if you read nothing else this month, read this

Old modes of small-dollar fundraising are dying.  The era of the cheesy “fauxthentic” direct mail piece is nearing its final phase.

Don’t take my word for it — read this landmark piece in the Chronicle of Philanthropy. 

Here’s the bottom line: donor retention rates are dropping, and in some cases sharply.  Why?

Donors tell Ms. Burk and other researchers that they are asked for money too often, provided with only token acknowledgments of their gifts, and offered little meaningful information about how their money was used. Donors also complain that they are not given sufficient choices about how a charity communicates with them.