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No More Homeless Pets Forum
June 28, 2004 Building a Mailing List |
Donors are the lifeblood of your organization. How can you reach out and find more members? How can you keep track of your donors? And encourage small donors to become large ones? Faith Maloney and Bonney Brown of Best Friends Animal Society will offer their advice and insights this week.
Introduction from Bonney Brown and Faith Maloney:
Creating and maintaining a mailing list is the lifeblood of an organization. Including people of like mind in your vision for the animals is vital to achieving your mission.Are you making the most of every opportunity to add names to your mailing list? Most probably not. None of us can think of everything in the middle of a busy day, but if we start to put an emphasis on this task, it gets easier and easier to keep it in the forefront of our minds.
Maintaining contact with supporters keeps an organization alive and growing. How often have we said, "I'm just too busy taking care of the animals to stop and send out a newsletter or keep in contact with people"? But without people's help and support, none of us can do our work of helping the animals, and those people don't know what we are doing unless we tell them!
We'll be happy to answer your questions this week on how you can develop a mailing list and use it to increase support for your work.
Questions
How often to make contact with donors
Knowing when to take lapsed donors off a mailing list
Getting your name out to the public when you have no shelter
When an organization is in immediate financial crisis
Software programs and databases for donors
Recruiting donors disenchanted with the major shelter in town
Starting to find lists of potential donors from scratch
Do you always ask for money when contacting members?
What other information should you gather besides names and addresses?
Should you have memberships?
Stories and pictures to include in mailings
Approaching a potential donor
Coming up with good stories and pictures when you are a spay/neuter program
What kind of thank-yous to give donors
Keys to successful fundraising appeals
How often to make contact with donors
Question from Julie:
How often do you recommend we make contact with our supporters and donors and what type of contact (appeals, phone calls, newsletter, etc)? We don't want to overwhelm them with requests and mail, but we also don't want them to forget about us and feel like we don't touch base enough.Response from Faith:
It is recommended that an organization contacts its supporters a minimum of five times a year. They don't have to be all in the same form. Here at Best Friends we use several ways to be in touch with our members and supporters. We send out four fundraising newsletters a year - Spring, Summer, Fall, and Christmas. We send out a magazine six times a year to anyone who has donated $25 or over a year, and we have weekly news updates on our website, and Network members get e-mails relating to animal issues in their areasThis is quite a lot of contact! If our members and supporters request less contact then we note that in our database, and send them fewer materials.
There are a lot of causes vying for our attention every day, but we do need to be reminded of the ones we like to support, so often more is better in this case. We do try and be sensitive to bombarding people with constant requests for money and primarily use our four newsletters for this task. However, we encourage people to donate by having a donation slip available in the magazine and a place on our web site where people can give if they choose.
Response from Bonney:
As Faith states, the guideline is that you want to get in touch a minimum of 5 times a year. If you plan four newsletters and one other mailing, such as an event or other invitation, you'll hit your target 5 times. E-mail makes it a lot easier to keep in touch! So you may want to consider starting an e-mail list in addition to gathering postal mailing addresses.I like to think about the key to successful fundraising as relationship building. We all know that we need to keep in touch with people who we care about, and the same applies to donors.
Knowing when to take lapsed donors off a mailing list
Question from Amy:
We are a small-ish shelter in southeast Texas. Several years ago, we decided to delete names from our mailing list of anyone who had not donated in any form in the 5 previous years. (The people on our mailing list receive our quarterly newsletter, as well as any other notices of fundraisers, etc.)However, one ongoing situation continues to baffle us, and makes us wary of deleting anyone from our list: Every year, we get one or two bequests from people that have passed away, leaving the shelter some money from their estate. Most of these people have not been on our mailing list.... ever. Or, if they were on our list, they had never sent any sort of donation at all! This situation has us wondering re: guidelines on deleting names from the mailing list, as we can't afford to waste money by sending information to people who do not contribute.
Response from Faith and Bonney Brown:
Not sure if you are doing this or not, but you might consider sending a special note, or even calling "lapsed donors" before removing them from the list, and you may not want to wait five years before doing that. Many groups do this at two years out from the last donation.Professional fundraisers say that the donor who comes back to you is the most loyal. So they are worth pursuing a little bit. (Of course you don't want to go overboard!)
A nice note or call that reminds them that you have not heard from them for a while and wonder if they are still interested in receiving a mailing might be the way to go. Sometimes people just don't realize that they have not given in a while when they are just receiving routine mailings.
If you want to be sure you are not cutting anyone off who is going to put you in their will or give again when circumstances improve, offer that if they are still interested in getting the newsletter but not able to make a donation at this time, they can get in touch, saying that you'd be happy to keep them on the mailing list, but you want to be sure that the mailing is not unwanted.
If the reminder "we've not heard from you for a while" note does not get a response, some groups go a step further and ask for information to help them do better. They ask if the person would let them know if there was anything that has happened, anything that they need to do better.
Getting your name out to the public when you have no shelter
Question from a member:
We're a large animal rescue group that uses foster homes exclusively. We get small donations at our adoption events, but haven't been able to find on-going or major support (i.e. big money donations). We think that people are reluctant to make large donations to a group that has no central facility like a shelter. Any suggestions on how to make our organization appear more legitimate in the eyes of the public at large?Response from Bonney:
The best approach is probably not to put too much emphasis on large donors. Do the right thing and focus on getting the word out there and you'll be able to cultivate many smaller donors. Not only is this a better use of time and energy, but it's also the best way to find the large donors - who will emerge from their ranks.Too much focus on big donors can lead to failing to fully recognize the power of many more modest supporters. Having a broad base of support helps organizations to ride through difficult economic times.
Best Friends has several large donors, but primarily our work is made possible by donations averaging $35 a year from over 250,000 supporters.
As far as how to make your organization look more appealing to large donors, and just to donors in general, you'll want to put the needed time into creating high-quality, professional-looking literature and a nice well-put-together website. Most people do judge a book by it's cover, so rather than fight that, find volunteers with desktop publishing skills, writing talent and website development experience to help your organization look good.
It's also a good idea to keep in mind that every time anyone from the public has contact with anyone representing our organization they are forming an opinion about your group based on that interaction. Training volunteers and being friendly and polite in all interactions goes a long way toward creating a good public image in the community.
Response from Faith:
I can see that this might be a problem, but not an insuperable one. In the early days of Best Friends we did tabling for donations and for names for our mailing list in various cities around the West and our only facility was in Utah. We did have photos of the animals in our programs and stories to share with people who would come to the table, but no building in those areas.I am sure you have tons of good stories from your foster program? If you are not doing this already, make sure that you get some good photos of the animals you have helped, and of them in their great new homes. In fact, make taking photos a priority. These days with digital cameras it is pretty easy for most people to get decent quality, high resolution pictures that you can use for printed materials, web sites, and photo books and photo Boards.
Telling the stories is the way you communicate your size and influence, it isn't by having a building per se. I'd take a look at the quality of your printed materials too. Are they professional looking, or a bit amateurish? If they don't look too good, think about enlisting some professional, pro bono, layout help. Use your adoption successes to tell the public and potential large donors how invaluable your organization is to the community. I assure you donations will follow.
When an organization is in immediate financial crisis
Question from Debra:
Our organization is facing a financial crisis. If we do not bring in more money regularly we are going to lose our shelter. What do you suggest? I know we need to start a membership program, but right now we need to bring in some money quickly. Do you have any suggestions?Faith Maloney and Response from Bonney:
Best Friends was in a financial crisis several years back and we needed money immediately in order to feed and take care of the animals at the sanctuary. We found that tabling was relatively easy, and extremely quick. I say relatively easy as it is not everyone's cup of tea to sit for hours behind a card table with photos of the animals and a collection can, but for those to whom it sounds like fun, it can be a very effective way of raising some immediate money to help with a crisis.Basic tabling instructions: Purchase, or find stored in the back of someone's basement, a lightweight card table and a folding chair. Create some photo Boards that can sit on the top of the table and also hang down in front, with the name of your organization written in large letters. You want people to see who you are and that you help animals as they walk across the parking lot towards the store you are positioned outside of. (More on the store later)
Have a collection can - We used 5 lb used coffee cans. Cut a slit in the plastic top and create a wrapper on your computer that has your name and some pictures on it to put around the can.
Have some brochures about your work, or just one three-fold leaflet that people can take away with them that has your name, phone number, web site and street address, if you have one. This should also have some way for people to send you money if they don't want to give at the table, but would want to send you something from home.
Also have a clipboard on the table for people to write down their names, addresses, phone and e-mail address. This will be the core of your mailing list.
If you have products available for a donation, you may want to add those if it is OK with the store.
Once you have the equipment lined up then choose a store that has a lot of traffic like a large grocery store, health food store, or chain, like a Wal-Mart. Contact the manager and ask to be able to sit outside and talk to shoppers about your work. They may require a sign off from "head office", in which case take the information and follow through with it.
It is important to reassure the manager that you are not planning on being rude or confrontational to his or her shoppers. This would be a sure way to not be invited back if you did that, and may get the manager in trouble with head office. So remember to bite your tongue and count to ten when people says things that you want to clock them for!
Choose some of the busier times, or do what we did, start at opening time and go until closing. We were pretty desperate! Shopping happens in patterns during the day with ebbs and flows. You may work out that you will have most success with the after work crowd, in which case you can tailor your tabling to those times.
Depending on the people who are tabling, you can make anywhere from a few hundred dollars a day to a thousand or maybe even over that. It is the best way we know for finding the animal lovers in your community, getting their names for your mailing list and developing your support base.
This comes highly recommended.
Here also is a short Article on Raising Money in 30 Days:
Board cafe is a free e-mail/online newsletter for non-profit Board that you may want to check out www.boardcafe.org. Specifically in this case you might want to take a look at this back issue, as it has an item on raising money in 30 days,
http://www4.compasspoint.org/cpDir/files/documents/board_cafe/bc_2003_06.pdf.
Also, if you have not already, you might explain the situation to current donors and ask for their support. You can only pull this sort of crisis request off once, and need to be working on a longer term fix (developing a membership base). You can do this with a mail appeal, but targeting specific long-time large supporters, and asking for the opportunity to meet and talk with them might be a good route to consider.
Software programs and databases for donors
Question from Melanie:
We are a new organization and want to structure things right from the beginning. We understand the importance of having one's web site set up to be able to transfer information from donors and interested parties directly into a data base.We don't have funds to customize our database. What program do you suggest is user friendly? What questions (besides name, address, telephone number and email address, do you have animals, what kind, how old) do you suggest adding to a "registration" form (not to make it so long, so that people DON'T register)?
Thank you SOOOOO much for making your expertise available to us "newbies"
Response from Bonney:
There are many variables in terms of selecting the right database program, so my recommendation on this would be to find a local volunteer (or two) with technical expertise who can help you set up your database to meet your needs and work out any interface issues with an online giving program.There are several fundraising/donor database programs out there, but if you are just starting out odds are a local volunteer can put something workable together for you at little or no cost at all. As the organization grows you can invest in a donor-management software.
When I was starting a group some year back we started out with a simple mailing list database that was created by one of the Board members, and it served us well for the first couple of year while resources were tight. Then we invested in a program that had been recommended to us by another group - it fit our budget and needs and we were happy with it. Here's the website link: http://www.fundraiser-software.com/frp.html.
Most companies that sell fundraising software/donor management programs will help you to get your current data transferred over when you sign on with them, and at the time, these folks did that. Aimee St. Arnaud will supply some other potential links for you to check out for software management programs, below: http://www.hsus2.org/sheltering/magazine/currentissue/may_jun00/asmmj00_shelter_software.pdf
As far as what to ask information wise on an online donation form, if you really want to ask a lot of questions about their pets and such, I'd strongly suggest making those fields optional. It will probably turn some people off from making online donations if you require them to submit a lot of information.
If you are starting out you may want to consider taking online donations through a third party service, such as Network for Good, http://www.networkforgood.org/npo.
Recruiting donors disenchanted with the major shelter in town
Question from Julie:
We believe there are may large donors in our community who have become disenchanted with the main humane society here, so they are no longer giving to animal welfare. We would like to cultivate these donors for our smaller program, but we don't know where to start. How do you initiate contact with these major donors? How do you persuade them to support your smaller efforts without maligning the larger organization?Response from Faith:
I like your thinking. It is good to start fresh with these folks and not use their negative relationship with the humane society as any kind of leverage.I would suggest finding out where these larger donors hang out. Is it a country club? Are they involved with other local charities? Do they have children at some of the same schools as your own supporters? Making social contact is often a great way to meet people, find out what they are interested in and get into a position to talk about your work. In fund raising this is called development.
You will start to develop a relationship with these larger donors which may take some time, but getting to know people and them getting to know and trust you is the surest way to be able to follow that up with a request for funds at an appropriate time. There is no need to trash anyone else in the course of doing this. You simply present your work through stories, successes and your own commitment to the animals.
Starting to find lists of potential donors from scratch
Question from a member:
We are a new group just starting out and are trying to develop our mailing list. We have thought about buying lists but it seems really expensive! We have also talked about hiring a direct mail company to handle the buying and mailing for us. Would you recommend this? Do you generally get a good return? If we don't use a company, how do we start finding animal friendly names otherwise?Response from Bonney:
We'd advise start-up groups against hiring a professional fundraising firm or buying mailing lists right off. That type of donor acquisition is expensive and does not usually pay for itself for several years. (Those trying to sell their services/lists will not necessarily tell you this.) Once the group has been established for a few years and has a solid base of support, you may then want to begin looking at the costs/benefits of buying mailing lists.Tabling:
The top tip ever for building a mailing list is the "tabling" advice Faith gave earlier this week. The foundation of the Best Friends mailing list was built this way (the first 30,000 members were through tabling), and the group I started in Massachusetts in the early 90's was done the same way (we were a local community group and got over 7,000 donors through tabling).
It's inexpensive, and highly effective! Fundraisers will tell you that nothing is as powerful as the face-to-face meeting with a donor.
What? You say you don't have time to spend hours sitting out in front of stores? No problem - there are many volunteers out there who would love to help animals, but they do not usually come forward when they think the only help needed is hands-on animal care.
Try running volunteer notices in local papers and on the local cable access TV community notices. (These services are usually free.) Be sure to be specific about the type of volunteers you are looking for, so people do not assume that unless they are willing and able to do hands-on care you will not want or need them. (In general, volunteer ads that give really specific tasks/needs get a MUCH better response than general calls for volunteers.)
Also, ask all your current volunteers and supporters if they would be willing to contribute a few hours each month representing the group at tables out in front of local pet supply stores and supermarkets to help spread the word about the group's work. You will need to do a bit of training and set people up into teams (best to have at least two people go out together whenever possible), but it is easy and inexpensive especially when viewed in terms of how effective it is.
Organizing the tabling is a terrific job for a go-getter volunteer, so you don't end up trying to do it all yourself.
Other ways to expand your mailing list without spending a fortune:
- Start with a list of all your (and your colleagues' ) friends and relatives who like animals. Ask them for the names and addresses of others.
- Go through the Yellow Pages for the addresses of businesses that relate to animals: vet clinics, pet supply stores, groomers, trainers, etc.
- Include the names of people your organization has helped, folks who come to your events, adoptive families and donor prospects you wish to cultivate.
- Obtain dog license lists, available from many town halls for a small fee.
- Ask members to spread the word. Ask them for the names of friends who may like to learn about your work.
- Hold public meetings in different communities and collect names to add to your list.
- Trade mailing lists with a local business or another non-profit organization.
- Get publicity for your organization. Articles in local newspapers can generate new supporters.
- Offer to speak at civic and community group meetings about your group's work. You'll want to do a nice presentation that includes visuals, preferably photos. A PowerPoint presentation is ideal and another way that people with computer/technical skills can help you.
Do you always ask for money when contacting members?
Question from a member:
Should we always ask for donations when we make contact via a newsletter or e-mail, or should we sometimes just be providing an update?Response from Faith:
Giving people an option to donate, but with no pressure, is always a good idea in some of your materials. Our four annual newsletters at Best Friends are our "Big Ask", but other things like our magazine, web site news, etc. provide soft asks. The option to give is provided.You never know is how many times your newsletter or e-mail news updates are passed around to others, so having a way to send in a donation is not a bad idea as a new person might like to give you something.
Exceptions to that might be an emergency alert e-mail about a needed rescue where you don't want to dilute the message by giving people more than one thing to concentrate on. Another exception would be in your thank yous. Many people make the mistake of asking for more money while thanking a donor for his contribution. It's a big turn off to a lot of people.
What other information should you gather besides names and addresses?
Question from Julie:
Besides names and addresses are there any other key items of information we should obtain when starting a mailing list?Response from Faith:
Compiling your mailing list gives you an excellent opportunity to find out more about your supporters. Some people use a modest questionnaire to find out about skills or interests of their supporters. This can be very useful if your group is looking for help in certain areas like legal, or media, or direct animal care. You may find you have those skills already in your support base.When we were first compiling our mailing list through tabling we would have a section of the form for notes. If something popped up during the conversation either the tabler or the donor might make a note of whatever it was. For example, the person who stopped by the table might be a groomer. During the course of the conversation about your work the groomer offers to groom all of your adoptable animals for free. Make a BIG note and make sure to follow up on it.
That is the real value of face-to-face tabling as a way of building your mailing list. In just a few minutes of conversation you might be able to find out a lot about the donor or potential donor. You will know they love animals and that they just helped another non-profit (not an animal group necessarily) raise a million dollars. (OK, maybe it's just a fantasy, but it could happen!)
You can also use the time you are getting names for the mailing list to recruit volunteers for fostering, shelter work, if you have a building, or pairs of hands for adoptions days or special events. So I suggest you create your mailing list forms to include some spaces for other information besides the basics.
You may be planning to do this, but if not, I'd suggest that you also want to have spaces on your sign up form for phone number and e-mail address. People may, of course, decline to give them, but it's worth asking.
Should you have memberships?
Question from Debbie:
We are a small rescue group/shelter (8 cages at a PETsMART, with the rest of our animals in foster care). Most of the upfront work, such as shelter management, medical care, adoption screening, newsletters, fundraising, etc., is done by 3 people. We maintain a mailing list of approximately 400 people, including adopters, volunteers, and people who we have helped and those who have expressed interest in the group.We send out a newsletter 2-3 times a year and the past two years have had one major fundraising event a year, plus participating in PETsMART, Pictures with Santa, PetCo appeals, etc. This year we will have two fundraisers. We have expanded the newsletter to include pictures, and that has certainly helped us to get more donations. However, what we haven't tried yet is offering "membership." Can you explain what that might entail? Are "members" different from those who are just on our mailing list? Can we offer some benefit to those who might join? If it will make a difference, we'll certainly try it.
Response from Faith:
The term "member" can be confusing sometimes, as it can mean "voting member". Here at Best Friends we use the word member to describe our supporters. Our members have no legal voting rights.We like the word member as it suggests being part of something. "I belong to this organization, I support this organization, and I have an interest in how this organization does".
As long as you make it clear in your organization's legal documents that you do not have a voting membership, then "member" is just a really nice word.
Yes, you can offer discounts on merchandise for example, like The Smithsonian does in their gift catalog. Don't get too hung up on premiums for membership though. A lot of animal lovers don't like the idea that you are spending the money they send in to take care of the animals on calendars, mailing labels etc. People give what they can afford, and they are not looking for a special gift for doing that.
It must work in the general world though as we are all familiar with PBS drives with cups, mugs, and videos being offered as premiums, but animal people don't seem to care for that kind of merchandising.
It sounds like you are growing and learning through trying out different approaches. Give this one a try too, and I expect you will see some good results. All of us like to belong.
Response from Bonney:
Congratulations on your progress, but in order to keep things going for the long haul I'd strongly suggest you begin reaching out to more volunteers with skills to help support your work.Here's a simple manual to help you get started in the volunteer recruitment area:
http://www.bestfriends.org/nomorehomelesspets/pdf/volunteering.pdf.
Stories and pictures to include in mailings
Question from Erin:
I would like to know what a relatively small group (in a mid-sized city) should include in their mailings. Personally, I think success stories are very important because then people get to share in how their participating is making a difference. But what kinds of other topics should we include in those five annual mailings? And should those five mailings definitely be hardcopy print? Has any evaluation been done as to the efficacy of e-mail public relations over snail mail?Response from Faith:
Success stories are very important as it is showing your readership that their money is going directly towards saving lives. I would also be aware of your demographic and include pictures and stories featuring those people. For example, do you have a large seniors support group? Make sure to include photos of seniors with your animals for adoption or success stories. Children are always good in pictures, as we have all been children, some of us have children and quite a few of us have kids and grandkids. Seeing kids of all ages working with animals, being around animals helps us all to feel that this world is not going to hell in a hand basket!Your readers might also be interested in new projects, but remember to keep the visuals cool. Photos of construction alone are not very captivating. To you they might be the best thing you have ever seen, as you know how long it has taken you to raise the money to put up a building, but to your supporters it is not that exciting - unless you put a bunch of people with lots of animals in front of it!
A lot of people use tips pages in their newsletters. I would aim to make those a bit out of the ordinary rather than dragging out the age old favorites about vaccinations, spay/neuter, or summer/winter housing and grooming tips. All of that information can be woven into stories about particular animals, which will make people read the tips, even if they know it all already.
Avoid at all costs numbing business details like what happened at the last Board meeting about the annual budget. Have that information at hand for those that are really interested, but don't put it in your newsletter.
We recommend using your friends and family who are not committed animal people to look over your materials. We so often fall into the trap of "preaching to the choir". Use outsiders to give you an honest opinion of what you are presenting, and ask them what they would like to see in your newsletters.
No, not all communication needs to be hard copy. Web sites, e-mails are all valuable as ways of keeping in contact. But unless you have a way that people can give you donations on line, you will still need the tried and true hard copy solicitation with return envelope.
Approaching a potential donor
Question from Andrea:
I am part of a local rescue and active in promoting spay/neuter in our community. I understand the importance of building a mailing list and cultivating smaller donors. However, I also have an acquaintance (a former employer) who is if very wealthy and has expressed interest in supporting animal rescue and working with my organization. He seems receptive but nothing concrete has happened yet. Any suggestions on how to approach this potential donor?As my next step, I'm wondering if I should call and invite him to meet and see our facility and tell him the projects with which we are seeking financial help.
Response from Faith:
That sounds like a really good idea to invite this potential large donor to see what you have achieved. There is nothing like the hard facts and seeing things with your own eyes to solidify a relationship.I don't have to tell you to make the place look really clean and spiffy. And pay close attention to smell. We all get used to the smell of our facilities. Time to bring in mom or a close friend who does not hang out at your shelter and ask them to be brutally honest about smell and the way the place looks. If there is even a whiff of old cat pee or dog poop, as you enter through the front door get down to some serious scrubbing.
We all know what a turn off it is to visit an animal place and be bowled over by a pungent odor. Your potential donor most probably lives in a very nice, clean home. Make your shelter be like that. And by the way, this works for the small donors too!
Response from Bonney:
The meeting sounds like a terrific idea. I'd be sure to do your homework in advance. Wealthy business people usually want to be sure that their money is going to be well spent, so a simple business plan for your organization would be ideal. You can find many model business plans for free on the Internet and there are probably also books on putting a plan together in your local library.At a minimum, you'll want to have your mission and goals in writing as well as a simple budget and current financial statements. High donors often want to know that you have other means of support, so once again the sound donor base comes into play.
The good news is that your work in this area will not be wasted, as the same information will be helpful with applying for grants and working with other potential corporate supporters.
Good luck!
Coming up with good stories and pictures when you are a spay/neuter or TNR program
Question from Christina:
We are a start up spay/neuter group in a large city. Mostly we alter cats, (750 since 11-03), although we have done some dogs. How do we get cute pictures and happy stories for a quarterly newsletter? We don't want to dwell on the reduction in killing healthy animals, but we don't trap a lot of sterling endings.We are about to launch our first newsletter and the best story we've come up with is the 20 feral cats we trapped in an 80 year old couples home... so far no pictures (for the best). Any suggestions?
Response from Faith:
Good question! Ferals often don't make good subjects for pictures. Hissing in a trap doesn't look good, and neither does being knocked out prior to surgery or after surgery.However, you could get some good face shots of the tame cats and the dogs. It takes time to get good pictures, and you need patience and either a lot of film or a big memory card. Keep those pictures on file so that you can attach a picture with a story about your successes in spaying and neutering. I know surgery is not sexy, but you can emphasize numbers. 750 cats is a big number and something to be very proud of.
The story about trapping the feral cats in the elderly couple's home is a good story and can lead into an article about hoarding, how it manifests, how to spot a hoarder or someone who is so overwhelmed they cannot cope. Ten tips to avoid getting overwhelmed. How to help a friend, family member or neighbor cope with their animals. Helping seniors by setting up a volunteer dog walking program or helping to haul in and clean cat litter. Get the idea? You can use one story to springboard into a series!
I usually find when I am talking to rescue people that they don't always know the story gems they are sitting on. We often just take things for granted that are just plain awesome. Find a good interviewer in your group and have them ask questions. You might be surprised at how many wonderful stories you have to share through your newsletter.
Response from Bonney:
I agree with Faith fully on this and have a few more angles to add.You can get photos of feral cats in their environment with their houses and feeding stations. On their home turf the cats are happy and relaxed. With a zoom lens you can get in close enough to get good photos. This has the benefit of showing that, contrary to anti-feral propaganda, the cats can live healthy lives on their own home turf.
Also, you can tell the stories of people you have helped. Highlight some of the people and their pets who have benefited from the services you provide. Photos of people with their pets are terrific! If you've neutered outdoor cats for any seniors who loved the cats and fed them, but just could not get them all fixed on their own, these folks and their feral friends make terrific newsletter stories.
One word of caution with feral cats! Take care not to reveal the specific location of colonies. One of the other things anti-feral people are always saying is that the colonies encourage drop-offs of tame cats (who will likely be driven off by the colony - so you may not have the chance to rescue them). Or worse, someone who hates cats obtains the information to harm them. This is easily prevented by not sharing colony location information publicly.
To help reach new people, you can also seek media coverage for your work. Once explained to them, I've found media people to be understanding and respectful of the request to keep precise colony locations quiet too. One of the things I'd explain is that the feeder is often going to feed the cats alone and they are often women, so we wanted to ensure their safety as well as the cats.
If you're promoting a spay/neuter clinic, you can use the same approach to get media attention. Focus on the service you provide to the community and to individuals who have benefited from your services.
Best wishes for success!
What kind of thank-yous to give donors
Question from Cathy:
What kind of thank yous do you think work best for donors, and at what level donation do you send a thank you? Currently, we send thank you notes to everyone who donates, even if it is $5, and we put their name in our newsletter. We are interested in starting levels of giving to encourage higher donations. For instance, if you gave $100 but move up to $250, you get tickets to our auction event. If you move up to $500 you get the tickets and a plaque on the wall. Have you ever seen anything like this done successfully? We are still in the planning stages and want to do it right and don't want to seem like we are giving away too much, as if we don't need money, but we don't want to be too chintzy either!Response from Bonney:
Terrific that you're thinking about this! Indeed it's a great idea to try to get current donors to increase their gifts. Incentives can sometimes be as simple as creating levels of giving/membership with appealing names.I think a plaque on the wall for $500 is unnecessary (maybe for $10,000), but giving inexpensive benefits might be good. Your idea of auction tickets would cost next to nothing and may benefit you if they buy stuff at the auction. Also while everyone should get a note, you may want to send an extra nice personalized thank you note signed by the president to high donors... and maybe make a thank-you phone call. (Don't ask for more in the call or thank you note! You just want to sincerely thank them. You can ask again later.)
I'd give some thought to the listing of names in the newsletter. Usually groups can have 4 or 8 page newsletters (longer may not be cost effective - people are busy and most cannot read a really long newsletter). So to dedicate a page out of only 4 or 8 pages to a boring list of names may not be the best use of space. What is important is that people feel appreciated and there are many ways to do this that do not waste precious newsletter space that could be more effectively dedicated to talking about the group's good works, plans for the future, and the animals you have helped so people are inspired to give.
Keys to successful fundraising appeals
Question from a member:
After putting out a newsletter quarterly for four years, my all-volunteer rescue group voted to go to one newsletter per year in order to save on postage costs. This seemed short sighted to me in terms of gathering donations. Most of the addresses were those of former adopters. Some of our Board Members felt that these people would not be interested in supporting the group once they had adopted and that our newsletter would be just one more piece of junk mail. Although it is tempting to think about how many spays the cost of postage could pay for, I feel that this was the wrong area to cut costs. What are your thoughts?Response from Faith:
I couldn't agree more with your way of thinking. It costs money to make money. Saving money on postage by cutting your communication with your potential supporters from quarterly to once a year is group suicide!I say potential supporters because you have to give people a REASON to want to help you financially. I've heard that before about adopters not making the best long-term contributors, but that has to be nonsense! You have to give them a reason to bond with you, and that animal they adopted is the biggest one.
I was in Atlanta recently attending some No More Homeless Pets events, and I attended a "meet and greet" in the park on a sunny spring afternoon put on for the local Labrador breed rescue by a local fund raising group. It was packed! People brought their adopted labs, chocolate, black, and yellow. They were so proud of their dogs and of the organization that brought them together. There was some flirting, among the people that is; all the dogs were fixed. I saw some phone numbers being exchanged, so the event helped connect up people who love animals. I thought it was a dynamite idea, and I know lots of groups do similar reunion type events.
And, it made some money. The modest $3 entrance fee was given to the rescue and they had a ready made platform to discuss future programs and their current needs. In fact, there wasn't a lot of that happening that day as it really was just a nice social event, but that news element could have been added without too much difficulty.
The reason the professionals recommend being in some kind of contact with your supporters a minimum of five times a year is so that people can remember you. It's often hard for those of us who are active in animal work to think that people aren't thinking of us all 24 hours a day. Everyone has so many demands on their time and attention that a regular nudge keeps us front and center when it comes time for those folks to make their contributions. The newsletters, hard copy, e-mail, or web site, keeps our potential supporters current on our activities so that they feel a part of what we are doing and how we are improving the lives of the animals.
It works! Get back in there with the Board and let them know that if the organization is going to grow so that you can help more animals, they will have to loosen the purse strings.
Response from Bonney:
I could not agree with Faith more on this - it is suicide for the group.Your supporters are the foundation of all your work, and when you think about it, we are all setting out to make the world a better place for animals. The only hope we have of doing this is reaching out to people and convincing them to help us achieve this goal.
If your newsletter is not producing results (they really should easily be bringing in more money than you are spending on producing them) there are probably some things you can do to improve the newsletter. Here are a few things to consider as you review the quality of your newsletter and explore making changes to make it more effective:
The Keys to Successful Fundraising Appeals:
Know yourself.
Fundraising experts often refer to this part of the process as "developing your case statement." All that really means is putting together a written statement about your organization's mission and work, which will inspire the public to support your efforts.
Your case statement will form the foundation for your future funding appeals.
Keep your audience in mind as you write.
The goal is to spark feelings of empathy and compassion - a desire to join in your efforts to help the animals.
Know what motivates donors to give.
People give for all kinds of different reasons, but there is one thing that nearly all donors have in common ... they were ASKED! People usually do not give unless they are asked!
Focus on the beneficiaries of your work.
People give money to help animals and people, not to help organizations. Donors do not care about the survival of your organization; they care about making a difference for the animals. In your communication with donors, don't complain; instead, tell them how you are addressing the needs of the animals and solving the problem with their help.
Don't be boring.
No one wants to read about what you discussed at the last Board meeting, the items available at the last bake sale, or how many hours a day you're working. Don't complain about what other groups are doing either. Always focus on the good works of your group, the difference that you are making for the animals.
Relate one-to-one.
People can identify with another individual, a person or an animal that needs help, but it's difficult to relate to "millions." Personalize things, relate the story of one animal as a unique individual, deserving of attention and care.
"A picture is worth a thousand words."
A good photograph and appealing graphics can make a world of difference in conveying your message effectively. The look of your materials is also important. Recruit a volunteer with desktop publishing skills to produce your literature.
Don't just provide information - evoke action!
To motivate the public, you need to engage their emotions. You want to convey a sense of urgency in your fundraising appeal, but not disaster or panic. It's fine to say, "Your help is especially needed now because we have set a goal of spaying 250 cats this spring, to prevent the births of thousands of unwanted kittens." It's not good form to threaten, for example, "If you don't send money now, we'll have to close the doors next week!"
Keep it simple.
Write in clear, simple, direct language. Avoid using jargon.
Keep it positive.
People like to feel that they are making a difference. Avoid doom and gloom or appeals that rely on guilt. Share your successes with your supporters.
Educate and inspire.
Don't assume that people know about the problems you're working to solve or about your organization's work. Give them the information they'll need to be inspired to donate to your cause.
Make a specific request.
People need to know exactly what you want them to do to help. It's proven that donors give more when you suggest specific amounts.
Make it easy to give.
Include a donation form and an addressed return envelope.
Have information and materials available to back up your appeals.
Maintain a file of news clippings about your organization, statistics and information about the problem and your solution, brief bios of your directors and staff, and a list of your goals and accomplishments. Your website is a terrific place to provide additional information to the public.
Keys to successful grassroots fundraising
Faith Maloney and Bonney Brown wanted to close with
"Keys to Successful Grassroots Fundraising"
1. Keep in touch.
A simple newsletter that lets people know what your group is doing to help the animals and invites them to help or donate is tops on the list. Experts say donors need to hear from you at least 5 times a year.
2. Focus on the animals.
Always keep the focus on the animals - not on what the organization needs - but on what you can do for the animals with their help.
3. Go "tabling."
Set up information tables at area pet supply stores, supermarkets, and fairs. It's one of the most effective and inexpensive ways to grow your mailing list. (In fact, it's the same way that Best Friends launched their mailing list many years ago now.) Hint: Be sure to display nice photos of animals you've helped.
4. Create a flyer.
Find a volunteer with desktop publishing to create skills to create a simple flyer for your organization. Be sure to ask for donations and volunteers, as well as including all your contact information: phone, e-mail, website, mailing address.
5. Say "Thank you."
People need to know that their gift made a difference. Always send thank-you notes to donors and volunteers.
6. Talk it up.
Offer to talk about animals and your group's work to help them at local civic club meetings, on local radio stations, and local cable access TV. While you're at it, talk to the editor of the local newspaper, perhaps they'd like to do a story on your group or print a photo of "pet of the week" for adoption.
7. Put your mission in writing.
Write a short statement about your organization's purpose and work. Keep the audience in mind as you write it - the goal is to inspire other people to support your efforts. If you get it right it will be the foundation for all your fundraising and outreach.
8. Be Specific.
People need to know exactly what you want them to do to help. It's proven that donors give more when you suggest specific amounts. More people volunteer when you say exactly what needs to be done.
9. Make it easy to give.
Include a donation response form and an addressed return envelope. Always include all your contact information on every publication. (Sounds simple enough, but we often see newsletters without it.)
10. Show them.
The old adage is true; "a picture is worth a thousand words." Be sure to give the photos enough space in your publications too. If they are too small they lack impact.
11. Get on the Internet.
Look for a tech-savvy volunteer to create a website. Be sure to keep the info there current.
12. E-mail them.
When you are asking for addresses, don't forget e-mail. It's an inexpensive way to keep in touch and can be a powerful tool for grassroots networking.
13. The "Wish List."
List some of the things and services you need, everything from pet food to office furniture, printing to painting. Ask your members and local businesses if they can help with any of the items. Some stores will donate broken bags or dented cans of pet food.
14. Coin Cans.
Create attractive donation coin-cans with nice photos of animals and your group's name on them, and ask local businesses to put them out for you.
15. Pet Food Donation Bins.
Ask the local market if they'll let you put an attractive bin by the store exit to invite people to donate pet food for animals in your shelter.
16. Neighborhood Yard Sale.
Ask neighbors and friends to contribute items. Be sure to publicize the yard sale in the local papers. (Don't forget to put a donation can out and a poster that explains that the proceeds with help homeless animals.)
17. Keep it Simple.
Speak and write in clear, simple, direct language. Avoid using shelter jargon.
18. Avoid money drains.
It's possible to lose money on elaborate special events, so when you're starting out, steer clear of events which require a large financial investment or a great deal of time and energy with questionable returns.
19. Don't complain.
No one really wants to hear about your last Board meeting, or how many hours you're working. Don't complain about what other groups are doing either.
20. No place for guilt.
Donors like to know that their support is making a difference. Avoid doom and gloom or appeals that rely on guilt. Share your successes.
