donor retention - moss + ross

Planning For Legacy
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Planning For Legacy

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Planning For Legacy

By Wes Brown, Senior Associate. August is National Make-a-Will Month—a timely reminder to the nearly 67% of American adults who do not have a legal will in place. Wills and other estate planning documents such as health care power of attorney are on the to-do list, but many people simply don’t get around to the review, reflection, division, and designation of cash, property, and other assets accumulated over a lifetime. At death there are heirs by default of course. But responsible stewardship—the ultimate sharing of our resources with people and causes we care deeply about—requires plans, decisions, and documents. Philanthropic giving is often part of an estate plan and can be a tax-wise strategy to leave a legacy beyond one's lifetime. I have known many families who have felt gratification knowing the impact of their gift will [...]

DeniseT2023-08-28T17:32:24-04:00August 28th, 2023|All Posts, Fundraising Counsel, Highlights from the Latest Newsletter, Messaging, Team Expertise|

It’s Year-End: Pick up the Phone and Smile!
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It’s Year-End: Pick up the Phone and Smile!

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It’s Year-End: Pick up the Phone and Smile!

By Mary Moss, Founding Partner. Are you worried that you have not reached your year-end goals, that you have not talked to the people you thought you should, and that no one is returning your emails? It’s not too late. Pick up the Phone and Smile! In front of you, have the information you need: (1) their names and family names; (2) past giving amounts and patterns of what they usually support; (3) materials that will give you language about the impact of their gift and other details, and (4) how much you are going to ask for. If they have been a past supporter, thank them at least twice during your call. If they have not, make sure they know the impact their gift will have and how they will be recognized, if that’s important to them. Wish [...]

DeniseT2022-11-22T10:41:07-05:00November 22nd, 2022|All Posts, From The Partners, Highlights from the Latest Newsletter|

Gettin’ Lucky: Not a wise strategy for securing major gifts
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Gettin’ Lucky: Not a wise strategy for securing major gifts

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Gettin’ Lucky: Not a wise strategy for securing major gifts

By Mary Moss, Founding Partner. In my experience, there is not much luck in major gifts work. I believe that you make your own luck. I have been in this business for four decades, as staff and consultant, and I have witnessed comments such as: “Wow, they just got lucky with that big gift. I work with that same donor and didn’t get that kind of gift,” or “That gift just came out of the clear blue” or “That donor had no history with that organization. Wonder why they left their estate there?” In most instances of “gettin’ lucky,” there is a solid connection with the donor and strategy behind the gift. I have had a handful of happy occasions where “true luck” happened, and have always wished for more (don't we all?). Nothing replaces a compelling [...]

DeniseT2022-11-06T09:45:20-05:00September 20th, 2022|All Posts, From The Partners, Fundraising Counsel|

Volunteers Bring Magic to the Mission
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Volunteers Bring Magic to the Mission

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Volunteers Bring Magic to the Mission

By Mary Moss, Founding Partner. April is National Volunteer Month, and we are celebrating the strengths and talents of volunteers with our clients and in our social media. Volunteers are not supplemental, or nice to have; they are essential and foundational to a nonprofit’s mission delivery. In 1981, my first fundraising job was to recruit student volunteers at Duke University to fill 18 slots a night throughout the year for the first Dialing for Duke telethons. Duke’s Annual Fund grew exponentially from this personal touch from students to alumni. Four decades later, I can report that every effort I have led as a staff member or volunteer, or guided as a consultant, has found its success through committed volunteers. The real magic happens when you build a strong staff-volunteer partnership with shared goals resulting in a cadre [...]

DeniseT2022-04-26T16:51:09-04:00April 26th, 2022|All Posts, From The Partners, Highlights from the Latest Newsletter, Team Expertise|

To Keep Your Donors, Keep It Clean!
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To Keep Your Donors, Keep It Clean!

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To Keep Your Donors, Keep It Clean!

By LisaCaitlin Perri. Database clean-up will help retain your nonprofit’s donors by equipping you with the tools to get those second- and third-time donations through the door. 1. Identify the top 25-50-100 individual donors and prospects, and make sure you have accurate email addresses and phone numbers on their records. 2. Generate the following lists for your development staff, executive director, and board to review. Then, make notes in the database about who is connected to whom so you can improve solicitation assignments for large gifts and maximize stewardship actions like appeal follow-up and thank yous. a. New donors above a certain giving amount b. Top donors from the previous year (LYBUNT, or Last Year But Unfortunately Not This Year) c. Top, lapsed donors going back no further than 3-5 years, considering that the average “recapture” rate of lapsed donors [...]

DeniseT2020-09-09T18:45:07-04:00September 9th, 2020|All Posts, Fundraising Counsel, Team Expertise|

It’s Fourth Quarter, Now What?
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It’s Fourth Quarter, Now What?

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It’s Fourth Quarter, Now What?

By Mary Moss. You have been working all year long to keep your head above water, to strengthen the relationships you have, and to identify new ones along the way. You have learned how to operate remotely, and even ask for money remotely. While filled with gratitude for what you have been able to accomplish due to the generosity of so many, you are still telling us that you are worried about your donors not giving as much or at all this year. Even with powerful relationships, you are worried about money. So now, here you are, headed into the fourth quarter. What is your next best play when the times are so uncertain? Your next best play is to concentrate on donor retention of your individual prospects. As you enter the last quarter of the year, [...]

DeniseT2020-09-09T18:46:41-04:00September 9th, 2020|All Posts, From The Partners, Fundraising Counsel|

Treat your donors like family … and they will keep coming back.
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Treat your donors like family … and they will keep coming back.

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Treat your donors like family … and they will keep coming back.

By Susan Ross. I had 20 at my house for Christmas dinner. As always, the family meal marked the passage of time, with a core group of regulars bookended by loved ones missing and by promising new relationships.Why do we value these celebrations so much? It’s not my food, my decorations, or my presents. I’d say it is because people find joy in spending their time where they are welcome and where they would be missed if they didn’t show up.Perhaps our donors feel the same way.<strong>Donor retention is a hot button in fundraising these days,</strong> because new studies have shown that we are losing donors in far greater numbers than in the past. Has our preoccupation with major gifts led to a falloff in our rank-and-file donor feeling valued and needed? If so, how can development professionals stem [...]

galanova2020-02-28T18:33:18-05:00December 15th, 2017|All Posts, From The Partners, Team Updates|

Nonprofit Communications and Marketing Trends in 2015 by Denise Tolley

Curious about what the other guys are doing? How they are communicating with their supporters? What is most important to them? A recent report on nonprofit trends notes that, of the Communications Goals nonprofit companies set for each year, Donor Retention has jumped from 4th to 2nd place, while Acquiring New Donors fell from 1st place to 4th. Community Engagement came in as the most important goal. This shift in priorities shows a subtle emphasis on a more personal touch with donors and getting to know your donor base more intimately to increase effective communication. The Kivi 2015 Nonprofit Communications Trends Report, a survey of more than 1,500 nonprofit participants across North America, offers this information and much more, and is available to download through this link. You will see some interesting results and comparisons, some of which are highlighted [...]

moss+ross consulting firm2020-02-21T19:34:37-05:00May 28th, 2015|All Posts, Campaign Counsel, Fundraising Counsel|