Blue strike webinar recapturing lost donors (updated) - jan. 8, 2014
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Updated - We start with 10 of the most common reasons donors stop giving to an organization and describe how understanding those reasons will help you prioritize your list of "lost" or lapsed donors. We outline several cost-effective approaches you can implement right now to bring those donors back on board.
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Blue strike webinar recapturing lost donors (updated) - jan. 8, 2014
- 2. Blue Strike Webinar: Recapturing Lost Donors (Updated) Jan. 8, 2015 bluestrike.org BLUE STRIKE: WHAT WE DO Blue Strike provides advice and assistance to advocacy organizations seeking to elevate their performance in fundraising, marketing, and communications. Using time-tested methods and cost-effective solutions, our goal is to help you implement sustainable programs that reach people in meaningful ways.
- 3. This is a 45-minute webinar focused on one of the most common fundraising problems: lost donors. Intended for development staff who have responsibility for individual giving. Developed with advocacy organizations in mind. Features straightforward, low-cost strategies for getting lapsed donors back on board. WELCOME Blue Strike Webinar: Recapturing Lost Donors (Updated) Jan. 8, 2015 bluestrike.org
- 4. The first part of the webinar will focus on some of the most common reasons people stop giving. In the second part, we will use that framework to prioritize a sample list of lapsed donors. Then, we will talk about the strategies for getting priority donors back in the fold. We will pause between each section for questions. And we will wrap up by 2:00 PM. WEBINAR AGENDA Blue Strike Webinar: Recapturing Lost Donors (Updated) Jan. 8, 2015 bluestrike.org
- 5. These are short-term lapsed donors; last gift was between 12 and 24 months ago. We are looking for donors with a high probability of coming back as well as those who are worth a special effort. We need to allocate resources carefully. The goal is to develop a target list for high-touch contact and . . . Bring donors back on board! ASSUMPTIONS Blue Strike Webinar: Recapturing Lost Donors (Updated) Jan. 8, 2015 bluestrike.org
- 6. ALL DONORS WHO GAVE LAST YEAR BUT NOT THIS Blue Strike Webinar: Recapturing Lost Donors (Updated) Jan. 8, 2015 bluestrike.org RUN THE “LYBNT” LIST:
- 7. NAME LAST GIFT DATE LAST GIFT AMOUNT REASON PRIORITY Margaret Chen 2012-03-15 $1,000.00 Al Johnson 2012-06-20 $1,500.00 Henry Abrams 2012-08-25 $250.00 Carlos Gonzalez 2012-04-10 $100.00 Craig Arroyo 2012-12-31 $350.00 John Miller 2011-12-15 $2,500.00 Amanda Jones 2012-11-15 $250.00 Maria Salas 2011-12-31 $1,000.00 Mary Smith 2012-06-18 $250.00 Robert Stein 2012-08-20 $750.00 Blue Strike Webinar: Recapturing Lost Donors (Updated) Jan. 8, 2015 bluestrike.org
- 8. WHY DONORS STOP GIVING Blue Strike Webinar: Recapturing Lost Donors (Updated) Jan. 8, 2015 bluestrike.org COMMON REASONS
- 9. NAME LAST GIFT DATE LAST GIFT AMOUNT REASON PRIORITY Margaret Chen 2012-03-15 $1,000.00 tribute gift Al Johnson 2012-06-20 $1,500.00 deceased Henry Abrams 2012-08-25 $250.00 suppressed Carlos Gonzalez 2012-04-10 $100.00 memorial gift Craig Arroyo 2012-12-31 $350.00 intermittent John Miller 2011-12-15 $2,500.00 angry donor Amanda Jones 2012-11-15 $250.00 crisis donor Maria Salas 2011-12-31 $1,000.00 unaware lapsed Mary Smith 2012-06-18 $250.00 change in circumstance Robert Stein 2012-08-20 $750.00 moved/changed Blue Strike Webinar: Recapturing Lost Donors (Updated) Jan. 8, 2015 bluestrike.org
- 10. YES, NO OR MAYBE? Blue Strike Webinar: Recapturing Lost Donors (Updated) Jan. 8, 2015 bluestrike.org PRIORITY:
- 11. NAME LAST GIFT DATE LAST GIFT AMOUNT REASON PRIORITY ? Margaret Chen 2012-03-15 $1,000.00 tribute gift Maybe Al Johnson 2012-06-20 $1,500.00 deceased Maybe Henry Abrams 2012-08-25 $250.00 suppressed Yes Carlos Gonzalez 2012-04-10 $100.00 memorial gift No Craig Arroyo 2012-12-31 $350.00 intermittent Yes John Miller 2011-12-15 $2,500.00 angry donor Maybe Amanda Jones 2012-11-15 $250.00 crisis donor No Maria Salas 2011-12-31 $1,000.00 unaware lapsed Yes Mary Smith 2012-06-18 $250.00 change in circumstance Yes Robert Stein 2012-08-20 $750.00 moved/changed Yes Blue Strike Webinar: Recapturing Lost Donors (Updated) Jan. 8, 2015 bluestrike.org
- 12. USING DONOR GIVING HISTORY Blue Strike Webinar: Recapturing Lost Donors (Updated) Jan. 8, 2015 bluestrike.org SORT YOUR LIST
- 13. Once you’ve prioritized your list based on the reason for not giving, you can push the low probability recaptures to the bottom of the list. Then, you will want to sort by giving levels and giving history to focus your efforts on donors who are well worth your time to recapture, usually long- time donors, high dollar donors. Other key stakeholders may merit special attention, such as former board members. Blue Strike Webinar: Recapturing Lost Donors (Updated) Jan. 8, 2015 bluestrike.org NEXT STEP: A SECOND CUT
- 14. NAME LAST GIFT DATE LAST GIFT AMOUNT REASON PRIORITY ? Maria Salas 12/31/2011 $1,000.00 unaware lapsed Yes Robert Stein 8/20/2012 $750.00 moved/changed Yes Craig Arroyo 12/31/2012 $350.00 intermittent Yes Henry Abrams 8/25/2012 $250.00 suppressed Yes Mary Smith 6/18/2012 $250.00 change in circumstance Yes John Miller 12/15/2011 $2,500.00 angry donor Maybe Al Johnson 6/20/2012 $1,500.00 deceased Maybe Margaret Chen 3/15/2012 $1,000.00 tribute gift Maybe Blue Strike Webinar: Recapturing Lost Donors (Updated) Jan. 8, 2015 bluestrike.org
- 15. FOR LAPSED DONORS RE-INSTATEMENT STRATEGIES Blue Strike Webinar: Recapturing Lost Donors (Updated) Jan. 8, 2015 bluestrike.org
- 16. Send a lapsed letter as soon as the fiscal year closes and you know who has fallen off. Do not send a special appeal or additional program info. Just a one-page letter that says “your membership has expired” or “the date of your last gift was [date of last gift] and amount” with a request for renewed support and a deadline. Include language that says, “if we somehow missed your gift, please contact us so we can update our records.” Blue Strike Webinar: Recapturing Lost Donors (Updated) Jan. 8, 2015 bluestrike.org STEP 1: THE ABSOLUTE MINIMUM
- 17. Send a personal email, mail a statement-style letter and make a personal phone call - all at the same time. This all-at-once approach is designed to cut through the noise, to get their attention. Make sure your contacts reference one another. Set aside a week to 10 days as a reinstatement campaign and enlist other staff. Recruit and train interns to call as volunteers. STEP 2: THE 10-DAY BLITZ Blue Strike Webinar: Recapturing Lost Donors (Updated) Jan. 8, 2015 bluestrike.org
- 18. Share lapsed list with board members or development committee members and ask for help with follow up. Recruit volunteers for outreach, not fundraising. Brief volunteers on the importance of these donors by highlighting their giving history. Try three-way conference calls to facilitate calls. Make calls in evenings or Sat/Sun afternoon. STEP 3: ENGAGE VOLUNTEER LEADERS Blue Strike Webinar: Recapturing Lost Donors (Updated) Jan. 8, 2015 bluestrike.org
- 19. Lower the threshold or minimum ask. Develop affinity groups or new categories for donors who have to scale back. Send a case statement that provides more substantive program info; an explanation for a position on issue. Appeal to them with a special request, such as a matching campaign. STEP 4: CHANGE THE ASK Blue Strike Webinar: Recapturing Lost Donors (Updated) Jan. 8, 2015 bluestrike.org
- 20. Analyze data on your lapsed Gather more feedback. Launch targeted reinstatement using custom campaign materials. Donor engagement strategies. Plan for the ebb and flow. STEP 5: ANALYZE AND TARGET Blue Strike Webinar: Recapturing Lost Donors (Updated) Jan. 8, 2015 bluestrike.org
- 21. MORE INFO ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Blue Strike Webinar: Recapturing Lost Donors (Updated) Jan. 8, 2015 bluestrike.org
- 22. The Hidden Gold in Your Donor File – Lapsed Donors Presentation by Becky Odom CFRE, Barton Cotton and Krista Humphrey, Nat'l Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, direct mail, file segmentation, retention is the new acquisition Baby Come Back? Wooing Lapsed Donors Presentation by Amy Ricigliano, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Nicole Titus, OMP, and Graham Hunter, Direct Media for the Direct Mail Association. See page 4. How to Write a Fundraising Letter that Wins them Back by Alan Sharp for Network for Good Blue Strike Webinar: Recapturing Lost Donors (Updated) Jan. 8, 2015 bluestrike.org OTHER RESOURCES: PRESENTATIONS AND REPORTS
- 23. Blue Strike Webinar: Recapturing Lost Donors (Updated) Jan. 8, 2015 bluestrike.org THANKS FOR JOINING US! Sign up to receive notices of upcoming events, check out our calendar of free webinars, or download some of our Blue Strike tip sheets to make your day a little easier. Mary Dillon Kerwin, President Blue Strike: Inspiring Support for Civic Engagement marydillonkerwin@bluestrike.org
Editor's Notes
- It was about how to re-engage donors who stop (or scale back) giving once the urgency of the moment has passed. Here are five suggestions for tackling this all-too-common problem: 1. Analyze data on your lapsed donors Look for common characteristics among these donors: location, age, giving level, join date, giving method, online donors v. mail. Are they clustered in one state? Did they all join in response to a particular campaign? Are they online donors or did they come in through a special event? If you can group these lapsed donors into specific segments, it will help narrow your focus and point to possible solutions. 2. Gather feedback Try a survey or focus group to dig a little deeper into their concerns. You may have a good handle on some of their issues or concerns, but a survey could reveal a little more about their priorities, and a series of open-ended conversations in focus groups could help generate three to five new messages that you could then test via email to see how well they resonate with a larger audience. 3. Launch a targeted reinstatement effort using custom campaign materials Develop materials that address the priorities identified in the survey and focus groups. If there is someone associated with a high-profile issue or legal case, ask that person to be part of the campaign, to sign a letter for you, have their story told in emails, even make a few calls. In your materials, make sure to include the threats still posed by the opposition, specific efforts by your foes to roll-back progress, and the need for vigilance in protecting hard-won gains. 4. Donor engagement activities Are there other ways for donors to be engaged? Is it possible to hold small-scale donor events in key locations or an evening program featuring an inspirational speaker? On the advocacy level, if your organization has petitions or lobbying efforts it needs help with, appeal to the lapsed donors for help. It’s not a substitute for financial support, but it might at least keep them in the fold. 5. Plan for the ebb and flow Be prepared in the future to leverage high-profile moments into multi-year giving commitments; this will make your organization less vulnerable to the ebbs in donor attention. The urgent moment, whenever it comes, reminds everyone of the importance of your mission. It also typically puts your organization’s leaders front and center in the media and gives you an opportunity to reach out to everyone from former board members and major donors to foundation officers and long-time members. On the fundraising front, it is an opportunity to secure multi-year pledges and lock-in giving for future years. When the heat of the moment has faded, your donors will still be paying those pledges.