Your First Donor

Seth’s Blog has an interesting post that got me to thinking this afternoon.    How do we interact with first time donors?  And what do they really think about us?

How To Buy Donor Software

My good friends at McConkey/Johnston International sent me their latest e-newsletter yesterday.  I thought I would share (with their permission) a very well written article by Sally Funk, Manager of Support Systems and Services.  Sally provides a well articulated process for evaluating your donor software needs and making the final decision on a vendor.  Because there are so many options out there now, it is important to determine what you want your software to do for you and then ask all the right questions. 

Gifts Where You Can Get Them

We are now heavily into our Combined Federal Campaign season.  Hence the reason for somewhat sporadic postings over the next few weeks.  That and the fact that I may be facing surgery on my knee.  But that is another story.

The Combined Federal Campaign, for those of you not familiar with the process, is an opportunity for federal employees to meet representatives of non-profit organizations at various charity fairs around the country.  Federal offices such as the Pentagon and the Dept. of Transportation in Washington DC, the Bulk Mail facility in Michigan, and many, many more organize these fairs and encourage their staff to make contributions through payroll deduction.  It is all coordinated out of the Office of Personnel Management in DC. 

Birthday Fun

I have been off for a bit and will probably continue to be a bit sporadic.  Our heavy season with Combined Federal Campaign events is heating up and it means I am travelling a bit more than I normally do.  In fact, a lot more.

I thought I would post a bit of birthday fun.  My wonderful wife blessed me with the birthday present of a lifetime on Friday last week.  18 laps with the Richard Petty Driving Experience.  I got to drive in a fully prepared NASCAR race car and go just as fast as they would let me.  Woohoo.  144mph makes a mile and a half go by really fast!  I well realize that isn’t close to what the big boys do but it sure was fun for me.  Also gave me a new perspective on what they do week after week. 

On Behalf Of . . .

Just a quick post this morning to show another example of letting go and letting your donors be your advocates.  Free Money Finance is conducting a 24 hour blogathon to raise money for Samaritan’s Purse.  This is the second time (that I am aware of) that Free Money Finance has used the blog world to engage in advocacy on behalf of a cause that he is familiar with and has a passion for.  I hope for all involved that it goes well.

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Update 10/11/06:  Results from the campaign by Free Money Finance totaled $3,826.  Another example of internet advocacy at work in a simple but powerful way.

Interactive Communications

One of the things that I see time and time again as I work with various non-profits is the mixed messages that they tend to send to their constituency.  As discussed previously, one of the key factors to the success of your on-line communications strategy is the ability to effectively coordinate your on-line communication with your regular off-line streams.

A Bit Of Randomness

I do have the word ”Random” in the title so occasionally it can’t hurt.  Right? 

My wife and oldest daughter and I had a wonderful dinner on Saturday with some friends, Dave and Barb, and their boys.  Homemade pizza and an excellent Pistachio Pear Cake.  Barb is the writer of My Sister’s Kitchen which is a great blog site for recipes and cooking ideas.  Those of you who enjoy good food and the art of cooking will really enjoy reading her posts.  Thanks friends for a wonderful evening.

Oh The Joy

Okay, I get to nag on my favorite subject.  How ready (and willing) are you to facilitate the unusual?  Can you step out of your little box of fund-raising norms and say to a donor, “Go for it with our blessings!  How can we help you?” 

Altar Philanthropy

Studio 501c has an interesting post on the 9th about making the best of a bad thing. To quote, “Kyle Paxman was supposed to get married today, but when she discovered six weeks ago that her fiance was cheating on her, she called off the wedding. Stuck with a contract for a 180-guest event at a nice hotel, she turned the day into a fundraising benefit for CARE USA and the Vermont Children’s Aid Society.” Now this is what I call making the best of a bad thing. The full text of the post can be found here.

ePhilanthropy 101

Here are 10 points to consider as you start to formulate the strategy for your on-line interactions with your constituency.  I put these together for a ministry I work with about a year and half ago and many of them have been confirmed in recent postings by others far more knowledgeable than me. 

These are not profound (or in any particular order) but I hope you will find them helpful as you walk this road.