Do Your Volunteers Fundraise?

Stop the bus! Your volunteers don’t fundraise?

For those of you who know me, you understand that my passion is volunteerism. In brief: I’m in love with those who work selflessly. This group of people is tricky to navigate for some organizations and non-profits. Some common thoughts and questions that often come up when thinking about your passionate volunteers are:

Can we really ask them to do that (insert undesired job)? I tapped Mary for three things last month, is it too much to ask her for this? What else can I give this volunteer? I can’t ask my volunteers to fundraise, can I?

The question I’d like to answer for you today is the last one. 

Yes! You can (and you should) ask your volunteers to fundraise. Don’t you want your most passionate people pounding the pavement for you? Don’t you want the people who live and breathe your mission delivering it to new people everywhere they go? Your answer to these questions should be “yes.” Your best volunteers are your best fundraisers and your best spokespeople. They give back to you and your organization because they are passionate about your cause. They stick around because you have created an environment in which they want to be involved.

You, the volunteer coordinator or the volunteer manager, are an integral part of your volunteer’s presence. They come back to volunteer for you; they perform the best to satisfy you; and they will now fundraise because you told them they can. You believe in them.

Start by simply asking them to fundraise; teach them; arm them with tools and help them set a goal. Here are some things to consider:

• If you are fundraising for a specific event, understand that volunteers tend to start fundraising closer to the event than participants who have a mandatory goal. Segment your communications so you are speaking to your volunteers about fundraising later than you would to your participants. 

• If you have enough people to create two groups of volunteers, start a friendly competition with a prize (maybe a night out donated by your local pizza parlor). Remind the volunteers of each team’s status at different checkpoints. Encourage mini-competitions amongst your volunteers — it’s healthy fun and creates a friendly, goal-oriented environment.

• Be sure to help your volunteers with goal setting. They like to work toward numbers and milestones. For example, suggest that they each raise $200, the amount it costs to feed a family of four for a month. Or recommend a goal for the whole team, say, $20,000 to support a year’s worth of a researcher’s lab expenses to find a cure. Volunteers like knowing these hard facts and bottom line numbers; it gives meaning to their efforts by offering tangible outcomes, especially since they have behind-the-scenes access to your event and organization and are cost-conscious as a result. A reminder that if you use a goal like this, make it clear to volunteers that the money raised is, in fact, going to your organization, and not directly to the event site, etc. 

• Have a current, active fundraiser help you encourage volunteers to raise funds. Hearing directly from a dedicated fundraiser helps a volunteer understand the importance of the task while easing any possible reservations, creating that “ah ha” moment — “if they can do it, so can I.” 

Finally, remember that your volunteers work and perform with the hopes of pleasing you.  It’s true. Send them a personal email or text message once they’ve started fundraising to encourage them. We all know you are thinking about them, so don’t forget to send something to them. They will realize that they aren’t just another face to you; they are an important piece of your mission’s puzzle. 

Katie Sisum has spent the last 12 years in the volunteer world as either an organizer or volunteer, including two years of service with AmeriCorps. As Volunteer Programs Manager for Event 360, she helps create significant experiences for over 7,000 volunteers and crewmembers each year. A new member of Corporate Volunteerism Council Twin Cities, Katie lives in Minneapolis with her four-footed dog friend, is a glass blower and owns a stained glass studio in the city.

A Receipt is Not a Thank You

By Joanne Fritz, About.com Guide
Last week, Blackbaud released a report about online giving for 2011. It continues to grow...up 13%.

Frank Barry, in a follow-up to the report, pointed out new donor acquisition through online channels is hotter than any other for charities; that online donors give more, on average, than off line donors; and that they represent higher household income than other donors.

So, why do nonprofits not worry about their online thank yous as much as their mailed thank yous? Why do thank you letters seem to warrant time and attention while the attitude toward online thank yous seems so nonchalant? This seems especially odd given that we also know that attrition for first time donors, especially online, is extremely high. Those donors are worth a lot, but only if we keep them.

Why do I even think that there is less concern about thanking online donors? Well, when I look at the stats for my content, I find that my articles about writing thank you letters (as in mailed ones) are some of the most popular content on my site. My material about online thanking barely registers on the meter. I also accumulate a lot of online thank yous because that is my preferred way of donating. They are not very good.

I'm going to guess the reasons:

• Many people in nonprofits don't think getting a thank you after making an online donation is all that important. Possibly they never learned the art of writing thank you notes. I hang out with a lot of folks who have grown children and grandchildren. A big complaint among this set is that their children and grand kids don't write, call, or even send a thank you for a birthday or holiday gift. Sure, the little kids are usually enthusiastic, getting on the phone or Skype and gushing their enthusiasm, but after about 13 or so....nothing.
• Many young people at nonprofits think that an online donor doesn't care much about a thank you. The donors are probably young, like them, and it just doesn't matter that much. After all, we don't expect IKEA to gush over us every time we buy a DIY bookshelf, do we? So...sending a brief, receipt-like online thank you is just fine. Who has time to read a thank you anyway when your email box is so crammed?
• But, many fundraisers do assume that a check in the mail means that the donor is probably from an earlier generation and is going to get mad if a thank you letter doesn't arrive in the mailbox. How do we write those again? God, will we be glad when everyone is online.
  Actually, it's a multichannel world for all generations. Older donors might respond with an online donation even when they got a mailed appeal; and online donors may switch to sending a check in response to direct mail after that first online gift.

That's why I was so happy to see Simon Norris and Juliet Richardson's article, Why thanking donors online is powerful, which is part of a white paper from the very smart consulting firm,Nomensa.

Simon and Juliet, I think, get to the heart of the matter: we confuse an online donation with a commercial online transaction when they are nothing alike. Simon and Juliet point out:

"The psychology of online giving is definitely not the same as online shopping and should be treated very differently. Thanking the donor appropriately is a key part of the donation process--donors need and expect more than a 'receipt' for their consideration and their money. In fact, there is a rule of thumb that donors should be thanked seven times before you ask for their next donation."

Simon and Juliet go on to cite powerful psychological research that shows just how motivating a good thank you is: donors who are thanked well are more than twice as likely to give again.

I'm pretty darn sure that these psychological effects happen to anyone at any age. Young people...the ones who might be sitting at the social media controls in your nonprofit...might THINK they don't care if they are thanked, but, in fact, they do. They just might not know it yet.

Thanking is a reward and a validation of a genorous act, as Simon and Juliet point out in their article. Donating is so different from buying that it is only that the two seem so alike online that the two transactions confuse people. Donating is altruistic, emotional, personal and expectant of engagement; while buying is calculated, narcissistic, and a one-off exchange. Really, the only resemblance between an online donation and an online purchase is the exchange of information and provision of a credit card number.

I love looking at a thank you letter as a 'reward.' When you buy a hot pink teddy from Victoria's Secret, the teddy in your hand is the reward. But, when donating online, the reward is the knowledge that you're helping, the thank you that lets you know you've done a good thing and are thus valued, and the promise of future engagement with this cause. Your post-donation actions are not an after thought...they are a bridge to the future.

Simon and Juliet connect thanking with the psychology of reward and point out that it involves three factors:

• Reciprocity. Donors are giving a gift, so telling them how valued that gift is completes the reciprocity loop.
• Expectation (and prediction). Donors have expectations about how they want to be treated; they will predict how they will be treated; and when expectation, prediction, and reward (the thank you) match, they feel valued.
• Reinforcement. A social relationship is set up when a donor is asked to give, he or she makes the gift, and when the gift is acknowledged. A good thank you reinforces this particular giving choice and motivates future giving.

Simon and Juliet have some very specific ways to make your thank you landing page and your thank you email reward your donors in a way that will engage, motivate, and fulfill their expectations.

Post donation landing pages can be designed to make an immediate impact, followed up by a thank you email that looks as little like a commercial transaction as possible. Follow Simon and Juliet's instructions, and you'll be a long way toward seeing and creating the differences that make saying thank you for a donation something special and that will get donors to come back for more.

Pay for Shipping?

Operation Smile continues to impress me.  Today's email campaign is trying to get donors to donate specifically to pay for shipping costs.  Shipping costs!?!?  Obviously, shipping costs are not usually something that is very glamorous or a campaign that donors typically gravitate to, but let's face it, it's a necessity in order to do what they do.  I love the way they worded things... simple and straight to the point.  Seems silly not to help them out, right?

Tell a friend

Katie, Help Ship 8X the Medical Supplies Every $1 that you give today helps ship $8 worth of life changing medical supplies.  Our volunteer surgeons are ready. Our corporate partners have already donated essential medical equipment and supplies. But, we need YOUR help to ship them, so we can forever transform the lives of children like Junior. Help other children like Junior from Honduras.

Karen Handel Exits Susan G Komen

Karen Handel Exits Susan G. Komen: The Resignation Letter

Image via WikipediaPhoto credit: Sarah Mirk

This morning Karen Handel, Susan G. Komen’s controversial (as of last week) Vice President of Public Policy, announced that she would resign from the breast cancer charity and would decline any offer of a severance package.

Following the highly charged week in which Komen pulled (and ultimately reinstated) funding to a handful ofPlanned Parenthoodaffiliates, this resignation has been, to watchers of the situation, a long time coming. Handel, a long-time pro-life and anti-abortion advocate, is thought to be the catalyst for breaking Komen’s long-time partnership with Planned Parenthood.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution got its hands on Handel’s resignation letter to CEO Nancy Brinker in the wake of the scandal, in which Handel refuses responsibility for the decision and calls the reaction a “gross mischaracterization of strategy.”

Susan G. Komen Pink Slips Planned Parenthood -- Who, What And Why?Meghan CasserlyForbes Staff

After Changing Course On Planned Parenthood, What Susan G. Komen Should Do NowSusan AdamsForbes Staff

With Friends Like Ari Fleischer Did Komen For The Cure Have All The Enemies They Needed?Rick UngarContributor

How To Destroy A Reputation In Less Than A Week: Komen And Planned ParenthoodDavia TeminContributor

Cries have been made for Handel’s dismissal for the past seven days, so there is at least something to be said about her exit strategy. But before we  commend Handel for stepping down of her own volition, AJC notes there might be more self-serving reasons for her decision: taking a severance deal might have bound her to a non-disclosure agreement. As things stand, Handel has scheduled a press conference for later this afternoon.

The letter in full:

February 7, 2012

The Honorable Nancy Brinker

CEO, Susan G. Komen for the Cure VIA EMAIL

5005 LBJ Freeway, Suite 250

Dallas, Texas 75244

Dear Ambassador Brinker:

Susan G. Komen for the Cure has been the recognized leader for more 30 years in the fight against breast cancer here in the US – and increasingly around the world.

As you know, I have always kept Komen’s mission and the women we serve as my highest priority – as they have been for the entire organization, the Komen Affiliates, our many supporters and donors, and the entire community of breast cancer survivors. I have carried out my responsibilities faithfully and in line with the Board’s objectives and the direction provided by you and Liz.

We can all agree that this is a challenging and deeply unsettling situation for all involved in the fight against breast cancer. However, Komen’s decision to change its granting strategy and exit the controversy surrounding Planned Parenthood and its grants was fully vetted by every appropriate level within the organization. At the November Board meeting, the Board received a detailed review of the new model and related criteria. As you will recall, the Board specifically discussed various issues, including the need to protect our mission by ensuring we were not distracted or negatively affected by any other organization’s real or perceived challenges. No objections were made to moving forward.

I am deeply disappointed by the gross mischaracterizations of the strategy, its rationale, and my involvement in it. I openly acknowledge my role in the matter and continue to believe our decision was the best one for Komen’s future and the women we serve. However, the decision to update our granting model was made before I joined Komen, and the controversy related to Planned Parenthood has long been a concern to the organization. Neither the decision nor the changes themselves were based on anyone’s political beliefs or ideology. Rather, both were based on Komen’s mission and how to better serve women, as well as a realization of the need to distance Komen from controversy. I believe that Komen, like any other nonprofit organization, has the right and the responsibility to set criteria and highest standards for how and to whom it grants.

What was a thoughtful and thoroughly reviewed decision – one that would have indeed enabled Komen to deliver even greater community impact – has unfortunately been turned into something about politics. This is entirely untrue. This development should sadden us all greatly.

Just as Komen’s best interests and the fight against breast cancer have always been foremost in every aspect of my work, so too are these my priorities in coming to the decision to resign effective immediately. While I appreciate your raising a possible severance package, I respectfully decline. It is my most sincere hope that Komen is allowed to now refocus its attention and energies on its mission.

Sincerely, 

Karen Handel 

Buckets for a Cure

Here is a pretty funny YouTube video making fun of Komen's 2010 "Buckets for a Cure" Campaign with KFC.  I had to share...

Komen Aftermath

By now you probably know that Komen has decided to reverse their statement from last week and will now allow Planned Parenthood to be eligible for future funding and grant opportunities.

But can they recover from this PR nightmare?

Joe Waters is a cause marketing and social media blogger who isn't afraid to tell it like it is.  Here are his candid thoughts on his thoughts on Komen.

Komen Sucks…But So Do You

By: Joe Waters, Selfish Giving


Nothing Komen for the Cure does surprises me anymore.

They sell deep-fried chicken to raise money to cure breast cancer. They sue other nonprofits that use “for the cure” in any variation in their name. Now, they’re flexing their muscle and shutting off the funding to Planned Parenthood.

For Komen, it’s just another day being a big, arrogant SOB that has swallowed too much of its own public relations and is drunk with power and eager to show its fight.

Part of me grudgingly admires Komen. Heck, I tell nonprofits all the time they should operate more like businesses. And that’s what Komen is doing. If they were a for-profit company instead of a nonprofit we’d be applauding their actions, or at least ignoring them. After all, we live in a country where success and money wash every sin clean. And Komen has plenty of soap to spare.

The challenge is that Komen is a nonprofit but their walking and talking like the Standard Oil of our time. I hope they’re headed for a crash, or at least a painful breakup.

But that’s not up to me. It’s up to you. (I say you because I’ve never supported Komen and I never will. I don’t even talk about their cause marketing much except to be critical of it. Yeah, I’m grinding my ax when I can.)

You gave them their swagger with your sweat, support and money. You created a monster. Not that you care. You’ll turn a blind eye and find comfort in the stories of sadness, hope, womanhood, courage and success that define the Komen experience.

That’s just what Komen wants. Come walk season, you’ll still be wearing pink.

You need a new narrative that puts cause above Komen. A true supporter is someone who is willing to defend her cause from the people who would hurt it, even if they are within the cause. This new story needs to be about accountability and direction that speaks to the breast cancer organization you want.

If you’re happy with deep fried cause marketing, brand witch hunts and punishing poor women, congratulations, you have the organization you want.

But if you want something else: wipe away your tears, dump the pink and find your angry voice and tell Komen to change their ways, or you’ll change yours.