Lots of fundraising sin and excuses are gonna be assigned this year to the pandemic.

Not the least of which will be the failure to adequately prime the stewardship pump for year-end giving. “We just didn’t have the budget” …” Didn’t want to bother our donors.” …” The board wouldn’t let us.”  And on and on.

Frankly, excuses don’t matter.  The reality is that many organizations are about to enter what for many is a prime giving season and they’ve badly neglected their donors.

I was thinking about this as I dusted off two recipes –one for my Aunt Christine’s Pecan Pie and one for Dorothy Craver’s Pumpkin pie– that I send along with a nice note to donors three weeks ahead of the Thanksgiving Appeal.  Both are winners; in terms of being tasty and for boosting response rates.

The principle behind this is non-gastromic.  It’s the tried and true concept of ‘reciprocity.’ A surprise, unasked-for gift to donors that, in turn, triggers a desire to return the favor.

Although I’ve been doing this in one form or another for 40+ years there’s now a whole lot of behavioral science behind it.  And, no one has captured the science and process better when it comes to year end giving than the gifted  Claire Axelrad of Clarification.

So, for those who’ve fallen behind on preparing their donors for year-end, my “recipe” is that you read and heed these two goodies by Claire:  A Revolutionary Way to Influence Year-End Philanthropy and How To Use Psychology to Pre-Suade Donors to Give.

You’ll learn:

• The importance of providing your donors with “continuous enjoyment”;
• The reason “Pre-Suasion” –a term coined by Robert Cialdini, the guru of influence—works so well and how to apply it.
• Why the element of “time”—the moment before we deliver our main message is so important—is what supercharges “reciprocity.”
• What you should do immediately before asking someone to make a gift in order to predispose them to be receptive.

Claire translates the principles of Cialdini’s Pre-Suasion to your fundraising appeals.  She explains the what types of “premiums” may –or may not—work… what type of “intangible” gifts you should consider” (yes, she’s also used recipes) and the value of “tribute gifts”.

All the above is in Part 1 of Claire’s series. Don’t neglect Part 2 where you’ll learn more about the type of favors nonprofits can afford to offer and that are likely to be perceived by the donor as valuable. Hint:  These are goodies that only your organization has.

It’s not too late to make this year-end season a great success.  You can boost your chances even more by taking some time this weekend to read Claire’s recommendations.

Roger

P.S. The key to a great pumpkin pie, like great fundraising, is to not over-think it.  The simplest of ingredients –pumpkin, condensed milk, sugar and spices—make for a great pie, just as the smallest of favors—goodwill, gratitude and great donor service—yield increased loyalty and retention.