DIMENSIONS - Agitator | DonorVoice€¦ · December 2011 86 Front Street Hempstead, NY 11550-3667 1-888-879-6232 Fax: (516) 489-9287 Dimensions, a membership publication of NCDC,

A Publication of the National Catholic Development Conference I December 2011

Respecting Diversity in Fundraising to Hispanic DonorsBy John J. Cain, Ph.D.

My fundraising experience dates back to 1986, some twenty-five years ago, when the question of appealing to Hispanics to support our charities was not even considered. Even though many religious communities were engaged in ministry to Hispanics, those of us involved in direct mail fundraising had overlooked this seg-ment of our population. The results of the 1990 Census got the attention of marketers who began to see that the Hispanic population was growing numerically and expanding geograph-ically. A new treasure was discovered and marketers were anxious to find ways to tap into its riches.

The fundraising office of the Priests of the Sacred Heart began to check into the viability of mail-ing to the Hispanic community in 1990 and, after lengthy preparations, did so in the fall of 1991, twenty years ago. Encouraged by the initial response we received, we put even more energy into our Hispanic program and were rewarded for the effort. Today, we have a significant file of Hispanic donors.

The 2010 Census provided data that should be another great impetus for mailing to Hispanics: one-third

of all Catholics in the United States are of Hispanic descent. Almost 16% of the entire population of the United States is Hispanic and nearly one-quarter of all American children under the age of 17 are Hispanic.

As fundraisers whose primary target is American Catholics, we must become more aware of this growing segment of our popula-tion, understand it and decide if it behooves us to establish an Hispanic fundraising program for our reli-gious communities.

I’d like to share six operat-ing principles, all of which revolve around diversity, that I have discov-ered over the past twenty years.

1. Respect must be our guiding principle

While it may be said that respect is necessary for all forms of direct marketing, it is especially important in the Hispanic or Latino culture. And respect is not possible without an appreciation for diversity.

We cannot truly communicate with those whom we do not respect and we cannot respect those whom we do not understand. It is important for us to acknowledge that we need to interact with and learn from those to whom we wish to market. The

Hispanic community has taught me the meaning of respect and has opened my eyes to the beauty of diversity.

This principle underlies the remaining principles.

2. Speak in a language your donors understand

Perhaps the most important decisions we have to make prior to engaging in direct mail approaches to Hispanics are those concerning our use of language. Do we wish to communicate in Spanish alone or Spanish/English?

At the Development Office of the Priests of the Sacred Heart, we chose to communicate in Spanish alone. However, with the growing num-bers of Hispanics who speak both English and Spanish, it may be time

DIMENSIONSDIMENSIONS

Inside:

How can nonprofits best diversify their donor bases?

President’s Corner ...............................2

Northern Trust Survey: “Wealth in Black America” ................. 4

Dimensions Interview: Challenges of Ethnically-Diverse Fundraising ....... 6

Fundraising Help? Look To Your Amigos! ....................................10

Understanding the Increasing Affluence of Women .........................12

Tips to Use & Habits to Lose ...........14

continued on page 15

2 December 2011 - NCDC Dimensions www.ncdc.org

Recently, Jim Collins, the noted management thinker who wrote Good to Great, sent me a copy of his newly released book, Great by Choice (HarperCollins Publishers), which he co-authored with Morten T. Hansen. Once again, Collins with Hansen has done considerable research in a number of different occupations to offer keen insights for best practice. Just like the previous books, it is not about surviving, but about thriving. The book specifically addresses “being great” amid setbacks and difficulties. Obviously, there are some interesting implications in this for all of us in these still very uncertain times.

The seventh chapter of the book talks about luck. It is, in some ways, one of the most challenging chapters in the book. Whether the luck is good or bad, it is something both unpredictable and of significant consequence that occurs entirely independent of our own actions, according to the authors. I imme-diately noticed that the writers did not write that such situations are “beyond our control.” In fact, the writers go on to suggest that those who take control of the consequenc-es with conviction will in the end succeed. The writers identify these

leaders as “great by choice amid uncertainty, chaos and luck.”

As I write this article for our December issue, 2011 is quickly drawing to a close. For many of us this philanthropic year has been as unpredictable as this year’s weather. Throughout the United States we experienced excessive heat and/or cold, flooding and drought and incredibly devastating hurricanes, tornadoes and winter and sum-mer storms. These weather patterns alone have had their impact on our work places, schedules and, of course, mail delivery.

At the beginning of 2011, all of us believed that the light was beginning to glimmer at the end of the tunnel because our 2010 Christmas appeals did well, promis-ing a better outlook for the New Year. However, the recovery from the recession stalled, the economy faltered and with budget gridlocked in Washington, state budgets are becoming incredibly tighter, caus-ing further anxiety and concern. By mid-year, while some members seemed to be weathering the storms, others saw weaker returns than they had anticipated.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy recently noted that Americans have indicated that they will be more

President’s CornerBy Sr. Georgette Lehmuth, OSF

Chaos and Commitment National Catholic

Development Conference

December 2011

86 Front StreetHempstead, NY 11550-3667

1-888-879-6232Fax: (516) 489-9287

www.ncdc.org

Dimensions, a membership publication of NCDC, is published 10 times

per year.

All text for articles are due 30 days prior to publication.

We welcome your

suggestions and contributions.

NCDC Board ChairSr. Cathy Katoski, OSF, CFRE

President & CEOSr. Georgette Lehmuth, OSF

EditorJohn Baldwin

[email protected]

GraphicsRKG FundRaising Services

In the next issue:

Leadership

3www.ncdc.org December 2011 - NCDC Dimensions

charitable this year than during last year’s holiday season. Hopefully, this prediction will be realized in your Christmas and year-end donations.

In general, we could say that once again, we as fundraisers find ourselves in an unlucky situation. Just like the weather, it is becoming increasingly more difficult for us to predict outcomes, even with good testing and appropriate models. Once again, a significant number of us will be asked to cut budgets and do more with fewer resources.

Collins and Hansen believe that luck, good or bad, has little to do with greatness. It is what we do especially in the bad times that determine who we really are. It is how we take control of the situa-tion that will make the difference. “Resilience, not luck, is the signa-ture of greatness.” (p. 169)

The first hurdle in being a resilient leader is to understand that circumstances may not be of our creation, yet we are account-able and responsible for managing the outcomes and consequences of the situation. We can control how we prepare ourselves for the unpre-dictable, as well as how we react to seeming chaos and uncertainty. We do have choices. We can allow these circumstances to overpower us, disempower us and cause us to lose our focus. We can become depressed, worrying about what we cannot change, instead of using our energies to do what we can do to the best of our ability.

Probably all of our offices have a crisis plan—a list of initiatives to be taken when a critical situation is

before us and we need to act both quickly and wisely. Perhaps we all need to consider the principles underlying those initiatives in these sometimes chaotic times.

Most of these plans contain the following elements among others:1. Clearly articulating the crisis and

listing the ways the situation will impact the organization.

2. Creating an appropriate instrument and channel for both internal and external communications.

3. Initiating processes for the continued operation of the organization.

4. Assessing the damage honestly and accountably.

5. Recommitting to and proclaiming the purpose and values of the organization.

6. Learning from the situation in order to better the current and future function of the organization. Most of us are familiar with Jim

Lovell’s famous words spoken from the disabled Apollo 13 spacecraft: “Houston, we have a problem.” Sometimes the first step is to admit things are not as they should be, identifying areas of specific concern, and seeking creative, alternative solutions to address the situation.

Then, we must be ready to com-municate our situation to those to whom we are accountable clearly and concisely, explaining budgetary or other impacts as well as possible solu-tions to correct or lessen the problem.

Neither panic nor over-analyz-ing are helpful. We simply cannot stop operations to reconsider our

positions. We cannot make line item budget cuts to reflect areas of least current monetary return with-out understanding the consequences of these actions. But we can do things differently.

We can make sure we segment our efforts appropriately. We can make sure our database is constantly cleaned. We can make more phone calls and write more notes. We can be honest with our donors, empha-sizing how necessary and important their support is to our mission. We can keep our message crisp and our stories relevant. We can use social networking more effectively. We can keep saying “thank you” to donors and each other.

During difficult times, we learn to do more with less and often very effectively. These are good lessons to keep even in the best of times. Sometimes, when things are tough, realizing that everyone is trying their hardest, we grow to appreciate our donors and that is a good thing for any time. Amidst the chaos, often great ideas and new energies can emerge if we welcome them, and the results can be truly remarkable.

Collins and Hansen say that resilient leaders are able to turn bad luck into good results. These lead-ers “use difficulty as a catalyst to deepen purpose, recommit to val-ues, increase discipline, and respond with creativity.” (p.169)

That is food for thought for all of us as we prepare to say goodbye to one year and look forward to the year ahead.



Affluent Black Americans are more likely to give to charitable causes and feel responsible for providing financial support to adult family members than affluent non-Blacks, according to a Northern Trust sur-vey of “Wealth in Black America.”

The survey also found that four out of 10 affluent Blacks do not have a will, and more than half have not worked with a financial advisor to establish an estate plan or wealth transfer plan during the past five years.

“Over the past few years the number of affluent Blacks has increased, and we can expect this group to continue having a major positive influence on their families and communities,” said Marguerite Griffin, national direc-tor of Philanthropic Services at Northern Trust. “At the same time, like many Americans, too many affluent blacks have not executed wills or other estate planning documents. This is a critical issue because these legal, tax saving instruments are essential tools used to protect one’s legacy and transfer resources to one’s family.”

Northern Trust’s unique survey, the second since 2008, provides insights into the financial attitudes and preferences of wealthy Black Americans, with household incomes of at least $250,000 or a mini-mum of $1 million in investable assets. The study covered 361 afflu-ent Blacks and 256 affluent non-Blacks to compare their attitudes

and behaviors on key measures. The findings were unveiled at the Northern Trust DreamMakers’ forum, held in Washington, D.C. Sept. 10 through 21. DreamMakers’ is a biannual conference for affluent Blacks to discuss creating, preserv-ing and transferring wealth.

Significant differences in charita-ble giving between affluent Blacks and non-Blacks

The study found affluent Blacks as a group are very charitable. Fifty-two percent of Black respondents give to educational institutions, com-pared to 39 percent for non-Blacks, while 47 percent of Blacks give to human-services organizations vs. 38 percent for non-Blacks. Blacks were found to be less likely to donate to environmental or animal organiza-tions than non-Blacks, with 36 per-cent of non-Black respondents giving to such organizations compared to 29 percent for Blacks.

The study found generational differences as well. Older afflu-ent Blacks (55+), are more likely to donate to religious and human-ser-vices organizations (57 percent and 55 percent) while younger affluent Blacks tend to donate to educational institutions (37 percent).

Affluent Blacks feel greater responsi-bility to provide financially for adult family members than non-Blacks

Affluent Blacks, more than non-Blacks, feel responsible for family members and expect to provide

them with consistent financial sup-port over the next ten years, accord-ing to the survey.

Currently, 50 percent of afflu-ent Blacks said they provide finan-cial support to adult children; 32 percent to siblings; 21 percent to nieces or nephews; and 18 percent to cousins. In particular, financial support of adult children has risen dramatically in the financial crisis, up from 24 percent in 2008.

When asked what needs would be met by their financial support of those family members, gen-eral living expenses was the No. 1 response, displacing long-term care and disability, which was the top response in 2008. This year, 59 percent cited general living expens-es compared with only 42 percent in 2008.

“Among affluent Black families, there are strong cultural expectations to provide for others,” said Mark Welch, director of Global Diversity & Inclusion at Northern Trust. “High unemployment and home fore-closures due to the recession, along with other factors such as increas-ing health-care costs and longer life spans, add to the feeling that affluent Blacks need to do even more to take care of their families.”

High interest in estate planning

The study found that more than half of wealthy Blacks (58 percent) haven’t worked with a financial advi-sor in the past five years to establish either an estate or wealth transfer

Northern Trust Survey: “Wealth in Black America”


plan. Fifty-four percent haven’t set up a personal trust.

However, the study found that wealthy Blacks are interested in learning more about estate planning, and 42% have already worked with a financial advisor in the past five years to establish an estate plan or wealth transfer plan.

Black respondents’ possession of a will was 57 percent in 2010 vs. 52 percent in 2008, and their plans to have a will was 38 percent compared to 29 percent. As for the appointment of an estate executor, the appointment of a family member continues to be the leading appointee as estate execu-tor in 2010 (53 percent) as in 2008 (52 percent). In both years, affluent Blacks established a living trust as the No. 1 personal trust they arranged. Marital trusts have declined, to 23 percent from 30 percent in 2008, as have charitable trusts, to 25 percent from 32 percent.

Concerned about health-care costs in retirement

Rapidly rising health-care costs continue to be the leading

financial concern during retirement for affluent Blacks, although that concern has significantly declined from 2008. Fifty-one percent listed rapidly rising health care costs as a concern, followed by large increases in taxes (47 percent), health of their self or spouse (47 percent), possibil-ity of stock-market declines (41 per-cent), inflation eating into savings (40 percent), financial uncertainty of Social Security and Medicare (39 percent) and the possibility of out-living savings (37 percent). In 2008, rapidly rising health-care costs and financial uncertainty of Social Security and Medicare topped the list of concerns with 64 percent of respondents citing both.

About “Wealth in Black America”

Northern Trust’s nationwide survey of affluent Black households seeks to provide insight into their financial attitudes and preferences. The survey was conducted online in the United States by Nia Pulse, the research unit of Nia Enterprises, LLC, between June 14 and July 9, 2010, among 361 affluent

Blacks with household incomes of $250,000 or more, or a minimum of $1 million in investable assets. Two hundred fifty-six affluent non-Blacks were also surveyed to compare their attitudes and behav-iors on key measures.

Northern Trust Corporation (NTRS) is a leading provider of investment management, asset and fund administration, banking solutions and fiduciary services for corporations, institutions and affluent individuals worldwide. Northern Trust, a financial holding company based in Chicago, has offices in 18 U.S. states and 16 international locations in North America, Europe, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region. As of June 30, 2010, Northern Trust had US $3.6 trillion in assets under custody, and US$603 billion in assets under investment management. For 120 years, Northern Trust has earned distinction as an industry leader in combining exceptional service and expertise with innovative products and technology. For more information, visit www.northerntrust.com.

Each year, more and more of our direct-response fundraising clients have cometo rely on us for more effective...

� Marketing Concepts,

� Planning & Scheduling,

� Copy & Design Approaches,

� Cost-effective Printing,Personalization, List Selection &Mailing Services...and our “teamapproach” to problem-solving asa way of improving their donorincome-to-cost ratio.

For more information please contact:Donna Shelley-Baumler

86 Perks Blvd, Cold Spring, NY 10516-3904

(800) 307-7755 • Fax (845) [email protected] Member

Since 1971

MERRY CHRISTMAS &

HAPPY NEW YEAR!from

the Board and Staff of NCDC


(To explore the particular challenges of fundraising for and among ethnically diverse populations, Dimensions con-ducted a recent phone interview with NCDC Board Member Curtis Yarlott of St. Labre Indian School (Ashland, MT) and Kory Christianson of St. Joseph’s Indian School (Chamberlain, SD). Both organizations are Active Members of NCDC.)

Editor: Do you think that nonprofit fundraising in general and Catholic fundraising in particular is too much of a “monoculture” these days, or has there been progress in donor diversity?

Curtis: The majority of our donors are probably still Caucasian, but I think there has been progress in donor diversity, when I look at the events we have in the various locations: where we have donor events, the donor bus tour, the groups we bring here to the St. Labre campus. Kory, have you had the same kind of experience?

Kory: Ours are almost exclu-sively Caucasian, so we probably haven’t seen the type of diversity that you’re seeing, Curtis. But because we raise money in Europe for our organization, we have more diversity, because it’s not only Americans supporting our organization. We have programs in Germany, France, the Czech Republic… It’s interesting and diverse in that people from all over the world are supporting our orga-nization: the world’s a smaller place.

Curtis: We see folks who are Caucasians, of course, but certainly we have Hispanic donors, we have Asian, African American, Native American, so we kind of run the whole gamut. Asian donors run the gamut from Japanese to Chinese to Korean… So I think there’s been progress. Most donors who give to St. Labre, however, are Caucasians who have sympathy for or affinity to Native American people.

Editor: Does your typical donor belong to the same cultural group as the people that your mission serves?

Curtis: Kory’s and my organiza-tion both serve the Native American population. If you look at the numbers of Native Americans in the U.S., up until the time that the U.S. Census Bureau allowed people

to select more than one racial or ethnic identity [that is, in 2000], the population of Native Americans in the United States was roughly 2½ million, out of a total population of 281 million at that time. After that happened, I believe the number of Native Americans in the census doubled. So regardless, if you look at the numbers of Native Americans as a percentage of the U.S. popula-tion, you’re talking about a fairly small percentage. The other aspect of that is, the reason that we are in the field we are in, supporting Native Americans, is because a lot of the challenges are economic in nature, which we are trying to address at St. Labre through education.

Kory: The people we’re serv-ing are small in number, as Curtis pointed out, and economically

Dimensions Interview: Challenges of Ethnically-Diverse Fundraising

RAISE MORE MONEY

For a FREE analysis of your revenue potential, contact Jack Doyle at 800.370.7500

For 30 years now, Amergent has been working with Catholic organizations to improve their fundraising programs by showing them how to:

• Increase income from long-standing donors• Upgrade donors• Cultivate and nurture important new donor relationships• Create new annual income streams

Corporate member since 1993


generally they’re in very challenging situations. It’s hard to go to them for resources.

Curtis: There’s a whole lot of poverty in the communities we serve. So we do have Native American donors to our cause, but through a function of population statistics as well as socioeconomic demographics, that percentage is pretty small.

Editor: Considering the fact that a great many people in your donor base are different ethnically from the people for whom your mission was created, does that offer special challenges as far as making the culture real to them?

Kory: I don’t think so in our particular mission. Our file is very receptive; they’re very interested in Native Americans. Our donor base definitely thinks that over time they’ve been given a raw deal, they’re in a very difficult situation and they need help. I don’t know that there are challenges for us in that way: you can make a very compelling case for support that a large number of people can rally around.

Curtis: It’s easy to make a case for support to folks who already have an affinity to the people we serve. The challenge for us is in our communications, we are also trying to educate our donors about the Native American people. The letter we send out to donors is typically an 8½ by 11, front and back, so there’s a limit to how much infor-mation you can share with them. There’s a little bit of a balancing act: you want to make sure you don’t communicate or buy into some of the stereotypes…

Kory: Yes… Curtis: … that may be out there

about Native American, some of the romantic images. So the key I think is being respectful of the population that we serve and trying to convey a true image of the Native American experi-ence as it was historically, as it is today, and what we’re hoping to accomplish through the support of donors and our efforts in the future. So it can be a little bit of a challenge just trying to get that information across.

Editor: I’d like to talk to you a little about your communications: website, Facebook, etc. Curtis, tell me about the Sacred Circle that you advertise on your website. How does that tie into the mis-sion and the culture of the people you serve? Why would a “sacred circle” be appealing to donors?

Curtis: The Sacred Circle is the umbrella for our giving societies. The Sacred Circle name was selected because of its ties to the population that we serve. The circle of course is a very prominent theme among many

Native American populations; the “circle of life” terminology is used to talk about human society. The Sacred Circle is that group of our donors who have gone the extra step; in this case, it’s in the cumulative dollar amounts that they have given in support of our mission. It’s a tie-in to the Native American culture that has some imag-ery attached to it.

Editor: Kory, how do you use cul-turally significant imagery in your communications?

Kory: There’s one in particu-lar that has become an identifier for us and that’s the legend of the Dreamcatcher. We use that image and that story on a regular basis in our appeals. It’s an excellent tie-in; donors are very responsive to it. It’s not just the premium items that we might include in a mailing; they can connect the legend itself back to our mission at St. Joseph’s Indian School. But from time to time we point out different symbols or animals that

continued on page 8


might have been important to Lakota culture, and use those also. There’s a fundraising element, there’s a spiritual element and a cultural and educational element in pretty much everything that we send out. We’re always layering those three things. But the Dreamcatcher is probably the one that’s the most prominent for us.

Editor: I don’t think this is just a roman-tic perception, but a true perception of Native Americans, and that is that they are very ecologically-conscious. Do you think that that’s a positive and appeal-ing image to donors, that perception of native peoples?

Kory: “Yes” is the quick answer. We don’t tie that on a regular basis, but for example we have one mail-ing that we’ve used over the years that has generated a lot of interest with questions and comments and that has been from a fundraising aspect successful and that is when

we talk about the use of buffalo, and how Native Americans used all the different aspects of a buffalo in the different parts of their lives.

Curtis: For quite a while there, one of our best-performing acquisi-tion packages was a buffalo nickel package that we used. We don’t emphasize a whole lot the ecologi-cal perspective. Interestingly, when we exchange donor lists, groups that seem to have an affinity to our cause would be groups that also give to organizations like The World Wildlife Fund.

Editor: Are there differences between generations as far as their attitude towards giving?

Kory: We’re finding that the World War II generation—that’s the core of our file—those folks tend to give based on what we somewhat jokingly say, “love ‘em and hug ‘em.” “As long as you’re taking care of them, here’s some money.” They trust you; they have faith in the institution. With younger

donors, we’re seeing more and more frequently that that’s not enough. “I’m glad that you’re loving ‘em and taking care of ‘em and all that, but what are the results? Are they making it into society? What are their grade point averages? Do they go to college or trade school?” The accountability factor is increasing: the younger the donor, the more accountable you have to be.

Curtis: I think the younger the donor, the more the donor feels that they want not only to be able to see, but sometimes experience what it is that their gift is doing. As far as generational differences specifi-cally within the population of Native American donors on our file, I just don’t have enough information to say what the differences are between older and younger Native American donors. Our file is mostly made up, just like Kory’s saying, of an older population, so I couldn’t really speak to whether or not there are generational differ-ences between them. But actually when talking to our Native American

61770 RKG Ad.indd 1 2/8/10 10:58 AM

For a free confidential assessmentof your Direct Mail programs,

please contact:

Chris Ragusa, CFRE

Since 1969, Catholic fundraisers have turned to us for

• List Brokerage • Campaign Analytics • Hispanic-market Donor Acquisition • List Management • Circulation Planning

Estee Marketing Group, Inc.

[email protected](914) 235-7080 ext. 19

270 North Avenue, Suite 805New Rochelle, NY 10801www.esteemarketing.com

Dimensions Interview from page 7


donors, their reasons for giving stand roughly within the same range as our non-Indian donors.

Editor: How do you think charities in general can become more open and

“donor diverse” in their approach to fundraising?

Kory: We tend to believe strongly internally that the generational cohorts that are changing—and as baby boom-ers tend to become our target audience at an increasing rate—that the chan-nels with which you communicate to these pools of potential and existing supporters change. That means that mail isn’t the only way to communicate with them, increasingly you have to have different touch points at different channels. And I’m guessing that that’s going to lead to more opportunities for a more diverse donor pool. We’re look-ing at more use of the phone, of course, the Internet… Where does mobile fit in? What role does a smart phone play? All these types of things, as people who right now use these items and don’t use mail quite as much, as they start moving into our target area, we really need to start looking into how we implement our fundraising strategy. Mail’s a piece of it, but I don’t know that’s it’s always going to be the lion’s share of what we do. So I think that’s something we need to look at, is how to communicate.

Editor: For my final question, do you think these other communications channels would make fundraising more diverse both generationally and ethnical-ly as far as the donor base is concerned?

Kory: That’s a great question. I think generationally it will; ethnically,

I assume so. I assume that different ethnic groups use similar technologies. But are they attracted to our message?

Curtis: I would agree with what Kory’s saying. Trying to broaden out the base ethnically, culturally… I think those areas are a little bit less defined than, say, all of the work that has been put into identifying the generational differences.

Kory: We all know that Hispanics as a percentage of our pop-ulation are increasing, and by 2050 they’re going to be a very large share of the U.S. population. What are we doing to attract them, for example? I would assume that the channels will help us become more diverse, but I don’t know right now.

Curtis: Obviously, if you’re look-ing at a Hispanic population, then maybe your letters go out written in Spanish, as a way of inviting that population to support your cause. With other ethnic or cultural popula-tions, that may not be quite as feasible. If we’re looking at reaching out to a Native American population, send-ing out letters in Native American languages would not be a particularly feasible project: there are over 200 indigenous languages in the United States alone! And there’s a low literacy rate in those languages, even of the languages whose very survival is not threatened, so that would not be a particularly good option for the Native American population. The Crow Indian tribe, of which I’m a member, has an enrollment of just about 13,000. From a cost-benefit perspective, it probably would not be feasible to send out letters in the Crow Indian language, because it’s a small

population relative to the amount of work that goes into that, and the actual literacy versus spoken fluency—two very different things—would not make such a mailing practical.

Editor: Thank you both. n NCDC

Curtis Yarlott has served as Executive Director and President of St. Labre Indian School Educational Association since 1996. A member of the Crow Indian Tribe, he is the first Native American to hold this position. He has been part of the St. Labre organization for over 20 years, working as a houseparent, group home supervisor, trainer, evaluator, recruiter and as St. Labre’s first Director of Human Resources. He currently serves as the vice-chair of the board at the National Catholic Development Conference. He is also a past member of the board of directors for Carroll College in Helena, Montana and of St. Vincent Healthcare, a Catholic hospital in Billings, Montana. He earned a B. S. in Applied Management from Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana.

Kory Christianson has worked at St. Joseph’s Indian School for over 18 years, currently serving as its executive director of development. The school raises nearly $60 million annually in support of programs and services for Native Americans in South Dakota. In 1999, he earned Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) distinction; in 2000 he was awarded the Charity Fundraising Executive of the Year Award by the National Federation of Non-profits and in 2010 he received the Max L. Hart Achievement Award from the DMA Non-profit Federation. His education includes an MBA and a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication.


By Craig Handley

Hispanics account for over 35 percent of all Catholics in the United States and have contributed to 71 percent of the Catholic Church’s growth since 1990. This group has made an impres-sive impact on the Church and is a significant part of the Catholic com-munity. Surprisingly, this important population is typically overlooked by fundraising organizations, yet it holds the potential to be an immense source of support for charities.

A Golden Opportunity

Although Catholic Hispanics comprise such an enormous group, they are currently untapped as a source of donations by the fundrais-ing and nonprofit community. This market consists of 50 million people, exceeding entire nations, such as Canada, Spain and South Africa, in population. Ignoring the Hispanic community is comparable to neglect-ing an entire country within the United States.

The Hispanic community is as diverse as it is populous; this is what makes this community so dynamic. The term “Hispanic” is not a race, and it’s important not to generalize them as such. Hispanics hail from many different countries of central and South America and include multiple races. The term gained popularity when the United States government used it in the Census to lump together the growing popula-tion of Spanish-speaking residents

in the United States. After the 2000 Census was released, revealing a sig-nificant spike in that population, the term become more commonly used.

Birth rates among Hispanics are at an all-time high and Hispanic youth make up 23 percent of all minors in the United States. Fundraising to Hispanic youth is a great way to become involved with this demographic, because the young are its most influential segment.

The Hispanic Catholic com-munity represents a golden oppor-tunity for fundraisers and nonprofit organizations, because this market is enriched with culture, a growing sense of patriotism and the power of sheer numbers. It is projected by the U.S. Census Bureau that by 2050, 33 percent of the entire population in the United States will be Hispanic, one in every three Americans. Because of its exponential increase in population, the Hispanic community is gain-ing immense purchasing power in the United States. As of 2010, the United States’ Hispanic population, which recently reached a new high of 50 million people, controlled one trillion dollars in spending power, up from only 210 billion dollars in 1990—a nearly 500 percent increase in twenty years!

Creating a Relationship

Once the decision has been made to begin outreach to the Hispanic community, your organization must take the proper actions to ensure

proper execution of the fundraising campaign. Finding a partner that can communicate effectively with the Hispanic market is imperative. The partner must not only be able to produce bilingual output, but must use diction that relates to the target Hispanic community. Since that community is so diverse, the use of a neutral accent and wording is going to be the difference between simply reaching the Hispanic market and really resonating with them.

The Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals are a prime example of a nonprofit organization tackling the challenge of executing outreach to the Hispanic community. Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals hold many events and general market radiothons for their organization. They had not yet attempted to tap into the Hispanic community, but eventually hired a Spanish-speaking

Fundraising Help? Look To Your Amigos!

Whether supplemental or a complete caging solution,

FISC offers the most accurate and flexible donation processing available.

www.fiscsolutions.com


call center to help them with direct marketing and inbound and out-bound call center services.

Children’s Miracle Network was satisfied with the work of this call center. But the organization soon realized the significant work involved maintaining the invaluable relationships it had developed with this community. This prompted the nonprofit organization to seek out a new call center in order to continue trying to work with the Hispanic community. The new partner was the difference between trying to tap into the market and successfully engag-ing the community. This partner handled Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals’ large call spikes for mul-tiple large-volume events and was able to effectively disseminate the message to the community.

Why “Spanglish” Is Essential

Although many younger-genera-tion Hispanics living in the United States speak English, a majority of

their parents and grandparents still use Spanish in the household. Kids often grow up speaking both English and Spanish, and develop a unique mixture of the two, known as “Spanglish.” Since one can’t always know which language each Hispanic prefers to use, it’s vital to be able to communicate to them through both English and Spanish.

Advertisers using television to reach this community understand this trend well. Research from Encuesta of Miami found that 23 percent of Hispanics prefer to watch television in English, and 23 percent prefer their programming in Spanish. The majority, 54 percent, prefer a mix of the two, so television advertisers know that bilingual content is key. Although this research refers to televi-sion viewing habits, the same is true for reaching out to the Hispanic com-munity in general. The concept is that Hispanics either prefer just Spanish, just English, or a form of Spanglish, so to hire a bilingual communications

team is crucial to the success of a fundraising campaign.

A Connection that Carries On

The key to working with the United States Hispanic demographic is to acquire the right partners. Bilingual capability is essential, but of course more than linguistic dexterity is necessary to achieve a long-term relationship. Vendors are vital to the success of a fundraising campaign, but they need to understand the dynamic Hispanic community, as well as direct marketing, customer service and non-profit fundraising. Ongoing meaning-ful communications are required to develop long-term relationships with this thriving demographic.

Tapping into a new commu-nity to develop a connection is a process that takes time and effort, but connecting with the Hispanic demographic is worth the effort. This community is gaining clout from its socioeconomic growth. The golden ticket is working with the right people who will understand the community and its cultural vitality. n NCDC

Craig Handley is the CEO and founder of Listen Up Español which operates in Portland, Maine with a call center in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. Listen Up Español specializes in direct response, corporate and customer service, and nonprofit charitable fundraising. For more information, visit www.ListenUpEspanol.com.

• Donor Renewal Programs• Donor Upgrade Programs• Lapsed Donor Reactivation• Donor & Member Acquisition• E-mail and Online Marketing• Database Marketing

Call or email Chris Noble [email protected]

800.766.4627 ext. 224

Data Driven Solutions...

... for Superior ResultsServing the Catholic Community by providing:

Connecting people in need with people who care.


By Judith E. Nichols, Ph.D., CFRE

A Changing World for Women

The American Association of Fundraising Council Trust for Philanthropy estimates that women’s charitable giving has increased by more than $15 billion since 1996. Yet, many charities still focus their fund-raising efforts more heavily on men.

Globally, women’s economic power is soaring. Women make 80 percent of all buying decisions around the world. In the United States, for example:• American women by themselves

are, in effect, the largest national economy on earth, larger than the entire Japanese economy (based on U. S. Census Bureau 2010 statistics)!

• Over the past three decades (1970-1998), men’s median income barely budged (+0.6 percent, after adjusting for inflation), while women’s has soared +63 percent.

• Women bring in half or more of the household income in the majority of the United States (based on Pew Research Center studies, 2010 and 2011).

• Women control 51.3 percent of the private wealth in the United States.

• Women control most of the spending in the household—about 80 percent.

Still not convinced? In The Power of the Purse: How Smart Businesses Are Adapting to the World’s Most Important Consumer—Women (Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2006), author Fara Warner asserts that:• Women account for more than

50 percent of all stock ownership in the United States. By 2010, women will account for half the private wealth in the country, or about $14 trillion. By 2020, you can expect that number to reach $22 trillion as wealth continues to shift from men to women.

• When women and men of equal education, abilities and similar social status are compared, the pay disparity disappears. Those women make as much as, if not more than, their male counter-parts. Forty-one percent of the 3.3 million Americans with incomes exceeding $500,000 are women.

• Women control or influence 67 percent of household investment decisions. Forty-three percent of Americans with $500,000 or more in investable assets are women.

• Women control 48 percent of estates worth more than $5 million.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. The largest wealth transfer in history is taking place as the Baby Boomers (born from 1946 to 1964) inherit from their parents. In turn, because

women generally outlive their hus-bands, the family assets will become concentrated in the hands of Boomer women. Older women are increasing-ly single. There are fourteen million single women older than 55, com-pared to only 4 million single men. Moreover, most women marry older men. As a result, nearly half of elderly women are widowed, compared with just 14 percent of elderly men. Increasingly, women will control the vast majority of philanthropic projects as they are given control of those projects after their husband’s deaths and/or as they choose charitable pri-orities of their own.

In addition, there is a trend towards later marriages and reduced child bearing. In 1960, 72% of women aged 20 to 24 were married. Today, 61% in the same age group are not. The drop among those having babies is greater yet: 54% of women aged 20 to 24 were moth-ers 30 years ago; now just 28% are. And among high-achieving women, 60 percent of executive women have no children (compared to 3 percent of their male counterparts). The combination of postponed or no marriage, increased education and a commitment to a career rather than work, has enabled women to establish independence from their families. By taking their labor out of the delivery room and into the marketplace, women have set in place a dramatic change in our

Understanding the Increasing Affluence of Women


society, the consequences of which will affect everyone—men and women, adults and children.

More and more women are choosing “singlehood”—a grow-ing trend among women both in the U.S. and in countries such as Japan. In 2001, 50 percent of Japanese women aged 30 were still unmarried, compared to 37 percent in the U.S. (“Single Professional Women: A Global Phenomenon, Challenges and Opportunities,” Linda Berg-Cross et al., The Journal of International Women’s Studies, June 2004.)

Changing attitudes are pro-pelling women into the ranks of business owners and top company leadership positions. More women are prepared to run companies than ever before, since millions of them have progressed through the ranks in fields that were once male-dominat-ed. As today’s senior (male) execu-tives retire, 50% of the next group of managers are women. While the infamous gap between men’s and women’s earnings persists and the glass ceiling that blocks women’s rise to senior management remains stubbornly shatterproof, nearly 90% of the 3,100 women the Conference Board surveyed in the mid-1990s said their prospects were better than those of their mothers. Two-thirds said they were much better.

Women entrepreneurs are often motivated differently from men entrepreneurs: according to the Avon Report, female entrepreneurs are more likely to be concerned with issues of happiness/self-fulfillment (38%), achievement/challenge

(30%), and helping others (20%) than monetary rewards (12%).

Development strategies for women

To reach women effectively requires a strategy. You must constantly reexamine your target group, as attitudes, values, and lifestyles are in flux for many women. There is more variety among women of similar age groups. Recognize that women are not a homogeneous group. Segment out groupings of particular interest to your not-for-profit.• The late thirties through mid-

forties in a woman’s life are often a time of reevaluation which can signal changes in priorities. For example, many women in their forties are beginning to recognize the need for financial planning for retirement and are receptive to looking at planned giving vehicles.

• When you show women in bro-chures, newsletters and appeals, know whom you want to attract. The message “I belong” will only work when the role models parallel how a woman feels about herself, or wishes to perceive herself. If your audience is the mature widow who has inherited money, your photographs must show a background of home and family. Dress is more formal; makeup subdued. If your appeal is aimed at the career woman—self-made, probably younger and possibly never-married—your photograph should use an active background of an office or a travel setting. Your model’s dress should be either a business suit or leisure clothing. Include a cell phone,

iPod and laptop computer: large numbers of younger, single wom-en are inner-directed experientials with a fascination for gadgets.

• Recognize that personality—far more so than income, age or marital or career status—deter-mines a woman’s financial decisions. Women who display assertiveness, openness to change, an adventurous spirit and an optimistic outlook are more likely than others to set specific finan-cial goals, save and invest regu-larly, make retirement planning a priority and educate themselves about money management.

• To honor the contributions women have made throughout history, the month of March was declared “Women’s History Month” in 1987. Use this each year as a gentle reminder to review your gender development strategy. n NCDC

Judith Nichols is a New York-based development consultant with a variety of not-for-profit clients across the USA, and in Australia, South America, Canada, the United Kingdom and Europe. Dr. Nichols has been a featured speaker and trainer at numerous conferences, workshops and symposia in the United States, Europe and Canada. She is the author of Pinpointing Affluence: Increasing Your Share of Major Donor Dollars and a number of other well-received fundraising books. Dr. Nichols can be reached at (503) 349-3212 or [email protected].


USE IT! Understanding that true diversity must be achieved systemicallyThe U.S. Census Bureau estimates that in less than 40 years the population of America will be approximately 50 per-cent “non-white,” so it makes sense to make diversity one of your main goals. However, integrating diversity and inclusion into your organization can-not be accomplished with superficial measures. The commitment must be institute-wide, with resources allocated accordingly. The challenge of gaining donors’ trust may be difficult, particu-larly if the group or groups to which you wish to reach out tend to regard your organization as inaccessible. It helps if your board and staff volun-teer on behalf of their communities, and are highly visible within them. In short, diversity must be embedded in, not just added to, your strategic plan.—From Diana S. Newman, $ense and $ensitivity: Keys to Attracting Diverse Donors, at http://bit.ly/rCGyxk

Practicing inclusion, not just “tolerance,” in reaching out to diverse volunteersPeople who belong to so-called “minority” groups do not want to be “tolerated,” they want to be equal to others. So practicing diversity in your volunteer recruitment means mak-ing everyone feel included, not just because it is right, but for the good of your institute. Inclusion also involves perceiving a prospective volunteer in all her/his complexity: for example, the

middle-class background of an African-American volunteer may be a more significant determinant of what she can do for you than her race. The question to be asked is “What barriers have we erected against anyone who wants to get involved in what we do?” and the goal is to eliminate those barriers.—From Nan Hawthorne, Drawing on the Widest Pool of Talent and Generosity: Diversity vs. Inclusion, at http://bit.ly/vOYzaI

Diversifying your boardThe racial, ethnic or gender identity (or, for that matter, age category) of a prospective board member will never be, of course, that person’s main qualifi-cation, but neither should it be a minor consideration. A diverse board sends a message to the communities your organization serves that it is accessible to many groups that comprise those communities. Such a board would probably have contact with more potential donors than would a non-diverse board, and would tend to avoid the curse of “groupthink.” Diversifying one’s board is a goal that makes sense both ways: as good strategy and as a socially appropriate course of action.

LOSE IT! Relying so heavily on your current loyal donor base that you neglect to diversifyThe most steadfast (and long-lived) donor pool imaginable will one day evaporate if new supporters are not found to replenish it. However, to accomplish this may mean answering a question your organization may not have had to face recently: “how are we relevant?” Support and loyalty are not easily earned with younger potential donors. The challenge is compounded

when that group is subdivided by eth-nicity and gender, introducing cultural expectations that were not a factor with your older donors. These days, stay-ing in your comfort zone is the most hazardous of strategies.

Trying so hard to attract a group of donors that your organization neglects its identityIt could happen that your organiza-tion becomes so fixated on attract-ing a particular group of donor that you unconsciously lose sight of your mission and your message. An overly assertive attempt to persuade that group to give to your organization may backfire anyway, either because the group resents a “hard sell” approach or because it will perceive that your orga-nization is not being “real.” “To thine own self be true” is as valid a motto for institutes as for people.

Talking to different groups in the same languageDifferent donors groups speak, and are receptive to, different “lan-guages”—sometimes literally in the case of particular groups (e.g., certain Hispanic donors). Trying to fashion a “one size fits all” message, therefore, makes no sense. Key to mastering the particular donor group’s idiom is to do the research necessary to grasp each group’s self-image and needs. This is particularly vital because of the increas-ing emphasis on communicating what the experience of giving will mean to the donor, rather than to the organiza-tion. Then the appropriate channel(s) for communicating to that particular group—which may or may not include direct mail—must be selected. The work may be hard, but the reward is the future itself. n NCDC

Tips to Use &

Habits to Lose


to reflect upon this approach and to consider using more English in our Hispanic appeals.

When we use Spanish, we have to be aware of the different varia-tions in Spanish. It is estimated that more than half of all Hispanics come from Mexico. However, sig-nificant numbers come from Puerto Rico, Cuba and Central and South America. We found it important to use an approach that was lin-guistically neutral, yet sensitive to cultural nuances. We looked for people who could translate more than words; we needed people who could translate culture.

Translators should be selected whose primary language is Spanish, but who have a good command of English. It is important to hire proof-readers with these same credentials. Although we have Anglos who speak and/or understand Spanish, we defer to those who understand more than the language. This helps us avoid language problems. In English, there is a differ-ence between “a series of talks” and “a serious talk”—but it can easily be mistranslated. What about the problem Chevrolet had when it tried to market their new Nova in Mexico? “No va” in Spanish means “it does not go.”

3. Seek to understand the culture of our donors

The Priests of the Sacred Heart take a devotional approach to fun-draising. Since we share a liturgy which crosses the boundaries of

nations and languages, there are great similarities between various cultures. However, there are also significant differences from one country to another. I remember one of our translators who came from Puerto Rico asking when we would use “our” Madonna instead of Our Lady of Guadalupe. I am amazed how often discussions of Hispanic spirituality and culture focus on Our Lady of Guadalupe and fail to go beyond to other important aspects of Hispanic culture and spirituality.

In our desire to accommodate this diversity, we recently completed a study of our Hispanic file to determine the country of origin of these donors. Of the 226,380 donors studied, 62.37% were from Mexico, 20.94% were from Puerto Rico and 11.17% were from Cuba. The remaining 5.52% came from 17 other countries.

The challenge before us is to discover and use diverse approaches so that we can respond more fully to various cultural differences among our donors.

4. Do not transfer your basic assumptions about mailing to English-speaking donors to Spanish-speaking donors

Maybe it is just a part of being human, but we seem to settle into fixed patterns of behavior. We make assumptions based on our previous experiences and act accordingly. However, it would be a mistake to simply take our assumptions about our fundraising approaches to English-speaking donors and apply them uncritically to our fundraising approaches to Hispanic donors.

When we began to mail to Hispanics in 1991, we had already been engaged in direct mail fund-raising since the 1940s. We wanted to be sure our efforts in Spanish would be properly anchored in who we are and what we wished to achieve. We asked ourselves:• Does our “product” meet

the needs of the Hispanic population?

• What approach should we take to this diverse culture?

• Who are we in relation to this new market?

• Can we market ourselves to them, and if so, how? To answer these questions, we

went to our Hispanic parishes in Texas to speak with parishioners and pastoral team members. They assured us that the spirituality and ministries of the Priests of the Sacred Heart would appeal to Hispanic Catholics.

However, how would we meet their needs? This leads me to a fifth principle.

5. Establish an infrastructure to meet the specific needs of our Spanish-speaking donors

It’s tempting to think that all we have to do to market to those who speak Spanish is to translate our English material into Spanish and put it in the mail. Nothing could be further from the truth. To be successful, we must be willing to invest in an infrastructure which will enable us to develop relation-ships with those who respond to our mailings.

Respecting Diversity in Fundraising to Hispanic Donors from page 1



Among the resources we need are personnel whose first language is Spanish and who are aware of the nuances found in various countries in Central and South America. These are the people who will be responsible for reading the letters from donors, speaking to donors on the telephone, responding in writing to the donors’ questions and, most importantly, thanking them.

Computer programs must be in place to assure that we know who our Spanish-speaking donors are, that we communicate with them in Spanish, that we have all the correct accents available and so forth.

The Pew Hispanic Center’s 2010 National Survey of Latinos, released on February 8, 2011, indicated that about two-thirds of Hispanics

went online in 2010. If you main-tain a website in English, it would be worthwhile to develop one in Spanish as well. Yes, it is expensive. But as we all know, just as businesses “spend money to make money,” we must be willing to spend money to increase donations.

6. There is always a quid pro quo in direct mail marketing

Once again, this is nothing new. Unless others see some benefit to them in a particular product and/or charity, they will not respond. This is where communications with our Hispanic parishioners came to our aid. Who are they and what do they want? We wanted to know what service we could provide. What could we give them that would inspire them to contribute to the Priests of the Sacred Heart?

We believed that if we provided something valuable to our friends,

they would support our mission. Our success points to the fact that, with the help of the parishioners in our parishes, we are meeting their needs.

Conclusion

If I have learned anything from my work in fundraising to Hispanics, it is to treat donors with respect and be open to the richness which comes from diversity. n NCDC

John Cain has earned advanced degrees in theology, philosophy and business. He has been with the Development Office of the Priests of the Sacred Heart since 1986, and currently serves there as Associate Director for Fundraising. John represents NCDC on American Charities for Reasonable Fundraising Regulation (ACRFR).

Ah, but there’s more! Unlike the various leaders described in Great By Choice, our missions, our purpose, our values, our works are based on, perhaps, the most resil-ient story of all times. For richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, in good times and bad times, our missions are based on a common

faith in a loving God. It is this faith that binds us to our donors and to each other.

Hebrew Scriptures tell us how long God tried and tried to create com-munity with humanity. Then, in one miraculous moment, God became a member of the human family. What an incredibly creative and risky deci-sion! Out of the chaos of a census and the lack of sufficient housing, with two

inexperienced parents, amid the smells and sounds of a stable, God entered our human experience as a helpless, dependent infant. There is no limit to God’s resilient love. “O come, all ye faithful!” n NCDC

Respecting Diversity in Fundrais-ing to Hispanic Donors from page 15

President's Corner from page 3

Documents

DIMENSIONS - Agitator | DonorVoice€¦ · December 2011 86 Front Street Hempstead, NY 11550-3667 1-888-879-6232 Fax: (516) 489-9287 Dimensions, a membership publication of NCDC,