Welcome to End of Year Fundraising, 2016

That’s not a typo.

When folks come to us in November and ask for help on their end of year campaign, our first question is always “what have you been doing all year long?”

Good fundraising is about building relationships. Good relationships are built on communication, two-way communication.

How will you listen to your donors starting in January?

How will you delight them?

Here’s an easy place to start: gratitude. Take your thank you strategy to a new level. Start with these two tips:

• Look at Lisa Sargent’s provocative free clinic on how to write more effective thank you notes.
• And then up the ante. If they give online, send them a postal thank you. If they give by postal mail call them.

Oh, and Happy New Year!