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Donor interaction best practices

Jul 29 2014

Capital campaign philosophy: people give to people, especially people they know

By Steier Tips

Let’s face it: People typically don’t enjoy asking their friends, neighbors and coworkers for money. At the Steier Group, this approach to fundraising has led to hundreds of successful capital campaigns for our clients. Our clients know our capital campaign philosophy is based on two simple premises: People give to people they know People give when asked Sometimes, our clients shy away from using personal visits as the staple in their campaigns. They would rather ask for support through group gatherings, telephone calls or direct mail. We know that our campaigns are most successful when prospective donors receive a personal…

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Jun 03 2014

Communicating success to donors cultivates stronger bonds

By Steier Tips

Raising large sums of money can be a strenuous process. There must be a focused investment of time and resources in order to communicate your needs to donors and ultimately secure a gift. Oftentimes, organizations get so caught up in securing the actual commitment that they neglect one of the most important steps in donor cultivation: communicating your success. Donors want specifics. They want to know how their gift is being used to further your nonprofit’s mission. They want to believe that their sacrifice – however large or small – is making a difference. The responsibility of communicating this information…

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Jun 03 2014

Donor motivation provides key to fundraising success

By Steier Tips

In the fundraising world, the phrase “knowing your donors” goes well beyond remembering how many children they have, where they attended school and when they celebrate birthdays. Such biographical information, however, remains important. Be sure to send your donors cards on their birthdays and ask about their alma mater whenever you see them. The reality is, knowing your donors also means identifying where their passions lie. What causes do they support – and why. Determine what motivates them to give before you ask them to give. Experts identified five types of donor motivation that cause people to act: People like…

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Jun 03 2014

Don’t lose touch with donors during migration of snowbirds

By Steier Tips

As you are probably aware, the term “snowbird” refers to a northerner who moves to a warmer southern state during the winter months. The majority of the year they live in the area they consider home, but when the temperature dips, they relocate to a secondary residence to enjoy a milder winter. Generally, snowbirds begin their migration around the holidays and don’t return until late spring. Many organizations in colder climates have supporters that fall into this category, and it is imperative that you implement a plan for maintaining contact with them. Here are suggestions for keeping the lines of…

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Jun 03 2014

Reminders and best practices for end-of-year activities

By Steier Tips

Halloween has come and gone, and before you know it we will be completely immersed in the holidays and the end-of-year activities that come along with the season. Below are several end-of-year initiatives that you may want to consider implementing for your organization: THE IRA CHARITABLE ROLLOVER This provision was originally scheduled to expire Dec. 31, 2011, but Fiscal Cliff legislation included a two-year retroactive extension and will now expire at the end of this year, on Dec. 31, 2013. As a result you should consider contacting the older donors in your database. The requirements are: Must be 70.5 years…

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