During this virtual panel discussion, four women nonprofit leaders journey through the evolution of women’s philanthropic impact. The women put perspective on their past, present and future outlooks. They also leverage case studies and personal experience to shed light on what it means to be a woman in the industry while providing high-level advice to the next generation of women leaders.
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As the summer break approaches, and with it the conclusion of the annual fund, it is a moment to take stock and evaluate your achievements this year. It is also a critical juncture at which to put in place strategies to ensure you realize even greater success in the year ahead. Those schools which see most progress with their annual giving programs are those that keep up activity throughout the quieter summer months.
Analyze the Past Year
Undertaking a detailed assessment of giving trends (for example, donor acquisition and retention, or alumni and parent giving) for the past year will help you form a comprehensive basis from which to build out your annual fund strategy for the year ahead. It is crucial to truly understand:
- Your donor pipeline: where have you had the most success moving donors through your pipeline to higher giving levels?
- Campaign success: what messaging, appeals, and engagement strategies have inspired greater philanthropy and secured the greatest number of dollars? Can you identify the ROI for each appeal to help create efficient and effective strategies?
- Staff resource: has the time your fundraising team invested in managing your donor segments realized the returns you had projected?
While it may be easiest to launch the next annual campaign with your existing formula, this approach will inhibit your capacity to fully reach the depths of your donor pool. Conducting an honest analysis to answer the questions above will reveal where changes, even small ones, could inspire even greater philanthropic support.
Exemplary annual giving programs take the time to refresh (or create) differentiated strategies for their varying constituent groups. Considering the messages and communication channels which resonate most strongly with your recent and more distant alum, parents, past parents, and friends will serve to hold them close to your mission year after year.
Over time, your prospect pool both grows and changes. Younger alums differ from older alums in their philanthropic behavior and ambitions, as do parents and past parents. A frank assessment of your staffing allocation can shine light on whether you are focusing your resource in the most effective way to reflect each constituent group’s current needs and giving behaviors and foster their philanthropic relationship with your school most effectively.
Summertime Stewardship
The summer break also presents an opportunity to focus on donor stewardship. In addition to communicating to your entire donor community at yearend the impact of their giving, ensuring specific donor segments are given individual consideration will garner future value. New donors can be warmly welcomed to your philanthropic community with additional touchpoints to carry them forward into your retained donor pool. Donors celebrating notable giving anniversaries can be personally acknowledged with extra touches to those received at the time of their gift. Taking stock of your community to identify those donors whose giving merits thoughtful stewardship during the summer months will generate lasting goodwill.
Giving Society Strategy
An engaging set of giving societies will have a demonstrable impact for any annual program by developing a pipeline of major gift prospects and holding existing ones close. To fully maximize their potential requires thoughtful strategic intention behind a donor’s entry to your threshold giving society and their journey through higher levels. The summer months are an ideal time to review the pipeline for your first tier giving society and to consider:
- Do you have a clear set of top prospects who will be invited to join this giving society in the coming year and a plan for their cultivation?
- Which donors will be invited to move up to the next tier giving society and how will you compel them to do so?
Crafting a strategy which answers these questions will provide you with a series of messages and actions to implement over the coming year to ensure your future major donors are kept close to your school and its mission.
Confirming Your Campaign Goal
How do you arrive at your annual fund campaign goal each year? Is it based upon analysis of your donor pool’s giving potential and historical giving behavior or is the gap between the operational budget and expected tuition taken as the figure for the annual goal? By necessity, many schools take the latter path. Yet, collaboration between finance and advancement teams to determine a campaign goal which accounts for both institutional need and pipeline potential can result in greater understanding, and support for, the work of the development office. Thoughtful goal setting of this kind can also help to avoid short-termism in fundraising efforts wherein major gift officers prioritize securing a gift now over cultivating a donor for a larger gift in the future.
Summary
Each year of an annual fund campaign is deeply interlinked. Amplifying the collective value of each year’s annual fund efforts requires sophisticated data analysis of donor behavior coupled with thoughtful and active management of the prospect pipeline in response to the trends identified. The upcoming summer break is your moment to start planning.
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Maximizing Fundraising Opportunities in South Florida
South Florida is experiencing great philanthropic growth, and the momentum looks likely to continue well into the future. In this article, we help you understand the most important trends and components of the philanthropic landscape that will help you maximize fundraising opportunities in South Florida.
Donor Cultivation Through Associate Boards
Seeking ideas for donor cultivation ahead of “the Great Wealth Transfer”? Learn how to establish and maintain an associate board to engage the next generation of donors.
PRESENTED BY
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Maximizing Fundraising Opportunities in South Florida
South Florida is experiencing great philanthropic growth, and the momentum looks likely to continue well into the future. In this article, we help you understand the most important trends and components of the philanthropic landscape that will help you maximize fundraising opportunities in South Florida.
Donor Cultivation Through Associate Boards
Seeking ideas for donor cultivation ahead of “the Great Wealth Transfer”? Learn how to establish and maintain an associate board to engage the next generation of donors.
Want to start a conversation?
We’d love to help you plan your next chapter!
PRESENTED BY
Erin Kupferman
Vice President
Brad Patterson
Executive Vice President
Derval Costello
Managing Director
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Maximizing Fundraising Opportunities in South Florida
South Florida is experiencing great philanthropic growth, and the momentum looks likely to continue well into the future. In this article, we help you understand the most important trends and components of the philanthropic landscape that will help you maximize fundraising opportunities in South Florida.
Donor Cultivation Through Associate Boards
Seeking ideas for donor cultivation ahead of “the Great Wealth Transfer”? Learn how to establish and maintain an associate board to engage the next generation of donors.
Want to start a conversation?
We’d love to help you plan your next chapter!
PRESENTED BY
Bob Weston
Senior Vice President
Kate Villa
Managing Director
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Maximizing Fundraising Opportunities in South Florida
South Florida is experiencing great philanthropic growth, and the momentum looks likely to continue well into the future. In this article, we help you understand the most important trends and components of the philanthropic landscape that will help you maximize fundraising opportunities in South Florida.
Donor Cultivation Through Associate Boards
Seeking ideas for donor cultivation ahead of “the Great Wealth Transfer”? Learn how to establish and maintain an associate board to engage the next generation of donors.
Want to start a conversation?
We’d love to help you plan your next chapter!
Over the past two years, COVID-19 has highlighted the magnitude of social and economic disparities while racially-motivated violence has sparked a national conversation about justice and structural racism.
In 2020, nonprofits and philanthropists propelled the important effort to address these disparities by investing in long-term systemic solutions to advance equity and wellbeing for all Americans. According to Candid, donations have surged to $8.8 billion for racial equity and $13.6 billion to COVID-19 relief efforts in the US to date.
Two years later, change-makers continue to examine and question the large-scale and long-term systems that impact our daily lives and disproportionately disadvantage some communities in the US.
WHAT DOES “Systems CHANGE” MEAN?
The term “systems” can be nebulous or even ominous. The systems that surround us are intentional or unintentional, formal or informal practices that dictate how something is done. Systems include health, legal, education, and many more seen and unseen. Interconnected, they tether us together in a web that forces us to interact with their structures.
Today, the systems we inhabit help some people to thrive, while leaving many others behind to struggle and suffer based on race, ethnicity, economic status, gender, location, and other human and societal differences. Systems change has therefore become a term that is widely used by the nonprofit and philanthropic community to refer to social impact initiatives for societal equity and improvement.
To change a system first you must find its shape, scope and reach, and you must name it.
CHANGING THE SYSTEM THAT DEFAULTS TO EMERGENCY SERVICES.
In the systems that dictate health and wellbeing, a gulf exists between individuals and communities that have access to the essential conditions needed to live healthy lives and those who do not. These essential conditions include security, access to education, meaningful work, housing, a clean environment, and reliable transportation. Absence of these humane circumstances increases the demand for emergency services like acute care for illness or injury, addiction and recovery services, criminal justice, violence, and emergency services, environmental clean-up, unemployment support, food services, and shelter for the un-housed.
Changing systems that are inequitable and exclusionary will have positive long-term societal, and financial rewards. It will also require investment in time, talent, and money. Now more than ever, we need to build a future where nonprofits and funders work together to address the conditions required for equitable health and well-being.
HOW CAN NONPROFITS FUNDRAISE FOR SYSTEMS CHANGE TODAY?
1. Focus on foundations.
Charitable gifts made by individuals are essential for nonprofits, however nonprofits seeking financial support for programs that initiate systems change should consider approaching foundations first. There are an estimated 85,000 grantmaking foundation in the US, and in 2021 their giving totaled over $88.5 Billion. Public, private, and family foundations are pursuing nonprofit partners using terms such as civic participation, democracy, human rights, human services, and community and economic development to identify the types of programing they wish to fund.
2. Name interconnected problems.
Social problems rarely exist in a vacuum. Addressing systematic inequity requires untangling layers of complex contributing factors. Factors that lead to social problems include gender, race, education, geographic location, ability, occupation, immigration status, religion and more. Because the struggles faced by many communities intersect, nonprofits seeking systems change foundation funding need a well-written case statement that streamlines the problems and provides clear strategies for the positive impact they will wish to have in solving them.
3. Investment equals invention.
Foundations and funders everywhere have a chance to be cutting edge investors in co-creating a new and more equitable future. Crafting thoughtful proposals and grant applications that outline opportunities for invention is critical for nonprofit fundraising success.
Partner with CCS to gain innovative fundraising strategies.
CCS Fundraising is committed to working with nonprofits to:
- Identify and cultivate relationships with funders poised to make meaningful change,
- Craft thoughtful case-statements to convey program value,
- Brief foundation decision makers in direct conversation, and
- Guide leaders through the proposal and grant writing cycle that leads to funding.
Philanthropy will play a critical role in ensuring systems evolve into something more equitable and beneficial for all of us.
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South Florida is experiencing great philanthropic growth, and the momentum looks likely to continue well into the future. In this article, we help you understand the most important trends and components of the philanthropic landscape that will help you maximize fundraising opportunities in South Florida.
Donor Cultivation Through Associate Boards
Seeking ideas for donor cultivation ahead of “the Great Wealth Transfer”? Learn how to establish and maintain an associate board to engage the next generation of donors.
March 2022 marks two years since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. This marker provides a natural point for reflection for nonprofit boards to assess how they have reacted to a changing environment and how they can proactively plan for their organization’s future.
CCS has recently published insights on developing board benchmarking reports and integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices into board activities. In this article, we will discuss four areas where we have seen cause disruption for nonprofit boards in recent months:
- Job market turbulence
- Budget reallocation
- Continued virtual operations
- Antiquated procedures and materials
In each section, we provide a set of questions designed to generate reflective discussions for nonprofit boards as they seek to optimize their operations.
1. The Impact of Job Market Turbulence on Creating Board Fatigue and Vacancies
The Great Resignation occupies the minds of many board leaders. Board members may be dealing with understaffed teams at their place of work or they may be on the move themselves. This turbulence can make board participation a lower priority and can lead to vacancies in boardrooms as individuals grapple with the Great Resignation.
As the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) writes, “highly effective trustees are a prerequisite for a highly effective board.” When considering your board’s stability, ask:
- Do you find trustees are preoccupied with external pressures?
- Are there multiple vacancies on your board? If so, why?
- How recently has your board reviewed its onboarding and mentoring processes?
- How effective is your nominating committee at staying true to institutional priorities?
2. The Drain of Budget Reallocation on Fiduciary Management
Many boards have needed to play catch-up with budget allocations due to the unforeseen financial stress of the pandemic. After two years of organizations’ expenses being dominated by pandemic concerns, boards need to recalibrate what expenses will be critical and enduring and what fundraising goals will be relevant in the next year and beyond.
Moreover, boards need to be ready to meet these fundraising goals. When asked to rank 18 areas of board responsibility in terms of importance, 70% of chief executives ranked fundraising as very important. Fundraising was prioritized over a board’s ability to think strategically, guide the direction of the organization, possess knowledge of organizational programs, and other factors.
Understanding the goal that your organization is working towards will help a board stay the course when it comes to budget allocations and fundraising. As your board reevaluates the budget, key questions to consider include:
- Is your board ready to embrace the new reality of what is feasible in this environment?
- Is your board informed and comfortable asking for gifts?
- Does your board feel connected to the community your organization is serving?
3. The TENDENCY TO DISENGAGE IN a Virtual World
Addressing board vacancies and budget priorities must be balanced with engaging current board members. There is no doubt that video conferencing has made us all more accessible, but more meetings do not necessarily translate into better efficiency or stronger connections. Even prior to the pandemic, a study found that 71% of senior managers claimed that their meetings tended to be unproductive and inefficient—common traps were meetings that are too frequent, poorly timed, or badly run. Planning for meetings, communicating goals, and clearly outlining roles are undervalued tools that determine the success of a meeting.
As we enter the third year of the pandemic, many people are growing fatigued of Zoom. With the advent of hybrid meetings, boards need to rethink engagement strategies to inspire board members’ participation. We’ve seen boards get creative with these engagement strategies—for example, the board of a large public university invited their marching band to spice up a recent board meeting.
Even if you don’t have a marching band, you can still inject board meetings with more energy and inspiration! Consider the following questions to ensure that meetings and other operating policies promote board engagement:
- Do board members understand their roles post pandemic?
- How comfortable is your board with changed procedures and expectations?
- Is there consensus around the new norms for meetings and events?
- Have trustees tried new ways to socialize in place of in-person informal gatherings?
4. The Ineffectiveness of Antiquated Procedures and Materials
Upheavals in how we operate may require that institutions stop and evaluate the mechanics of their board. Yesterday’s board playbook may no longer be sufficient; procedures and manuals need to be reviewed and potentially revised.
It is likely that recent challenges have exposed vulnerabilities in board operating structures. To get started on bringing procedures and materials up to date, questions to consider include:
- Is there a current crisis management plan in place?
- Does the succession plan need to be reevaluated?
- Are fact sheets up to date?
- Has the mission of the board shifted?
- Do board manuals need to be revamped?
- Should board recruitment be updated to keep track with DEI efforts?
A well-functioning board is essential to helping a nonprofit achieve its mission. It’s worth the extra attention and investment to ensure that your organization’s board is optimized for today’s world. With careful consideration on these four areas, board chairs and staff leadership can improve the board’s operations, feel more in control during unpredictable times, and bring more satisfaction and sense of purpose to their board.
Want to start a conversation?
CCS Fundraising helps nonprofits craft individualized approaches and actionable next steps for enhancing their board performance.
The first article in our annual fund series gave an overview of the critical role that the annual fund plays in a school’s financial sustainability and provided several best practices for your school’s fundraising strategy. In this article, we will dive deeper on a subject discussed in that article: leveraging collaboration across campus to drive institutional alignment and maximize annual fund performance.
Effective communication and coordination across development, finance, curricular program, and enrollment teams is crucial for setting appropriate goals, developing compelling themes for annual fund appeals based on your school’s needs, and creating and executing effective engagement strategies across your donor base.
Goal-Setting
Involving voices from across your school’s key teams and functions is essential in setting appropriate yet aspirational targets for your annual fund performance. For example, if either a development or business office sets annual fund goals in a vacuum, they risk missing out on crucial context that should inform strategic decision-making.
While development teams understandably have the clearest picture of historical giving trends and recent fundraising performance, they can get a deeper understanding of the school’s overall financial needs for the coming year from the Head of School. Conversely, business offices might have a firmer grasp on the school’s financial metrics but are less aware of the capacity of the school’s donor base, prospect potential, or the realistic growth plan for the development team.
Fostering open communication and dialogue between these teams helps to build a collective understanding of goals and strategy, as well as a shared sense of ownership of results and performance. Schools should prioritize the establishment of processes for regular communication and sharing of relevant information to promote understanding of both the school’s overarching approach to its annual fund strategy, and teams’ individual roles in setting financial targets. Consider:
- Weekly or bi-weekly meetings with administrative leadership to discuss fundraising progress
- Monthly reports to the CFO
- Quarterly progress reports
- Space on Board meeting agendas to present fundraising priorities and progress towards stated goals
- Including administrative leadership in development committee meetings for continuity between departments
Developing the Annual Fund Theme(s)
This need for collaboration and communication is also a key component for creating a compelling theme for your appeals. An effective case for support not only resonates effectively with donors but also addresses the most important programmatic and operating needs of the school for the year. Building a set of funding priorities that effectively accomplishes both objectives should not fall on the development team’s shoulders alone.
Development teams should engage with faculty and program staff to learn about exciting new priorities for the coming year. Marketing and communications teams should be engaged to promote alignment between the year’s fundraising theme and broader marketing strategies surrounding the framing, language, and focus of a message. While development staff have the most complete sense of what priorities will resonate most with the school’s donor base, coordination across campus to gain broader perspective on the needs of the school will enhance the annual fund theme and ensure that it addresses the school’s needs and priorities for the coming year.
| Annual Fund Priorities Without Collaboration | Annual Fund Priorities With Collaboration |
| Financial Aid | High quality affordable education for all |
| Professional Development | Attracting and retaining premier educators |
| Diversity, Equity & Inclusion | Mission meeting the moment |
| Area of greatest need | Sustainability through endowment |
| Other / Programming | Robust athletics, arts, and STEAM |
Donor Engagement Strategies
Finally, effective collaboration can also play a vital role in designing creative, successful donor engagement strategies. Engaging new families around philanthropic support is a key challenge for many schools year after year. Development teams can and should work with enrollment and admissions to find innovative ways to help new families feel welcomed and integrated into the school community, while emphasizing and highlighting the important role that development and fundraising revenue play in the school’s success.
Similarly, development teams can coordinate with alumni relations staff to design more effective engagement strategies for graduates across different age groups. Making sure that your development office has a strategic approach to maintaining relationships with this vital constituency is critical to promoting a culture of philanthropy. Frequent and proactive communication between these groups can boost donor engagement and provide opportunities to grow the annual fund sustainably and effectively.
Conclusion
Collaborating across your school’s teams creates greater alignment on the goals, priorities, and tactics that underpin the success of your annual fund year-over-year. This coordination of planning, messaging, and execution will equip your development team with the resources it needs to tell the school’s story effectively and to help donors across various constituencies understand the role that the Annual Fund plays in the school’s financial sustainability. Further, embracing this collaborative mindset helps to promote a shared internal understanding of the importance of development. In this way, development can come to be thought of more as an institutional priority and can be integrated more intentionally to advance the school’s broader strategic planning.
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South Florida is experiencing great philanthropic growth, and the momentum looks likely to continue well into the future. In this article, we help you understand the most important trends and components of the philanthropic landscape that will help you maximize fundraising opportunities in South Florida.
Donor Cultivation Through Associate Boards
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Since early 2020, many organizations have been grappling with how to transition “crisis donors” to “mission donors.” That is, converting donors who made one-time reactive gifts during the COVID-19 pandemic and racial reckoning to donors who continue giving because they believe in the ongoing impact and mission of the organization.
Many early “crisis donors” are on the path to becoming “mission donors,” while others are reevaluating organizations to support on an ongoing basis. Of course, “crisis donors” aren’t the only donors your organization wants to acquire or retain in 2022. According to CCS’s Philanthropic Landscape Report, from 2019 to 2020, digital giving increased by 21% to account for 13% of all giving in the US, a new height. As expected, younger donors are more likely to give through digital platforms than any other method.
Giving Channels Used By Generations
All these factors, unique to this moment in the philanthropic landscape, mark an opportune time to reevaluate your donor acquisition and retention strategies.
As your organization builds its 2022 fundraising plan, it can be helpful to remember that as the philanthropic landscape evolves, so should your acquisition and retention strategies. Competition for attention and dollars is as fierce as ever—and nonprofits across the country continue to see donor acquisition and retention as key organizational challenges. To help your organization stand out and retain a larger number of one-time donors and attract first-time donors, keep the following considerations in mind to inform your plan of action.
Donor retention and acquisition is on the mind of most nonprofits…
…and if it isn’t on yours, it should be. CCS’s 2022 Philanthropy Pulse survey report asked organizations about the top challenges they face today. Respondents said donor acquisition and retention are among their top three greatest challenges (53% and 41%, respectively).
While there might be solace in knowing your organization is not alone in thinking through these strategies, these responses indicate that acquiring and retaining donors will be as competitive as ever.
What are the top challenges your organization is facing today?
| Challenges | Percent |
| Donor acquisition | 53% |
| Donor retention/stewardship | 41% |
| Leveraging data to make better decisions | 28% |
| Hiring and retaining fundraising staff members | 25% |
| Increasing deferred (planned) gifts | 24% |
| Working toward diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) goals | 18% |
| Navigating data management issues (e.g., in your CRM) | 17% |
| Shifting donor interests | 15% |
| Adjustment to a more digital world | 14% |
| Budget cuts | 10% |
| Securing more gifts of non-cash assets | 5% |
| Other | 5% |
The first step IN developing your plan is knowing your numbers.
2020 and 2021 saw industry-wide philanthropic trends shift at an accelerated pace. Chances are high that your organization also saw notable changes in the ways donors engage. The first step to developing a strong strategy around acquisition and retention is to understand your own organization’s shifting trends.
As you take a deep dive into your organization's donor retention and acquisition rates over the past five years, consider seeking answers to the following questions:
- What was your acquisition/retention rate trajectory from 2018 to 2020?
- How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect this trajectory?
- What happened between 2020 and 2021?
- What segments of donors saw the most fluctuation?
- What channels of communication have been most effective to reach your target audience?
Communicate Your Mission to Grassroots Donors.
In 2021, one human services organization saw an influx in new grassroots donors as a result of their COVID-19 relief programing. They developed a cohesive communications plan to introduce those donors to the organization’s broader mission and have successfully maintained elevated levels of grassroots support since.
Evaluate Your Direct Mail Outreach Efforts.
Other organizations, citing success in digital fundraising and an increased focus on sustainable practices, have considered dramatically reducing or even eliminating direct mail outreach. Others are finding even greater success through acquisition mailings. Now is the time to deeply assess what your data tells you about the direction your organization might be heading.
These questions will be important to explore to get a clearer picture of how your organization has experienced the uncertainty of the past few years. Once you uncover trends in your organization’s fundraising data, you can begin to develop and implement a plan to capitalize on the areas where you’ve been successful.
Key steps for developing a successful acquisition and retention plan
Now that you’ve taken a magnifying glass to your organization’s recent data and trends, it’s time to put a plan into action. The outcomes of your internal assessment should provide a good starting point for formulating your acquisition and retention plan for 2022.
A good acquisition and retention plan should speak directly to your target audiences by sharing compelling stories of your mission’s impact. It should include strategic and measurable goals and you should be prepared to adjust any approach as needed. Lastly, a good plan should always maintain a donor-centric approach to ensure that it is simple and intuitive to engage with your organization.
Segment your donors and prospective donors.
A young donor who made a first-time $20 gift through your organization’s social media page might respond differently to certain content than an older donor who wrote and mailed a $20 check in response to a mailing. Your strategies should be unique to the segments you are trying to reach.
Create content that is topical, compelling, and speaks directly to your target audience.
Strive for content that educates donors on how your organization’s mission is making an impact now, in real-time. Regardless of the platforms and channels through which your organization most successfully reaches donors, successful acquisition and retention strategies often revolve around educating donors on your mission through compelling storytelling. What are the stories your organization can tell that highlight how and why your organization’s mission is making an impact right now? Ensure that your content speaks to an ever-diversified donor demographic and strives to cultivate a more inclusive and equitable philanthropic sector.
Your content will be the primary way your audiences will engage with your organization. Take time to create targeted and meaningful donor journeys to educate them on why they should invest or continue to invest in your mission.
Set measurable goals and continually assess progress.
As you develop your plan, be sure to lay out clear and measurable goals. Evaluate these goals on a regular basis and be prepared to be agile in shifting priorities or content strategies.
As a potential goal-setting benchmark, CCS’s internal Data Analytics, Systems, & Research team observes an average donor retention rate of 46% across the organizations CCS has worked with over the last 5 years.
Strategically budget to meet your goals.
If your organization has experienced an organic influx of new donors over the past few years, you might consider the acquisition cost of those new donors as near-zero. As funds were not spent on acquiring these donors, you might consider heavier investment into retaining these types of donors. Be sure that your costs are supporting outcomes that help reach the goals you’ve set.
Finally, ensure that it is as simple as possible to make a first-time gift or give again.
As digital fundraising continues to grow, ensure that giving to your organization, across all platforms, is simple and straightforward. Once you’ve done the legwork to compel a donor to give or give again, you don’t want to lose them due to an arduous donation process.
Having a solid donor engagement plan will help you succeed.
Following these steps will support your organization in building a strong plan to attract and retain donors in 2022. In an environment where many organizations are grappling with questions around donor acquisition and retention, having a strategic, measurable, and nimble strategy backed by strong content will make your organization stand out among the noise.
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South Florida is experiencing great philanthropic growth, and the momentum looks likely to continue well into the future. In this article, we help you understand the most important trends and components of the philanthropic landscape that will help you maximize fundraising opportunities in South Florida.
Donor Cultivation Through Associate Boards
Seeking ideas for donor cultivation ahead of "the Great Wealth Transfer"? Learn how to establish and maintain an associate board to engage the next generation of donors.
On Ash Wednesday, Catholics worldwide will embark on a 40-day Lenten journey. This period of prayer, reflection, and fasting is also considered a time of almsgiving—a moment to reflect on one’s blessings and share one’s gifts and talents with the broader community.
Many parishes across the country have served as a lifeline to their local communities by spiritually nurturing parishioners and offering care and support services to those most in need. As the faithful answer God’s call to service and prepare for the mysteries of Holy Week, parishes will need to calibrate this year’s approach to fundraising to meet ongoing budgetary needs and thoughtfully prepare for the coming of Easter. This four-week plan will serve to help drive parish revenue, strengthen digital communities, and streamline your Holy Week communications strategy.
WEEK 1 – EVALUATION PERIOD
As many parishes navigate a hybrid virtual and in-person fundraising approach, it is essential to evaluate your modes of communication and develop a viable timeline in advance of Easter. Consider asking yourself the below questions to determine how you will disseminate information in the weeks ahead.
Parish Checklist:
- Does our parish offer electronic and in-person giving?
- Were we satisfied with our e-giving provider last year?
- Is our electronic giving link clearly visible on our parish website?
- How can we develop a standardized parishioner experience for those in person and those who are joining us virtually?
- Can e-blasts and/or automated calls be administered weekly informing parishioners of relevant Lenten updates?
- Is our parish actively gathering contact information for outreach? Are we engaging with ministries to create a more robust email list?
- Does our parish’s Easter mailing feature our electronic and in-person giving information?
- Are the messages and visuals standardized between online and in-person giving?
To help drive parish revenue, make sure electronic giving links are prominent on your parish website. Can you find your e-giving link in 10 seconds or less? For parishioners that continue to use envelopes, provide clear mailing and drop off instructions on your parish website that align with your current safety protocols.
WEEK 2 – DEVELOP YOUR CASE
The pandemic has presented many costs for parishes as they continue to invest in technology to remain connected, pay the salaries of devoted personnel, and prioritize the sanitization of church property. It has also reinvigorated many spiritual communities and increased demand for parish programs. Consider developing a case for support to clearly articulate your parish’s financial needs during Lent and beyond.
- Highlight the support services that you continue to provide to your local community.
- Include important facts and figures to reinforce the need for financial support. Consider listing the required monthly expenses to maintain the parish and actual offertory figures. Remember, many parishioners are unaware of the associated costs to maintain their spiritual home. Use this time to educate and inform them. This call to action will certainly garner one-time gifts but can also incite sustained financial support.
- Please remember to thank lay leaders, parish staff, and parishioners in your communication channels for their unwavering support and leadership.
- Communicate beyond words; images can be very helpful in quickly communicating your impact. Ensure that you include standardized images in your in-person bulletin as well as on your parish’s donation page.
WEEK 3 – SHARE YOUR MESSAGE
Now that you have ensured your giving link is clearly displayed on your website and that your needs have been vetted and thoughtfully outlined, begin articulating your needs to the parish community through all relevant communication streams.
- Reinforce principles of stewardship by posting Lenten reflections on social media.
- Share your Holy Week Mass schedule through email blasts, social media handles, automated calls, and bulletin inserts.
- Remember the Rule of Seven, a marketing principle that purports people need to hear a message seven times before acting. Always include your electronic giving information in written and digital communication to encourage participation.
- Encourage parishioners to invite friends and family to “like” or join your parish’s Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter page as you begin to share relevant updates and information.
Make giving easy for parishioners! Tips to consider:
- Written communication: Make sure all mailed or printed communication includes a QR code that links directly to your electronic giving platform or parish website.
- Livestream: For parishes who continue to livestream Mass, make sure your e-giving link is clearly displayed in the message portion of your post. Consider including a quick note in each livestream and/or social media post.
- Verbalize your offertory request during the livestream of Mass! After the Gospel and Prayers of the Faithful, invite parishioners and viewers to participate in the offertory collection or make their Easter gift by using your parish’s secure electronic giving link.
- If using Facebook to stream Mass, consider identifying an administrator or lay leader that can act as a “digital usher.” By logging in on your parish Facebook account, the user can post comments to remind viewers to participate virtually in the offertory process.
- If you are celebrating Mass in-person, simply make an ask either prior to the offertory or during the announcements.
WEEK 4 – REITERATE MESSAGE
Offertory support is critical to funding vitally important parish programs, the upkeep of facilities, costs associated with technology, and other ongoing expenses. Remember to reinforce this call to action during Holy Week leading up to Easter Sunday. By implementing these best practices, you can achieve your fundraising goals and enrich your Easter celebration!
