1. New Year, New Donors
DonorPerfect 12.13.12

2. New Year, New Donors
How can creative, direct marketing
and technology work to show
donors you know and love them?

3. New Year, New Donors
Flip the Focus
Its about YOU the donor.
• Who did YOU help
• What did YOU make happen
• What can’t be done
without YOU
• Why is YOUR gift critical
Credit: Tom Ahearn
Look for WE, US and OUR in your copy and change to YOU

4. New Year, New Donors
Flip the Focus
Make 2013 the Year of Donor Stories
• Deputize every board member and volunteer as
“story-collectors”
• Make it part of everyone’s role to find stories
• Keep an eye on your social sites. Follow up on
comments that could turn into stories
• Create an official monthly plan to gather a new story
• ASK! people love to share their story!

5. New Year, New Donors
G
G
Get action not just eyeballs

6. New Year, New Donors
Gather
Great
Images
Get eye-level and close up

7. New Year, New Donors
Gather
Great
Images
Make Images
Sharable

8. New Year, New Donors
Gather
Great
Images
Tie images to you – add
your branding on images
posted to social sites

9. New Year, New Donors
Using images to
engage:
Invite donors, volunteers and
participants to post event pictures
to photo galleries on Facebook,
Flickr, Pinterest, Instagram.

10. New Year, New Donors
Work your Images
Turn pictures
into video
http://animoto.com/education/case_studies#civilrights

11. New Year, New Donors
Work your Images
• Turn pictures into mini-
marketing
• Share your story online
• Re-purpose in print
• Add to your annual report
• Create an email series
• Include in direct mail
• Build recognition by using a
consistent style
https://www.facebook.com/ThePhiladelphiaFoundation

12. New Year, New Donors
Build a Photo-story
• Thank you gift • Document a capital project
• Personalized “brochure” • Major donor presentations
• Event keepsake • Incentive for giving levels

13. New Year, New Donors
Make it Personal
Respect your List
• Eliminate duplicates
• Check spelling – Cathy is not Kathy
• Note email unsubscribes in your main database
• Add a form to update addresses to your website
• Create a process for getting new contacts into
the database
• Segment

14. New Year, New Donors
Make it Personal
Tactics for personalization
• Cold call vs friend call
• Add personal notes from
board members and
volunteers
• Variable data — giving
history, specific interests
• Friends asking friends
• Volunteer led events

15. New Year, New Donors
Make it Personal
Tactics for personalization
• Cold call vs friend call
• Add personal notes from
board members and
volunteers
• Variable data — giving
history, specific interests
• Friends asking friends
• Volunteer led events

16. New Year, New Donors
Opportunities
What is the BEST way to connect with donors?
• Direct Mail
OFTEN!
• Email
• Website
• Social Media
• Events

17. New Year, New Donors
If you haven’t tried everything
you may not know what could
work
• Test
• To test you need a list
– a big list
• To get your own big list:
– Invite people to join
– Research prospects
– Rent lists

18. New Year, New Donors
How do you test?
• Make only one
change at a time
• Provide that
option to a portion
of your list
• Track the different
response

19. New Year, New Donors
Or try major changes
on small projects
• Experiment with different
email content and
formats
• Consequences of
“failure” are low and you
will learn things you can
apply to “ask”
communications

20. New Year, New Donors
Or try major changes
on small projects
• Experiment with different
email content and
formats
• Consequences of
“failure” are low and you
will learn things you can
apply to “ask”
communications

21. New Year, New Donors
Or try major changes
on small projects
• Experiment with different
email content and
formats
• Consequences of
“failure” are low and you
will learn things you can
apply to “ask”
communications

22. New Year, New Donors
Email Process:
• Monthly story meeting, quarterly visit to take pictures
• Writer develops 2-8 new stories balancing content and keyword
optimization
• Stories posted on website in “news” (blog area)
• Content excerpted and linked to create social posts for the month
• Three stories selected to be highlighted in monthly enews that goes
to people who have contacted the school for more information
• All stories include links back to site to engage visitors

23. New Year, New Donors
What Gets In Your Way?
Project Process - Breakdown Ahead
• Design by committee
• Content by volunteers
• Approval by board
Lots of opinions = watered-down message

24. New Year, New Donors
What Gets In Your Way?
Project Process – tools to guide you
• Communication Plan
• Action Plan
• Creative Brief
• Selected Representatives
Planned Input = feedback stays focused

25. New Year, New Donors
Communication Plan

26. New Year, New Donors
Action Plan
Details the
purpose, timing
and steps
required to
deliver the
communication

27. New Year, New Donors
Creative Brief
Outlines the
direction, style
and message

28. New Year, New Donors
What’s Next?
No One Way Works for Everyone
• Check and double check for more YOU than US
• Be specific and personal
• Keep growing and updating your lists
• Test creative, message and timing
…Until you find the best combinations that connect
and balance results with effort

29. New Year, New Donors
Thank You
Beth S. Brodovsky, President
Iris Creative | Communications Build Community
610-567-2799
Connect at:
beth@iriscreative.com
www.iriscreative.com
www.linkedin.com/in/bethbrodovsky
www.twitter.com/bethbrodovsky
www.facebook.com/iriscreative