LET ME GIVE IT TO YOU STRAIGHT…

by with No Comment AdvicefundraisingNonprofit

My Dad was born in the early 20th century, and my kids were born in the early 21st century, and here I sit in the middle.

Dad is 98 years old and needing more help these days (which my brother so often accommodates), and just like when my kids were little, there’s no way to predict what each day will bring. Meanwhile, those kids are flying out of the nest and we’re getting texted requests, questions, and check-ins at all hours … parenting young adults long-distance is fun.

In the midst of all of this, plus COVID, plus our democracy in peril, our planet in crisis, and our bodily autonomy destroyed, plus clients and colleagues who count on me to log on every day (and be washed and fully dressed, one hopes) … I’m wasting no time these days. That means that even more than ever, I’m cutting to the chase, telling it like it is, putting it all out there.

Sometimes I think I’ve lost my filter. Or maybe I don’t need one, or never had one, because the reality is, things are tough, time is short, and I’ve run out of sugar-coating.

And maybe that’s what our donors need right now, too. They’re busy with their work and home lives, they’re bombarded with asks from nonprofits and politicians, volunteering and keeping up with the political news and/or lies (and consequently, popping blood pressure meds), they’re in the same generational squeeze that I am … so maybe they’re looking for us to meet them where they are, with some straight talk.

Let’s not beat around the bush. Tell your donors why you need the money, what you’ll spend it on, why their help is important right now, exactly how it will make a difference—DONE.

Jenny Allen

Cut through the BS and get down to it. I don’t have time for more and neither do they. 

My Sage Advice for Fundraising in 2023

by with No Comment AdvicefundraisingNonprofit

Looking for a mantra to guide your fundraising program in 2023?

Here you go:

Stop freaking out.

Yes, fundraising is down virtually across the board. Yes, we’re coming off a very charged political year when progressive donors were pushed as never before online, in the mail, and on the phones. Yes, nonprofits had to compete with the deluge of political ads. The result? Exhausted donors.

Supporters did what they could, but times are tough, family budgets are pinched, and philanthropy sometimes must take a back seat. But I’m here to remind you that we’ve been here before. Many times. And you know this, but probably don’t want to think about it right now: Fundraising’s ups and downs are just part of fundraising.

And now is not the time to cut and run—if you ditch your donor acquisition program because times are tough now, you will only extend the pain later. Instead, invest in prospecting like a financial planner invests in a down market. Invest in prospecting like a Christmas tree farmer planting seedlings every single year. Invest in prospecting because if you don’t … you’re giving up on your future. Now is the time to be strategic and smart.

And look, there’s hope for 2023: Gas prices are falling. The Fed chair says the interest rate craziness might slow down soon. Americans continued to give millions on Giving Tuesday this year. All signs that fundraising will turn around, as it always does.

In the meantime, just stop freaking out. And remember that investments in prospecting today will reap rewards in the future when other organizations’ donor counts are down, and yours are holding strong. True, they may not be giving as much, but that’s yet another reason to keep incrementally upping your donor counts.

Budget for as much prospecting as you can reasonably afford—knowing that you’ll lose money now and make up for it later. Lose the freak-out attitude, make your best case for support, and just stay out there.

Jenny Allen
Principal & SVP
MAXI-Blog-Team

CCAH Brings Home Three MAXI Awards!

by with No Comment DMAWfundraisingNonprofit

CCAH is thrilled to announce that our work for two of our prestigious clients was honored with two silver awards, in the acquisition and special appeal categories, and one gold award, in the major donor category, at the 2022 MAXI Awards on July 27, 2022 by the Direct Marketing Association of Washington (DMAW). 

HSUS Animal Lover's Calendar + Planner Test

We scored two wins for our collaboration with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) — the nation’s most effective animal protection organization, advancing the fight for ALL animals. In the category Direct Mail Campaign: Acquisition/Prospecting, our Animal Lover’s Calendar + Day Planner Test for the Humane Society of the United States won a Silver MAXI and shattered industry acquisition benchmarks with a response rate of 1.85%. 

HSUS YTD Package

Also for HSUS, in the Nonprofit Major Donors category, our Agenda YTD Package won a Gold MAXI, nearly tripled the response rate, and the 2021 package brought in more gross and net revenue than the previous two years’ packages combined.  

JGI "One Person Can" Matching Gift Campaign

Our third winning package was created for The Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), which advances the vision of Dr. Jane Goodall to create a brighter future for chimpanzees and all beings who share the planet. Our multi-channel appeal called “One Person Can” Jane’s Birthday Matching Gift Campaign won a Silver MAXI, and this campaign’s cumulative 2021 results for direct mail and email saw an incredible increase of 96% in overall response rate and a 12% increase in income compared to 2020.  

I hope you will visit the DMAW’s 2022 MAXI Awards Program Book and take a look at our creative designs and copy that helped to generate these remarkable results.  We’re so proud of our work and our team, and grateful for these industry honors. But of course, the real winners are our clients, who inspire everything we do through their dedicated, tireless, and compassionate work every day to fulfill their critical missions.