So how to make sure your holiday appeal works for your organization?
Does it have:
1. Testimonials?
2. Stories?
3. Pictures?
4. Stats?
Have you segmented your appeal to donors who give for certain reasons?
For instance, if you are sending this letter to people who give to your nonprofit through their faith-based institution, are you talking about the charitable tradition of giving in their faith? Are you quoting from their holy text? Using pictures and symbols that resonate with them?
If the letter is to be sent to your business sponsors from your last big event, are you talking about the business case for giving? Maybe you’re an arts organization and the business case for giving is that the arts invigorate your local economy, driving up tourism, holiday spending, etc. Or maybe you’re a domestic violence shelter and you help businesses reduce employee absenteeism through trainings around domestic violence and workplace violence. Or perhaps you’re an environmental organization, and you can show the business concretely what they stand to gain by using environmentally friendly practices and giving to your nonprofit this holiday season.
Maybe this letter is to a group of people who give because it feels good. Help them feel good about giving to your nonprofit through stories of people who have been helped, and people who just need a little bit of money to get a new start in life. Make the goal attainable. And then make it easy for them to give.
Are you sending a paper letter? Or an e-appeal?
Why not both?
A small aside: I went on amazon.com the other day and bought a book. Just like a million other people. I’ve got my credit card information saved on there, so when I decide to buy a book, I just have to sign in, and click “buy” and choose where I want the book sent. Imagine you could do this on your website. The donor could enter their information once, and then whenever they came back to your site, their information would be in there, and all they would have to do is decide what amount they’d like to give!
Making it easy to give can sometimes mean an investment in your tech infastructure. But if it was seamless, and easy to give, imagine how many more people would do it!
When Obama signed the healthcare bill, he sent a copy of the bill with a gold seal on it to everyone who donated to his campaign. This was his way to say thank you. Once you send your appeal, how can you make your followup equally meaningful?
Can you send a picture of someone the donor helped?
Can you schedule a phonecall with the donor and let them hear the gratitude in your voice?
Want an appeal letter that works?
Check out this appeal letter I wrote. If you’d like to buy it, it’s $5.00, which will pay for itself hundreds if not thousands of times, by the time the mailing is done!