Guaranteed to Open Email! January 30, 2012 By Ewlacasse

Daily we hear about the glut of email we’re all receiving. (Not to mention the torrent produced by social media.)  Email is still the most effective online communication for fundraisers.  But, amid all the clutter, how will you keep your donors and prospects opening your missives?

Email subject lines should be short.  Without a quick attention-getter, your message will get no more than two seconds as the reader’s eye scans downthe list of the morning's emails.

Email subject lines need to put the punch in the first word (it’s capitalized!)  Not:  “Wondering how to help in the crisis in Haiti?”—but: “Haiti: Help Now!”  The reader knows your topic at the first glance.

Email subject lines need to identify the immediate benefit. In “Haiti: Help Now!” there’s an implied urgency which may well match up with your reader’s pangs of guilt about not acting yet. You want the readers to open your message right now, not later in the day when other matters are swirling in their minds.

Email subject lines should provide a specific value proposition. Implied in “Haiti: Help Now!” is the message that your gift will get there quickly; the donating will be easy—directly from the email--; there’s no sluggish bureaucracy which will tie up your money for six months while some board struggles to determine which phase of the crisis to support. The donor reaps the tangible benefit of acting to help, acting now, with little hassle and no further delay.  “Haiti: You Can Help Now!” might improve this, but you have to decide whether the shorter title is more effective.

Take a look at your own inbox right now.  Which subject lines are “grabbers,” and which are “ho-hum”?  Need I say more?

Linda Lysakowski Webinar January 27, 2012 By Kaitlan Mitchell

At our last GiftWorks webinar with CEO of Capital Venture, Linda Lysakowski, a full house left with their fill of applicable knowledge on corporate giving. 

If you missed her presentation, catch it here with a recording of the webinar - audio and slides included. 
Click here to view this webinar: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4HMpqNDxcM&hd=1

But wait! There's even more.... 

Join GiftWorks and Linda again on Tuesday, February 21st at 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET
for another phenomenal, free webinar about Developing your Case for Support!

Whether your organization is embarking on a capital campaign, preparing grant proposals or developing your annual fund materials, the Case for Support is the first critical element in your fundraising program. In this webinar we will discuss the importance of the case and how it is used, list the key elements in a case for support, and learn how to evaluate case statements.

Please register here for this webinar: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/914495824

Linda is one of fewer than one hundred professionals worldwide to hold the Advanced Certified Fund Raising Executive designation. In her seventeen years as a philanthropic consultant, she has managed capital campaigns; helped dozens of nonprofit organizations achieve their development goals, and has trained more than 20,000 professionals in Mexico, Canada, Egypt and most of the fifty United States, in all aspects of development. 

Thank you for your interest in this GiftWorks webinar.
You can always download a free 30 day trial of GiftWorks 
and also attend a 1-hour tour of all that GiftWorks has to offer.

Have a fantastic day!
              -The GiftWorks Team

 

Already struggling to meet your nonprofit's New Year's Eve resolutions? January 25, 2012 By Kaitlan Mitchell

Put the white flag down.
Pick your spirits up.

With a few weeks into the month those goals you set on New Year’s Eve for your nonprofit may be fading.

We get distracted.
Life happens.  

If fact, according to the New York Times, four out of five people who make New Year’s resolutions break their promises.  A third won’t even make it to the end of January.

But this isn’t about beating the odds, it’s about bettering yourself.

With GiftWorks, you can redirect your nonprofit’s course and get back on track. Peruse around http://www.giftworksconnect.com/ or take a tour and see for yourself how your nonprofit can instantly jump start your fundraising efforts in a positive direction http://www.giftworksconnect.com/tour

Check out our fantastic deals!
 
Special #1
Buy an additional GiftWorks license and save $90 off each license
If you have been looking for an opportunity to buy an extra GiftWorks license, now is your time.  Until the end of February , 2011 you can save $100 off an additional license for each and every extra license you purchase.  You must already be a GiftWorks user to take advantage of this special offer.

Special #2
Get over 6 hours of GiftWorks training for only $275.
Want to start off the new year with some in-depth training for GiftWorks?  Perhaps you or others in your organization really want to grow stronger in your GiftWorks skills.  Now is your time.  Take advantage of these saving to get over 6 hours of training for GiftWorks.  The GiftWorks University series is split into 5 different sessions and is delivered by video which can be watched at your convenience.  Now is the time to get trained.  Call our sales team to order the GiftWorks University series or you can click here to purchase it at our GiftWorks store using the coupon code: gwu-74-off when checking out.

Special #3
Buy GiftWorks Events and save $60 off each license you purchase
Do you need help managing your events?  Get even more out of GiftWorks by using GiftWorks Events to help manage your events with ease.  You can find out more about GiftWorks Events by viewing these helpful videos.  Until the end of February you can save $60 off each license.  And if you already own GiftWorks Events, you can get an extra license for $90 off!

Special #4
Buy GiftWorks Volunteers and save $40 off each license you purchase
Do you need to help manage your volunteers, jobs, and recording volunteer hours?  GiftWorks Volunteers can help you track and manage your volunteerism.  You can find out more about GiftWorks Volunteers by viewing these helpful videos.  Until the end of February you can save $40 off each license.  If you already own GiftWorks Volunteers, you can get an extra license for $60 off!

We’re about turning the defeated into the determined.
So we’ll be taking that white flag. You won’t be needing it with GiftWorks.

 

Which gift is more important? Corporate or Individual? January 17, 2012 By Kaitlan Mitchell

Because individuals account for approximately 80% of all philanthropic giving in the United States, many tend to think that the real money is in individual giving.  (Certainly, the time and effort we spend cultivating individual gifts reflects their importance.)  So, you might ask, why bother with corporate giving since it only accounts for about 5% of the philanthropic pie?

In our January 24^th  webinar, philanthropic consultant and friend of GiftWorks Linda Lysakowski will offer valuable insights into why you should think more seriously about how to best approach businesses in this challenging economy.

Our free webinar on Tuesday, January 24th at 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. will be one you don’t want to miss!
Please register here for this presentation: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/639069849

One big reason is that building relationships with business leaders can help you tap into businesses’ philanthropic dollars, but also give you access  to the personal giving of these business leaders—many of whom make up  that 80% of giving that comes from individuals.

These leaders may be lying dormant in your database as individuals, but once you make the business connection, that individual becomes a most interesting prospect.  Also many business leaders may not know much about your organization, but what they learn from the corporate solicitation, and from rubbing shoulders with your other corporate givers, may spark the interest of the leader (and spouse) and lead to further engagement.

Sign up for this webinar to learn from a pro, not only why business and corporate giving is important for your organization,  but also how to build business relationships, how to work with business leaders as volunteers, and how to effectively raise more money from your business community.

Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE,   is President/CEO of Capital Venture, a philanthropic consultant and author of numerous books for fundraisers.  She has managed capital campaigns, helped dozens of nonprofits achieve their goals, and trained more than 16,000 development professions.

By Ewlacasse

Do You Lead with your Heart? January 17, 2012 By Ewlacasse

When you’re creating your next campaign or appeal, remember that all donors do not react equally to a wounded dog, a starving child, or dying wetlands.  Yes, these appeals seem to capture the imagination of a portion of the population (maybe a majority in the past).

But, don’t forget to include in your appeal content attractive to others whose prime motivator may lie along another line.

Intellect leads the decision-making of a large number of people.  The answers they are looking for are:  Would a gift to this organization be a solid investment?  Is this organization well-organized and well-run, with solid programs and credible identification of needs?  Will I be proud to be associated with this organization?

Gut reaction means the most to others.  Do I have a good feeling about this organization?  Are these people my kind of people?  Does this appeal go right to the top of my personal philanthropic priorities?

Heart strings, while maybe the most obvious, is a tried-and-true route to go.  Although, today’s public has been so inundated with this emotional appeal, it’s hard to invent a new way to play it out.

No one approach is guaranteed.  The test of a good appeal is: how well it combines just the right amount of each.  Look back at some of your past appeals and evaluate what you’ve been doing.