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Don't let bad data be the Grinch to your holiday appeal Your year-end holiday appeal is about to launch. Most of the work has been done. What next? If you are like most organizations, you can't wait for the responses to start coming in. The impact of your holiday appeal reaches throughout your organization. But are you ready to manage the response? Did your plan include a 'before' and 'after'? Are you managing your donor data, or is it managing you? -The most common advice consultants are sharing with their clients about fundraising mistakes - and why they are wrong. -How bad data trumps the best of content. -What you can do now to make next year's appeal more successful.
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Don’t let bad data be the Grinch to your holiday appeal
a webinar from Adcieo and Third Sector Labs
* The holidays are upon us * Everyone is busy * Your year-‐end appeal is under way (hopefully) * We’d like to talk about how to improve that appeal
… now … after you just launched one … before you get wrapped up in the next task
Welcome
1. Introductions 2. Look at the before and after activities of the annual appeal 3. Review what the experts tell you 4. Separate data from content 5. Looking at an example 6. Recommendations 7. Conclusions
Agenda
* Adcieo is a leader in fundraising consulting, social media and the use of fundraising technology * Dennis Chyba is the Founder and President * Dennis’ leadership experience includes both Kintera and YMCA of the USA
Website: www.Adcieo.com Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/dennischyba
Who are we? Adcieo
* Third Sector Labs is a data services company challenging nonprofits to re-‐think their data practices * Gary Carr is the Founder and President * Gary’s leadership experience includes Carr Systems, Kintera, KindMark and United Way
Website: www.ThirdSectorLabs.com Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/gpfcarr Our data tip of the week: Facebook & Twitter
Who are we? Third Sector Labs
Don’t let bad data be the Grinch to your holiday appeal
Shall we get started?
It’s December …
Planning done Website updated Direct mail to the post office Emails sent Social messaging set
Your year-‐end appeal
What’s on everyone’s mind?
Executive Director:
“What’s the number?”
Chairman: “Did we hit our goal?”
Director of Development: “Can I keep my
job?”
Anonymous staffer:
“How many shopping days
are left?”
Is anybody talking about the most common mistakes made with an
annual fundraising appeal?
Is it too late?
No … and, no!
The anatomy of the annual appeal
Let’s break it down (briefly)
Year-‐end appeal
Data
Style Materials
#1: Components
Content Planning& budget
Before
• Planning • Messaging • Materials • Website • Direct mail • Email • Social media
During
• Donations received
• Inquiries answered
After
• Enter data • Update records • Send out responses
#2: Schedule of activities
What are the most common mistakes? What do the experts say?
Start with the leading search engines …
Use a variety of search terms and questions … To find the most consumed advice …
Our approach to answering the question
* Top 30 articles * 90%+ in the past two years
* 156 total recommendations * Which we organized as follows: * Content only * Content and data * Data only
And our survey found …
Content only * Weak call to action (CTA) * Failure to tell stories * Failure to demonstrate impact * Failure to personalize * Small fonts * Too much content … too little * Too many communications … too few * Sloppy mistakes, misspellings * Failure to thank donors
Examples of what we found
Content and data * Treating all donors the same * The ask is too small * Failure to track responses to the appeal, analyze the results * Failure to research prospective donors / audiences in order to determine the right message
Examples of what we found
Data only * Failure to reach out to lapsed donors * Failure to reach out to new donors * Failure to track fundraising stats * Failure to clean and update your donor list
Examples of what we found
Recommendations for “Content + Data” … Recommendations for “Data” … All require interpretation to understand that the issue is data.
Part of the problem: Nobody is talking “data”
Nobody explains things like … * HOW you do something such as track an appeal response
against the message … or how NOT to treat all donors the same * HOW to analyze lapsed givers
This work starts with data.
Part of the problem: Nobody is talking “data”
We graphed the problem (because we are data-‐geeky people)
Examples of the advice Be
fore …
……
…. A
fter
Content …………. Data
Better plan
Envelope design Fonts
Send reminders Collect the pledge
Research prospects Mailing list
Stronger CTA Don’t treat all donors the same Don’t ignore lapsed
donors
Track donor stats
Thank donors
Tell stories
Track responses vs messages
Larger asks Personalize
Simple writing style Convey urgency, impact
Before …
……
…. A
fter
Content ………..…. Data
81% 6%
4%
4%
2% 1%
Few even reference “data”
2%
The mistake about the most common mistakes
What does the survey data tell us?
* 81% focus on content related activities before the appeal
* 12% vaguely discuss content-‐related data issues, but offer little direction
* 3% address data
* 7% discuss what to do after the appeal … and most are thank you reminders
The survey data says …
What do we do? Where do we start?
We think …
“It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts…” -‐-‐ Sherlock Holmes “A Scandal in Bohemia”
Rule #1: * If the data is poor, the content does not matter Rule #2: * What you do AFTER the appeal matters as much as what you did BEFORE
Two rules to remember
So, what are you doing wrong? Let’s look at an example
Let’s look at an example
- Older Adults - Professionals - Retirees - Faith Based - Baltimore Natives - Volunteers
Individuals
Corporations
- Member Organizations
- Baltimore Based - Shared Vision - Personal Connection
GEDCO Donor
• Direct Mail and Newsletters • Online Engagement • Events • Phone-‐A-‐Thon • Board Fundraising • Individual Calls
How does GEDCO reach it’s donors?
From data to impact
$0
$20,000
$40,000
$60,000
$80,000
$100,000
$120,000
$140,000
$160,000
EOY 2012 EOY 2011
Online Donations
Appeal Responses
ThanksGiving Tribute
Results: Comparison of EOY Giving
þ New donors þ Higher gifts from current donors
þ Use of communications þ Supported and framed final appeal
þ Personal look at residents and clients
Why the Increase?
Bringing it all home
Act now! -‐ the “after” is next year’s “before”
First and foremost
Your appeal is underway … data is coming … are you prepared? 1. Control your data inputs 2. Clean before spring 3. Measure and track appeal success
Our recommendations
Then commit … 1. Clean your data … REGULARLY 2. Check all data sources into your db 3. Ask for the data that you want from your donors * This is the easiest and cheapest way to enrich your data
4. Segment your donors and messaging * Do you know how your donors want to communicate? * Are you delivering the right messages to the right people?
Our recommendations
Finally … 1. Plan and budget for good data management
Don’t be the 1%-‐er
Our recommendations
Begin planning NOW for the next appeal, and start from the data AND by the way … This advice applies to ALL of your giving programs, campaigns, events
Conclusion
Questions ???
You can read more about this topic on our blog at: http://3rdsectorlabs.com/data/dont-‐let-‐bad-‐data-‐be-‐
the-‐grinch-‐to-‐your-‐holiday-‐appeal/
