Fundraising 101
Checklist for an effective fundraising
strategy
Establishing your donor network
Your first letter
Round two
Letter number three
One more go: the post-event letter
Thank you, thank you, thank you
Checklist for an effective fundraising strategy
Here's a method one of our top fundraisers shared with us. To follow along, check these steps off as you go:
- Make a list of the people you know. This is your donor network. Aim for a hundred people -- you probably know a lot more people than you think! (This step, as well as all of the following, is explained in greater detail below.
- Personalize your online fundraising website.
- Update your status on Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. and include your eFundraising webpage address. Set up the Facebook widget by logging in to your fundraising page, clicking on the "Fundraising Toolbox" tab and clicking on the "Add to Facebook" button.
- When you've reached a milestone in your training or fundraising (e.g., halfway through the season), write another note to everyone in your donor network.
- Update your online status again! You'd be surprised how many people respond to status updates by donating.
- 10 days before your final fundraising deadline, send a third note to your donor network. For many participants, this third letter increases the fundraising total by 30%.
- Send a post-event letter to your donor network telling them how you did. In many cases, this results in even more donations.
- ALWAYS send a hand-written thank you card to each person that donates to your fundraising, no matter the donation amount.
Establishing your donor network
Open up your favorite spreadsheet application (or rolodex, little black book, SQL database, pile of sticky notes...) and list all the people you know. This is the beginning of your donor network.
Your network spreadsheet should contain several key elements:
- Every single person you know who you can send your letter or email to. Aim high! See if you can list a hundred people. See the brainstorming list below for some ideas.
- Contact information including email, snail-mail address and phone number.
- Any personal notes that you can include in your letter. For example, "I hope you and Adam are doing well, it was great running into you at Sports Basement a few weeks ago." The more personalized your communication, the better your response rate.
- How much each person has donated, if any.
- When you sent each person a thank you card.
- Each person's personal connection to the mission.
Tip! Customize it!
If you use Microsoft Word to compose your letters, you can use a mail or email merge to customize each letter. Mail merge takes a generic form letter and adds information from Excel to individual letters. That way, each letter can address your donor directly, and you can even include custom paragraphs with the personal notes you added to your donor network list.
Tip! Brainstorming
100 people might seem like a lot to list in your donor network. Some of our top fundraisers have over 1,000 people in their network! To help you brainstorm your list, here are some suggestions from our fundraisers. Don't be shy, you never know who has a personal connection to a blood cancer!
- Who is my... Mom, dad, aunt, uncle, cousin, in-law, god son, accountant, appraiser, architect, attorney, auditor, babysitter, baker, bartender, beautician, bookkeeper, caterer, chiropractor, contractor, dentist, engineer, financial planner, interior decorator, notary, nurse, nutritionist, optometrist, painter, pharmacist, photographer, physical therapist, physician, piano teacher, psychologist, recruiter, reporter, security guard, veterinarian...
- Who Sold Me My... House, advertising, antiques, boat, paint, beer, bicycle, bed, books, bridal gown, burglar alarm, cabinets, cat, dog, fish, suit, dress, computer, cosmetics, dry cleaning, eye glasses, contact lenses, flowers, furniture, sports equipment, hot tub, house, condo, insurance, loan, investments, jewelry, manicure, medicine, mortgage, real estate, motorcycle, newspaper, picture framing, skin care, stereo, storage, television, tools, travel package, home improvement...
- I Know People At... Bowling alley, day care, church, synagogue, temple, mosque, golf course, hardware store, college, health club, high school, hospital, hotel, kennel, library, museum, night club, pharmacy, post office, gallery, resort, restaurant, super market, volunteer group, yacht club, taqueria, deli, grocery store, bus stop...
- Keep Going... Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Twitter, blogs, wedding party, children's teachers, college friends, delivery person, fraternity, sorority, alumni association, mail carrier, military friends, former colleagues, people you grew up with, went to school with, play sports with, live near you...
Your first letter
With donor network in hand, you're ready for your first letter!
- Send a letter within a week of joining the Team. Start right away so you can focus more on training as your event nears.
- What to include (check these off as you go):
- The cause. Talk about LLS, include some encouraging research statistics, note how far we've come, etc.
- Why the cause is important to you. Your network and donors are supporting YOU in this adventure. With each donation, it is YOUR effort, passion and inspiration that is bringing them to support you. Few of the donors that contribute to you will have contributed to LLS this year without your help. Make sure you show your friends and family why you are passionate about this cause and why it's important to you.
- What you are doing. The event, distance, type of training, etc.
- Your personal connection to the cause. Write about a personal honoree or your team honorees.
- Ask them to join you. In the first letter only, ask your potential donors to join you on the team. If you can ask for a join first, asking for a donation next can feel less intimidating.
- How to donate. Include a link to your eFundraising webpage and give instructions for donating online or via postal mail.
- Give a deadline. Within two to four weeks is good. This will help prevent your potentials from "forgetting" to donate.
- Include Matching gift information. Some companies will match employee donations dollar-for-dollar (sometimes more!). Ask your donors to check with their company.
- Self-addressed-stamped-envelop. If you're mailing your letters via post, this is a must!
- Things to consider (check these off as you go):
- Use individual salutations. Don't write "Dear Friends"; write "Dear George". Use a mail merge program to facilitate this.
- Keep the text punchy. Readers have short attention spans. Keep your writing concise.
- Ask directly for money and suggest how much to give. If you write with the intention of raising money but don't explicitly ask, your letter will confuse the reader.
- Use anecdotes. What made you want to join TNT?
- Thank previous donors. People want to join a successful campaign. Thank previous donors not only to show appreciation but also to convey a sense of growing support.
- Use an effective P.S. The P.S. is usually read first. Make it important!
- Emphasize important points to keep readers' eyes moving down the page.
- Write a note on each letter. Handwriting is a good way to customize each letter, and it provides additional emphasis.
- List names. Naming your honorees makes the cause more real.
- Photos. Everyone like pictures!
- Other ways to support. If they can't donate, can they offer something for a raffle party or watch your kids while you train?
Tip! Time your mailing
Send emails as early in the day as possible. Get your email ready to go the night before, then hit "send" when you wake up. Many people are more inclined to pay attention to emails in the morning.
Time your emails and letters to arrive around payday. People are more generous when they have fresh money in the bank!
Tip! Use social networking
A week or two after sending your letter, update your status on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. One participant received 10% of her fundraising total within hours of updating her status on Facebook. Check out sample status updates and posts here.
Round two
- Send your second letter about halfway through the training season. Time this with a personal milestone: "Today, I ran/walked/biked across the Golden Gate Bridge!" Not sure what to say? Check out our sample letters.
- What to include, in addition to all the points listed
above for the first letter (check these off as you go):
- Talk about how your honorees are doing, and include new statistics that speak to the success of LLS.
- Talk about how you're doing. "Last week, I applied chamois butter for the first time. So far, you've helped me raise $2,000!"
- For everyone who has not yet donated (you should send two versions of this letter): "Don't worry, it's not too late!"
- For everyone has already donated: Thank them again (because you already sent a card, right?), ask them to forward your letter to their friends, and include a reminder about matching gifts.
Tip! Revisit your donor network
Are you surprised at this point by who has or has not donated? Go back to your donor network and check it out: Did you leave anyone off the list because you thought they wouldn't donate? Add them to the list and make sure they get your second letter!
Letter number three
- Send your third letter about ten days before your final fundraising deadline. You can send it earlier, but no later.
- What to include, in addition to all the points listed
above for the first letter (check these off as you go):
- Say something new about your honorees, and include new information about the success of LLS.
- Talk about how you're doing. "It's been an amazing journey with TNT. I can't wait to stand at that starting line!"
- For everyone who has not yet donated (you should send two versions of this letter): "It's still not too late."
- For everyone has already donated: Thank them again (because you already sent a card, right?), ask them to forward your letter to their friends, and include a reminder about matching gifts. "My fundraising deadline is right around the corner."
Tip! Raise over-and-above your fundraising total with your third letter!
If you think sending three letters seems like a lot, take note: With this third letter, many of our participants have raised about 30% of their total fundraising goal (which -- of course! -- was higher than their minimum). See some of their third-round letters and emails in the sample letters section.
One more go: the post-event letter
- Send the post-event letter within two weeks of completing your event.
- What to include, in addition to all the points listed
above for the first letter (check these off as you go):
- How did your event go? What did you learn? What made you laugh?
- Give a fundraising update. How much have you raised? If you're only a few hundred dollars away from your goal, your donors will want to help you make it all the way there.
- Again, write two versions of your letter using the same criteria as the first three letters.
Tip! Send postcards from your event
In your event weekend suitcase, pack postcard stamps and address labels for all your donors. When you get to your hotel, grab a stack of postcards, write your thank you notes, then drop them off at the hotel's front desk. Postcards are nurturing -- they give your donors an extra incentive to donate again and again.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
- Send a thank you note as soon as you find out you got a donation. Keep a box of stationery or cards handy so you can hand-write a note that day, and mail it the next morning. If you don't acknowledge your donors right away, they'll feel unappreciated.
- What to include:
- Thank you!
- Tie it back to the honoree you mentioned in your letters. This donation has helped your honoree and millions of others living with blood cancers.
- Stretching your donations is easy! Once again, remind your donors to find out about their company's matching gift policies.
- Encourage donors to help spread the word by sending your letter or eFundraising webpage address to their friends.
Tip! Make it easy, make it happen!
Buy thank you cards before you send your first letter. Sometimes it can be hard to find time to acknowledge all your donations, but you can make it easier if you keep cards in your desk at work and at home. Take a five-minute break every now and then to write one or two notes -- your donors will appreciate your effort.