We don’t need analysts or fortune tellers  to predict the two greatest self-inflicted injuries on Giving Tuesday.

The first will involve stupidly or fraudulently executed matching gift offers. The second,  equally stupid and inexcusable failure to meaningfully thank donors for their participation.

Here are simple steps you still have time to take to avoid unnecessary injuries to your donors and your organization.

Matching  Gift Offers

Once again, the matching gift offer will be Giving Tuesday’s over-used Subject Line and message.

Set aside, for purposes of this post, the semi-fraudulent or deliberately deceptive way in which this valid technique is so often misused. Suffice to say investigative reporters are already digging into this and we expect a number of charities will be exposed in much the same way Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s matching gift offers were exposed.

Instead, take advantage your deliberate matching gift offer by messaging and reporting the truth and the facts. I say this not just because it’s the ethical thing to do, but because hundreds of anonymized feedback comments I’ve reviewed from DonorVoice feedback platform make clear donors want to know whether their gift made a difference in reaching the matching goal.  Hell, for starters they’d like simply to know whether the match was met or not.

With this in mind here are some simple steps you can take.

• Segment donors who have given to previous matching campaigns and message them accordingly. Make sure you tell them what their last year’s matching gift made possible.
• Keep all donors informed on the progress of the match; how much has been raised, how much to go.
• When a donor makes a gift to a matching challenge, thank her/him, AND report the total amount their gift reflects including the match.
• When you reach the goal cut off the offer and tell folks it’s been reached and/or oversubscribed. And explain how the extra funds will be put to work.

The reason we’re so down on the near-pornographic use of the matching gift offer isn’t because of the offer itself.  It’s because of the cynical, uncaring failure to respect the donors by bringing them inside and sharing what they believe is exciting and important information.

Is there any wonder so many donors report lingering doubts, questions, and the overall feeling of being left in the dark?  Just one more nail in the coffin of eroding trust in organizations.

There is a far better way.  Here’s a powerful example from Tom Ahern as reported in his Newsletter (to which, btw,  you should subscribe.)

“You’ve wondered, DO matching gift appeals improve results enough to justify any extra effort? Here’s a bit of anecdotal evidence just in:

“Dear Tom, Last spring you donated to our matching gift pool so that we could offer a match opportunity to other donors. We have found this dramatically increases how much we are able to raise. A typical spring campaign raises about $20k-$30k. Thanks to you, this campaign raised a much needed $111,521….” From Sarah Woodard, Director of Development and Communications, Spectrum Youth & Family Services (VT)”

Thanking Donors

The second step to avoid long-term injury and loss to donors and your organization is to up your “Thank You” game.  Yeah, I know you have the autoresponder all primed and ready to go with an instant thank you.  But, even after several drinks and my 2 a.m. gift to your organization I’m still not gonna find that thank you from your executive director very credible.  I doubt she’s on duty at the thank you counter in the middle of the night just waiting to show appreciation for my gift.

Instead…. read this —When You’re Too Big to Succeed – from Mary Cahalane, a true donor-centered fundraiser. (And, btw, if you’re not on Mary’s blog list you should be. Subscribe here.)

Until you can thoroughly read her post and the valuable links embedded in it, here’s the essence that will make your GivingTuesday, Year-End and every effort that follows far, far more productive and your donors far more loyal.  Here’s why, according to Mary, she wrote the post:

“My family recently made what was for us a large gift to a national charity.

“The response was underwhelming, and that’s being kind. An 8.5 x 14 sheet of paper, with the bottom being a tear-off, generic response form. The thank you letter – such as it was – consisted of 4 short paragraphs. Two of them mentioned us – or to be more specific, our gift.

“Then in response to another significant-for-us gift to an organization we’ve had ties to for decades, we received a receipt and a small postcard (not personalized). 

Opening both with sadness and disgust, I thought of smaller organizations that I’ve written thank you letters for. Whether the gift was $3 or $3,000, the donor received the heartfelt thanks they deserved. And it cost us nothing more to thank the $3 donor as well as the larger dollar donor.

“So why can’t a large organization with lots of staff take the few minutes to write a thank you letter that feels even a little sincere? [Emphasis added.]

Here’s a distillation of Mary’s key points—linked to her text– when it comes to thank yous:

• Donors deserve better. All of them. Any of them.
• Donors matter. Because donors – all donors – matter.

“It’s just plain polite. And you can take the few minutes and bit of human feeling it takes to write one that touches your donors’ hearts. If it feels like a burden, then may I suggest you might be in the wrong line of work.”

·      Your mission deserves better.  “When a long-time donor suddenly gives well above their usual gift, you should take notice. Every time you chose not to notice and let your donor know you noticed; you’re missing an opportunity to grow.”

• “Do you have a plan in place for donors like this?” Are you prepared to move them along to a different category of communication? Do you know when they should be responded to personally?

All of this deserves careful thought. And if a donor’s gift doesn’t qualify for attention from a major gifts officer, are you just dumping the donor back in the uninspiring communications pool?

None of it needs to be uninspiring

“The point is, whatever the donation amounts, your donors deserve a little care. It’s not hard to write a warm thank you letter. But it does mean you need to let the feels rule for a bit. And when you put the care into thank you letters as well as your other donor communications, you’ll see donors respond.

“Keep in mind that donors’ connection to your organization, your mission, is emotional. Don’t leave them out in the cold. You don’t have to shower every donor with personal attention. But the attention you do offer should be warm and personal.

“The good news is that warm and personal can easily scale. So, there’s no excuse for taking any donor for granted.

“Unless you’re hoping they go away.”

Roger

P.S. As we’re said many, many time and as Mary notes, here’s a thank you resource for you: How to write a better thank you letter and why it matters. Written by my friend Lisa Sargent, the best. Clear, simple, and easy to execute!