Kristi Scott, MBA’s Post

As nonprofit leaders, we cannot let our personal bias or negative relationship with our inbox keep us from emailing our donors. It is one of the easiest ways to stay in touch. I've seen the email format shared below raise 15K in a single send. Is that typical? Just last week, a client used this template for the first time and immediately saw a $250 gift come through. That's time well spent. The results speak to the profound power of communicating with our donors. I can not think of one sustained relationship in my life where healthy communication was absent. When we stop communicating with people, we grow apart. I can speak as a donor; I want to hear and read excellent communication about the organizations I love. It's actually frustrating when the only communication I get is an invite to the next gala. Shoot me an email, tell me a story, give me a call, cast a vision for my next gift! I give because I want to see the same results/impact in the world as the organizations I choose to invest in. When I give, I can do something with my life that I simply could not do without my nonprofit partners.

Your donors are tired of attending nonprofit events and never hearing from you again. I've been to countless galas and breakfasts where I donated for the first time, only to receive a tax receipt then...crickets. (TBH it feels like being ghosted after a great first date.) Did you know many event attendees are first-time donors, introduced by their friends? This is a golden opportunity to turn them into ambassadors for your cause! There’s an easier way to keep building a relationship with these new donors: ✨ Email! ✨ Email campaigns are the easiest and most cost-effective way to nurture relationships with your event donors. But remember, you need a well-thought-out plan for maximum impact! Just as you plan your event, it's crucial to plan your post-event donor email journey. Let's make sure your organization's events leave a lasting impact on donors, turning them into lifelong supporters. 💙📧  Unsure where to start? DM me for FREE advice #emailfundraising #relationshipbuilding #donorengagement #eventstrategy #nonprofitfundraising #nonprofit #emailstrategy #donorretention #donorjourney #nonprofitambassadors

Recently, I made a LinkedIn post about the “F-word.” Yep. “Friend.” I’ll link it in the comments if you haven’t seen it. ⬇️ The point of the post was to encourage nonprofits to use the first name of a donor in an email rather than “Friend” in an email salutation because “Friend” is too generic of a term to describe a champion of your cause. Matthew McMorrow brought up a great point in his comment as he mentioned that a lot of his records on their file only have an email address and not a first name. You may also have the same issue. 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨: Try running a targeted email to the contacts you 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 have names for and make a big deal out of it. You could say something like: 📧 “I call you friend every time I reach out. But friends should know each other’s actual names. And somehow when you joined our community, I never got your first name." "Do you mind hitting reply and letting me know what name you go by?" It’s simple, yet personable. You are only further establishing that relationship with the donor, while also obtaining additional information about them for future communication. Have you tried something similar? What worked and what did not? Let me know in the comments… #EmailMarketing #OnlineFundraising #Nonprofit #Fundraising #NextAfter

People prefer email. Yep, I said it and if you disagree that’s okay. According to a new study, 75% of individuals say email is their go-to channel for promotional messages. While 74% say they favor it for transactional messages. The study also reports that 85% check their email at least 2x a day. Don’t discount or ignore email. Some of your supporters may not like it, but based on everything I have read most supporters welcome it. The key is to send emails your supporters love. How do you do that? Provide content that is interesting and valuable.   What brands or nonprofits send emails that you enjoy receiving? #emailmarketing #nonprofit #fundraising #npocampaignlab

Great take as usual from Danielle Wallace Pay close attention to the part of the video where she discusses emjois no longer being cool among Gen Z'ers. They're now using pre-emoji emoticons. You know? These things :) :p :-ll >:@ There are a lot of powerful anecodates piling up about Gen Z that cut way against the generational narratives they're assigned by "experts". From streaming Seinfeld and Friends to abandoning emojis and their surprising embrace of direct mail, Gen Z seems to be clamoring for a simpler time they've never known. This starts to plant some crazy marketing test ideas in my head. Despite all the advice about bold colors, post cards, and tech driven contributions, could it be that Gen Z'ers will be responsive to the same courier new font, number 10 envelopes, and live stamps that make direct mail effective for reaching 70 and 80 year old donors (and older)? I have no idea but it's a heck of an A/B experiment for those willing to be embrace the uncool and test counterintuitively. #directmail #directresponse #fundraising #nonprofits #donors #generationalmarketing #genz #human #AreHashtagsStillCool ?

Boosting donations this year - got a plan? It stuns me when organizations lack a specific strategy to increase giving and, at the same time have great plans to increase their mission. You can't do more great work without more money to fund that work. It's a simple equation. So what is your plan? When you depend on donors to fund you, the plan starts with them. Here are a few ideas to get you started: 1. Build strong donor relationships. This means reaching out without an ask. Ask them to lunch and learn more about them. 2, Regular communications with all supporters. This can be a newsletter or, if possible, an open house where you invite them to come see the work. 3. Keep Them Updated: Show donors their impact. Share stories of changed lives, transformed communities. 4. Celebrate Donors: Public appreciation fuels generosity. Make them the heroes, inspiring others. 5. Know when to make the ask. As you get to know your donors, understanding the right time to make an ask gets easier! What is your plan to increase giving? Looking to create a story that wows your supporters? Let's chat. Click that book an appointment button. #fundraising #nonprofitstorytelling #nonprofitstrategy #nonprofitleadership

When it comes to building strong relations with your donors, I think this is key: Real interest It’s imperative that you’re really interested in the donor as a person, not as a chequebook or ATM.  If you’re really interested, it’s not hard to keep a conversation flowing.  It’s not hard to understand what kind of people they are.  And it’s not hard to see where their dream overlaps with the work you do and how that makes your nonprofit important for them. And if you know that, you’ll know the best way to keep them updated. And the best way to ask them for their support in future. If you know what kind of people they are, where they like to hang out and what they do in their free time, then you’ll know where to hang out for find similar people who may have similar dreams - and may like supporting your work, too. So taking a real interest and investing time and energy into satisfying your curiosity about your donors are key to your success in building relations with them - the key to fundraising success. >> https://lnkd.in/eY_8VrXS #nonprofitfundraising #nonprofitleadership #nonprofitmarketing

This man wasted $300 to complain about his donors. Recently, I had the most draining consultation with a new charity. It took everything out of me. I even had to lay down after! The session was intended to be a strategy session for donor engagement. It instead veered into a monologue filled with grievances. He felt his supporters were: -Ghosting him on purpose -Maliciously attending other “competing” organizations’ events -Neglecting his initiatives Each complaint was laced with a sense of betrayal and competition. This was probably my toughest consultation of my life. 👉Our perspective towards our supporters and competitors can affect our organization’s atmosphere and effectiveness. ✅Donors are HUMAN Donors can and will support multiple causes that resonate with them. Attending another organization’s event isn’t a “betrayal”. ✅Strategy Over Sentiment It’s valid to feel frustrated at times. But strategic thinking should drive our actions. Focus on what can be done to improve. This consultation, while challenging, reinforced the importance of maintaining a constructive perspective in fundraising. The way we speak about our donors and perceive our competitors can significantly influence those around us. Let’s remember, a little empathy goes a long way. - Hi, I’m Madeline McCoy I talk about #fundraising, #marketing, #nonprofit, and #development.