Loverizing : The Lucrative Difference a Few Well-Chosen Words Will Make in Your Donor Communications Tom Ahern 2010-14 Tom AHERN www.aherncomm.com 1
The US fundraising market Over the past decade the number of US nonprofits has shot up by 47% to a whopping 1,056,000 organizations. Yet private giving as a percentage of the US national income dropped by 11.7% in the same period. Clearly, too many organizations chasing too little money. Source: January 2013, The Agitator Tom Ahern 2013 2
The virtuous circle... Appeals, thanks, & newsletters work together. You ask. You thank. You report. You ask. You thank. You report. You ask. You thank. You report. 2014 Tom Ahern www.aherncomm.com 3
Are most donor comms built to fail? [ pretty much ] Tom Ahern 2014 4
Profitable donor comms are love letters. Tom Ahern 2014 5
A.k.a., LOVERIZING: Wooing, Winning and Retaining Individual Donors 60 Slides 2014 Tom AHERN www.aherncomm.com 6
Loverizing equals donor centricity. Indiscriminate donor hugging is another synonym. 1993 2003 2004
Donor centricity = Making More Money TOM AHERN 2014 8
Angel Aloma, ED, Food for the Poor, a $1 billion-a-year US charity fighting poverty in 17 countries... I went to Holland, to the IFC, to hear a very inspiring American. His name was Tom Ahern. And he truly made me internalize the meaning of donor centricity. TOM AHERN 2014 9
2013 Tom Ahern 10
2013 Tom Ahern 11
In fundraising, the donor is the customer.
Your job is to make that customer happy.
Source: Mark Phillips Tom Ahern 2014 14
Ah, happy donors... Donor Newsltr-Kivi-1 2014 Tom Ahern www.aherncomm.com 15
Why bother? Donor Newsltr-Kivi-1 2014 Tom Ahern www.aherncomm.com 16
UNhappy customers give ELSEwhere.
70+% of first-time donors in the US do NOT make a second gift. Donor Newsltr-Kivi-1 2014 Tom Ahern www.aherncomm.com 18
Lifetime value Donor Newsltr-Kivi-1 2014 Tom Ahern www.aherncomm.com 19
CRISIS!! Donor Newsltr-Kivi-1 2014 Tom Ahern www.aherncomm.com 20
A 10% improvement in your donor retention improves your revenue 50% immediately. And that s just the beginning... Source: Adrian Sargeant, 2010 Donor Newsltr-Kivi-1 2014 Tom Ahern www.aherncomm.com 21
We support a charity or a soccer team or a perfume because it gives us a chance to love something about ourselves. Source: Seth Godin TOM AHERN 2014 22
Give the donor an important job to do. Case for Support 2014 Tom Ahern www.aherncomm.com 23
Make it bigger. 2010-14 Tom AHERN www.aherncomm.com 24
We're No. 19! Still in the top third within the global "justice league", the U.S. is lacking most on fundamental rights (27 out of 99 countries) and civil justice (27/99). Source: Top 10 Countries Where Justice Prevails, Forbes, March 2014 Case for Support 2014 Tom Ahern www.aherncomm.com 25
Money is power. Case for Support 2014 Tom Ahern www.aherncomm.com 26
You give powerless people a chance for real justice. We need you in this fight! Case for Support 2014 Tom Ahern www.aherncomm.com 27
The story s about the donor...every time someone donates to a good cause, they're buying a story, a story that's worth more than the amount they donated. It might be the story of doing the right thing, or fitting in, or pleasing a friend or honoring a memory, but the story has value. For many, it's the story of what it means to be part of a community. Source: Seth Godin TOM AHERN 2014 28
Pixar Pitch Once upon a time. Every day,. One day. Because of that,. Until finally. A donor showed up. Someone JUST like you! Source: Daniel Pink, To Sell Is Human, via Joanne Fritz TOM AHERN 2014 29
Are you claiming the credit or giving it to your donors?
Actually... You ask (and flatter). You thank (and flatter). You report (and flatter). You cannot flatter too much. UOregon Tom Ahern 2013 31
Even when people perceive that flattery is insincere, that flattery can still leave a lasting and positive impression of the flatterer. Source: Neuromarketing blog 2014 Tom AHERN www.aherncomm.com 32
Corporate communications are about how great the organization is. Favorite pronoun: we
Donor communications are about how great the donor is. Favorite pronoun: you
Thanks to you and other generous donors like you, we were able to turn...
Next time, ask yourself (before you mail), What s our gift of joy to the donor this time?
Right away: the gift of joy The purpose of an envelope? To get opened. So the heartbreaking story begins on the envelope... 2014 Tom Ahern www.aherncomm.com 38
The gift of joy 2014 Tom Ahern www.aherncomm.com 39
The gift of joy 2014 Tom Ahern www.aherncomm.com 40
Donors: Why they re just not that into you
ABOUT US ABOUT US ABOUT US ABOUT US ABOUT US ABOUT US ABOUT US ABOUT US ABOUT US ABOUT US ABOUT US ABOUT US ABOUT US ABOUT US ABOUT US
ABOUT US ABOUT US ABOUT US ABOUT US ABOUT US ABOUT US ABOUT US ABOUT US ABOUT US ABOUT US ABOUT US ABOUT THE DONOR ABOUT US ABOUT US ABOUT US ABOUT US
A lot of charities could be mistaken for egotistical maniacs.
If we show them how great we are, they ll support us. Wrong. 2014 Tom Ahern www.aherncomm.com 46
Dr. Adrian Sargeant loyalty factor Multiple engagements Tom Ahern 2012 47
Source: Jeff Brooks, June 2013 Tom Ahern 2014 48
Source: Jeff Brooks, June 2013 Tom Ahern 2014 49
Dr. Adrian Sargeant loyalty factor They re aware of consequences Believing Someone might be hurt if I don t give. Believing Someone will be helped if I do give. Tom Ahern 2012 50
Source: Jeff Brooks, June 2013 Tom Ahern 2014 51
Dr. Adrian Sargeant loyalty factor They re learning Are you taking them on a journey? Tom Ahern 2012 52
Source: Jeff Brooks, June 2013 Tom Ahern 2014 53
Is our stuff skimmable? 2013 Tom Ahern 54
What do readers really see Artwork: 80 percent Photos: 75 percent Headlines: 56 percent Briefs: 31 percent Captions: 29 percent Text: 25 percent* *This number is abnormally high, according to Poynter Institute researchers. They tested prototypes rather than actual publications. Prototypes invariably produce higher, more positive numbers than real publications. Source: Ann Wylie 55
Eyebrow Headline Deck Lead (lede) Eye magnet Caption 2014 Tom Ahern www.aherncomm.com 56
Eyebrow 56% Headline Deck Lead (lede) 20% Eye magnet 75% almost no one 29% Caption 2014 Tom Ahern www.aherncomm.com 57
At least once per page in the BIG TYPE, love thy donor loud and clear 2014 Tom Ahern www.aherncomm.com 58
Only Big Type matters on the first SKIM. If it s in the small type, consider it UNSEEN PS: Your target audience is not your sweet boss nor your respected board chair. Their opinions re: donor communications are almost sure to be irrelevant, if not dangerous. 2014 Tom Ahern www.aherncomm.com 59
Are we likeable? 2013 Tom Ahern 60
We have gut reactions in three seconds or less. Dan Hill, Emotionomics TOM AHERN 2014 61
All fundraising copy should sound like someone talking. -- George Smith, Tiny Essentials of Writing for Fundraising Case for Support 2014 Tom Ahern www.aherncomm.com 62
left: conversation in print right: typical case Case for Support 2014 Tom Ahern www.aherncomm.com 63
Did I kill enough jargon today? Case for Support 2014 Tom Ahern www.aherncomm.com 64
18 bits of jargon to eschew 1. Capacity 2. Empower 3. Enhance 4. Indigenous 5. Partnership 6. Development 7. Systemic 8. Community 9. Innovation 10. Superlative 11. Outcomes 12. Support 13. Sustainable 14. Resources 15. Dignity 16. Facilitate 17. Diversity 18. Fostering Source: Katya Andresen, Nonprofit Marketing Blog, Network for Good Case for Support 2014 Tom Ahern www.aherncomm.com 65
Rhode Island Legal Services provides high quality legal assistance and representation to low-income individuals and eligible client groups for the purpose of improving their economic condition and overall wellbeing by protecting and enforcing legal rights, stabilizing the family unit and communities where clients live, promoting self reliance, ending domestic violence, preventing homelessness, affording dignity to all people, and reaching out to groups with added burdens on their ability to access the civil justice system. Case for Support 2014 Tom Ahern www.aherncomm.com 66
Rhode Island Legal Services provides high quality legal assistance and representation to low-income individuals and eligible client groups for the purpose of improving their economic condition and overall wellbeing by protecting and enforcing legal rights, stabilizing the family unit and communities where clients live, promoting self reliance, ending domestic violence, preventing homelessness, affording dignity to all people, and reaching out to groups with added burdens on their ability to access the civil justice system. Case for Support 2014 Tom Ahern www.aherncomm.com 67
Ugly works. Tacky works. Corny, embarrassing, and messy all work. In print, or in digital. Source: Jeff Brooks, Future Fundraising Now, 2014 Case for Support 2014 Tom Ahern www.aherncomm.com 68
Source: John Lepp, Agents of Good, 2014 Case for Support 2014 Tom Ahern www.aherncomm.com 69
Insiders suffer from the curse of knowledge. And it IS a curse in fundraising. Case for Support 2014 Tom Ahern www.aherncomm.com 70
If you change the way you talk...
The gift of joy: You make the stories in this newsletter possible!
Donor centricity guideline: Donors go first, not last. TOM AHERN 2014 73
Putting the donor last: "We were able to provide Whiskers the care that she needed because of your help! Putting the donor first: "Thanks to your help, Whiskers got the care she needed! 74
Your donors will never get tired of hearing how great and how needed they are. 2010-13 Tom AHERN www.aherncomm.com 75
Please stop staring at my wallet. You re making me uncomfortable. 2010-14 Tom AHERN www.aherncomm.com 76
Giving increased 75% over previous letter Direct Mail 2010 Tom Ahern www.aherncomm.com 77
Direct Mail 2010 Tom Ahern www.aherncomm.com 78
Fundraising is NOT about money. Source: Alan Clayton Tom Ahern 2013 79
From you... They want to belong. They want to see their values in action. They want to win! They want to feel good. They want to feel loved. They want to feel smart. They want to feel needed. They want to feel important. They want to feel something. Tom Ahern 2014 80
SUBSCRIBE to my free how-to tips newsletter, via email @ www.aherncomm.com Tom Ahern 2014 81