Donor Incentive Programs

I tracked all fundraising activity for one year so you didn't have to. Here is what I found: - A substantive, in-person visit with a donor resulted in gifts 5x larger than donors who only corresponded via phone calls or emails. - It took roughly 12 touchpoints to secure a visit with a donor. That is a high number, but pretty characteristic of human services. - Each handwritten card sent produced 1,169x more value than it cost. - Response rate increased dramatically with a voicemail + email combination. - Gifts from DAFs, gifts of stock, and gifts from RMDs became more popular only as donors were informed that those were giving options. Here is what this means: - Meet in person with donors as much as humanly possible - Make as many attempts as possible to schedule visits with donors - Write handwritten cards. Like, right now. - Reach out to donors with a multi-channel approach (DM me if you'd like to see a call, email, +handwritten card cadence) - Donors don't always know how to maximize their generosity unless you tell them. Inform them of their options if they give you permission! Ultimately, provide value to your org's donors and watch as generosity unfolds for the benefit of the people your org serves!

Welcome to the Future of Fundraising This past week, our team had a great breakthrough while running tests with the autonomous fundraiser. We tested the impact of the autonomous fundraiser independently sending donors in its portfolio a text message with a quick note on their birthdays. These self-written messages were light, kind and didn't ask for a response from the donor. Birthday messages were sent to 32 donors over a two week period. Results were surprising, inspiring and really exciting. Of the 32 donors who received the messages, 14 responded. Each response was positive, kind and surprisingly engaging, clearly proving that donors are not just open to, but excited about, light and personalized engagement from a VEO. Responses like “Thank you so much! This is such a great surprise!!” and, ”Wow, I haven’t heard from anyone at the College in over ten years, thank you for the note” were examples of the donors' tone. It quickly became clear that these lightweight, structured touchpoints significantly impacted the donor’s willingness to engage with a VEO and they are areas that we need to build on. While I’m sure it seems obvious to most frontline fundraisers that sending a personal note on a donor’s birthday is a great way to build a connection, to do this at scale and for thousands of mid-level donors, autonomously, has never been possible before. I believe these responses prove the potential for a significant shift in overall donor engagement where mid-level donors and smaller donors can now be treated with the kind and personalized attention that only major donors had been given in the past. This level of engagement throughout the donor pyramid is why autonomous fundraising is so important. Another surprising and exciting set of outcomes of this lightweight engagement were three independent introductions made by the Virtual Engagement Officer to staff members on campus, at the request of donors. These introductions were all directly related to Career Services – a clear area where the VEO can add immediate value at a time in a donor's life where they might need assistance. These touchpoints are important. A birthday is a known data point and a low-risk introductory point where autonomous fundraisers could universally thrive. This natural introduction touchpoint has the benefit of opening a line of communication between the VEO and the donor. Based on these early results, as long as the communications stay relevant, personalized and impactful, it seems that there are many opportunities to build on these learnings. This week our team is testing more low-risk data points that can enable VEOs to engage with a donor for the first time. The most natural next data point that we’re looking at is stewardship, where the autonomous fundraiser will reach out directly to the donor and thank them for their gift as part of the VEO’s 12-month engagement strategy. Have a great week. #fundraising #philanthropy #philanthropytech #nptech #AI

A Fundraising Process That Builds Donor Trust The “ambush ask” – luring donors to meetings under false or veiled pretenses, then asking for “a gift” -- has done significant damage to donor trust and to the credibility of fundraising. The underhandedness of some has made it more difficult for sound practitioners to secure appointments with donors. They have to overcome suspicion and mistrust engendered by shady practices if they are even afforded the opportunity to establish themselves as honorable fundraisers. As with so many fundraising practices, one is left wondering why anyone would attempt something so short-sighted, especially when the inverse of the ambush ask – the completely transparent fundraising process – produces better results, builds trust, and leaves donors receptive to future meetings and requests. Two critical elements of a transparent process are asking permission and previewing material. When material is shared before each request to meet with a donor, a donor is more apt to respond favorably to the request, to feel adequately informed to discuss the topic at hand, to feel fairly treated and to develop a higher opinion of the fundraiser and the organization he or she represents. The principles of preview and permission, which work hand in hand, can be applied to every type and level of fundraising. For instance: 🔸 Ask permission of current annual donors to send them a preview of the next year’s annual giving objectives to see if they resonate and, if so, which ones, which allows them to be heard, to think about which options are most appealing and predisposes them to respond favorably to the appeal 🔸 Ask permission of midlevel donors to send them a preview of brief impact projections to see which they find most relevant and inspiring and, when they share which ones do, follow up with an expanded description of the project, and ask permission to seek their reaction either in person or on a virtual platform 🔸 Ask permission of a major gift prospect to send a draft concept paper; if they say yes, send them a hard copy or an electronic version asking them to suggest ways that the content, logic and wording could be improved; if they do, ask permission to provide them with a list of ways they could more about the initiative 🔸 Ask permission of significant estate donors to send them a copy of Charles Collier’s “Wealth in Families” (thank you Philip Cubeta for this suggestion) so you might discuss with the questions Collier poses in that book; if they do, ask permission to meet with them to explore which questions they found most meaningful and how you could help answer them Sneaking up on donors is dumb and destructive. Being explicit about what we are asking of them, and previewing material in advance leads to better results and promotes long-term partnership building.

In the non-profit world, we often focus on raising the next pound, running the next campaign, or writing the next grant. But underneath the day-to-day activity, what really 𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴 great fundraising? 🎯 Whether you're a small charity taking your first steps or a more established organisation looking to grow, having a solid foundation matters. That’s where the 𝟴 𝗣𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 come in. These aren’t quick tips or clever tricks—they're the core building blocks that create a fundraising programme that lasts. So, what are they? 🔍 1️⃣ 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 A clear, compelling reason for people to give. Your "why" should inspire action and show the difference a donor can make. 2️⃣ 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 Fundraising thrives when it’s championed from the top. Boards and senior leaders must back fundraising with words, actions—and sometimes introductions! 3️⃣ 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 A roadmap to guide your efforts. It helps you focus your energy, balance different income streams, and plan for long-term sustainability. 4️⃣ 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 People don’t give to causes they don’t understand. Clear, consistent, human-centred messaging builds trust and connection. 5️⃣ 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 Behind every smooth donation is a strong system. From CRMs to compliance, your processes should support—not slow down—your fundraising. 6️⃣ 𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 Fundraising isn’t just about asking; it’s about 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘶𝘱𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨, and building real relationships. Stewardship turns one-time givers into lifelong supporters. 7️⃣ 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 When everyone in the organisation—from front-line staff to trustees—sees themselves as part of fundraising, powerful things happen. 8️⃣ 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 You can’t raise funds on goodwill alone. Adequate staffing, budget, and time are essential for real results. ⚠️*** 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗜'𝗺 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗻𝗼𝗻-𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗞 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱 - 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗜'𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲. 𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻. 𝗜 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻. 𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿**  ⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️ #NonprofitLeadership #CharitySector   #FundraisingStrategy #ThirdSector #LinkedInForGood

If I was behind on fundraising goals, here's what I would do between now and the end of the year. 1️⃣ Turn the homepage into a donation page. There are exceptions, but most traffic in the last two weeks comes from people making gifts. Even if you're driving ads and emails to specific landing pages (you should), donors often don't follow your carefully designed donor journey. We sometimes see upward of 50% of gifts driven by emails, ads, direct mail, etc. come in through the general donation page—even though none of the links in any of the campaign pointed to it. So I would turn the homepage into a donation page either by turning on a default lightbox or popup, changing the banner to a value proposition and offer, including a gift form (highly dependent on gift form, not broad stroke advice)—and lighten the load for anyone coming to the org to give. 2️⃣ Put a big phone number on the homepage. A significant amount of donors still prefer to call in a donation, or call in with questions. In the age of AI chat bots and offshore call centres, one of the most human things I would do is let humans talk to other humans. And yes, I'd have a plan in place for someone to be trained to answer the phone—and for someone to be available all the way until midnight at year end. A factor to consider here is that people who make gifts of assets (stocks, securities, DAF gifts, etc.) often like to talk to someone at the org first. I wouldn't sleep on these gifts. They're typically much larger than your average gift—and also come with a significant tax advantage to donors. I'd want to encourage as many of these as possible. 3️⃣ Pull a list of people who made a year-end gift last year but haven't yet this year. I would rank them by giving amount, and include if they have a phone number, email address or mailing address on file. Then I'd start with those who have all 3 on file and have given more than $300. Our analysis of close to 1m donor records shows that these are high-intent signals for donors who not only give more, but also give more frequently. What would I do with that list? Call them. Personal phone calls are highly under-valued in mass and mid-level fundraising, but they're one of the highest levers you can pull (with the right audience). These calls aren't rocket science at all. It's a 3-5 minute phone conversation where you thank donors for their past support, listen carefully, share the current need and vision, and ask them if they'd consider making another gift. Along with phone calls, I'd expand the list and pair the calls with personal emails sent through a service like Yet Another Mail Merge. Finally, I'd put a simple postcard in the mail right now—with a picture, an offer, a clear and specific and tangible ask, and a link/QR code. They're quick to print, and cheap to mail. They don't perform *nearly* as well a direct mail, but they can be an effective touch point as part of a larger campaign. What would you do?

10 years ago, I thought fundraising was about working harder. I was wrong. It's about working smarter. Here are 10 cheat codes I wish I knew then: 1. The 48-Hour Rule: Thank donors within 48 hours. No excuses. 2. The Calendar Rule: If it's not on your 12-month plan, it's a distraction. Say no with confidence. 3. The Second Ask Timing: Ask first-time donors again at 90 days, not 12 months. The window closes fast. 4. The Specificity Rule: "$5,000 funds one classroom" beats "$50K for our program" every time. 5. The 80/20 Audit: 80% of your revenue comes from 20% of donors. Spend your time there. 6. The Phone Call Multiplier: A 3-minute thank-you call = 5x retention vs. email alone. 7. The Question That Closes: "What questions do I need to answer for you to feel good about this?" Then stop talking. 8. The Handwritten Note: One handwritten sentence beats a templated email every time. 9. The Upgrade Path: Move donors up 50% at a time, not double. $100 → $150, not $200. 10. The Board Accountability Hack: Give board members ONE specific action per month. Not vague "help with fundraising." None of these require budget. None of these require permission. All of them work. Which one are you ignoring right now?

I studied 118 nonprofit donation forms. Here's what I found. 1. Add a big, obvious, donation button to your home page right now. It takes 5 seconds on your website builder. A quarter of the nonprofits I looked at hide their donate button behind a dropdown, or have no clear CTA (call to action) on their homepage. Those nonprofits were 51% more likely to have a budget deficit. 2. Ugly websites beat beautiful ones. The average donor is: - old (~avg. US donor age is 64) AND - distracted (89% of donation page visitors leave before donating) Relentlessly prioritize ease of use over aesthetics with: - high contrast colors and large, simple fonts - redundancy (Smile Train has 3 donation buttons on their home page) - visibility (Obama Foundation's website even shows you a donation form before the main website) 3. Use the grandma test. Grab your grandma (or mom...if she's a grandma). Have her try and donate to your nonprofit. Stand beside her and watch. If she asks for help before she finds the donate button, you have work to do. 4. Add an impact unit to donation amounts One study showed that the gap between bad donation pages (8-11% conversion) and well-optimized ones (22%) is closed mostly by two things: form simplicity and tangible-impact framing (e.g. $50 = 10 meals) 5. Cut your donation form down to 4 fields. Most nonprofit donation forms ask for 8-12 fields. One study found that reducing form fields from 11 to 4 led to a 120% increase in conversions. The only fields donors actually need: name, email, amount, payment. Everything else is friction. Open your form, count the fields, and delete every one that isn't essential. Address, phone number, "how did you hear about us" -- cut all of it. You can ask in a follow-up email. 6) Default to monthly recurring, not one-time. Ethically pre-selecting monthly giving on your donation page can increase conversions of monthly donations by up to 35%. For some reason, almost nobody talks about donation page mechanics in nonprofit world. I haven't posted in a while... is this research/content helpful to keep posting?

Asking for cash is easy. But appreciated asset gifts are a smarter way for donors to give. If a donor writes a check, they get a tax deduction. Maybe they can use it, maybe they can’t. But if they make the same gift as an appreciated asset (owned over 1 year), they get a tax deduction of the same size PLUS they avoid paying any capital gains on the growth. It’s a double tax benefit. This also matters for donors who don’t itemize. For a non-itemizer, giving cash works only up to the $1,000 per person maximum. Beyond that, there are no tax benefits from giving more cash. But there are still tax benefits from giving appreciated assets. Avoiding capital gains tax is a benefit they can get even without itemizing. This is not just a smarter way to give. It’s a smarter way to fundraise. Why? 1.    It helps donors give more at the same net cost. 2.    It shows donors that you want to help them give wisely, not just ask for money. 3.    It shifts the conversation from disposable income to wealth. That last point is the game changer. The most important shift you can make with a donor who already cares about your cause is this: Help them see that their wealth, not just their disposable income, is relevant for giving. That changes everything. When donors think only about disposable-income sharing, they make small giving decisions. When they think about wealth, much larger gifts become possible. Big gifts start to feel feasible, even comfortable. Wealth is not held in cash. It’s not held in checking accounts. It’s held in assets. Stocks. Bonds. Business interests. Real estate. So if we want to unlock wealth-based giving, we need to talk about assets. This is balance-sheet philanthropy, not checkbook philanthropy. The research results are clear: That shift leads to long-term contributions growth. There are many ways to open that door. Share asset-donor stories. Mention asset-giving tax advantages. Include asset-giving options on a donation page. Ask donors about the past, present, and future story of their business or investment. (Spoiler alert: there are only two future plans. They’re planning to sell it or they’re planning to die with it. Both are excellent scenarios for charitable planning options!) Want to shift to wealth-sharing conversations? Start by getting comfortable with asset conversations. The good news is that the training is free. Books, audiobooks, videos, and slide decks on asset-based charitable gift planning are all available at my website for free. (I'll share example chapters in the comments below.)

Most nonprofits thank donors once. Top-retention organizations thank them seven times in seven ways. Donors who feel “seen” renew at two to three times the rate of those who only get a receipt. A simple shift: Replace “thank you for your gift” with “Here’s what you made possible this month.” Personal impact reporting increases second-gift likelihood by up to 80%. A youth mentorship nonprofit I supported started sending “micro-updates” every 30 days—one photo, one sentence, one win. Their donor churn dropped by 21% in a single quarter. Stewardship isn’t fluff; it’s ROI. What’s one small stewardship habit that’s made a big difference for your donors?

Who Signs Wins: Why You Need a Signatory Strategy. Last year, I was in a meeting with a brand agency that regularly rebrands charities. But when the conversation turned to fundraising, it became clear they were out of their depth. They kept talking about “developing the organisational voice.” Fine in theory. But after the third mention, I asked: “What’s the plan for the people actually doing the asking? What about their voices?” Brief uncomfortable silence. So I explained: people might like or trust a charity, but it’s the person making the ask – and following up and reporting back – who can make or break a campaign. Especially with mid-value donors, where relationships matter most. It was clearly a blind spot. One that costs charities millions – and yet is so easy to fix. I recently reviewed three years of direct mail appeals for one organisation. They’d used 26 different signatories. That’s not stewardship – it’s speed dating. And we wonder why loyalty is hard to build? People give to people. And if you strip away familiar, trusted, consistent voices from your appeals, you do so at your peril. I've tested signatories across dozens of campaigns. In one case, a respected peer (as in a Lord) writing to mid-level donors increased income tenfold over a version signed by someone unknown. Same story. Same design. Same call to action. Only the signature changed. I’ve seen celebrity signers double response rates – and others halve them. Fame doesn’t guarantee results. Credibility, connection, and consistency do. So who should be signing your appeals? 🤝 A respected board member or CEO with shared values or life experience 🤝 A programme lead or frontline expert who can speak with authenticity 🤝 A fellow donor who’s made a similar commitment—and might be known to your supporters But here’s the key: once you’ve found the right signatory—stick with them. Don’t rotate names just to “keep it fresh.” That’s how you break a relationship before it’s even begun. Even if they’re not perfect, a good signatory used consistently will outperform a parade of unfamiliar names. Want to introduce someone new (or famous)? Great. Use a comp slip or lift letter. Just don’t ditch the main voice your donors trust. Charities often spend millions on brand campaigns… and then watch income fall. But a small investment in a signatory strategy could boost your income by X2, X3, X5 or X10. It’s unglamorous. It’s overlooked. But it works. Try this: Pull your last 5 appeal letters. Who signed them? Were they consistent? Respected? Relevant to the donor? What about your thank-you letters? Do they match the appeal signatory? If the picture’s messy, start here. Clean it up before you spend another pound on creative. Because fundraising isn’t just about what you say. It’s about who your donors are hearing from. And that human voice could be the difference between a campaign that struggles… …and one that soars. 👇 Fully detailed post is in the comments.