Number 87 July 2010 Published by Downes Murray International Haiti: Disaster boosts online fundraising – again

Once again, a human disaster s Tom Belford pointed out in that enabled many of the 300 million is a showcase for the compassion AThe Agitator, raising money when worldwide users to express their sympathy and generosity of the American Americans are watching death and and create their own fundraising programmes people – and the power of desperation 24/7 is more like ‘holding out benefiting their chosen NGOs. online to make it happen. the bucket for the donations to drop’ than According to Facebook’s Randi Nick Allen reports. real fundraising. Zuckerberg, two days after the earthquake, However, disasters like Haiti showcase ‘Every minute, people have been posting the strength of new media fundraising and more than 1 500 status updates on Facebook its ability to make it easier and faster for that contained the word “Haiti”.’ people to donate – or organise to deliver Of course, fundraising was not limited assistance in person or help locate lost to online. Across the country, kids organised people – when they are so motivated. bake sales and car washes to raise money. Mobile phone donations My daughter and her 8th grade class raised Americans have donated more than over $1 000 in our little rural town – four or $774 million for Haiti, with most of the five times more than a cake sale usually raises small donations coming via the Internet. there – and then donated the money online For the first time, three million Americans to Partners in Health. donated $10 by mobile phone, generating So what can we learn – to use in normal over $30 million for the American Red times – from the outpouring of donations Cross. The previous high point for mobile online to help the people of Haiti? I think fundraising was Alicia Keys’ appeal on there are several lessons: American Idol that raised $500 000 for her (1) Urge your mail-acquired donors Keep a Child Alive charity. (and new Haiti online donors if you raised The Obama campaign had a big money for Haiti) to give online, because multi- mobile programme, but they used it for channel donors are worth more. mobilisation, not fundraising, assuming The Haiti disaster, like Katrina and the they could get much higher average gifts – tsunami and the Obama campaign, drove and full donor information – using the millions of donors and non-donors to give Adapted from Web instead. online for the first time. Mal Warwick’s Single emails generated hundreds of While many of the new online donors E-newsletter thousands of dollars each for several of my are ‘disaster donors’ who probably won’t March 2010 company’s clients, with response rates many give again to the organisation, perhaps until times higher than normal and average gifts there’s another disaster, many of them are Visit www.malwarwick.com over $100. also ‘regular’ donors who gave by mail Search marketing showed its stuff, (or online) before. too. For example, one of our clients raised Higher gifts almost $300 000 for Haiti work from Now is the time to urge them to Google and Yahoo! on an expenditure of continue giving online, where you’ll get INSIDE $70 000 – a 4:1 ROI. Even a month after the average gifts usually twice as high as by mail. INFORMATION earthquake, the organisation raised $12 450 We already saw this migration at the year’s over a four-day period at a cost of $1 533! end, when many mail-acquired donors went Special report ...... 2 Facebook and Twitter played a greater online in the last week of the year to make role than ever in the Haiti disaster, letting a donation and qualify for the tax deduction Philanthropy in focus ...... 3 Haitians abroad communicate among in 2009. As the Target Analytics Internet themselves and with family and friends What’s all the chirping about? .. 4 benchmarking reports prove, multi-channel in Haiti. donors are worth more. A ‘Friends & Family’ approach The social networks also provided a to fundraising ...... 6 communications and fundraising platform Continued on page eight

1 SPECIAL REPORT Before you jump on the Social Media Bandwagon ... he world’s becoming more social online Ask yourself why you’re doing this? What and technology changes so rapidly that we T are the benefits? What are the risks? Do you often feel we can’t keep up. The Internet let’s have the resources? What are you going to say? us have a dialogue with supporters instead of How often? Why? bombarding them with a one-way monologue. If you can answer these questions you’ll But remember, people inherently stay the same – be well on your way to success in the social they have a need to connect and social media media space. fulfils that need and facilitates conversations online around brands, ideas and causes. 5. The good, the bad and the plain ugly… Many charities have used social media Social media has become much hyped beautifully to engage with their audiences and because of the relative ease with which you can supporters – and raise money too. There are set up a profile online and start talking to your countless UK, US and SA case studies to choose audience. It’s very tempting to dive straight into from. The one thing they have in common is that Facebook or Twitter because everybody else is Online marketing and they approached this new channel with a plan. doing it and because these tools are ‘free’. But fundraising specialist, And knew what they wanted to get out of it. as they say in classics … there’s no such thing Lianne Byrne-Hammacott, SPCA Cape of Good Hope and as a free lunch. offers 10 pointers to ensure SPCA Durban and Coast are using Facebook You might already be doing some fantastic your charity’s success online. groups to show supporters the work they do, stuff (if so, I’d like to hear from you!) – but if the ugly stuff on the front line and allowing you don’t know where to start, keep these supporters to interact with them. 10 points in mind: There are countless casualties in the 1. Share your content social media space. There may have been a PR As a first step into the social media blunder or supporter service hasn’t gone well. universe allow site visitors to share your Just look at the recent BP oil crisis. content via Facebook and the other social sites Messages on the web spread dangerously (e.g. Digg, StumbleUpon, Reddit etc). Once your fast so have a plan that when things do go bad, audience sees that your site is connected to the you can deal with it in an open, effective and greater web, they’ll use the tools. And ‘social timely way. Get your supporters on side, talk to bookmarking’ tools are easy and free them, be yourself. to implement. 6. Nothing’s for free 2. Fish where the fish are Although the online Facebook/Twitter/ Are your supporters using these tools? Flickr/YouTube profile is free to set up online, Find out by surveying them using a poll or time and money is needed to create your social survey on your site or send your donors an email media strategy, create the content and keep survey. This will always help you substantiate things updated. your time and investment in the channel. It’s a reality that charities are cash strapped. 3. Supporters talk back But just because it costs money doesn’t mean Supporters will have things to say about you shouldn’t do it. Use your pilot project or your charity and in my experience, mainly create a business case that substantiates the time good things. But be prepared for the not so and investment needed. It’s also a lower cost good comments too. What’s the tolerance level channel to invest in and I would advise that you internally to feedback, especially feedback made don’t ignore it, because it’s not going away. public? How will you moderate comments, if at all? Will you let your audience moderate for you? 7. Get a personality There’s nothing worse than a stuffy, Remember that the old model of corporate response to a conversation online. controlling information about your organisation Your audience needs to feel they’re connecting can no longer exist. If supporters are not saying with a real organisation, real people with real things about your brand on your site they’ll things to say. Especially if you’re using the definitely be saying it on other sites. Why not channel as a supporter service tool, there’s no keep them close and respond to them on your need to be formal. Your audience won’t like own site or Facebook page? you for it. 4. Always start with a plan If you start something online, make sure 8. For goodness sake, do something! So you’ve spoken to them online, you’ve Follow Lianne on you know where it’s going to end up. Countless spread the message about your latest campaign organisations start Facebook pages or Twitter Twitter at or initiative. What now? www.twitter/byrnine feeds only to see by week three they’ve nothing to say or they no longer have the time to interact with their new audience. Continued on page six

2 PHILANTHROPY IN FOCUS Milestone Thinking On-target observations in brief

Blessed is the person who sees the need, recognises the responsibility, and actively becomes the answer. William A. Ward

Charities will need to adapt their mailings and focus on the many ways that younger people want to connect in order to appeal to the next generation of donors. Caroline Preston in The Chronicle of Philanthropy Volume XXII, No. 9, 25 March 2010 Far too many non-profit communicators St Mary’s – a hospital pitch everything they have access to and the emphasis is on quantity and not quality. Carrrie A. Martin in with heart The NonProfit Times 15 March 2010 t. Mary’s Hospital – built in 1927 to provide St. Mary’s Hospital has been Shealth care to the ‘poorest of the poor’ – a beacon of hope and healing Before you can inspire with emotion, you initially centred treatments around tuberculosis to the ‘poorest of the poor’ must be swamped with it yourself. Before (TB), malnutrition and typhoid and focused for decades and continues on mothers and children. By the 1960s, you can move their tears, your own must to provide excellent services an effective treatment plan was in place – to thousands of flow. To convince them, you must especially for TB. underprivileged patients. yourself believe. But by the 1990s, HIV and its effects Winston Churchill were devastating communities. TB and malnutrition became a major Your donors are middle-class, middle- focus area, while infant mortality and the aged, nice adults who want to be helpful. number of Aids orphans increased – along When you show-and-tell them how they with demands on the hospital’s services. are making a real difference via their gifts, Currently, around 150 patients are helped you entertain them. They feel joy. They feel in the hospital’s outpatients’ department pleasure. They beam. They stay interested. every day. Tom Ahern Today, poverty still contributes to Ahern News 8.5 the tragedy of patients dying because aherncomm.com they can’t afford transport costs to get Fundraising Forum is a regular to clinics for treatment – or can’t afford news letter dedicated to the enhance ment Look at every path closely and deliberately, to buy nutritious food. of management, fundraising techniques St. Mary’s has seen HIV ‘flourish’ and the promotion of community then ask yourself this crucial question: Does in this way and has devoted much of its service, welfare and not-for-profit this path have a heart? If it does, then the resources and expertise to fighting Aids organisations of all kinds. path is good. If it doesn’t, it is of no use. on every level. It is published by Downes Carlos Castaneda St. Mary’s – along with government Murray International and circulated, and treatment centres – continues to free of charge, to anyone with Each drop in retention represents a failure an interest in the growth and take treatment to the people. improvement of the non-profit sector to ask your donor when he or she had the This strategy is proving successful and those served by it. In addition to means and inclination to make a gift. You and – thanks to the support of St. Mary’s regular features written by Downes can’t break through the clutter of requests loyal donors – the hospital continues Murray International staff, there are by not making a request. You need to to offer caring medical services to extracts from international fundraising make your Ask more compelling—and underprivileged people. publications which are reprinted with your donor more receptive to hearing it. Visit www.stmarys.co.za acknowledge ment to the publishers. We welcome submissions for Peter Schoewe in (Readers are invited to submit photographs, together with a brief publication from all writers involved Mal Warwick’s enewsletter October 2009 in not-for-profit work. www.malwarwick.com overview of their organisation’s work, Visit www.dmi.co.za for inclusion in this regular feature.) ■

3 SOCIAL MEDIA What’s all the chirping about? To Tweet or not to Tweet? – ristiana Kocis, major gifts officer at American 25 to 54, comprising 64% of the site’s audience that’s the question many KRed Cross Santa Barbara county Chapter, as of June. Those 55 or older compromise 20% organisations are asking. met resistance when she pitched that the 117- of the growth and those under the age of 24 Michele Donohue has year-old organisation should delve into come in at 16%, according to Nielsen. some answers. the social micro-blog Twitter. Some non-profits are getting behind this Some people in the organisation doubted social marketing trend. Even though Twitter its usefulness, but the organisation gave Kocis publicly launched only three years ago, in two months to test the technology. July 2006, it’s become the third most popular Then, on May 5, the Jesusita fire broke commercial site for non-profits to create a out in Santa Barbara County. Before news of presence, according to a recent survey. the fire, the Santa Barbara ARC had 166 Twitter More than 43% of survey respondents followers for its account, @SBRedCross. said their organisation had a Twitter presence, Kocis said after the organisation first dwarfed only by Facebook (74%) and YouTube Tweeted about the fire, the number of followers (46.5%), according to The Nonprofit Social started ‘growing exponentially’. She started Network Survey Report, completed by Nonprofit sending out minute-to-minute updates about the Technology Network (NTEN), Common fire – from directions to shelters to what to grab Knowledge and ThePort. during the emergency evacuation. And it’s a new channel for most – 93.9% Information of the organisations using Twitter reported using ‘This was something I envisioned when it for one year or less, according to the survey. I initially pitched the idea of doing the social That means most organisations are just out of media programme. People are going to be the gate and that more organisations have plenty turning to us for the information and looking of opportunities to join the race. to the Red Cross immediately to know where ‘I would say if you’re a small or a large the shelters are going to be and how to get organisation you have an equal voice on Twitter, there and what’s going on,’ said Kocis. so it’s a good place to start,’ said Danielle Brigida, The Twitter community grew to more than social media outreach co-ordinator at National 600 followers, with many people retweeting the Wildlife Federation (NWF) in Washington, D.C. information Santa Barbara ARC provided. Many Brigida signed the organisation up for local and national news outlets, such as CNN, Twitter, @NWF; two years ago. NWF’s Twitter started following the Santa Barbara ARCTwitter account has nearly 16 000 followers, but Brigida for updates. said most of that growth happened recently – Even a board member started following skyrocketing by more than 10 000 followers the organisation’s Twitter the day the fire since late last September. started, and contacted upper management about Touch-point how useful Twitter was to the community. The @NWF serves as an immediate touch- That impact now has the organisation ‘totally point with followers and those interested in converted,’ according to Kocis. Now the wildlife. The updates range from a video of organisation has more than 700 followers. baby raccoons saved from a vending machine ‘It shows it is valuable and people are to signups for the Great American Backyard listening to us. It’s not just us blasting to open Campout. The updates are meant to inform space and no one is listening. People are paying and entertain, and ultimately draw people into attention and it really caught on,’ said Kocis. ‘It’s NWF and the mission. not your grandma’s Red Cross anymore.’ Brigida also Tweets from her personal Twitter is a social media site where account, @starfocus, as another way to information is sent out in 140 characters or less. communicate with supporters and tie in her For example, the previous sentence was 91 love of wildlife. ‘It just gives me more freedom characters. Information is sent in real time to with what I can say and I use a lot of smiley those who opt-in to your communications and faces. It may annoy them if I do that from can be searched by anyone. NWF,’ she said. And this tool has exploded in recent Rachel Weidinger, marketing director months. Unique visitors to Twitter grew from and senior consultant at San Francisco-based nearly 1 million unique visitors in June 2008 Common Knowledge, explained that Twitter compared to 21 million unique visitors in June messages should have some personality if you 2009 – a 1 928% increase in a year, according to want to gather and keep followers. latest statistics from The Nielsen Company. And the largest Twitter growth demographic is ages Continued on page 5

4 SOCIAL MEDIA What’s all the chirping about? (cont.) ‘I think part of it is being able to show enough time to take on this new responsibility. the human-side of the organisation,’ she said. ‘The tricky part becomes thinking about ‘I wouldn’t recommend Tweeting out links to how you break messaging up into addresses that you like. But when you show a 140 characters and do that over more personal side, or your personal attachment time and apply the manpower to the mission, it has big wins on Twitter.” that makes it cost effective,’ And, don’t think like an organisation. Patrick said. Twitter isn’t a channel to just repost your press The time and energy releases. ‘If you are on Twitter, I would say put into Twitter varies by don’t just broadcast,’ said Brigida. She said the organisation. Santa Barbara ‘give and take’ Twitter community doesn’t work ARC’s Kocis said organisations if your organisation is just putting information could always find a spare 30 seconds to send out, without interacting with any followers. out a Tweet. Minsky explained, ‘I think the ‘I think being a part of the conversation is quality of the communication and the quality really the key to Twitter, and for that matter is of the Tweets will be key in the growth’ and important in all forms of social media.’ non-profits shouldn’t bombard followers with Megaphone hundreds of messages a day. ‘Twitter as a tool is about conversation Brigida said most days she Tweets around so just sending out links is not going to help five times a day and more on special days you be a part of the conversation. That’s the honouring wildlife, such as Endangered Species megaphone style of social media – and it Day. Dunn said he spends around 10 hours a doesn’t work,’ said Jon Dunn, social media week on Twitter, but that includes the weekends. manager at Best Friends Animal Society in And sometimes it’s not what you send out Kanab, Utah, and @bfas on Twitter. that’s the most important. ‘The listening alone Dunn explained that sending out links to and tracking your name is really valuable,’ your followers is fine sometimes – but Twitter is said Brigida. She said, for example, a man was more about conversation than self-promotion. determining on Twitter from which organisation ‘For example, the largest response we ever had he should make a symbolic adoption, which is on Twitter was when I asked whether or not actually a donation. Brigida was able to send you let your dogs sleep in the bed with you. him a Tweet about NWF’s adoptions and that Dozens of @replies and new followers later personal connection led to his donation. were part of the conversation. Brigida said she sometimes searches ‘Then people were more likely to see us as for people Tweeting about NWF and its a friend and then follow and retweet links we programmes, such as Ranger Rick, and general sent out,’ he said. Tweets regarding wildlife. Jeff Patrick, president and founder of She tries to make a connection with Common Knowledge, said Twitter is a ‘great way people by responding to their Tweets or signing to build a relationship with someone,’ especially up to follow them. In turn, she hopes the people if the organisation’s Twitter has some personality. she elects to follow from @NWF decide to follow ‘It’s not so much the organisation as the organisation. it is someone in the organisation and that Search tool personification of that organisation through Dunn recommended nonprofit use the tool that person on Twitter,’ he said. He said that http://search.twitter.com to see if there are Tweets Twitter is just another tool to help followers about the organisation or affiliate programmes, climb the ladder of engagement. The difference as he does for DogTown, a Best Friends Animal is that instead of an eight-page direct mail Sanctuary department featured in a National piece, the relationship grows over shorter, Geographic Channel show with the same name. more frequent communication. That way, fans of the show can make the The first step would be to decide if you connection to the organisation’s programme. even want a Twitter presence. ‘You want to be ‘There are major fans out there of every forward thinking but you also don’t want to organisation, and finding them and connecting invest in tools that don’t have a future or won’t is a real key to success. They are likely to be the evolve long-term tools,’ said Juliana Minsky, ones to retweet your stuff and respond to your partner of SurfMedia Communications in requests,’ he said. Santa Barbara, California. ‘I also think growing the followers SurfMedia helped Santa Barbara ARC set organically is the right way to do it. I have never up its Twitter, as well as the organisation’s blog once run a contest to get more followers. The and Facebook presence. followers we have I want them to want to be Dunn explained that Twitter, like any there to hear what we have to say, otherwise other social media, isn’t the be all, end all. ‘You what’s the point?’ Dunn asked rhetorically. Adapted from never want to do anything in life half way, social ‘At a certain point when you become a The Non-Profit Times media is no different,’ he said. Figure out which good citizen within the community, your need 15 September, 2009 person in the organisation would be responsible to search for new followers will slow down as for Twitter and ask yourself if that person has people begin to recommend you,’ he said. ■ Visit www.nptimes.com

5 SPECIAL REPORT

Before you jump on the Social Media Bandwagon ... (cont.) Continued on page two

Your website (remember that?) needs to take over and finish the job. Make your audience work – but not too hard! Do they need to donate, sign a pledge, download a file? Draw them to your site (not your home page!) and let them do something. 9. Get a little help from friends It’s been proven that people are more likely to respond favourably to something if and build from there. they see their friends or family have responded Again, within the context of a bigger digital the same way. Facebook recently introduced strategy, measure the things that make sense to ‘like’ buttons for content on websites other your charity. But make sure you do measure or than Facebook. They’re revolutionising the else all this activity is in vain. way people shop, consume information and If all of this is overwhelming, take a step donate online. back and go back to point four. Ask yourself Install the new Facebook social plugins ‘so what?’. So what if you don’t have a Facebook on your site (again within the context of your profile, so what if you don’t speak to your bigger digital strategy). Start small and pilot the supporters in the online spaces they occupy? response. You may be pleasantly surprised. What will happen? 10. Show me the money! Remember your current donor base will Where’s the Return On Investment (ROI)? not be around forever so you need to start This is the million-Rand question. How do you engaging now with younger audiences in their measure all this? How do you make money spaces so that you can start to be taken seriously from it? Well your website should start and become relevant in their lives. showing you visits from Facebook or Twitter But above all, ignore the hype, know what or LinkedIn (whatever your tool of choice). you want to achieve, get some help and in the If you’ve set up Google Analytics properly, words of the famous World War 2 poster ‘keep it might even show you who’s converting calm and carry on!’ (i.e. doing something like donating or signing Lianne is an online marketing/fundraising up to your newsletter). specialist, with more than 10 years experience Look at the bigger picture – measuring how (offline and online), working client side for large people got to hear about your charity, as well as corporates, running her own consultancy and how this has affected your retention rate. You working agency side. might see some surprising results offline. Passionate about the Not for Profit/NGO There are also great free tools to measure sector and utilising the web to deliver results, how strong your voice is online, what people Lianne’s also keen to see more done on the are saying about you, how many followers and web accessibility front. Follow her on Twitter ‘likes’ you’ve picked up. Start with a benchmark at www.twitter.com/byrnine ■

Great (free!) newsletters and websites

here are many free online newsletters you Sangonet – A Development Tmight want to subscribe to. Here is just a Information Portal for NGOs in South Africa – small selection of what’s available online: www.ngopulse.org The Showcase of Fundraising Innovation Fundraising Success – The Fundraiser’s and Inspiration (SOFII) – www.sofii.org Complete Source for Multichannel Strategy Fundraising & Advocacy Strategies, Trends, and Integration Techniques – Tips ... with an Edge – www.theagitator.net www.fundraisingsuccessmag.com Social Citizens – a website dedicated to The Case Foundation – Investing in social causes www.socialcitizens.org/blog People and Ideas that Can Change the World – Third Sector, keeping you updated www.casefoundation.org on non-profit news from the UK – Bizcommunity.com – Daily Media, www.thirdsector.co.uk Marketing and Advertising News. ■

6 DONORS A ‘Friends & Family’ approach to fundraising ary’s one of your loyal supporters. She an audience you’ll never reach using direct mail, It’s every fundraiser’s Mreally cares about your cause. So Mary for example. dream – to have loyal goes to a party one evening where she mingles Loyalty supporters who are with friends and neighbours. Plus, you’ll engage your current donors brand ambassadors You come along with her. Between sips for greater loyalty – making them feel good and help you to recruit of wine and nibbles of cheese, she starts talking about doing something other than giving more supporters. This about things that matter to her. And, of course, money. In fact, a recent survey of UK donors report by Joe White your cause comes up! She says how happy found that 60% would be willing to do and Steve Hubley. she is that your organisation is really making something for a charity they support other a difference. than simply giving money. Mary’s friends concur that it’s good to Here’s how the programme works: know something’s being done about this issue, ● We conduct data analysis upfront to identify and they congratulate you on your work. donors most likely to volunteer. So Mary invites them to join her in ● We set a provocative campaign theme and supporting your cause by making a first-time ambitious but achievable goals. donation. The next day she sends you the ● We phone selected current and recently cheques she’s collected. lapsed donors using an early script disclaimer In a month or so, you contact the new that the purpose of the call is not to ask them friends Mary introduced to you and you say, to ‘make a donation’. ‘Remember me? I met you at the party with The pitch is simple: The organisation needs Mary. I’d like to talk to you some more.’ And their help to reach more people to do more off you go cultivating your own relationships. great things, such as protect animals, find a cure Now what if you had thousands of ‘Marys’ for diabetes, or fulfil some other mission that doing the same thing all over the place? evokes passion. We fundraisers can sometimes overlook the We ask donors to become ‘volunteers’ obvious and make things too complicated. The by sending pre-printed, first-person letters in fact is: Every charity has its own ‘missionaries’ – the mail to 10 friends or family members, and those folks who love what you do and are we assign each volunteer a modest goal that’s ready to help beyond just writing you a cheque – related to her or his own giving level. if you simply ask and equip them properly. We send each volunteer a simple, highly In recent months, we’ve had great success personalised kit – that’s not too expensive – and with an integrated direct marketing programme includes letters, envelopes, and a personalised that harnesses the power and passion of our Appreciation Certificate. (The kit can even be clients’ missionaries to acquire new donors. customised based on more personal information, This is a ‘Friends & Family’ if you have it on your file.) programme a little like the marketing campaigns We also create a personalised Web site that commercial companies use to gain for each volunteer, so his or her ‘family new subscribers. and friends’ can make their gifts online by Unique approach credit card instead of sending cheques to the However, in our case, we put together volunteer. Volunteers can use their personal both offline and online tactics and tools (phone, Web sites to check on their progress and online, and variable data print) to recruit, equip, send follow-up letters by email. and motivate missionaries to acquire new Whether online or by postal mail, new donors. This is a unique approach, we believe. donors send their gifts to the volunteers, Now, you probably want to know whether who bundle them and return the gifts in our approach works or is just an intriguing idea – larger envelopes to the charity. Online donor and the answer to that question is simple: Yes. information is captured and sent electronically A national humane organisation, a public to the charity as well. issue advocacy charity, a children’s hospital, a To make sure as many kits are returned primary disease charity – all of these and more as possible, we send a gentle reminder letter to have found success using this programme. volunteers a few weeks after they’ve received While we wouldn’t suggest you drop your their kits. Adapted from current acquisition efforts in favour of this one – Our more sophisticated clients continue to Mal Warwick’s even if it worked terrifically for you – we do use the volunteers’ names on follow-up mailings E-newsletter think it’s worth a closer look as a possible way and in phone calls – a crucial element, we to augment your acquisition efforts. believe, because you can’t treat these new donors November 2009 Using the commitment of your own the way you might treat new direct mail donors. Visit supporters to reach out to their personal www.aherncomm.com networks brings you a whole new audience – Continued on page eight

7 Fundraising Forum is DONORS edited by Richard Solomon and published by Downes Murray International. A ‘Friends & Family’ approach ... (cont.) Views expressed are not necessarily those of Continued from page seven If you spend the same amount of the publisher. It’s important to keep the connection money with an integrated ‘Friends & Family’ alive with the volunteer – it’s the reason they programme of the sort we’ve described, gave in the first place! you’ll likely end up having recruited more Downes Murray The bottom line is that this integrated than 27 000 missionaries, about 21 000 strategy is bringing on new donors at break- donations at an average of R200, almost International even or even realising a modest profit per 16 000 brand-new donors – and, possibly, Downes Murray International donor. We’re not certain every organisation a profit per new donor. are fundraising consultants, will realise new donors and net revenue, but Truth be told, the second gift the personal touch and offline/online strategies conversion via direct mail to these newly working with non-profit and make this programme worth a closer look. acquired donors is likely to be lower than non-government organisations An extra plus is that often the volunteers it is with traditionally acquired direct mail of all kinds, to increase their subsequently respond better to direct mail donors – but you’ve got more new donors fundraising effectiveness. appeals, which makes perfect sense since that you would have never acquired via We offer feasibility studies, now they’re really committed. direct mail. strategic planning workshops, Let’s say in your traditional direct mail The challenge you’ll face is figuring out direct mail fundraising, mail/ acquisition programme you spend R500 000 how to cultivate these new donors. to drop 50 000 pieces. Some will give via direct mail, some will phone, corporate and capital If you’re like many mailers these days never give again, and some small percentage fundraising campaigns, and get a 1% response and R200 average gift, might become major gift or bequest prospects. Internet fundraising and you’re losing about R800 per new donor – So far, it looks as though the whole effort is website design, church a R400 000 investment. If your second gift well worth confronting this challenge! fundraising and bequest conversion is, say, 50%, you’ve recouped Joe White can be reached at promotion programmes. another R50 000, but you still need another [email protected], Steve Hubley In addition, Downes 1 750 gifts to break even. at [email protected]. ■ Murray International has close links with a number Haiti: Disaster boosts online fundraising – again (cont.) of fundraising consultancies Continued from page one edge of a donor viewpoint that says, ‘I’ll across the globe, and choose when to give and I won’t give represents DVA Navion (2) Understand that mobile fundraising you my information so you won’t bother International Consultancy may have a big future, but it’s not yet going me,’ as Target Software founder Chuck in Africa, enabling us to to make a difference for most organisations. Longfield suggests. keep a finger on the pulse First, you have to be able to reach (3) Facebook, Twitter, iPhones, and millions of people – the White House whatever comes next are going to play an of international trends promoted the Red Cross short code – or ever larger role in fundraising, even if you and techniques. For more you have to have American Idol or Bono can’t easily measure the ROI from social information contact us. on a 50-city tour. Second, the average gift communications. Dedicate more staff time (so far) is capped at $10 and you don’t to building relationships with donors and get any donor data except the mobile other supporters who use the networks, and Durban number and a very limited ability to use it try to figure out the revenue stream as well. Tel. 031 207-3755 for cultivation and fundraising. In addition, Nick Allen is Co-founder and Chief the carriers and service providers take a Strategy Officer of Donordigital, an online Website cut. What’s worse – at least by our usual fundraising, marketing, and advertising www.dmi.co.za thinking – is that it may be the cutting company. Contact [email protected] ■ E-mail “Reprinted with acknowledgement to ...” [email protected] undraising Forum prides itself on keeping South African fundraisers right Fup-to-date with developing attitudes, trends and techniques, both here and overseas. We are grateful to the following international publications, which are regularly quoted and highly recommended: • Successful Fund Raising, PO Box 4528, Sioux City, Iowa, 51104, USA, (12 issues per annum $159) website: www.stevensoninc.com • The Non-Profi t Times, 190 Tamarack Circle, Skillman, NJ08558, USA, ($129 per annum) website: www.nptimes.com • The Chronicle of Philanthropy, PO Box 1989, Marion, Ohio, 43306, USA, (24 issues – one annum at $95) website: http://philanthropy.com If you would like additional TM copies of Fundraising Forum • Successful Direct Mail, Telephone and Online Fundraising. Subscribe for free or would like to add names to at www.malwarwick.com/newsletter our mailing list please e-mail: • Ahern E-News. Subscribe for free at www.AhernComm.com [email protected]

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