Campaign Components

Communication - Making a Connection with Your Donors

In the world of fundraising, there may be nothing more exciting than the exact moment you receive news of a major gift. That feeling of sheer joy is hard to duplicate and many times hard to predict. And yet, it would be a mistake to think that all of these moments materialize out of thin air. The fact is, donors, large and small, are cultivated with a comprehensive and unique communications strategy.

To maximize the funding potential of your campaign effort, you need to map out a smart communications strategy that sends a consistent message to all of your potential donors over time.

Making the connection, through education and public awareness, is a key factor in moving your organization to the top of a donor's charitable giving list.

There are three key elements in mapping out a smart communications plan.
1. First, you must develop your case statement.
2. You must work to personalize your case.
3. You must develop and execute your strategy by deciding when and how you will deliver your message.

A case statement is the full presentation of your organization’s needs. When it is completed, the case statement will provide very important information about your organization. It should give the donor everything they need to consider a commitment to your organization.

Before you put your case statement together, it might be helpful to start with your mission statement. Review your mission statement and ask yourself “who, what, where, why, and how?” Also ask, “Why do we do what we do?” “What needs are we required to fulfill?” or “How will our goals fulfill this need?” To build your case statement, you should use the following outline:

History and purpose   Provide the history, mission statement and purpose of the organization. Share your success stories and how well you are fulfilling the mission.

Planning  Detail the planning/needs assessment process. Inform the donor how you came to your decision and if your group participated in a feasibility study.

The need  Describe the need. Share the need, not from the organization's perspective but how it will help those being served.

The goals  Describe the project goal(s), including budget and cost estimates. Use visuals such as architectural renderings.

Request for support   Share the amount already raised. Describe the direct benefit that the donor's gift will provide.

All five of the ingredients are essential to making a compelling and persuasive case for funding. As you spend time developing each one of these components, it also is important to remember that sound fundraising is about developing relationships. The more you can personalize your appeal to potential donors, the stronger your case will become.

Personalizing your case statement will distinguish your organization from the competition. This is done in two ways:
1.  by bringing warmth and personality to your story, and
2.  by developing a sense of urgency about your case.

A strong case statement will put a human face to your organization and elicit an emotional response. Some ways to accomplish this are through the use of warm photographs, an individual’s story about how the organization has changed their life, or a volunteer’s passionate explanation of why they chose to get involved.

The second way you can personalize your case is to give it a sense of urgency. Provide the prospective donor with the scheduled timeline, explain how your goals best fulfill the need, and finally, describe the consequences of reaching your goal or, in some cases, NOT reaching goal.

The third important element to an effective communications strategy is determining how and when you will deliver your message. The timing of each piece depends on the type of organization and the type of communication vehicle you are using. There are several vehicles you can use to help communicate your case. Here are three primary ones:

Personalized letters  detail the results of the planning process

Brochures  provide a "snapshot" of the need and the proposed plans

Case statements  fully detail the need and the plan to address that need

The following are some secondary communication vehicles:

Host special events

Tours of facility

Small group gatherings

Campaign kickoff

Special invitations to current functions

School newsletters

Church bulletins

Campaign thermometers

News releases

Campaign updates

Video presentations

Web page

E-mail this article to a friend

Other Campaign Components articles: