers volunteer opportunities, you have one of the easiest and sometimes the fastest routes to donor Engagement. People who volunteer for a charity are three times as likely to contribute funds as those who don’t. But that’s only one aspect of the picture. Most analysts in the U.S. value volunteer service at $15 per hour, so a person who volunteers, say, three hours a week throughout the year is giving an extra contribution worth more than $2,000 that year. However, some volunteer programs require highly trained and specialized skills that may be worth many times that much. That’s probably a lot more than the value of all their financial contributions.

As you know, running a volunteer program isn’t easy. And it’s absolutely essential that your volunteer program provide a rich and rewarding experience. That takes skill and entails management and training costs. But take care: A badly run volunteer effort can turn people off just as quickly as a good one can turn them on.

• Advocacy. Now, the second route to donor Engagement is advocacy. Increasingly, with the continuing growth of email and the Internet as an inexpensive way to involve supporters, grassroots advocacy efforts, or campaigning, is becoming an ever-more familiar way for charities to recruit new supporters. It’s become equally important as a means to broaden their relationships with people who already support them. But it’s a mistake to think of advocacy as consisting exclusively of sending out email action alerts. There are far more meaningful ways for your donors and other supporters to engage in advocacy on your behalf. For example, they might print out, sign, and mail actual letters—on real paper! Or make telephone calls. Or attend meetings or rallies or demonstrations . . . or walk picket lines . . . or join delegations of citizens to visit legislators . . . or even climb up the side of a high-rise to hang a banner! All this is advocacy—and those few people who choose one of these more active ways to support you are worth their weight in gold. They’re certainly worth paying a lot of attention to!
• Consultation. Yet another route to Engagement is to consult your supporters. Keep in mind the old axiom about major donors: “If you want advice, ask for money. If you want money, ask for advice.” Donors always feel appreciated—and more involved in your work—when you solicit their views. And of course you can do that not just by phone but by email, direct mail, face-to-face at events, or in informal focus groups.

But don’t limit yourself to asking for your donors’ opinions. Use the most appropriate channel to acquire meaningful personal information: what motivates their giving . . . which of your programs is most important for them . . . whether your organization is a top philanthropic priority. In other words, the sort of information that will help you tailor your fundraising appeals more closely to their individual interests and giving habits.

• Access. For some donors, however, there’s simply no substitute for face-to-face contact. Giving them access to staff members, or in some cases the members of the board, can be a huge incentive for some people to give, or give more. And supplying them with the email address and direct phone number of their own personal contact on the staff will enhance their feeling that their support is truly valued.

Direct access like this won’t just pay off in increased giving. Perhaps equally important, it will lead to positive word-of-mouth for your organization. Favorable “buzz” like this can be invaluable—1,000 times as valuable as any advertising you might pay for. That’s what we’re learning from studies in the new field of word-of-mouth marketing. Buzz leads to wider public awareness of your work and even to new donors. Remember: People will listen to friends and acquaintances with less skepticism than they will if you’re making the same claims!

Visit www.malwarwick.com to access Mal’s other thoughtful insights.

Don’t Send the Same Thank-You Letter Twice! October 25, 2011 By Ewlacasse

Yes, yes, you have your Thank You Letter(s) in your Letter Library!  But there is no greater turnoff to a repeat donor than receiving what seems to be a “cookie cutter” acknowledgement letter. It’s the beginning of the “disconnect” you want to avoid!

And, yes, yes, finding new ways to express your gratitude and let donors know the good works their support provides is a recurring challenge.  And yet, wouldn’t you yourself feel warmer and more appreciated if a thank-you letter you received made you sit up and take a fresh look at the organization you support!

Here are some thought starters to get you going on thank-you letters that don’t put people to sleep:

Don’t start with “Thank you for your gift”; find something more exciting such as:  “Thirty children had a warm meal tonight….” 

Don’t let the tax-receipt function of your letter overshadow your sincere appreciation!

Focus on “you”—the donor; not we—the staff.

Express thanks for the donor and his/her support, not the $$$ gift.

Try one of these topics for the paragraph showing the success made possible by the donor’s gift:

      Relate to the ask, but in a more specific way. “Ten men and four women at the shelter on Christmas Eve experienced…”

      Give a progress report on your new project, or an update on an ongoing project.  “Just last week the concrete was poured…”

      Highlight fresh facts or statistics related to the gift.  “Our society has just been recognized by the United Way for serving 946….”

      Quote or tell the story of a few who have benefited from the support.  “Sally Jones (or anonymous  anonymous if appropriate) and her three children can enroll…”  “It feels so good for me to know that you will help my husband find a job…”

      Enclose photos or a drawing made by a client.

      Name some specifics about the future your agency and the donor are creating.

      Give a historical perspective on the progress being made, and mention the donor’s history of support.

Next to your appeal letter, your acknowledgement letter is second most important letter you write. It should be prompt, sound fresh, and make the recipient happy about the support the gift has shown. It should be signed by a real person; it might even have a personal handwritten note at the bottom.  After all, this letter paves the way for your next approach to the donor!

 

 

 

 

Keep your database at a sustainable healthy fighting weight! October 12, 2011 By Ewlacasse

“Database records are like monkeys on your back—either you feed ‘em regularly or you must shoot ‘em,” quips Duke Speer on GiftWorks Linked-In Users’ Group.*  What’s he talking about?

Here is what Duke has to say about keeping “miscellaneous lists” that come to you.  (These are different from your warm-leads and prospects that are more thoughtfully sought and for whom you have adequate information and intend to follow-up in the foreseeable future.)  Sometimes you have:

• “prospect” lists that fall into your hands from other organizations and events,
• people who live in a neighborhood/zip code you’re targeting,
• a Board member’s holiday card list to which you are expected to mail the
  end-of-year letter or invite to the annual gala or golf tournament, or
• subscribers to your website or newsletter.

Except for the subscribers, you have NO relationship to the prospects; they are cold leads. 

And for the subscribers, they have self-selected that they have some form of interest, but they are not donors (no need to import them if they are) and you frequently have no more reliable information than a valid email address to go with a questionable or partial name. 

My recommendation is to not put these cold leads into your GiftWorks database just because they are on a list.  The people in these lists are not worthy of a Donor record until “something more” happens: they contact you and ask for information, they send a gift, they register for your golf tournament ... something that indicates that they have a personal interest in either your mission or your social events. 

But why? 

Because incomplete and irrelevant records are “monkeys on your back.”  Once a record is in your database, it continually consumes resources.  It nags at you until you feed it with attention in the form of more details and fresh data, until it is placated and leaves you alone … for awhile; then those records want your attention again!  If they are not fed regularly with updated information, they become interruptions to your campaigns and distract you from working your hot prospects and ‘real’ donors.  They never go away until you finally shoot them.

“Don’t create a record unless you can feed, maintain, nurture, develop, and potentially get a gift from it.”

For weeks, months, and even years, an incomplete non-gifting Donor record will keep popping up needing your attention.  For each major mailing you have to think about whether to keep it or delete it, at a time when you can’t really remember why and how the record found its way into your database, so you err toward keeping it.  Incomplete records interrupt your workflow, making you feed it more attention.  These records slow searches for your true constituents and bloat reports.  They are forever a distraction consuming resources, yet will rarely become a productive donor record solely because it was imported into the database, if the initial campaign of touches were not successful in triggering “something more”.

Granted it is easy to import and then delete based on a Smartlist that selects by Source.  And by importing, you accomplish some deduping and data grooming.  But that whole process consumes staff time without a significant benefit.   The ROI doesn’t justify the effort.

Sure, use those lists for a mailing, or three, or seven.  But date them and discard them after a those uses.  By then, the few real prospects from the lists have emerged and responded in some way and thereby have their own Donor record as a result. What’s left of the original source list isn’t worth keeping.  Self-selection has cherry-picked the best; don’t let the rest take up space in your database.  If non-producing records are not imported in the first place, you don’t have to clean out the garage as often.

The result is that you keep your database at a healthy sustainable fighting weight.  No point stuffing it till it explodes.  Don’t import non-giving donor records beyond those warm leads and prospects that you and your staff can actually research, update, contact, and effectively campaign within the next year.  More than that is needlessly adding hungry monkeys to your database, instead of spending your time working your lists, making friends, sending appeals or dialing for dollars. 

Duke Speer is a member of the GiftWorks Consultant Partner Advisors Group, a group of independent specialists who help bring a community focus to the GiftWorks development team to better meet emerging trends in the not-for-profit community.  His home is in the pine trees near Park City, Utah, where he conducts GiftWorks training sessions between chairlift rides while skiing or mountain biking.  In his spare time he designs database-driven websites and newsletters for nonprofits using Joomla!  Give him a shoutout in the Linked-In Group or go skiing with him.

*If you’re a GiftWorks user who has not yet joined the GiftWorks Users Group on LinkedIn, join today.  This  customer-only community of more than 1500 members is where clients and experts help each other use GiftWorks to the fullest and share lessons learned.

 

 

Giving the Media What it Needs in 20 Seconds! September 27, 2011 By Ewlacasse

Rich Foss, CEO of Evergreen Leaders and author of “Greenlight Fundraising,” offers a time- and stress-saving tactic that can win you friends in the media community.

Be prepared to provide the media with exactly what it needs in terms of support materials.  Imagine this:

      You’re on vacation. You check your voice mail and NPR wants to highlight your latest program on the radio the next morning. You call the reporter, who says: this is the topic we want you to talk about and here’s what I need:

• your publicity photo
• five questions we should ask to get the story
• a brief bio, just two sentences;
• another link where people can go to learn more

Then he says, “Can you get that to me in 20 seconds?”

How could you provide him everything he needed in 20 seconds?

By planning ahead and saving yourself a lot of time and stress AND winning the appreciation of the media for enabling them to get their story fast and accurate!

Just as you know what needs to be in your organization’s “elevator” speech, you can anticipate the information requested in a call from the media:

      Name, title, contact info, photo, bio.

      One sentence description of organization, logo, top-notch program photo(s). board list

      Five questions (and answers!) that you and your executive staff have crafted to get to the heart of your organization, tell your story, and invite further interest.

Put this gold-mine on your website and/or have it handy to send in response to an inquiry.  Next time someone asks, you’ll be ready with your best shot!

Consultant recommends "First Things First" August 22, 2011 By Ewlacasse

In the 80s, Tom Iselin was a successful stock options trader. He also wrote a pioneering software program to manage multi-traders’ risk in multiple derivative products. At age 30, Tom sold his software to a Continental Bank and then help the bank design one of the first 24-hour, international trading programs for currency derivatives in the US.

He had it all—money, sports cars and a high-rise penthouse. Then one night, Tom had a life-changing, near-death experience. It was a wake-up call most people never want to answer. But the phone kept ringing. When he answered, his purpose in life changed. The next morning, Tom reversed his priorities and exchanged his trading jacket and self-centered life for a meaningful, selfless life of helping others through sacrifice and service in the nonprofit sector.

Tom decided to redirect his business skills to the nonprofit world. He went on to start, build and rescue some of the nation’s most notable nonprofits including The Hunger Coalition, DrugFreeWave, and Higher Ground. He’s also published three books, speaks regularly at conferences and workshops, and has a thriving business offering consulting services to early stage nonprofits.

Having held all types of nonprofit positions, Tom knows firsthand the hardships of starting nonprofits, the frustrations of running boards, the challenges facing chief executives, the difficulty of securing major fund­ing in tough economic times.

This diverse work experience combined with his extensive background in business, education, and philanthropy gives Tom a unique perspective into the soul of starting, building, and managing thriving nonprofits.

You can benefit from Tom’s wisdom by registering for GiftWorks First Things First webinar series (five sessions, beginning August 23, 2011), where he’ll share a number of governing principles, operational structures, and practical tactics most early stage nonprofits overlook or undervalue.  Register at  https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/151065385.

As Tom posits, the energy of most young nonprofits centers on passion and programs, but too little effort is directed to the foundational structures required to build long-term stability. The result: young nonprofits soon become unstable and then they are forced to must spend their limited supply of resources fix blunders or adopts systems and structures that are now necessary to support programming and operations, yet should have been put in place much early.

For example, most early stage nonprofits wait too long to invest in a contact database system to manage their donor information and track giving.  Remember index cards, Excel spreadsheets, Access?  Managing 20 or 50 donors in an Excel spreadsheet is fine, but the longer a nonprofit waits to adopt a contact database system to major donors and volunteers, the more costly and time-consuming it becomes. What happens when the nonprofit is managing 200, 1000, or 5000 donors?

Whenever a nonprofit installs a new system, staff need to spend time to learn the system, maintain the old system, and redirect human resources that could be spent running programs or other areas of operations.

Adopting contact database software involves more than just importing data, the process often involves filling in missing data, making decisions about how things should be interrelated, and predicting new ways you’ll want to manipulate the data in the future.

 “You need to think about the space between the system you are now using and the system you want to have down the line.  You need to map out the process of getting from here to there; and the earlier you do this, the better.”

There is no benefit to delaying the installation of this cornerstone operational structure. In fact, the longer a nonprofit waits to adopting a foundational component such as contact database software, the more time and effort it will take to make the switch—and the switch almost always comes at an inconvenient time such as during a growth spurt.

The good news is once you have adopted a quality contact database system like Giftworks, it allows a nonprofit to leverage the information it already has, such as finding effective ways to manage donors, target messages, and generate reports.

Once a nonprofit is up and running with new database software, it’s important staff spend time to continually learn new functions and features. For example, there are many ways staff can learn to parse its donor database to improve the success of a targeted fundraising campaign.

Staff could generate a report of midlevel donors who have given $500 or more over each of the last five years, and then examine the list to determine which of these donors has the potential of making a $1000 gift this year. Or create a donor field to identify those givers who came to you through an event vs. those who found you through service lines, vs. those who first responded to a mail solicitation. The upshot: the more features and functions staff learns about a program like Giftworks, the more effectively the nonprofit can manage its donors, engage volunteers, raise money, and sustain its mission.

 `

First Things First - a free webinar series by Tom Iselin July 31, 2011 By Steve Fafel

Right now, the product development team is hard at work improving GiftWorks...and getting ready to introduce GiftWorks 2012 in early September.  At the same time we also want to help nonprofit organizations be the best they can be....not just with the help of great software, but with information, knowledge, and encouragement that can be by offered by wise and talented people.

We are excited to offer the First Things First webinar series.  In this webinar series, you’ll learn a number of core principles and tactics that most early stage nonprofits overlook or undervalue. The series is guest hosted by Tom Iselin, a seasoned social entrepreneur that has built some of the nation’s most notable nonprofits. The five-part series tracks a handful of chapters from Tom’s third book, First Things First.  Each webinar is filled with practical insights that will forever change how you conduct business. You won’t want to miss any part in the series because each is sure to help you raise money, improve programming, streamline operations, and stand out from the competition.

Webinar #1 - The Importance of Writing - The Impact of Effective Written Communication  Register
What you write and how you write it affects how people view your nonprofit. In this webinar, learn how to build a writing culture and how you can use powerful writing to shape images, raise money, inspire people, and influence opinion.

Webinar #2 - Branding - Developing your Brand and Creating Awareness  Register
Everything your nonprofit says and does creates images and impressions in people’s minds. In this webinar, learn how to apply razor sharp marketing and branding tactics to create a memorable brand that will help you leapfrog the competition, change public perception, and raise bundles of money.

Webinar #3 - Volunteers - How to Effectively Engage and Retain Your Volunteers  Register
Volunteers are the golden gems of your nonprofit. In this webinar, learn how to leverage the human capital of engaged volunteers to unlock a treasure trove of skills, experience, wisdom, wealth, and influence.

Webinar #4 - One-On-One Fundraising - Why Personal Matters  Register
Nonprofits can spend hundreds of hours writing grants and organizing fundraisers. In this seminar, learn how to develop a one-on-one fundraising strategy to create the most efficient and effective method of building relationships with major donors and raising big money.

Webinar #5 - Technology - Why You Need to Evolve  Register
Technology can be a best friend or worst nightmare. In this webinar, learn how a simple technology strategy and a handful practical tactics will help you increase productivity, reduce cost, and avoid a host of technology landmines.

Don't worry if you can't make all the webinars...attend one or attend all.  You will gain valuable information in each one that can help as you pursue your mission.

Date	Time	Title	Registration Link
August 23, 2011	2:00PM ET	The Importance of Writing	Learn More & Register
September 20, 2011	2:00PM ET	Branding	Learn More & Register
October 18, 2011	2:00PM ET	Volunteers	Learn More & Register
November 8, 2011	2:00PM ET	One on One Fundraising	Learn More & Register
December 6, 2011	2:00PM ET	Technology	Learn More & Register

For the last 20 years, Tom Iselin, a former stock options trader turned social entrepreneur, has founded and built some of the nation’s most notable nonprofits—The Hunger Coalition, DrugFreeWave, and Higher Ground. In April, Tom published his third book, First Things First. The book targets leaders of early stage nonprofits, helping them build gold standard nonprofits by focusing on what’s important, not what’s convenient. Tom graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison with a bachelor’s in journalism. Other studies include management science and computer science at the University of California–San Diego, and directed studies in finance and business at Harvard. Tom now manages a nonprofit consulting business and regularly speaks at seminars and conferences around the country. He splits his time between La Jolla, California and Sun Valley, Idaho.

Personalizing your Email Blasts: Fresh Take May 26, 2011 By Ewlacasse

  “All I really want is a way to send a message to a donor or prospect or group of them which is:

• as close to a face-to-face encounter as possible
• high impact because it’s both visual and voice
• snappy, not like the typical fundraising letter, so it engages them quickly
• painless for me to produce
• viewable at a time that’s convenient for the donor
• capable of stirring the donor’s emotions---
• likely to lead to a successful close

Oh, and I’d like to know who viewed it, when, and how many times.”

Well, while doing fundraising as a Board member of Aim High, a program for at-risk 6^th, 7^th and 8^th graders in San Francisco, David Simpson was looking for a way to appeal to donors across the web that was highly personal, but also scalable to larger groups.  He remembered research (H. Weiss and J.B. McGrath) that showed if a person views a message that is both audio and visual, he/she absorbs it more completely and retains the message 3 to 6 times longer than just reading text or just viewing pictures.  (It stands to reason; we all know how quickly a four-year-old can memorize a commercial jingle!)

So, David began the creation of a whole new medium—a platform that lets anybody quickly create a voice-visual message and share it through email or social media.  The folks at Aim High loved it, but it had yet to be tested on a national scale.  One of the first opportunities came with the Unitarian Universalists Association (UUA).  UUA sent 25,000 emails with no audio-visual component and 25,000 emails containing voice-visual messaging (GoldMail).  In both appeals, they “made their case” and asked for help.  However, in the GoldMail appeal, the case was made through pictures and voices of lively young people and scenes of the project’s activities.  The click-through rate for the first group (no bells and whistles) was 1.2%; the click-through rate for the blast with GoldMail was 7.1%!  Notably, the GoldMail email appeal generated 5 times the donations!

GoldMail’s platform permits rapid creation of audio-visual content that can be published/shared over every email system and on all social media.  You can see how GoldMail  is being used by a variety of organizations at http://www.goldmail.com/who-uses-us/

Some users are leveraging the ease of GoldMail on a smaller scale:  insurance brokers to explain a new policy to a client; organization staff to illustrate upcoming issues to the Board or before meetings; salespeople from financial services to software. Think of using it to thank event planners or volunteers by showing the results of their work.  Think of it---well, you think of how it could be used!

 David quips that “we must have nonprofits in our DNA,” as the reason GoldMail has committed to giving to any 30,000 GoldMail business accounts through the Association of Fundraising Professionals ($99 value) and is actively seeking other large distribution partners to make similar grants.  (With the formation of his company, David and partners also gave a chunk of Founder’s stock to Aim High—which, if all goes well, Aim High can sell later to build their endowment.

GoldMail has over 22,000 users and has really only been in full gear since the beginning of the year. Its  first big partnership was with Constant Contact, the country’s leading provider of email marketing services.  GoldMail’s clients come from a broad spectrum:  insurance brokers, appliance makers, Avon ladies, office supply stores, and colleges.  Roughly 1,000 nonprofits have downloaded GoldMail, and the number of success stories grows steadily every week.

Fundraising gurus have been telling us since the beginning of fundraising time that an effective appeal engages the emotions, conveys passion about the mission, and compels the donor to take action Now!

This new voice-visual messaging capability opens the door for those of us who don’t have movie-making resources to reach out with personal and personable faces and voices to tell our story in a fresh, new way that’s bound to deliver a high-impact appeal, and high-impact gifts!

 Prior to GoldMail, David Simpson served as legal counsel, strategic advisor, and interim CEO for communications and energy companies, worked as an investigative reporter,  founded the California I providers, and co-founded a consulting company which specialized in green technology. He is on the board of directors of www.aimhigh.org.