I almost changed the title of this post, but I didn’t. You will see why.
Our content here at The Lutheran Schools Partnership is usually original; sometimes we will post links, cite experts, or paraphrase others, but this recent article by Jeff Brooks was too good to just provide a summation as it strengthens what we have been telling our schools leadership since March: don’t stop; keep calm and pivot on.
Please continue:
-----------
The crisis we're living through right now is stressful and painful. But one of the interesting side effects is that donors are stepping up with record generosity.
And that means a lot of amazingly successful fundraising.
I've been in this business for a long time, and I've never seen fundraising results like we're seeing now!
Let me give you a few examples I've heard recently...
Everything is working
We've got about 45 clients raising money hand over fist right now. Email open rates are through the roof -- as high as 60%. Most organizations are doing better than normal with their e-appeals AND acquiring significant numbers of new donors. Direct mail has been performing spectacularly -- double the normal net revenue, and major donor call-completion rates are off the charts. It has all lead to a record-breaking March and April.
Steven Screen, The Better Fundraising Company
Too many responses
An organization I know -- not a frontline health or poverty-fighting organization -- sent out a crisis direct mail appeal a few weeks ago. Shortly after it was sent, they went over to the post office to pick up any responses, not expecting very many just yet. When they got there, this slip was in their PO box: toomuchmail.png
That's right -- so much response to their fundraising that it wouldn't all fit in their box!
Zooming to a new record
We've raised nearly $400,000 so far this year. To compare, last year was our best year ever -- we raised $527,000 -- all year.
20-fold more revenue
Historically, our direct mail campaigns bring in around $3,000. Our emergency mailing brought in $60,000.
Broken records
- Our emergency appeal raised more than £40,000 which is roughly 400% more than we have ever raised from an appeal
- So far I have received 96 donations, 70 from donors who have never given before.
- Our crisis appeal looks set to hit $200,000. It has had the biggest and fastest response of any appeal we have run
There is one group that's suffering terribly. The organizations that are silent.
Those who believe it's not appropriate to give donors the opportunity to make a difference in hard times. Who feel fundraising now is exploitive or "tone-deaf."
Their fundraising revenue is somewhere in the neighborhood of zero. Some of them will go bankrupt as a result. Others may manage to hang on through this initial crisis, but loss of donor revenue and the steep increase of donor attrition will echo through their budgets for years to come -- and they'll finally have shut down next year or later.
That's a terrible fate they don't deserve.
The good news is, you don't have to hurt your organization that way.
It's true some donors are facing financial hardship and are unable to give. But don't decide what they will do for them! That's their call, not yours. Respect and love your donors by giving them the chance to make a difference. They will love you back with money and loyalty.
-----------
Keep Calm, and Pivot On, everyone!
