The Annual Giving Exchange

It’s easy to see the shortcomings in an annual fund program. Not enough budget, disgruntled donors, bad data, increasing postage costs, declining participation rates. The list could go on and on. That is if you’re a glass-is-half-empty kind of person.

The best annual fund managers are “the best” for a reason. They see their programs’ shortcomings as opportunities, and they turn them into goals.

They view small budgets as a call to be more efficient. They see donor complaints as market research.  When their database gives them a record with a bad address, they know who they need to start looking for. To them, increasing postage costs are a signal from the economy (and the environment) that it’s time to find new ways to raise money online. They understand that declining participation rates can be a way to encourage new donors to start giving.

Thanksgiving reminds us to stop and be thankful for the things we have. Our families, our health, and our talents should be at the very top of that list. But take a moment to be thankful for the strengths and opportunities in your annual fund as well. In the long run, your program (not to mention your team’s morale) will be better for it.

Have a happy and safe holiday!

If you have not yet incorporated social media into your annual giving strategy, it’s probably for one of three reasons:

* You don’t know how

* You don’t think it’s important

* You’re not sure what’s considered “acceptable” by your organization

While the first two reasons are easily overcome with time and good advice, the third can be overcome by having a social media policy.  But creating a policy and establishing helpful guidelines without appearing to censor the honest and transparent conversations of social media participants is not an easy task.

Technology giant Intel has developed a good social media policy. Click here to read a copy on the company’s Website. These guidelines, which apply to all employees and contractors, are summarized by, “the good, the bad, but not the ugly.” They imply that when content is positive or negative and related to the conversation, it will be approved whether it’s favorable or unfavorable to the company. However, if the content is offensive or unrelated to the conversation, it will be rejected.

Your organization likely has many supporters and many critics.  Let social media be an open space for both of them to speak their minds.  Watch them, listen to them, and learn from them. Don’t try to control what they say unless it’s ugly or off topic. Good news travels fast, but giving your critics an opportunity to voice their opinion is sometimes the best way to earn their trust.

I will be serving as the Chair for CASE’s 2010 Senior Annual Giving Conference, May 10-12 in Phoenix, Arizona.  If you are interested in participating as a faculty member or speaker, or if you would like to nominate a colleague, please e-mail me at:  dallenby@grenzglier.com

The Blue Pig Campaign at Emory University is an example of a good, integrated online fundraising strategy.

Launched for the first time three years ago with the goal of getting current students in the habit of giving back, the campaign centered around a plastic piggy bank given by the development office to freshmen when they first arrived on campus.  Students were encouraged to put spare change in the plastic piggy throughout the year which would later be collected as donations toward $500 Class Book Awards for their classmates.

The Blue Pig became the campaign’s mascot and was featured in monthly emails to students and as part of the campaign’s social media presence.  (Click here to see the Blue Pig’s facebook page and here to see its Twitter feed.)  All communications encouraged students to add money to their piggy banks or make donations directly online with a credit card or with their Emory Card.

What was especially successful about this online campaign was how well it integrated offline marketing.  “Round-up Events” were held to give students a chance to unload their plastic banks and parents received information about the campaign through direct mail and phonathon calls.

Was it a success?  Yes; student giving at Emory has increased from 2.9% to 12.7% over the past three years and last year, 144 Class Gift Book Awards went to undergraduate students for a total gift of $72,000.