Read This First

Hello, my name is Todd Baker, toddbaker@orgmarketing.com and you must be interested in nonprofit fundraising online. This blog book is a step-by-step process that will help you in your quest.

What you are about to read is unique because it gives you an understanding of the nonprofit fundraising online experience from the charity and constituent perspective simultaneously. Good marketers know what works but great ones understand why things work.

You will not find any quotes from 14th Century philosophers, poets or playwrights. Nor will you have to read ramblings on about the industrial age, Civil War History and/or the next big wave in direct marketing and advertising.

This blog book is not going to provide a chronological order of how the Internet began or enamored speak about how quickly people are signing on board. There are no fancy-schmancy metaphors relating the Internet with anything that comes out of a spider. Nope, none of that, just straight to the point advice to help you quickly master the online world. Frankly, we don’t have much time to get our collective nonprofit houses in order as it relates to the Internet. For it is my belief, the Internet will become centric to all of your marketing.


For one simple reason, you can never stop someone from going to your organization’s Web site. If you produce a lousy radio advertisement the good news is that most people you are wanting to reach didn’t hear it or if they did, won’t recall it weeks later. However, you get one shot with your Web site and it only takes seconds to make an impression . . . good or bad.

It is my hope you can implement these steps tomorrow so that people who are searching for meaning in life may find your wonderful organization and become fulfilled thus our world will be better for it.

Vantage Point

ISBN 0-9707832-3-X

Read This First

Grow 27% This Year - Part 5 of 13

Step 99.
You’re wasting money. “Market less make less,” an expert told you. The expert fails to disclose, when you market more they make more. You need better advice.

You’re happy when 8% of your donors give. However, you should be obsessed to understand why the remaining 92% did not. Achieve such understanding and realize success beyond what you thought possible. Thinking deeper leads to bigger thoughts.

“There are too many variables to gain understanding,” an expert tells you. Tell your expert, “The Earth is around.” And when they reply, “I don’t understand.” Your response should be, “exactly.”

When you analyze the 92% of donors who did not give, you may realize that 32% of them have never given during the time period you asked them. So why did you? Another 10% only ever gives one gift a year in the month of December. Guess what? These donors wonder why you haven’t realized this fact yet.

Fifteen percent of those donors are elderly. They’re cash poor but asset rich. However, you keep asking them to match a gift amount they gave to you six years ago. This makes them feel inadequate. You’re not paying attention to the right stuff. You jeopardize their legacy as well as yours.

Twenty five percent of the 92% have never given to the program and/or project you asked them to fund. They only dig one thing about you. Figure it out.

There will be some people who will not give because they’re wondering what you did with their last gift. You never closed that communication loop. A few more contemplate if your organization is still a good investment. Furthermore, there are those who stopped giving altogether. You haven’t noticed? These are but a few reasons why people do not give to your campaigns. Will you achieve 100% returns? No, but don’t settle into a comfort zone.

Keep testing new ideas against your worst performing ones.

Be on alert. There will be those inside your organization that will say, “We have this program so we need a dedicated fundraising campaign.” Your response must be, “maybe so, maybe no.”

Present ill-conceived, undesirable and seemingly unrelated programs / projects to your donors and giving will go down. Not every program your charity performs warrants an entire fundraising campaign. Your goal is to maximize revenue. Therefore, only select your very best programs for dedicated promotions.

Stay sharp. Think differently. Go beyond where you’ve been.

Understand your donor/constituent’s voice. Use their words and not your corporate speak. Discover their voice by asking open-ended questions. Comprehend their thoughts and feelings in their phraseology.

What do they think is the most important thing you do? What do they value most? Why do they give money to your charity? Where should your organization focus? How do they determine if a charity is successful? How do they decide on whom to donate to with so many worthwhile groups? How many nonprofits are they involved with today and who are they? What forms of communication do they like best? Do they know your charity’s primary purpose? How did they first hear about you? How would they describe their relationship with you? Do they know and understand what you are attempting to achieve with their help?

Listen to a donor. Understand a donor. Think like a donor. Speak like a donor. Resonate with a donor. Then you will grow.

Grow 27% This Year - Part 5 of 13

Grow 27% This Year - Part 4 of 13

Step 98.

Do you know me? Values are important. What I believe affects everything. You never ask me what I think. You don’t know how I feel. They’re distinct reasons why I donate. However, I can tell you don’t have a clue based on your actions.

Today, I got a newsletter. It talked all about you. What you are doing, here and there. I am still wondering if you ever finished that hospital in Ecuador. Months ago, it seemed to be a big deal. I gave.

Do you really need me? It’s hard to see if I’m helping to make a difference. I want my money to count. I need to know if your organization is still a good investment. Are we making progress?

How close are we to a cure? The news talks about new drugs and treatments. What is your position on their viability? How do these timely breakthroughs fit into your plans?

My mother died of cancer. Her pain-stricken face haunts me. I feel helpless, then and now. When I first donated to you, it gave me hope for others.

Once you inspired me. “Doctor Harper made a brilliant discovery,” I believe the letter stated. What is the latest on Doctor Harper? Any more brilliance to share? I need to know. To end cancer in my lifetime is my dream.

Your communication is hit or miss. I’ve been clear about what is most important. I’m losing interest. What you want to say and what I want to hear match up less and less. The cause and effect is that ignore much of what you send me.

“You give me this and I give you that,” no longer works for me.

I wonder sometimes if you ever ask yourself, what I’d like to hear about before you spend money to send me something. I bet the answer is no.

You send me something about every week. I’ve never gone to your fundraising dinner but you invite me ever year and send me four reminders. I live in Seattle and your headquarters are in Atlanta. I am not coming and never will.

In the winter, I live in San Diego and I hate coming home to a stack of your mail. What a waste.

Last month, you asked me to give you $5,000. It’s been six years since I gave you a gift anywhere close to that amount. Think! Think how this made me feel. It is true, I’ve invested a lot of money and energy into your organization over time but that is not the reason why I will give in the future.

Don’t tell me about your needs. Tell me the needs you are meeting.

Can the battle be won? Does our vision for the future match? Do we want the same things?

At the end of it all, I need to know I mattered . . . my life had purpose. For me, there isn’t much time. Everyday must count. Every penny I entrust to you must have impact.

Today, it seems I’m constantly evaluating my finances. With every piece of communication you send me, I ask myself “Is this organization still worthy of my support.”

My friend sent me an email about a new charity. It highlighted advances they’ve recently made in cancer research. In fact, I even attended a Webinar recently put on by this organization. They asked me my opinion. I gave it.

This new charity lets me decide on what information I want and when I want it. They have a Facebook page entirely dedicated to research breakthroughs happening throughout the world. Ironically, I heard about one of your recent discoveries through this new organization before hearing it from you. It impressed me. I gave.

This new group seems committed to keeping me informed. You seem committed to asking for money. They use technology to be more efficient and effective. You use technology to ask for more money. They thank me and clearly explain how my donation impacted lives. You seemingly move on from one appeal for money to another and in fact your receipt letters ask me for money.

They make me feel like a partner in a noble cause. You treat me like an ATM Machine.

My giving hasn’t stopped, just my donations to you.



Step 99. Grow 27% This Year - Part 5 of 13

Grow 27% This Year - Part 4 of 13