Pay no attention to that gift officer behind the curtain ...€¦ · •Give donors ample...
6
Strategies to Make Your Gift Planning Marketing and Communications More Effective (and Your Life Easier) Basics Session October 18, 2017 Planning Giving Group of New England Presenter: Kris Willcox Pay no attention to that gift officer behind the curtain... Planned giving marketing might include… • Fancy full-color booklets • A mailer, with a reply vehicle • A postcard • An article in a newsletter or other publication • Web content • A “check box” or buck slip included with a standard mail appeal • A traditional letter with an accompanying reply form • Email • Events (as publicity and stewardship) Questions to make your planned giving marketing more effective: • What’s the driving force behind this marketing? Why this, and why now? • Who are you communicating to? • What are your goals? • What resources are at your disposal? • What form, content and tone are right for your goals? • How will success be measured? • What’s your plan, once your marketing is out the door?
Transcript of Pay no attention to that gift officer behind the curtain ...€¦ · •Give donors ample...
StrategiestoMakeYourGiftPlanningMarketingandCommunicationsMoreEffective(andYourLifeEasier)
BasicsSessionOctober18,2017
PlanningGivingGroupofNewEnglandPresenter:KrisWillcox
Paynoattentiontothatgiftofficerbehindthecurtain...
Plannedgivingmarketingmightinclude…
• Fancyfull-colorbooklets• Amailer,withareplyvehicle• Apostcard• Anarticleinanewsletterorotherpublication• Webcontent• A“checkbox”orbuckslipincludedwithastandardmailappeal• Atraditionalletterwithanaccompanyingreplyform• Email• Events(aspublicityandstewardship)
Questionstomakeyourplannedgivingmarketingmoreeffective:
• What’sthedrivingforcebehindthismarketing?Whythis,andwhynow?• Whoareyoucommunicatingto?• Whatareyourgoals?• Whatresourcesareatyourdisposal?• Whatform,contentandtonearerightforyourgoals?• Howwillsuccessbemeasured?• What’syourplan,onceyourmarketingisoutthedoor?
What’sthedrivingforcebehindyourmarketing?• Afewno-so-greatreasonsI’veheard:
• “Ourboardpresidentwenttoaworkshopaboutleadtrustsandwantstodolots,rightaway!”
• “Ourcommunityhasmanywealthyresidents.Wejustneedtoconnectwiththembyhavingaseminar.“
• “We’dliketohave50newbequestintentions,bytheendofthisyear.”
• Betterreasons?• Itwillhelpusrealizeorganizationalgoals,andit’spartofourfundraisingstrategy.
• Wewanttogiveourdonorseveryopportunitytosupportthisorganization.• We’vedoneourplanningandourhomework.We’reready.
Whoareyoucommunicatingto?
• Demographics/traitsinyourconstituency• Age• Commoninterest(environment,globalnutrition,etc.)• Commonexperience(gratefulpatients,forexample)• Commongivinghistory:consistentgivingisthetopindicatorforbequestgiving.
• Commonneed(makingafirstwill;updatingawill)
• SegmentingyourPGmarketing• Aquestionofbudget,reliabledataandyourgoals• Doyouhaveasignificantlydifferentmessagefordifferentageaudiences?
Howdoesyouraudienceviewthemselves?
• I’manalumna.• I’malong-timefriendofthisorganization.• I’mpassionateaboutthiscause.• Ibenefiteddirectlyfromthisorganization.• NOT:I’mnearingretirement.• NOT:I’madonor.• NOT:I’maplannedgivingprospect.
Whatareyourgoals?
• Uncoverexistingbequestintentions(possibly)• Identifynewprospects• Createopportunitiesfordirectcontact• Makeplannedgivingfamiliartoyourconstituency• Setatone thatispositive,openandconfident• Establishcredibilitywithyourdonors• Stewardthosedonorswhohaveincludedyourorganizationintheirplansandwillneverdisclosethisduringtheirlifetimes.(Anonymous)• Noticethat“closegiftsintheshortterm”isnothere.
Whatform,contentandtonearerightforyourgoals?• Chooseaformatforwhatyouneedtoconveyatthisstep,tothis audience.
• Firstoutreach• Abrochureonaspecifictypeofgift• A“leavebehind”forgiftofficers• Updatesforcurrentdonorsandprospects
• Doesthisfitsmoothlyintoyourcommunicationscalendar?• HowdoesthisintegratewithotherPGmarketingandcommunicationsinyourplanfortheyear,oravailabletoyouraudiencerightnow?• What’stherightmixofstoryandinformation?• Doestheformatanticipatethekindsofresponsesyouarelookingfor?
Whatresourcesareatyourdisposal?
• Considertheneedsofyourdonorsandyourorganization,aswellasthepracticallimitsofstafftimeandresources.• Choosingin-housevs.avendordependsonbudget,andgoals.Rememberthatanythingyoucreateorbuyneedstofurtherarelationshipbetweenthedonorandtheorganization.• Yourorganizationmayhavenumerouscommunicationvehiclesthatcancarryaplannedgivingmessage.
Ifyou’rejuststartingout…
• ApplytheK.I.S.S.principle.• …and theC.A.S.E.principle.• Focusonbequestsfirst,andalways.Theyrepresentthemajorityofplannedgiftsforallorganizations.• Talktogiftofficersaboutthedonorsandgiftsthey’veworkedwithrecently.Whatcontentwouldbeausefulbasedontheirexperiences?• Ifthegiftofficerisyou…samequestions.• DidImentionkeepitsimple?
Moretipsforthosestartingout(andusefulremindersforusall)• Optforclean,cleardesignandprioritizeeaseofreading.• Manylessonsofstandardmailappealdesignapplytoplannedgivingmarketing:usegenerousformatting,decentfontsize,andasimplewritingstyle thatanticipatesskimming.• Fontsize,coloranddesignshouldmeettheneedsofolderreaders.Avoidcoloredtextandwhitetextoncoloredbackgrounds(hardforthosewithmaculardegeneration).• Thesmallprint-runisyourfriend.Nooneneedsaclosetfullofoutdatedbrochures.
Ifwemailit,theywillcome…(magicalthinkinginplannedgivingmarketing) What’syourplan?
• Beforeyourmarketinggoesoutintotheworld,havearesponseplan.• Codingsomeoneasaprospectisnotaplan.It’sdataentry.• Doyouhavestandardinformationlikebequestlanguageinplace?• Whowillfollowup?• How,andwithwhat?• Ifit’sawrittenresponse,isitdrafted?Doesitoffermorethanwhatyou’vealreadysent?• Doestheresponsefurtheryourgoals?Forexample,ifyouwantedtosecuremorevisits,doesyourplanfocusonthat?
Twocommonfears,andhowtohandlethem:
• Fear1:Noonewillrespondtoourmarketing!• Thetruthisthatresponsestoplannedgivingmarketingareoftenmodestinnumber.Yourjobistorespondthoughtfullytoeveryreply,andevaluatewhatyouaresendingandwhy.
• Rememberthatnotallresultscomequickly,orcanbeeasilytallied.• Fear2:Someonewill respondtoourmarketing!
• Areyoureluctanttobeginplannedgivingconversationsbecauseyoudon’tknoweverythingaboutthefield.SPOILERALERT:• You’llneverknoweverything.Youcanstilldothisresponsibly,andyoushould.
• Lookatyourgoals.Walkthroughscenarios.Reviewwhatyouhavetooffer,aswellaswhatyouarenotoffering(i.e.legal,financialadvice).
• Listyourresources.Wherecanyougoforanswerswhenyouneedthem?
Thefineartoffindingadonortoprofile…
Pointersandobservationsondonorprofiles
• Weseeourselvesinstoriesaboutothers,andwelearnthroughstorytelling.• Givedonorsampleopportunitiestosharetheirstory,inpersonandinwriting.• Ifdonorsareunsureaboutbeingthesubjectofanarticleor“ad”:
• Offersomepriorexamplesofwhatyouhopetocreate.• Putthespotlightontheimpactofthegift,lessonthedonor.• Describetheirparticipationasanotherkindofgift– achancetoputarelatablefaceandstoryonplannedgiving.
Someusefulapproachesandquestions
• Donorsoftensaywhattheythinkwewanttohear.“Thisgiftisawin-win.”• Weoftenleadthewitness:“Whyareyouexcitedaboutleavingalegacy?”• Questionstogetoffthestandardscript:
• Whatsurprisedyouaboutmakingthisgift?Anythingyoudidn’texpect?• Werethereanyparticularhesitationsyouhad?Whatweresomeofthethingsyouhadtothinkthroughonthewaytomakingthisgift?
• Iinvitesubjectstospeakto,orimagine,theaudienceI’mtryingtoreachandaskwhattheymightsaytosomeoneconsideringagiftlikethis.
• Ioftenendwith,“WhathaveInotaskedyouaboutthatyou’dliketotalkabout?”
Bepreparedtolisten withrespectandcompassion.• Plannedgiftscanbeconnectedtosomeverypersonaltopicsandvalues.Bereadytoacknowledgetheimportanceofwhattheymaychoosetosharewithyou.• Sometimesseeingthequestionsaheadoftime(andchoosingfromamongthem)caneaseconcerns.• Somepeoplearemorecomfortableexpressingthemselvesinwriting.IofferthiswhenIsensereluctanceaboutaninterview.• AvaluabletipIlearnedfromapreviousPGGNEpresenteris“askpermissiontoask.”
Afewclosingthoughts…
• Agiftplanningvehicleisjustthat:avehicle thattakesthedonorsomewheretheywanttogo.
• Greatplannedgivingmarketing,likeallgoodfundraising,leadswithmissionandhelpsthedonorconnectherhopesandneedstotheorganization’swork.
• Youcandothis!Takingthetimetocraftsimple,effectiveplannedgivingcommunicationsisatremendousgifttoyourorganization,andaservicetoyourdonors.
