The natural experiment forced on us by COVID-19 has pushed everyone to pivot and think differently. The planned giving world was no exception. Here’s how the recent past can direct our fundraising future. Continue reading The Real Impact of 2020 on Fundraising: What We Lost, What We Gained
With our world upside down and events all around us being canceled, new opportunities to share and connect are emerging. Earlier this week, nearly 1,000 fundraisers gathered around their own respective viewing devices for the first-ever AFP ICON VIRTUAL Conference—including Danny Herzberg, Stelter Regional Account Representative. I sat down with Danny to hear his biggest takeaways from the conference. Continue reading 3 Themes From the First-Ever AFP ICON VIRTUAL Conference
Take the scare out of planned giving. Here’s how to discuss 5 common donor hesitations and make planned giving a treat to complete. Continue reading Planned Giving Doesn’t Have to Be Scary
Are you getting in your own way of a gift opportunity? Here are 4 tips to consider when you’re prepping your next fundraising appeal. Continue reading Donor-Centered Appeals (Or, How to Get Out of Your Own Way)
A friend of mine, a retired hospice-facility fundraiser, recently made a sizable gift to a local women’s shelter. But she never received an acknowledgment or thank you. She was even told, “No thanks, we’ve got it covered,” when she volunteered to write their thank you notes. Needless to say, she’s hesitant to go any furtherContinue reading How to Cultivate Donor Loyalty: 5 Marketing Tips
Earlier this year, I shared the primary three stages of the donor journey. Today, I’m back with the final two stages. As you may recall, the donor’s journey starts off similarly to the buyer’s journey—but can conclude with two additional destinations: donation and believer. Your nonprofit’s ultimate goal is to help your donors reach theContinue reading What Kind of Donor Journey Are You Delivering?
In her continuing series, we welcome special guest, Stelter Editorial Director, Katie Parker. Marketing is piquing interest, evoking emotion, triggering response. It’s about making something that you do relevant to them (better yet, it’s listening to their needs and answering them with your product). At the core of marketing your service is compelling copy. Here areContinue reading The 5 Questions You MUST Answer in Your Copy
The simple answer is yes. If you haven’t heard already, the donor pyramid that many of us have come to know, has changed—and perhaps is even dead. (R.I.P.) Now, if that’s the case, what kind of journey are donors experiencing today? And, more importantly, how do we engage them? First, let’s cover why the donorContinue reading Is the Donor Pyramid a Thing of the Past?
With every marketing piece that we encounter—an email on our phone, an envelope in our mailbox, a post on our Facebook wall—we ask, Is this worth my time? The fact that you’re reading these words implies that you likely did all the following: Opened an email or stumbled upon a social media post from TheContinue reading How to Make Them Care: Inspire Donors Through Storytelling
Today we welcome a special guest author to the blog: Cathy R. Sheffield, CAP®, CFRE, CSPG, FCEP, ThinkGiving President and Thompson & Associates Vice President. Cathy is here to share 10 things that you can do right now to start creating your legacy. Cathy is a fundraising executive with 25-years experience, specializing in major gifts and giftContinue reading How to Plant the Seed to Create a Legacy
“A rising tide lifts all boats.” -John F. Kennedy Historically, this phrase was used referring to the economy. Today, I can’t help but apply it to our fundraising world, in that a good outcome—and good information—benefits us all. (This logic is a large part of why we’ve provided our research and webinars free of chargeContinue reading 10 Fundraising Blogs (And a Few Podcasts) You’ll Love
Today we welcome back a special guest on the blog: Stelter Senior Technical Consultant, Lynn Gaumer, J.D. Lynn returns to share her insights on the importance of having a plan for your planned giving marketing program—and not just leaving it to luck. “It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.” It’s a common phrase used dailyContinue reading [FREE DOWNLOAD] Don’t Leave Your Planned Giving Program to Luck
In her continuing series, we welcome special guest, Stelter Editorial Director, Katie Parker. The classic call to action is “Buy Now!”. This slick phrase hits all the high notes: It’s urgent, clear, actionable and succinct. Every day your donors are bombarded by interruptive marketing and plenty of attempts to call their attention to a brand’s desiredContinue reading Avoid These! 10 Mistakes in Calls to Action
You’ve got a planned giving program in place. Check. You’ve amped up your marketing and generated a healthy pipeline of planned gift prospects. Check. Check. But, you soon realize, you’ve also got a board that thinks planned giving is too hard to understand or simply not an organizational priority. They check out whenever the subjectContinue reading If Your Board Is Bored with Planned Giving Try These 5 Reality Checks
We all have a tendency to gravitate toward the latest shiny new thing. Today’s technologies ring a shiny bell? While it’s true that technology has enabled us to target communications with donors and prospects in ways we never thought possible, even a few short years ago, they can overwhelm. Then we throw out the shinyContinue reading How to Meet Your Donors & Prospects Where They Are
