Give your donors more Choice, Convenience, and Control
Happy New Year!
It’s that time of the year when many people make resolutions that are often hard to keep — lose 10 pounds, stop spending $4 a day on overpriced lattes, or perhaps to save for a special family vacation that’s been out of reach.
Most of these resolutions have been broken by the time February or March rolls around.
But, here’s one resolution that nonprofits must keep if they are going to thrive in 2013 and beyond: Give your donors the “3 C’s” — more choice, convenience and control in relationship to your ministry.
Today, like never before in the history of fundraising, your donors want to give when they want, how they want, and to what they want. And as an organization, you should embrace it!
One of the major trends that continued in 2012 was online giving. Many organizations (who are treating donors with the 3 C’s) generated 10%+ of their total annual giving through online donations. That percentage will increase in 2013. Is your organization ready?
This doesn’t mean you can neglect direct mail. Many people have asked me if organizations should stop targeting donors through direct mail appeals and newsletters because of the rise in digital giving. The answer is no! Direct mail is still the best solicitation trigger to giving today. There’s a strong correlation between a donor receiving direct mail and choosing to make their gift online.
Here’s what I mean.
We recently conducted a study at Masterworks to measure the impact of direct mail in relation to online giving. What we found was absolutely staggering. Across a broad array of ministries, we found on average that between 56-72% of online gifts could be attributed back to an appeal or newsletter that the donor had received in the 60 days prior to giving online!
So, has your organization embraced the 3 C’s? If not, you need to make a resolution that 2013 is the year to do it! Put your constituents at the center of the relationship with your ministry. It’s sure to be one of the best resolutions you’ve ever made, and your organization will be much healthier as a result.
Carter Wade
Executive Vice President, Client Services