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Beyond the Font – How to Use Your Brand Refresh for Fundraising; Simple Tips from the British Heart Foundation

In July the ‘Great Fundraising and Brands’ report, conducted by Harriet Day and Adrian Sargeant, was released through ACA Philanthropy & Fundraising. In it, they say that there is ‘surprisingly little evidence of the impact of branding on fundraising success.’ The brand refresh possibly a strategic decision made by a board that believes the attention and clarity that a new logo creates will be enough to boost fundraising and save the world.

The truth is there has to be a lot of graft from the teams within the charity itself to actually use a brand refresh (if you insist on having one) to raise more money. But hey, that’s fundraising. There is no quick fix.

If managed right, a brand refresh can present more engagement opportunities, chances to refresh fundraising relationships or discover new ones, and raise you more money.

If managed right a brand refresh can present more engagement opportunities, chances to refresh fundraising relationships or discover new ones, and raise you more money. Macmillan increased their fundraising income from £97m to £141m within five years, Blind Veterans saw a 700% increase in subscribers to their mailing list from the refresh launch alone, and Teach First saw a 12% increase in brand awareness in under one year of their refresh (source: Narrative).

Yet many, often smaller, charities adopt a new palette, spruce up the logo, and update their supporters in a newsletter or worse – don’t update them at all (two Pizza for Losers stories were from fundraisers who did just this and ended up with complaints that took a year to fix…)

A brand refresh is more than just how it looks, it’s about you as an organisation – who you are, your identity, and who is alongside you in your mission to save the world. That way you’ll attract supporters because they’ll identify with you. You can’t expect do that from just a font change.

During my time at the British Heart Foundation (BHF) I was seconded to a role to roll-out the 2018 brand refresh to the entire fundraising team and use it as a fundraising opportunity; not just for the long-term, but in the immediate moment to reinvigorate the team and make the most out of the refresh launch itself.

I’m a community fundraiser at heart so for me the key to getting this right was through prioritising; using our existing networks and relationships to the most of their potential, and connecting with actual people. Essentially taking it off the paper and into the hearts and minds of the people we were talking to.

So what did I learn from my time as ‘Fundraising Brand Campaign Project Manager’ to help fundraising teams get the most out of their brand refresh launch*?

  1. Choose Your Priorities

Don’t just go with what’s ‘cost-effective’, I’m talking about what can actually help you reach more people and be able to connect with them.

At the BHF a major part of the refresh was communicating more about our other areas of research; stroke, vascular dementia, and diabetes. This meant we had more ‘hooks’ to connect with people, and this meant more opportunities on the doorstep for face-to-face fundraisers, for corporate fundraisers in pitches, and for any fundraiser out in the community meeting people with their own story.

Priorities could also include events or activity where a lot of supporters and potential supporters could engage with your new brand; mass participation events, direct mail, or social media.

2. Don’t Reinvent the Wheel

Yes, it’s exciting to come up with something new and flashy for launch-day to grab people’s attention, but…isn’t that what the brand refresh was supposed to do?

Instead of spending time and resource creating something new, think about what you’ve got happening already that you could utilise as an awareness and fundraising opportunity.

Here are some suggestions for you:

  • Meet with key supporters and let them know of the upcoming changes, ideally take something rebranded with you so they can ‘get it’. Let them know why you’re doing this and what you aim to achieve. Make them feel part of this new journey and get them excited – then ask if they could arrange their own local celebrations to mark the launch
  • Engage with old, existing, and potential corporates; could they be your refresh partner? Can the refresh revive any existing partnership that’s gone a bit flat, essentially starting again? Do they want to extend the partnership to stay with you on this new part of your journey? Does your new brand open up a new audience that aligns with your values? Revisit your pipeline and get inspired.
  • Commandeer upcoming events and activities that give you an audience; face-to-face fundraisers speak to hundreds of people a week, social media can reach millions of people a day, that dinner for your major donors gives you a chance to make key people feel privy to exclusive informationl making them feel special AND giving more reasons to ask for a donation
  • Anything that’s cheap/free to update or was due a new order anyway – refresh it!

Basically, think of the refresh as an excuse to pick up the phone, talk to people, and meet supporters.

Other ways you can connect with people are:

  • Digital: get your CEO to host a private live-stream with supporters to learn more about the motives behind the refresh and be able to answer questions directly
  • Existing communications: use your next planned newsletter to update on the refresh through supporter’s own stories
  • Pick a key event close to the brand refresh launch and make sure that not only is the brand visible, but all of your charity’s teams are there (not just fundraising) to have conversations with the public. This not only gets supporters inspired but does wonders for your own team too
  • Use your local presence: if you’re fortunate enough to have a location in the local community like a building, office, or landmark – use it! Invite people along for a talk and the special unveiling moment of your new brand.

3. Collaborate

As soon as I began my secondment I knew the quickest route to getting this job done properly was through working with others. I’m confident in most fundraising methods but no one knows these campaigns better than the folk who do it day in, day out.

So the first step was pulling together a working group with a rep from each of the teams to gain insight, campaign data, and news from (and be able to feed back updates and progress efficiently).

Not only did it mean the campaigns chosen to be refreshed for launch day were updated on time, but by regularly getting these people together or communicating updates to them, it meant other opportunities were spotted to work together across the whole fundraising team (the holy grail!).

We had in-house and third-party events teams agreeing on one t-shirt design, community and retail teams sharing designs for public collateral, and corporate and major donor teams aligning their messaging for upcoming pitches.

This meant we saved time and money on ordering marketing materials (not to mention the time of the creative team who were working flat out), increased our awareness with the public with a united approach of one message, and utilised upcoming opportunities by using networks and insight across multiple teams; instead of just using what we already know doing what we’ve always done.

Not only that but by communicating and collaborating the teams got a better understanding and appreciation for what each other were doing, and by the end of my secondment were off making plans and talking to each other without my involvement – and hopefully are still doing so to this day!

4. It’s More Than a Logo

That was a big part of it at the BHF, and I absolutely LOVED the font, but the big thing behind bhfthe refresh was the stories.

Being able to have more ways to connect with a potential supporter was liberating, and being able to share something with them that they didn’t already know about the BHF did wonders for keeping a conversation going. And having a renewed, refreshed vibe about the charity got teams out there, seeking the people who were connected with us in this new way; potential partnerships, heart story contributors, members of the community we could bring together to create a group, major donors who had been devastated by stroke but didn’t know a ‘heart charity’ were the largest funders of stroke research.

FFEH
bhf

 

The change from ‘Fight For Every Heartbeat’ to ‘Beat Heartbreak Forever’, changed something for me too. Feeling the welcoming, empowering messaging flow through our campaigns created a shift where people understood more about our charity and the difference that we wanted to see happen in the world – the tagline became a fundraising message.

But make sure your team are trained in the new messaging and understand this feeling before being expected to roll it out in their own campaigns – how can you expect supporters to understand it if your own team don’t?

It certainly wasn’t smooth sailing all of the time but that’s OK, because that’s where the learnings come from and I hope these have been useful for you as you consider, or begin, a brand refresh of your own.

I’ve created a FREE handy infographic to help you with the logistics of project managing a brand refresh and as ever I’m happy to support with you with your fundraising to help you change the world.

*This article looks at the refresh once the branding decisions have been made. If you’d like more information from day one, request the ‘Great Fundraising and Brands’ report for insight from charities who have recently undertaken their own refresh.

Enter your details below to claim your free brand refresh infographic.

By submitting your details you will be subscribed to the charitynikki.com newsletter. If you’d rather get the download without subscribing (I won’t take it personally), email me and I’ll get this straight to you.

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#IWITOT; Mermaids & the Marathon Gamer

In February 2019 I spoke at SOFII’s #IWITOT (I Wish I’d Thought of That) event, a fundraising learning forum where fundraisers get seven minutes to talk about a fundraising campaign or idea they wish they’d thought up themselves.  It’s brilliant.  Lots of fresh ideas, new ideas and plenty of sparks flying for innovation.

I spoke about the January 2019 supporter-led fundraiser for Mermaids where a gamer, Harry Brewis, used his skills and online audience for good to raise £250,000 for Mermaids.

I’ve been watching gaming as a fundraiser for a while now and just an hour after my talk JustGiving launched their gaming fundraising tool; so I know there’s more exciting things to come!

Check out the video here and Simon summed up the gist of the talk with this quote graphic.  Cheers @ToastFundraiser!

 

iwitot quote

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The Future Of Community Fundraising

I want to reshape the way we approach community fundraising.

I want to develop community fundraising from a separate entity within a fundraising team to an interwoven strategy. To add value and insight across the fundraising mix, whilst driving mass engagement with the key people who will stay with us long-term.

Think about it…

You’re developing a new fundraising product and need to know what your supporters want and will engage with. Who talks to them on a daily basis? Community fundraisers.

You’re researching a corporate partner and want to know how to win the next big vote. Who has worked with their regional offices, engaging directly with the staff who will be voting? Community fundraisers.

Who has regular, direct contact with lifelong supporters of your charity; people who give their time, skills and money to help you succeed? People who would be PERFECT for engaging in legacy conversations. Community fundraisers.

You get the picture.

So how can we do this? 

The-future-isnt-written.-It-can-be-changed

Reduce the pressure
Give community fundraisers the support and space, and teach them the skills, to build strong, long-lasting relationships within their communities; to find the influencers aligned with your cause to increase your reach and impact.
The future of community is strategic partnerships; faith and investment in the few, rather than chasing the many. Create your next strategy around this approach but most importantly teach fundraisers how to do it.
Choose loyalty over transactions.
Involvement
Make sure your community fundraisers are involved in discussions to provide insight as to what’s happening out in the real world. We hear the inspiring stories, but we’re also the first to hear the grumbles that could spark the next innovation within your fundraising team.
Be better at communicating plans and campaigns to allow community fundraisers to recruit local leaders and influencers to increase your reach. Share your corporate pipelines with community fundraisers so they can build personal relationships and grow a following before the social media ‘vote for us!’ push.
And you, the manager. If you’re responsible for the community fundraising strategy at your charity, make sure you’re in contact with the fundraisers and most involved supporters who are doing the fundraising.
Data is cool, but words don’t paint the bigger picture.
Share
Responsible for an event and spotted a supporter with a strong personal connection and an even higher fundraising target? Don’t just put them on the usual stewardship journey, contact your community fundraiser and ask if they’ve heard about them and if not, arrange to make it happen.
Invite community fundraisers to discuss their experience with your other campaigns when working with supporters and write community fundraising involvement into your strategy plans throughout all fundraising activity. Take advantage of the impact that having a human to human interaction can have on fundraising income. Read about Yorkshire Cancer Research’s £8,000 fundraiser from one participant by doing just this.
And don’t keep this to just fundraising; do your supporter communications reference their complete support of you? We LOVE that they give regularly and run a marathon for us each year, so why don’t they know this?
Review your expectations
Are your measuring tools pressuring supporters into ways of giving that are right for them, or is it for you?
Are you spending too much time and money on creating products instead of looking at a supporter’s overall potential and how you can reach it?
As communities become increasingly time poor, are groups still the way to go for local engagement, or should you be focusing on stewarding your donor to host their one event better each time, rather than asking them to host more?
Are your unachievable conversation targets encouraging fundraisers to spend their time with people who aren’t engaged with your cause, and harming your opportunities to spend time with the people who are?
Experience over targets
Individual team targets, geographical boundaries, focusing completely on the cash, job titles…all of these things create a sense of protectiveness within a fundraising team and dictates what is, or isn’t, part of your job.
We’re losing sight of the supporter that doesn’t care who looks after what area or what product, they just want to know they’re going to make a difference and that they’re going to feel good doing it.
Instead of creating processes that work well for you but complicate delivery, think about what works best from a fundraising support viewpoint; if someone wanted to give to you, is it as easy and enjoyable as possible?
Don’t just think of support in monetary terms. Who do your supporters know, what skills can they share with you, are they a passionate campaigner with big reach?
Invest
Once you acknowledge that community fundraisers are event recruiters, legacy fundraisers, storytelling extraordinaires, relationship and engagement masters, digital users, corporate managers, and so much more, invest in their learning in these areas to better their professional approach and watch your engagement and income soar.

Community-Forum-Benchmarking-Infographic
Community, regional and engagement teams are on the rise, and for good reason. 87% of teams have seen growth in this area in the last three years with 71% ready to invest more in the next twelve months (Source: THINK benchmarking).

So let’s go beyond the bake sales, groups and (as one professional fundraiser referred to community) the “gopher role” reputation of community fundraising, and really use these human to human, local representation opportunities to their full potential.

If you’re already working on community engagement within other fundraising methods I’d love to chat with you to learn more. If you’re sold on the idea and want to learn more, then I want to talk to you.Let’s show what community can really do.

I elaborate more on what’s discussed here on Jason Lewis’ ‘Fundraising Talent’ podcast.

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Turning Fundraisers into Filmmakers; Getting Started With Smartphone Video

I began using my phone to record community fundraising stories two years ago and, whilst it was fun and got me started on an exciting fundraising journey, they weren’t exactly nice to look at (big shoutout and thank you to Rob at Flotilla Video who taught me swish filming techniques).

Last month I wrote about why fundraisers should be capturing their own content on their mobile phones; this month I’m going to share with you how.

 

Getting Started

1. buy a mic

Imagine recording a never to be repeated moment in time and finding there’s no sound on the playback?  Smartphone mics are unreliable and when they do work, you probably have your finger over it…  Smartphone clip on mics can be bought on Amazon for a few quid and the difference is HUGE; clear, crisp sound that picks up the little details.

2. while you’re at it, buy a tripod

If you have an unsteady hand or (like me), get nervous when you’re filming the CEO, buy a smartphone tripod.  They’re perfect for recording yourself when you want to shoot a thank you message, and they’re especially awesome for keeping your footage steady when your hands aren’t.

3. download an editing app

You want to be able to record footage freely without worrying about the end result.  Download apps like iMovie (free) or LumaFusion (£20) to edit your videos within minutes and cut dud clips, edit pieces together; even adding voice overs and text!

On The Shoot

1. film in landscape

Portrait mode gives you awful black bars when you watch it back on a screen.  It doesn’t look great and it makes it harder for people to engage with what they’re watching.  Turn your phone around and make it easier for your supporter to become absorbed by the scene.

Always+film+in+landscape+1

2. don’t ‘spray & pray’

High impact video will feel like you’re witnessing the event first-hand, and this is the way we should be capturing and sharing our videos to have the biggest impact with supporters.  Too often you see one continuous film of numerous scenes as the camera swishes from one view to the next. It gets messy and I feel travel sick.

Film multiple scenes separately and edit together using your app.

3. increase your quality content

Top tip from the storytelling pros; film each of your scenes for 10 seconds and during your editing, take the best 3 seconds of each and edit together.  Ta-da!  Instant selective storytelling to highlight the best bits.

4. get a good light

You don’t want supporters to think you’re working from a basement; good light lifts your video quality making it look swish, professional and engaging.selfie light

If you’re the cameraperson, make sure light is behind you and your subject is illuminated fully from the front.  You can do this easily with natural light and keeping the window behind, but if you really want to go pro you can buy a ring light.

5. pre-plan, but be spontaneous!

If you’re heading to a fundraising event and know you’re going to do some filming, think about what and where you’ll use it for after to make sure you capture the footage that you need.  Avoid something like this; rope in some video stars in advance and take along your kit to make sure you don’t miss out on the good stuff.

But, it’s also important to keep filming in mind and film as often as possible to make it a habit.  Fundraising is so random and fast-paced, things will pop up you hadn’t even dreamed of capturing!  If the thought, ‘I’d love our supporters to see this’ crosses your mind, get your camera out.  I always carry my mic in my bag to make sure I never miss an opportunity.

6. think ‘supporter first’

Sure this table of merch looks great to you, but are your Twitter followers going to want to see it?  Nope.  Quality video means ‘content’ so much more than ‘quality’; capture the best bits like stories, reunions, celebration and thank yous so people will not only want to watch, but will keep coming back for more.

 

These are just a few of the ways I’ve improved my self-shot, smartphone video over the past couple years, and with regular practice you’ll discover more ways to make your own look great.  Next time you’re out and about, have your camera charged and keep your eye out for wonderful things to share with your supporters…and hit record.

If you’d like to learn more, get in touch at nikki@charitynikki.blog.

 

Psst…I’ll be filming a training session with the legend that is Rob Woods to teach you how to fundraise and engage with self-shot video.  Subscribe today so you’ll be amongst the first to see it!

 

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Low Budget Video for Big Impact; How to Build Relationships (& Raise More Money!) with your Smartphone

This month’s Fundraising Magazine features an article with myself and canny lad, Stephen Noble, writing about why community fundraisers should be generating their own video content on their phones.

It’s mad that fundraisers are only starting to use their mobiles for recording their own video; but it’s not surprising.  When you contend with GDPR and fundraising/communications/who does what battles conversations, it’s easier to shove the thing back in your pocket and say, ‘nah, that’s not my job’.why self-shot video_ (2)

But isn’t capturing, telling and sharing stories our job?  Video adds depth way beyond just words and photos, and can become a powerful tool for sharing the raw, and often breathtaking, story direct from the storyteller.

Not only that, but it increases engagement.  Did you know that you’re 95% more likely to remember a message from a video compared to just 10% from text?  Oh, you like those numbers?  How about the fact Twitter users are 120% more likely to share a video than images and text posts combined?! Mhmm, it’s that good.

But briefing, booking and reviewing professional video can be timely, costly and has the potential to miss the mark…that’s why community fundraisers need to feel empowered and supported to capture the magic as it happens with their smartphone for day to day activity.  Advice on how to make this happen is included in the main article.

For now though, here’s a few ways I’ve used self-shot video in my fundraising relationships. More tips given in the main article. Perhaps you could try one and unleash your inner Spielberg?

1. Engage beyond your corporate contact

You’ve spent so long building that important relationship with your corporate contact; you may have won the pitch already (go you!), but how do you make sure the rest of the staff are as engaged so they know why they’re raising money? Or it’s over to the staff to vote, will your message have made an impact beyond that person you’ve worked with?

Video gives us a chance to reach out and personally connect with supporters when company size and/or location makes it difficult to do it in person.

When joining the BHF I inherited a partnership with a Newcastle HQ and offices scattered across the UK.  To introduce myself and say thank you, I recorded a short video explaining how I was excited to work with them myself, who I was and how I could help, and what their fundraising had achieved so far.

Little tip: if you run your own social media channels for work, direct them to this in your video to keep the contact going.

Sent before an event or fundraising ask works wonders for your success rate.  And if there’s nothing planned, just to let them know they’ve been noticed and appreciated has a huge impact on their experience with you (which raises more money in future).

Which leads me on to…

2. Layer your pitch

Everyone knows about “the pitch”; the chance to show your potential supporters just why you need their support, and how they’re the ones to solve the problem.  You have your meetings, do your pitch and then you wait…or do you?

The corporate mentioned above were coming to the end of their partnership after three amazing years.  After a few meetings and a written proposal the CEO decided that staff would have the final say on whether we extended the partnership by an extra year.  I recorded a second video in a BHF lab featuring a BHF funded researcher saying, direct to camera, ‘my research is funded by people like you.  Without your support I can’t continue to research.  Please vote to extend our partnership and join me in saving lives’.  Guess what? They did.

Because using your phone to film is so accessible and cheap, it’s easy to capture footage like this when you’re out and about to use at crucial moments.  Follow up your pitch with a video reinforcing your message, saying thank you for their time or better yet, from a person their support will directly impact.

3. Show some donor love

Ok, so this is my top favourite reason for using self-shot video with supporters.  Not only can I record their stories to show their voice is important and needs to be shared, but I can record myself and others from the organisation sharing enthusiastic gratitude.

They’ve heard me say thank you a hundred times (& there’ll be a million more!), but self-shot video means when I’m with researchers, our CEO, colleagues or people whose lives they’ve positively impacted, I can record their thoughts and appreciation and show supporters that we’re loving what they’re doing.  What a feeling!

Ok this is a bit cringe, but here’s a thank you I recorded early in my smartphone video adventures following a pitch for a deaf-led organisation’s support.  At least I hope I’m saying thank you, my BSL is very rusty (and apparently a bit ‘street’.  Thanks Dan for dubbing Snoop Dogg over this…). I mustn’t have said anything bad because, they chose the BHF!

4. Show your impact

It isn’t possible to give everyone a tour, take a survivor to every meeting or in some cases, easily show where a supporter’s money will go without flying them somewhere.  So how about we take the experience to them?

Self-shot video means we can easily record an interview with someone you’ve helped, the building of a new facility or the moment a puppy is rehomed (send this last one directly to me please).  As community fundraisers we’re constantly in the field experiencing these moments, and to take a snippet to a supporter or share a clip online means you can bring them into your day and help them see where their donations are making a difference.  Also, I need more puppy content on my timeline.

Develop an interest in life as you see it; the people, things, literature, music - the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself..png

I’m very fortunate to work for an organisation that encourages its fundraisers to record their own content, and I never hesitate to capture a moment that makes me think, ‘I want our supporters to see this’.

It’s key that community fundraisers are encouraged and supported to capture and share their own video.  This may mean additional training in making sure everything has the same ‘voice’ or follows the right rules, but it’s definitely worth the investment.  Community fundraisers are the on-the-ground relationship builders who are meeting people, attending events and quickly become tuned in to spotting an opportunity.  If they need to come back to the office, send an email, find the budget and set up the filming, you might have missed out big time.

For the full article and Stephen’s advice on when the professionals can help you out with strategy and long term goals, subscribe to Civil Society today and have a read!

Shooting your own video is fun and has a big impact but if it looks terrible, is anyone watching?  Next month’s blog will feature learnings I’ve picked up along the way to make your videos POP.  Subscribe and make sure you don’t miss out on the advice!

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Are You An ‘Extra’ Fundraiser?

Unless you’ve been offline for two years, you’re going to know what a meme is.

But if you’re like me, you sometimes need to search what the ‘young ‘uns’ are talking about because ya know…getting older.  And when my little sister called me ‘extra’, I was straight onto Google to find out if I should be offended or not.

Turns out she was right, kind of.

‘Being extra’ means trying too hard or going over the top.  And as a fundraiser I’m always going to be a little ‘extra’, and I think you should be too.

If you’re one of six charities pitching for a partnership or you land an interview for the job of your dreams, being extra is the only way you’re going to stand out.

And it works.  During an interview I had to convince my interviewers to share my love for hiking.  Instead of describing the beauty of being surrounded by the forest, I gave them jars filled with lavender, fir tree, pine cones and moss so they could experience it for themselves.  I got the job and my interviewers got a canny air freshener for their mantlepiece.

We’ve all experienced the frustration of knowing a potential supporter would say yes if ‘we could just get them to (insert service centre here) to see it for themselves’…then why don’t we just take the experience to them?

When used correctly, a physical item appeals to your audience’s imagination and goes beyond the impact of a 2D photo.  If they can see, touch or even better, keep, something connected to your message, you’ve piqued their interest and made it easier for them to understand.  Why describe something when you can show them?

And being an extra fundraiser goes beyond props and pitching.  You want to be remembered after that meeting; think of ways you can ignite a spark with supporters to leave them feeling warm and glowy after you’ve gone.  Handwritten cards, a note to say the meeting was the highlight of your day, or even a gift that shows you’ve thought of them will have them feeling nothing but positive about you, and your organisation.

The interviewers still talk about those jars and I think about how I almost didn’t do it; like it was over the top, too much…

Now my motto is, ‘If I think it’s too much, it’s probably just right’ – and I’m proud of being an extra fundraiser.

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Why You Shouldn’t Say ‘Thank You’

You’re livid aren’t you?  You’ve come here to skip the blog and leave a comment about how I’m a terrible fundraiser.  But hear me out…

I want you to imagine a colleague has just put a £50 donation from me on your desk.  Now, stop reading this and write me a little thank you.  Come back when you’re done.

Finished?  Excellent.

I’ll bet you that £50 donation your thank you started with those exact two words, ‘Thank you…’.  If it didn’t, you’ve probably been listening to the same people I do – you belta! (but please don’t hold me to the £50 bet thing, I’m skint).

Saying thank you to our supporters is one of the most wonderful, and important, jobs to do as a fundraiser and we should be thanking everyone as sincerely, quickly and as personally as possible.  Shouldn’t we then assume that supporters are going to receive a lot of these letters and notes all starting with the same thing; ‘Thank you for this…’ and ‘Thank you for that…’?

We need to STAND OUT.  But most importantly we need the supporter to really feel that we mean it when we say ‘thank you’.  That we LOVE they’ve chosen our organisation out of the countless others they could have given to.  That we are EXCITED to get to know them and share this journey with them.  That we APPRECIATE them and the wonderful thing they’ve done today.

I’ve been learning from the masters on this one and here’s a few things I’ve picked up along the way;

  1. Don’t open with ‘Thank you for…’: make your opening sentence something personal about the supporter or your relationship with them before you say thank you.  You want to craft emails and letters that make them smile, and want to re-read and show other people. Imagine sending a thank you that gets seen by dozens more than the intended recipient!
  2. Be authentic: you want the supporter to know their gift has been seen and appreciated, and that this isn’t just an automated response.  Beyond a handwritten note, how do we do this? John Lepp at Agents of Good encourages us to stop trying to perfect everything! Leave the ink smudges where they are and embrace the coffee mark.  All of this shows the supporter an actual human has written the message; the imperfections on your note are proof of the handmade gesture of one person wanting to connect with another.
  3. Add a little something extra: and to really show the supporter you’ve taken the time to think about and do something for them, actually attach a photo, link or news story to your thank you about what will be done because of their wonderful gift.  Simon Scriver refers to these as our ‘paperclip moments’.  Simon says, “It makes it stand out and sparkle, and people can feel it in the envelope”.
  4. Pick up the phone: my favourite way to thank is with a phone call.  With a background in telefundraising it’s hard to kick the habit – and I absolutely love it.  It gives me a chance to get to know the supporter better and it usually leads to a meeting over a cuppa where more great things can happen.  And then I write my thank you.
  5. Be you: I absolutely ADORE these ‘before’ and ‘after’ letters from the exceptionally talented copywriter, Lisa Sargent.  Let’s add a little passion, personality, fun and masses of creativity into our thank yous and let the supporter get to know you, so you can start to know them.  With an opening line like, ‘Robots whir. Comets streak…’, you can guarantee they’ll want to read more and look forward to anything else you send their way.
  6. Let them know it’s been put to good use: saying thank you is fantastic, but we must also use this opportunity tell supporters what their donation will be used for. Make sure you share stories, outcomes and the wonderful way they’re contributing to making the world a little better.

So the next time you pick up your pen to say thanks (which I hope is very soon!), really think about what you’re thanking them for, the way you want them to feel when they read it and how you can get across that this is one person connecting with another.

It’s not about not saying ‘thank you’, it’s about saying it in the same personal way you treat your relationships.  The actual words, ‘thank you’, should be nestled amongst a glowing show of gratitude, which will leave the supporter with no doubt you really mean it.

I’d love to hear about the canny little things you do to make your thank yous stand out.  Tweet me @CharityNikki or get in touch at nikki@charitynikki.blog

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Frasier Fundraising; Seattle’s Finest Teaches us the Basics

Last week we lost the brilliant actor, John Mahoney.  Best known for his role as Frasier’s father, Martin (Marty) Crane, in the 90’s sitcom; he delivered some of the best one-liners in TV history and gave a gruff, loveable edge which won the hearts of millions of viewers.

I’ve never needed an excuse, but the news inspired another series re-watch from episode 1.  And like many of you who write about your work, I couldn’t help but notice some links to fundraising to give me a reason to write about my love for Frasier –  and be able to share my nerdiness with you.

So what can Frasier teach us about fundraising?

* spoiler & very tenuous link alert *

You are not your audience138381612

Let’s start at the beginning.  Did you know the Frasier series was created around the often rocky relationship between Frasier and his father?  The show was meant to be based on the contrast of characters; rough and wise vs sophisticated and exasperated.  But after the pilot episode, producers noticed the audience responded better to the interactions between Frasier and his brother, Niles; and the whole concept was overhauled.  Thanks to the change, what resulted was eleven amazing series of character chemistry and quick-witted exchanges, winning audiences and awards for over eleven years.  Pretty impressive.

No matter what YOU think or hope will work, if you’re audience isn’t digging it then you’re going to have to change it.  Find out what they love and go there.

If you’re wasting time, you’re missing out daphne

Who can forget the moment Niles falls in love with Daphne in Season 1? (“you’re Daphne?!”).  What came next was seven seasons (that’s seven YEARS) of Niles hopelessly adoring from afar and watching her fall in love with other men before finally asking her to be with him instead.  It drew in audiences and provided plenty of laughs but if this were real life, it’s actually pretty sad.  Because of his fear of rejection, Niles and Daphne missed out on seven years of building their relationship and creating wonderful memories.  Sound familiar?

Getting to know supporters is a wonderful part of our job but if you’re not asking them to give, you’re wasting time and losing out on income.  You need to ASK or they’ll run off with your ‘Donny Douglas’ of charities.  Which leads me on to…

Timing is important 

He was never nominated for an Emmy, but Frasier wouldn’t have been the same without Marty’s dog, Eddie.  His timing was impeccable and his scenes with Frasier was what got me hooked on the series in the first place (that, and the “I am WOUNDED” delivery).  During one of my favourite episodes, ‘Eddie the Wet-Nosed Reindeer’, he rushes in at just the right moment dressed as a reindeer for the Crane family Christmas card, adding extra hilarity to the ridiculousness of Christmas in October.

Get your timing wrong and you risk fluffing it.  Learn from Eddie and listen for the cues that your supporter is open to be asked and go for it.  It might be your third meeting, it might take even longer, but leave it too long and you’ve lost that magic moment where everything has fallen into place.

Don’t be afraid to take risks

If I mention the 1980’s sitcom Cheers, who would be the first character that comes to mind?  Norm?  Carla? Maybe even Sam?  Chances are it wasn’t Frasier.  Yet following the show’s end in 1993, Frasier was the one that got his own spin-off show.  Initially cast as a temporary character, producers thought they might be onto something and took a gamble basing the spin-off show on a character originally intended for just six episodes.  And it paid off; Frasier is the most successful spin-off TV show created and has over 100 awards nominations and over 40 wins.

Don’t be afraid to take risks; failing is only a bad thing if you keep doing it.  Fundraisers should feel supported and brave to try new things and not be afraid of it not working out the way they’d planned.  Wonderful things will happen if we try, learn, and better ourselves in the work we do.

I’m listening listening

How could I write about Frasier and fundraising without referencing this iconic, and relevant, catchphrase?!  In the series, Frasier utters this infamous line to every caller on his KACL radio talk show (voiced by famous actors!).  It told the caller he’s listening, he’s ready to support them and wants them to do the talking; and then he actually listens.  I don’t need to say much more on this one really.

Too often we listen to reply.  Next time you’re meeting a supporter, truly hear what they’re telling you; why they’ve come to you, how they want to support and what matters to them.  I love this TedTalk that teaches us how to be better conversationalists, take 10 minutes out of your day to watch it.

Thank you for allowing me to indulge in my Frasier addiction.  If you’ve made it to the end without smirking at my attempt to pass watching TV off as work, you’ve done canny well!

There’s one final thing from the show that I’d like to share with you.  Watching the series, you watch the characters evolve and get to share some of their best and difficult moments in their lives.  Through it all Frasier is at the centre; driving the stories forward and, despite the moments when it doesn’t work out, brings a smile to the millions of viewers who are huge fans of the show…that sounds a lot like the wonderful job that you have.

So on that note…

Goodnight fundraisers, we love you!

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