Attracting new donors:
Reflections of a Yankee gardener
Liz Brown, VP, Creative Services
lbrown@drsol.org
 Remember, no one said it would be easy. At the best of times it's not easy.
So, let's celebrate the arrival of the northeast's growing season with some hard won lessons from the garden.
Gardeners everywhere and you, the development professional trying to attract new donors, share many challenges. Each of you is undertaking a task that thrives on hopefulness but that sometimes ends in despair. You both must deal with unforgiving timing and practical challenges that are sometimes out of your control. And you both need to move forward with a level of persistence, planning and patience that can be both exhausting and fruitful.
So, you stand there facing a difficult season ahead: Wondering how to choose wisely and not give up in the face of difficult odds. Because you can't give up -that would be both unwise and unproductive.
Here are a few ideas to consider as you prepare plans for your next acquisition effort:
Be more selective: Dare I say prune your list? Take a hard look at who you are approaching. What are you doing to segment your acquisitions? If you're renting lists, take a second look at those datacards. How is your knowledge of your existing donors' motivations, lifestyles and other demographics informing your selections and your message?
Don't overdo: How many times have you mailed to this prospect before? Don't know? Well, a documented history, a mail plan and a new message could make your acquisitions more productive. Find a responsible mailing services provider with strong data capabilities to assist you.
Make sure you are not missing prospects: Do you know who's signing up for those on-line newsletters your PR department is putting out? Do community and educational outreach events yield contact information for you? How are you capturing information on visitors to your facility, your web, Facebook or MySpace page? Now is the time to harvest those internal prospects.
Don't wait forever: Timing does matter in gardening and acquisitions. How's yours? Are you waiting too long after an event? Do you think patients are grateful forever? Or is your request for support arriving the same day as the bill for services? Find ways to reach out to people in a timeframe that makes sense to them.
Watch every penny: Scrimp and save to reduce your acquisition costs. Try a cheaper package. Now might be a good time to reconsider self mailers. Try an email appeal. Get volunteers to make follow-up calls. Think carefully about inserts. Work with a mail services provider who is careful with your mailing and works to help you get all the postal discounts you can.
Give some special treatment: Cultivate, cultivate, cultivate. Have you tried a high end appeal to specially targeted prospects? How are you speaking differently to lapsed donors? More on this in the article in this newsletter entitled - Small Investment, Big Rewards. Take a look.
Individuals are still giving. You're doing important work. Tell them, touch them and reap the rewards of the relationship you build over time. Remember, acquisition is only the beginning.
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