Nonprofit Technology & Fundraising Blogs

The “Other” Way to Raise More Money

May 20th, 2013
by sgoldenberg

In the fast paced world of fundraising software, we focus a lot of time telling nonprofits to use DonorPerfect to raise more money. But between you and me, there’s another way. Shhhh! Don’t tell my boss I told you this, but raising money is only half the equation. The other half is saving money. Here is the secret formula: raise more money – spend less money = more money for your mission.

How do I know this? Because I used to be unemployed. Yes, during this magical time of fear, self-doubt and endless chocolate chip cookies, I discovered a magic potion to make me feel better: daytime television. Shows on during the workday are like therapy. The game shows show you how to win easy money, the soap operas show you how sexy, fake people have sexy, fake problems, and there are thousands of hours of self-help programs.

On one of these programs – Ricky Lake or Oprah or Phil Donahue (ok, I just dated myself), was dedicated to people who had low incomes their whole lives, yet they amassed vast wealth! How? It’s simple: they were cheap BLEEPs! Excuse me, the politically correct term is “frugal”. They were frugal BLEEPs! They searched for bargains, they spent only when they had to, and then only on necessities. Now that doesn’t sound like a fun-filled life, and one look at them and you’d believe it, but I’m not telling you to do that for yourself (I’m drinking a latte and typing this on a new laptop, and I’m very happy and/or very caffeinated), but you can be careful about spending your nonprofit’s money on frivolous things. Careful thought and consideration of every donated or granted penny can save you dough that could be applied to your mission. (Please don’t feel guilty about everything – keeping the office warm in the winter is not like blowing donations on a trip to Maui).

There was one older lady who took it a step further. She was a school librarian, who was not only frugal, but she was a saver/wise investor. I’m paraphrasing now because this was a long time ago and my memory is…ah…I forget. Any who, she said something about how you don’t need to earn a lot if you don’t spend that much money. Then the money you don’t spend accumulates, and if you invest it wisely, you can amass a lot of money over your life. Nice! She made it sound so simple, but there was no way I could do it to her extent (see caffeine addiction above). But what I decided was I’d try to do it the best I could, and even if it’s a small amount I save and invest, rather than spend, it’s better than nothing.

How can you apply these half-remembered words of wisdom to your nonprofit? Well, unless you’re a huge university, you probably don’t have a major endowment with financial advisers investing your money in Google IPOs. But you can save money, and then invest in ways that make you more money.

These investments don’t have to be in stocks, bonds, or slot machines. Recently, I created a print advertisement (yes, I’m in marketing – don’t hate me) that tries to show how DonorPerfect integrates with various online tools like friend-to-friend fundraising (let others raise money for you), online donations, online shops, etc. I tried to show how the integration means your donors enter the data for you, and the data goes right into DonorPerfect (or any database, but I’m partial to the folks who got me out of my parents’ basement) for automatic tracking and acknowledgements, while the dough goes right into your bank account. So with a little investment, you can acquire tools that help you raise more money, save you time, reduce your workload, save you money and provide more money for your mission! Not too shabby! Somewhere in the world there is a frugal, wealthy, and wise older lady smiling and toasting me with a glass of tap water.

Posted in donor management software, DonorPages, DonorPerfect, friend-to-friend fundraising, online donations, Social Network Fundraising Online | 1 Comment »

Using Direct Mail to Improve Email Campaigns

April 22nd, 2013
by Doug Schoenberg

Email is easy, cheap and virtually immediate, but it is a real mistake to rely on it as your exclusive mechanism for communicating with your constituents.

Why? Because unlike physical mail, a significant percent of emails are never received or opened. There are lots of reasons, but even the most well maintained email lists have less than 80% deliverability, and open rates that are below 30%. The statistics get even worse as email lists get older, with email list attrition rates that can easily be 25-35% per year.

I’m not trying to dissuade you with this data, just reminding you why it is still very important to include traditional direct mail in your communication mix. For instance, if you email constituents a newsletter four times a year, make sure at least one issue is also sent as a printed piece. Direct mail can also be a critical way to expand and update your email list. Traditionally, this might be done by encouraging people to sign-up for the email version of communications, but consider these ideas:

Postcards to constituents who have not opened your last x emails – Email marketing tools like Constant Contact track if your email couldn’t be delivered and even which people open your email, but what do you do with that information? If your email couldn’t be delivered or even if a constituent hasn’t opened the last 3-4 emails you sent them, there is a very good chance you no longer have a valid email address. Instead of continuing to sending more emails to the same address, it might be more effective to send a simple postcard letting them know that you don’t seem to have correct information and ask them to update it. To make the process really simple, consider including a SmartGive link in the text or the address label so they can just type in the personalized URL to review/update the data via WebLink.
Petition/Survey – Asking constituents to complete an online petition or survey is not only a good way to build engagement, it can be a great way to collect and update email addresses.
Educational information/video links – If your organization’s website has valuable educational information or videos, consider promoting them in your mailings. Just make sure the pages also provide well promoted links to your email list sign-up and donation pages.

Since direct mail is certainly more costly than email, I’d suggest trying these ideas first with active donors or constituents who are the most likely to respond. Later, you can certainly expand the use of these ideas for use with lapsed donors as well as perspective donors.

Posted in DIrect Mail Campaigns, donor email addresses, fundraising basics, online donations | No Comments »

Expert Webcast – The Board’s Role in Fundraising

April 1st, 2013
by Arlene Berkowitz

Our most recent Expert Webcast was hosted on March 27, 2013, by Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE, a seasoned nonprofit consultant. The title of the webcast was The Board’s Role in Fundraising. Linda offered valuable advice to increase the effectiveness of the board. While the entire webcast and presentation are available here, I’ll summarize below some of the major points:

Click Image to Watch Video
Please click here to download the webinar materials

Recruiting the right candidate and conveying the responsibilities of the board are the key components to having a successful contributor “on board.”
Every board member must understand his or her role, whether they are a new member or one already engaged with your organization. Convey that role in the description of that position and incorporate it into several aspects of your organization.
Orientation of the board should make them supporters of your mission. They need to believe in your mission, and they also need to make contributions that are at meaningful levels.
If the board is not giving to your organization, they probably are not going to be as successful at asking others to give.
Make sure that the board is involved in your development plan. The board should also have a presence on your development committee.
Several ways exist for the board to raise money without even asking directly. By introducing various methods of raising money, some members who are not experienced fundraisers can be made more successful.

DonorPerfect has a tool that helps you gauge the success of your board. In our Moves Management module, you have the ability to identify the solicitors, constituents, and actions that go into an organized plan. You also can monitor the progress made toward financial goals by running several reports at any point in your moves plan.

You won’t want to miss our next session in this series entitled, Reconciling Your Fundraising and Accounting Systems, which will be held on May 21.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Supporter-Driven Fundraising: If you build it, will they come?

March 29th, 2013
by rstrickler

When I mention DonorPages, our integrated peer-to-peer fundraising application to clients, many if not most immediately associate it with event fundraising. “Oh right. That’s for walks, runs, bike races — things like that.” Though they’re absolutely right in that DonorPages is a great tool for DonorPerfect clients to engage their supporters for event fundraising, peer-to-peer fundraising has grown far beyond that limitation.

One example is supporters who “self-fund” their own mission. For example, Mercy Ships was recently featured on 60 Minutes. During that segment, their “unique” fundraising model was highlighted. Basically, ship’s crew members — doctors, nurses, missionaries, volunteers, etc — are expected to raise the money to cover their multi-month voyage. One of the tools Mercy Ships provides to help their crew members do so is their DonorPages site. Each crew member can create and edit their personal page, telling the story of why their mission means so much to them, and how much they are spiritually rewarded by serving as a crew member. It’s very inspiring to read their stories, as well as the messages their donors leave for them on their pages.

Another example of self-funding is how Flower City Habitat for Humanity provides DonorPages to their volunteer builders. Each volunteer is not only expected to give their time and physical effort to provide house for deserving but under-privileged families. They are also expected to raise the necessary funds to “pay” for the build.

The above are examples of the power of giving supporters and constituents ownership of their volunteer work and the fundraising process. But another way to expand your peer-to-peer fundraising program is to build a simple “general use” supporter driven site, such as The Brain Aneurysm Foundation’s BrainPower DonorPages site. This site can be used by supporters who simply want to do their own thing (or no thing), and have a personal fundraising page that they can use to promote and support BAF’s work.

All of these organizations promote their supporter-driven fundraising programs, to make sure their constituents are aware of the tools available to them. So it’s not simply a matter of throwing up a DonorPages site and watching the magic happen. But engaging your supporters to be self-sufficient and effective fundraisers is a terrific way to extend your fundraising reach with a volunteer army of fundraisers!

Posted in DonorPages, Fundraising, online donations, Online Social Network Fundraising | No Comments »

Good Advice Doesn’t Have to Be Hard to Come By

March 26th, 2013
by Josh Nelson

ad·vice

noun \əd’vīs\

Everybody needs advice.

Don’t you wish someone would have told you that you had spinach in your teeth before you got home?

Other times, you may be in a situation that you wish you could ask your grandpa how he would handle it because he was superman, and always knew what to do. When it comes to the best solutions for today’s issues, we don’t have all the answers – and don’t pretend to. We are constantly asking for feedback, checking in with clients, and making our decisions on the best advice we can acquire.

To think well and to consent to obey someone giving good advice are the same thing.
Herodotus (Greek historian 484-424 B.C.)

This quote from Herodotus provides some helpful insight into how much we value good advice. We need it to think well, make the best decisions, and see our blind spots. All of us at SofterWare have always taken feedback seriously by reading every survey we’ve ever received, improving our products based on the suggestions that our clients give us, and making it one of our top priorities to continue to do this better. Last year, we created the DonorPerfect Client Advisory Board to help us think well about what we are trying to do.

Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
Unknown

We want to do what’s best for our clients by creating products and services that are delightfully easy to learn and use. Our mission isn’t small, but it’s worth pursuing because our clients are worth it. Chasing that mission requires us to make sure we’re going in the right direction by asking good questions.

Does this overall product, specific feature, or service delight you?
Is it easy to learn?
Is it easy to use?

Really, we want to know what you think about these questions. In addition, we’re seeking input and perspective on the latest industry trends, our business priorities, and the future direction of DonorPerfect from the board.

Since we wanted fresh advice from many different sources, we diversified our board. It’s made up of a representational cross section of our clients, and includes organizations of various sizes, geographic locations, types, DonorPerfect Online and Installed users, executive directors and part-time volunteers, as well as differing levels of DonorPerfect experience.

We meet quarterly for great discussions around a topic, feature, recent issue, or anything on their mind. Last year, we received excellent feedback on our initiatives of SideBar Reporting (a very simple and easy-to-use filter design), SmartGive (an innovative way to increase online donations), and many other topics. We’re also continuing our discussions after each meeting in the User Forum for any client to join in.

With high hope for the future, no prediction in regard to it is ventured.
Abraham Lincoln (Second Inaugural Address on March 4, 1865)

The future for software and technology can seem like a moving target that’s moving faster than ever before. We won’t pretend to know everything that’s ahead, but we’ll continue to be there with you, receiving your advice, as the industry changes. We’re excited for the sessions this year for the DonorPerfect Client Advisory Board, and we’re looking forward to the many great improvements to come.

Posted in donor management software, DonorPerfect, DonorPerfect Online, Happy Customers, SofterWare, Software Development | No Comments »

DonorPerfect Developer Selected Again as a Top Workplace

March 25th, 2013
by sgoldenberg

Last week we learned that SofterWare, developer of DonorPerfect, had been selected again as one of The Philly.com Top Workplaces for 2013.

We, the staff, didn’t need an outside organization to tell us this is a great place to work. The people are super friendly and fun; helping so many wonderful nonprofits is beyond fulfilling; and the company does all it can to make coming to work each day a pleasure.

Officially, the Top Workplaces are determined based solely on employee feedback via an employee survey, conducted by WorkplaceDynamics, LLP.

Doug Schoenberg, who is a SofterWare Co-Founder and CEO, noted, “We credit our longevity and success to our team’s dedication to delighting customers through outstanding products and services. We’re honored to win this award again, and as I noted the last time, this recognition is most gratifying because it comes from the hard-working team of people who drive our success.”

Nathan Relles, who is a SofterWare Co-Founder and President, said, “This survey confirms our belief that if we surround ourselves with outstanding people, and treat them with respect, SofterWare will flourish, and continue to achieve higher and higher levels of customer and employee satisfaction. We took great pride in reading some of the comments our staff shared anonymously, such as:

“I work for a great company with amazing people and enjoy what I do every single day.”
“Feel like I am an extremely important part of the team and success of the company.”

You can learn more about this survey ranking by visiting: www.softerware.com/topworkplacesprofile

SofterWare was founded in 1981, and has grown over 30+ years from a small entrepreneurial business to a $25 million+ company with over 10,000 nonprofit, childcare, camp, school and payment processing clients.

Philly.com published the complete list of Top Workplaces on March 17th. For more information about the Top Workplaces lists and WorkplaceDynamics, please visit www.topworkplaces.com and www.workplacedynamics.com.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

8 Steps to Help You Make a Difference

March 15th, 2013
by msernoff

In my last post, I mentioned that I read a lot of blogs to stay up on all of the latest news and trends that impact my job. Well, in addition to blogs, I also love to read business books. (I’d share my reading list with you but LinkedIn decided to get rid of that feature.) Many of these books have valuable advice for any type of organization, regardless of whether it is for-profit or non-profit. One book I really learned a lot from is Leading Change by John Kotter.

The book not only makes the case for why change is so important for an organization to be successful but presents a plan for how to implement change effectively. It probably doesn’t come as a surprise to you that change can be difficult for many people. So, if the change process isn’t handled well, you risk ending up with no lasting improvement at all. Even worse, you may alienate colleagues or exacerbate some of the problems you were trying to fix.

Dr. Kotter outlines an eight-step process in his book that can help anyone make the change process more effective. The eight steps are:

Establishing a Sense of Urgency
Creating the Guiding Coalition
Developing a Vision and Strategy
Communicating the Change Vision
Empowering Employees for Broad-Based Action
Generating Short-Term Wins
Consolidating Gains and Producing More Change
Anchoring New Approaches in the Culture

I can’t really do justice to each of the steps in a short blog post but I highly recommend the book for anyone looking to make positive changes in their organization. Whether you’re looking to raise more money, improve your ability to meet the needs of your customers or constituents, create a better place to work, or achieve any other goal that you feel will take your organization to the next level, the steps listed above will help you make a difference.

Thanks for reading,

Mike Sernoff

P.S. After blogging in my last two posts about things I’ve read, I promise that my next post will be about what my colleagues and I are actually working on, since there are a lot of exciting things we’re doing on behalf of our customers. Plus, I don’t want to give you (or our CEO) the impression that all I do is read all day.

Tags: Change, Change Management, John Kotter, Leading Change
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

DPCNC Registration Officially Open!

March 8th, 2013
by lsheehan

Registration for our fourth annual DonorPerfect Community Network Conference, lovingly known as the DPCNC, is officially open!

We’ll be back at the Double Tree in King of Prussia, PA and the fun will start on September 23rd. We’re offering an Ultimate Early Bird Price of $279 for the first registrant and $259 for each additional through April 19th. The regular pricing for the conference will be $349; save big and register today!

I realize you likely have a limited budget to attend conferences, so if you can only attend one, make sure it’s the DPCNC. Here are just a few reasons to consider joining us this year:

DonorPerfect is an important tool in your toolbox. You’ve made an investment in it and in us. Learn how to maximize your use of DonorPerfect and meet the people behind the software.
Registration includes an optional one-on-one consultation with a member of our team on any topic you wish.
Over 90% of last year’s attendees were extremely satisfied or very satisfied with the conference!
Over 80% of last year’s attendees said they’re likely to come back again!
Each year the conference grows and gets better!

This year we’ll be offering 28 breakout sessions covering hot topics such as advances in our mobile app, donor retention, importing and highly requested sessions for ‘beginner’ and ‘advanced’ reporting. The detailed schedule with session descriptions and speakers will be available before the end of April. Once again we’ll be offering an optional post-conference training workshop on September 25th for an additional fee. Stick around for this hands-on training workshop and have an opportunity to immediately put what you learned into practice.

I really hope to see you in September! If you have any questions about the conference, please email conference@donorperfect.com; we’ll get right back to you!

Warmest regards,

Lauren Sheehan

P.S. The conference is the highlight of my year and I absolutely love planning the event and I suppose I could be guilty of being a little biased. So, don’t take my word on how great of an event it is, instead take Anna’s.

“I really enjoyed this conference! The one thing I kept thinking throughout while observing and learning from the DP staff was, ‘These people are just like me.’ This may seem like a silly comment, but what I mean is, the donor software our Foundation chose isn’t being maintained and improved by this mega, untouchable company. It is run by people– like me– who truly want what’s best for their clients. I left this conference, not only more confident in how to use DP Online more effectively, but grateful in knowing we chose the right company for a very key element to our Foundation (our donor database). Thank you for all your efforts in putting this event on (I’m sure it wasn’t always easy!), and for the GREAT communication before, during and after the conference. Well done!!” – Anna Patton, Holmes County Education Foundation

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Fulfilling Our Mission

February 25th, 2013
by Doug Schoenberg

SofterWare’s mission is simple:

Create and support products and services that reduce work for our clients by being delightfully easy to use, reliable, and affordable.

I feel this mission is just as important today as when SofterWare was founded over 30 years ago. Over the years, we’ve worked hard to fulfill that mission. We’ve certainly enhanced our products in many ways, and helped thousands of organizations to take advantage of rapidly evolving technology. Despite that success, I believe we still have many opportunities to do even better.

Over the last several months, the SofterWare leadership team has been working on a series of initiatives designed to make our products & services easier to use, more reliable, and even more affordable. Many of these ideas will require a lot of time and work, but they are really exciting and we’re looking forward to introducing them to our clients throughout 2013 and beyond.

In the process of refocusing on fulfilling our mission, I’ve been reminded of a few important lessons, which I wanted to share since they may apply to your organization’s mission as well:

Your ability to achieve your mission increases dramatically when everyone in the organization understands and is excited by the mission & vision for the organization.
The first and most important step in building engagement in the mission is to communicate it regularly and to seek input from everyone on how the organization — and even more importantly — on how they can help achieve the mission.
Never be satisfied. Not only are there are always opportunities to improve, but that “challenge” is what inspires creativity and ultimately provides the reward that I’ve always felt is most important: pride in what you’ve accomplished.

Posted in Fundraising, Happy Customers, Teamwork | No Comments »

5 Ways to Validate Giving Decisions and Drive Retention

February 18th, 2013
by sgoldenberg

This article was originally published by Matthew Mielcarek for the online consultancy, Software Advice. He is the VP of Consulting at Charity Dynamics.

With one-third of annual donations collected in December, many by first-time donors to an organization, retaining as many of those as possible into a new year is an invaluable strategy for your nonprofit.

However, the odds are not in your favor. A 2011 donorCentrics Internet and Multichannel Giving Benchmarking Report shows that 70 percent of first-time donors will not donate again. But with the right plan in place, your nonprofit can take the steps to actively retain donors. Here are five steps that can help foster the greatest number of lasting relationships.

1) First time donors are qualified leads. By giving, the donor has already shown that they support for your cause. The first donation is like an acquisition gift. Now you should work toward building on that initial interest. Implement a new donor conversion plan with the end-goal being to establish an ongoing relationship.

2) Be mindful of what a new donor may be communicating with you. Consider these metrics to gain insight to constituent behaviors: gift amount, billing city/state, solicitation campaign, and giving channel. Analyzing these key points are valuable. For instance, online acquired donors tend to have poor online retention. Therefore, a multi-channel communication strategy is important to implement. On the other hand, offline acquired donors are far less likely to cross the multi-channel bridge and a single channel communication strategy may be appropriate. Tailor your agenda to the information they give you in the first donation.

3) Show appreciation for your donor. One NTEN and Charity Dynamics study shows that 21 percent of donors say they were not thanked for giving. Follow-up thank yous are essential to increasing donor retention rates. And no, delivering a end of the year tax receipt is not an adequate thank you. Tell them how your year ended in terms of its goals. Show them that their donation made an impact on your overall mission.

4) Be relevant when you engage. Beyond thank-yous, communicate with your donors and supporters on an ongoing basis. Communication is all about the details. Personalize messages based on constituent interests, affinities, and locations. According to the Nonprofit Donor Engagement Benchmark Report, a nonprofit’s website is the main way donors learn about their charity of choice. Next is email and Facebook. Intermingle these channels to send the most relevant and engaging message to donors. Keeping websites up-to-date and engaging is a key element to achieving lasting constituent interest.

5) Drive to next stage of giving. All communication with a donor after the initial gift leads to this moment. The next step involves suggesting an affinity-driven gift — whether that be a renewal gift, or an upgrade to recurring contributions. Use your relevant messaging, engaging content and thanks yous to expand into the next stage of giving.

While the new year brings the opportunity to launch new campaigns, don’t forget about a separate, equally as important, donor retention strategy. Identity first time donors and commit to keeping them year after year.

Posted in donor attrition, donor management software, donor retention, Fundraising | No Comments »