If you’ve actually gone through the whole exercise of packaging your budget for donors (see the two posts previous to this one), you will have each and every fundraiser in your organization literally kissing your feet in appreciation. Why? Because you have made their jobs so much easier.
Remember, the MGO’s job is to maintain and build a relationship with a donor. It is not his job to come up with the “product”.
Yet, even as I write this, there are thousands of MGO’s out there struggling to come up with something to show their donors, while the managers and leaders of these good folks turn their backs on them, at the same time expecting them to perform. This is not right.
But now you know what to do. How can you use the information you’ve been given? Here are some ideas, which are not listed in any particular order of importance:
- Reports of all types. Use the PSP information to tell donors and other publics what you are doing and how much you are spending in each program category. PSP is a good source for annual reports.
- Direct mail. PSP information can be used to formulate offers and asks for direct mail appeals, newsletters and receipt letters and stuffers. In newsletters, this information can be very helpful to more fully explain what you are doing in a specific category.
- Online content.
- Brochures and collateral. Use PSP information to create category brochures or other collateral which explains the various program initiatives of the organization.
- Radio, television and other electronic media. PSP information can be used to explain how funds are used, or for offer/ask creation in documentaries and fund-raising efforts for radio, television, the production of DVD’s, CD’s and other forms of electronic media.
- Events. Use PSP information to frame offers, asks and project presentations for events.
- Major donors programs. PSP information can be used to match the donor’s interests and passions to a category of program service and thereby create an offer or ask that is appropriate for the donor.
- Planned Giving. When explaining to a donor how her planned giving involvement with the organization can help, the PSP information can be a critical piece for making your case as to how the donor’s funds can be used.
- Capital Campaigns. While capital campaigns are usually forward looking, i.e. building something in the future to meet a current need, the PSP information can be useful in explaining how similar programs to the one being planned for in the capital campaign have worked in the past and how this one will work in the future.
- Foundation Proposals. Use PSP information to create foundation proposals that match the funding criteria of the foundation.
- Church and club presentations. PSP information can be used to create projects for churches and social clubs and match their areas of interest to the category in the PSP system.
These are just a few ways you can use the PSP information to not only raise money, but also report back to donors on how money is being used. You can marry the PSP financial information to results statistics in the creation of powerful feedback to donors on how their money was used and what a difference it made.
One thing is for sure, if you can pull this off, which, admittedly will not be easy, you will see tremendous growth in your revenue as it becomes easier and easier to tell your donor WHY you need the money and WHAT you did with it.
These two critical and strategic arenas are the key drivers for successful fundraising. I can’t imagine any MGO doing her job without this information.
Richard
I’m new to your blog and am finding it, as others have said, immensely helpful. What would be even more helpful, however, is if you could post a link to the other posts in a given series so I can find the entire series. For example, this particular post is #3, but I have no idea where to find #1 or #2 without doing a search. Adding a link within or at the top or bottom would be much appreciated. Thanks!!
Good Point, Suanne. We will do this in the future. Thanks for the idea.
Jeff