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Hi Ohdeuk,
You guessed it: that’s my latest book, Fundraising When Money Is Tight: A Strategic and Practical Guide to Surviving Tough Times and Thriving in the Future, hot off the presses. If you’re like just about everyone else I talk to in the nonprofit sector, you’re wondering how to come to terms with the dreadful economy we’re all experiencing. I won’t claim to have the Answer with a capital “A,” but I’ve packed lots of partial answers into this little book. And I have never, ever, received such extraordinary reviews or such widespread interest in any of my 18 previous books. In all immodesty, I think you’ll find it well worth reading.
In addition to the brief excerpt from my new book that you’ll find in the lead position below, here’s what else you’ll see in this issue:
- You’ll receive an invitation to the world’s first online fundraising conference, the IFC online eConference, an offshoot of the world-renowned International Fundraising Congress
- Internet maven Michael Stein tells us what we can reasonably expect from online giving in a down economy
- Deborah Block and Paul Karps explore the ways and means of writing a short version of a long letter or a long version of a short one in Copy Corner
- Telefundraising pro Corey Gordon relates a case study about how the use of telephone contact boosted net revenue from a direct mail program
- Plus “Where’s Mal?,” “Ask Mal,” and several other short items
Cheers,
Mal
You are invited to the world’s first online fundraising conference
For just a fraction of the cost of sending one person to a traditional fundraising conference, you and all your colleagues can take part in three days of live sessions with many of the world’s most successful online fundraisers. You’ll join Scott Goodstein of Obama for America, Premal Shah of Kiva, Ramya Raghavan of YouTube, and other headliners May 12-14 in the IFC online eConference—the world’s first online fundraising conference. Unlike its parent, the International Fundraising Congress, held annually in The Netherlands for 28 years, the IFC online will focus exclusively on online fundraising. This will be truly a global affair, with live sessions across 12 time zones and a special Spanish-language track. Check it out!
1. In a recession, stay close to your donors
By Mal Warwick
You’ve heard it a thousand times: Fundraising isn’t really about money—it’s about relationships with donors. But does your organization have programs in place that truly reflect this perspective? If your approach is like hundreds of others I’ve observed firsthand, probably not.
In your major gift program, for example, the byword is bonding. Yet how many hours per week do your major gift officers spend meeting face-to-face with donors and prospects? How many of your board members or senior managers are personally acquainted with your top donors? In what ways do you keep your biggest donors up to date on the principal programs and issues that affect your work? If you have good answers to these questions, go to the head of the class. You’re not alone—but the space up there isn’t crowded.
 read more
2. Where's Mal?
April 14, 2009 – San Francisco CA
Foundation Center
Workshop: Fundraising When Money Is Tight
April 21, 2009 – Washington DC
George Washington University
Guest Lecture: Fundraising When Money Is Tight
April 22-23, 2009 – Washington DC
Global Philanthropy Forum
Site: Mayflower Hotel
April 23-26, 2009 – Itasca IL
Social Venture Network Spring Gathering
Moderator: Fundraising When Money Is Tight
Site: Eaglewood Resort
read more
3. online giving in a down economy
By Michael Stein
This year presents nonprofits with unique challenges in raising money, both online and offline, and we’re seeing a tightening of charitable donations as a result of the declining economy. For several clients at Donordigital, average gifts were down 20% to 35% in December 2008 compared to December 2007, even though the number of donations was about the same.
read more
4. Ask Mal
Since 1994, when the Mal Warwick Associates Web site went online, Editor Mal Warwick has answered fundraising questions posed by visitors to the site. Hundreds of those Q&As are available here. Here’s one Mal answered last month:
Question: We're going to see about a 20% drop in fundraising from what we projected (projected $534K but expect $440K to $490K). This tracks with at least one other organization with a similar mission that's based in another city. I'm not sure how to create reasonable projections for next year given the economic environment. I feel like we could raise $460K, but there's pressure to project for more.
Do you have any advice you're giving to groups (especially non-mainstream groups) about the best approach to projecting future fundraising goals? What are reasonable assumptions about future donor behavior right now?
read more
5. The short and long of it
By Managing Editor Deborah Block and Paul Karps
You want to keep mailing, even in this terrible economy. (And, yes, you absolutely must keep mailing.) So how can you mail more efficiently to keep your costs as low as possible?
read more
6. Who’s using the Internet?
With pressure to reduce costs, direct response fundraisers will likely turn up the volume on their online solicitation efforts.
So, who’s using the Internet these days?
read more
7. Boosting direct mail revenue by phone: a case study
By Corey Gordon
What influence, if any, does telephone fundraising have on the results of concurrent direct mail appeals?
Do direct mail results vary depending on the outcome of the telephone call (i.e. pledge vs. refusal)?
Are results relatively consistent across the entire file, or are there segments that defy the overall trends?
Does the interval of time between the telefundraising call and the estimated in-home arrival date of the mail appeal have a material impact on either channel?
These were the questions we set out to answer in a test of integrated fundraising, adding telephone contact to ongoing direct mail programs.
read more
8. Fundraising from introverts
By Jeff Brooks
Have you thought about the people you fundraise from? Most marketers don't, says Roy Williams, in his MondayMorningMemo, “Introverts and Extraverts.”
The population is split almost evenly between introverts and extraverts, but you wouldn't know that by the way marketing and communication is done.
read more
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Mal Warwick
Editor |
Deborah Block
Managing Editor |
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Contributing Editors:
Nick Allen, Donordigital
Ken Burnett, Cascaid Consulting
Harvey McKinnon, Harvey McKinnon Associates
Jerold Panas, Jerold Panas, Linzy & Partners
Steve Thomas, Stephen Thomas
Joe White, Share Group, Inc.
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Mal Warwick's Newsletter: Successful Direct Mail, Telephone & online Fundraising ?
(ISSN 1067-9316) is published 12 times per year by Strathmoor Press, Inc.,
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phone (510) 843-8888, fax (510) 843-0142, email news@malwarwick.com.
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