I'm Mark Phillips, the founder and CEO of Bluefrog. After a decade working for both ActionAid and YMCA England, I decided in 1997 to create the fundraising agency that I had been searching for.
This is my private space where I share ideas, results, research findings and the odd thought on fundraising. I try to avoid looking at my belly button and concentrate on stuff that will make fundraising more effective. It should all be stuff that you can actually use.
If you want to know more, click on the About button below.
GRAACC is a Brazilian hospital that offers free treatment for children with cancer.
Over the last few years they have used a number of innovative approaches to raising funds. in 2011, they undertook the great banner sale.
Rather than simply ask people for money, they asked companies to donate banner space on their web sites. Instead of using them to promote the hospital, they sold the spots to other companies and individuals.
It seemed to work quite well.
When compared to their 2010 campaign, the number of donors jumped by over 2,500% and the value of their gifts increased by 260%.
You can learn more on this video...
And if you're interested in GRAACC's campaign for 2010, that was rather different too. They asked people to donate their whole website to the charity. Another idea that doesn't seem to have performed that badly, generating over 185,000 hits in just one day and increasing the number of supporters by 220%. Details of this are included in this video...
There is one simple way to dramatically increase income and improve your donor retention. You don't need to employ expensive consultants, install a new database or develop a brand new welcome strategy.
Instead, you thank donors.
That's it.
You thank your donors.
All of them.
You thank them quickly, personally and memorably.
With this simple action you could improve your donor retention by 400%. Research by fundraising consultancy, McConkey–Johnstone International UK found that first-time donors who receive a personalised thank you within 48 hours of making a donation, are up to four times more likely to give again, when compared to those who aren't thanked promptly.
The word personal is important here. It can be a massive temptation to mail out a computerised thank you similar to Nigel Molesworth's famous self-adjusting thank you letter, as featured in every schoolboy's favourite guide to life, How to be Topp...
Packed full of customisable fields, you can insert the donor's <name>, <salutation> and <gift amount> and still come over as impersonal and uncaring – even if you do get your thank you letter in the post within a week of receiving a gift.
The result is that you'll lose a significant number of your very expensively recruited donors.
Instead, why not send a thank you that is designed to make the recipient feel special? Something that shows the human face of your organisation? It might take some effort, but that is the secret to building donor loyalty.
Here are two rather good examples...
Pamela Grow shared a great thank you on the SOFII blog, where a pack of chewing gum was enclosed with the letter as a means to define the donor.
Marc A. Pitman on the Fundraising Coach blog, described how after a ribbon cutting ceremony, he gave donors a pair of scissors that had been inexpensively engraved with details of the event.
What makes these approaches so special is that they do more than just show the donor they are valued and appreciated. They also create a memory that will positively influence the donor's response to the next appeal that lands on their mat.
Stewart Lee took a look at charity in a recent episode of Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle.
In particular, he focused on the uneasy relationship between charity and celebrity, ironically summing up his position in the first minute or two when he explained why he does charity gigs...
"Not out of altruism. I do it because it makes me feel good about myself. And because at the big charity gigs there's often important people there who might see you."
If you know Stewart's style, you'll know his comedy isn't about telling jokes. It's about challenging us to look beneath the surface and question motives – those of ourselves and others.
And in this instance he's pointing out one of the most powerful reasons that we support charities – because we need to be seen to be good.
Note to people unaware of the work of Stewart Lee who have questioned the title of this blog post. It's simply a reference to Stewart's most recent DVD release.
If you saw David Rodigan walking down the street, you might imagine he was a bank manager or an accountant. He's a bespectacled 59 year-old who hasn't got much hair left, but see him on stage with a couple of turntables and you'll start to understand why he's lasted so long in a business that that always seems to be looking for the next new thing.
So what can we, in the fundraising world, learn from him?
Here are five things about his approach that I think makes him different - and successful. All of which are demonstrated in a 1 minute 21 second video clip (recorded late last year by @misterkoop in a club just around the corner from the Bluefrog offices).
1. He concentrates on delivering just what his audience wants
We all have favourite parts of a record and can't wait until we get to 'the good bit'.
As you'll see, if there's something that the crowd likes, David simply rewinds and plays it again and again and again. He gives his 'customers' just what they want - as many times as they want.
It's the same for fundraising. When we communicate, we should do the hard work and make sure we give our donors what they want – over and over again. Donors tell us that what matters to them is knowing what impact their gifts have had.
But too many charities talk generally about their work. They make donors fish through brochures, websites or mailing packs for the few gems of information that provide them with what they are looking for.
2. He's passionate
David doesn't hide behind the decks like most DJs. He runs around and spends time at the front of the stage dancing and singing. He shows his audience that he's just like them and loves the music as much as they do.
As a result, they get to know him as a person.
As fundraisers, we shouldn't hide our passion beneath formal language and corporate style brands. We should share it with our donors. Our role is not to be balanced. Our role is to be like our donors and champion the causes we care about.
3. He knows his audience wants to be part of his show
As you watch the video, you'll see that the volume is turned up and down giving the audience the chance to join in.
Donors are the same. Few want to be passive cheque signers. A surprising number want to have a chance to show they are part of your organisation.
A short while ago we offered donors to one charity a selection of devices they could use to demonstrate they were part of the organisation. Over 90% of responders donors requested one.
4. He shares
Throughout his show, David tells you the name of the track he's playing or shares short stories about when he first heard a song. Sometimes he holds up a vinyl 12-inch record sleeve to demonstrate that he's bringing you the original version.
Some DJs don't like people to know the names of the tracks they are playing. I've seen people go as far as sticking white paper over a label so others can't 'copy' them. Not David. After a show, you've got the names of some new singers or bands to go and listen to.
It's the same for charities. One of the reasons why I write this blog is to share good and bad ideas so fundraisers will have a better idea of what is worth copying and what isn't. If you've tested an idea that has failed, be brave and let other charities know (you can do a guest post here if you'd like). As a sector we are pretty good at this, but I still see too many examples of organisations copying 'bad' ideas and paying the price.
5. He asks his audience what they think
Throughout the show David asks for 'signal' about different records. In short, he's asking people if they like what he's playing. If it's a big yes, they get some more. If it's not so big, maybe the record won't get played as often or for as long. He's constantly keeping an eye on what works for his audience and responding.
As fundraisers we should be constantly assessing our appeals and judging whether we are pleasing donors. Our biggest signal is more income. Donors tend to vote with their cheques and credit cards. The more money we raise, the more we have pleased our donors.
But they can let us know what they want in other ways too. Whether it's formal surveys or analysing the one-on-one conversations that staff have with donors, we should never stop listening.
And then we should test whether other donors might like the idea too. A few vocal individuals (or staff) might not be representative of your whole supporter base. David learns from the crowd as much as from individuals. We should do the same.
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