Take a break from year-end madness

Welcome to this week's LinkedIn-only excerpt of the Donor Participation Project newsletter! The Donor Participation Project is a community of 6,000+ fundraisers where you can network, learn, and advance your career.

This is probably a bad time of the year to talk about non-urgency driven campaigns.

(I hope you have everything planned out through the 31st! Reach out if you need a last-minute second opinion.)

AND YET, I wanted to plant a seed for your thinking during the break.

It's the biggest discovery that often lies hidden right in front of our noses.

My thesis is that if you get this thing right, none of these really matter:

• The sender's reputation

• Email design (plain text vs. HTML)

• Optimal send times

• Ideal days of the week

• Statistical significance testing

• Advanced data analysis techniques

• AI / astrological "Data modeling"

• Using a Johnson Box

• Using any other type of box :-)

While these elements have their place, and can truly move the needle, they're not the PRIMARY driver of fundraising performance. The most crucial factor is actually the alignment between:

1. The value your nonprofit provides

2. What your community values and what its pain points are

Sounds simple, but it is more complex in practice.

Let me explain:

Sometimes nonprofits can't (or won't) offer what prospective donors react to. For example:

• A deeply personal connection

• Public recognition among peers

• Education about an issue

• A chance to get together with others

Other times, your existing audience (e.g., email subscribers) may not align with what you can offer. Think of someone who attended a one-off event, enjoyed it, but isn't interested in your education initiatives.

The typical way of thinking is organization-centric: "Well, then those people shouldn't be on our list!"

Maybe, maybe not.

When you achieve this alignment, the results can be extraordinary, far surpassing any other tactical improvement. Too often, organizations view these successes as anomalies, failing to recognize the pattern: donors are clearly indicating their interests!

An example:

An organization faced declining performance across all channels, despite adhering to "best practices." They then hosted a livestream religious service, where someone (not in development) slapped on a donation option to the registration page.

This single initiative was their best-performing fundraising day of the year by number of donors... by something like 10x.

This phenomenon often has counter-intuitive characteristics:

• It may not resemble traditional fundraising

• It's frequently driven by experiences or high-value content (including events and courses)

• Donors typically aren't put off by monetary asks in this context

The challenge? Often, the value is provided by non-fundraising departments, leading to reluctance in:

• Capturing contact information

• Making clear asks to support similar future initiatives

My key takeaways: Listen to your donors.

Pay attention to what resonates with them.

Don't hesitate to challenge conventional wisdom when you find that perfect alignment between your offerings and donor interests.

Keep innovating, keep listening, and keep advancing our noble profession.

Warm regards,

Louis

P.S. Open offer for last-minute campaign feedback. Send me a note and I'll try to get back to you asap.

P.P.S. We're launching a Fundraising Accelerator in early 2025. Details below.

Webinar - Fundraising Accelerator

Does your development team struggle with siloed operations, inconsistent donor experiences, and difficulty moving supporters through the giving pipeline? The Fundraising Accelerator is a comprehensive solution: six in-depth webinars and a cohort program with expert guidance to equip individuals and entire teams with shared strategies for improving donor engagement across all giving levels. This program is for:

• Small development shops (1-5 people) looking to maximize their impact

• Fundraising teams within larger organizations seeking to align their efforts

• Development leaders aiming to unify annual giving, mid-level, and major gift strategies

• Organizations experiencing high staff turnover, needing to quickly onboard and align new team members

• Nonprofits preparing for a capital campaign or major fundraising initiative

• Teams struggling to move donors up the giving pyramid

• Development departments wanting to improve collaboration with marketing and programs

• Organizations looking to implement data-driven fundraising practices across all levels

Curriculum

The program covers the entire donor lifecycle in six focused sessions:

1. Data-Driven Prospect Identification Leverage analytics for effective donor acquisition and pipeline building.

2. The Art of Donor Engagement Craft compelling experiences that inspire action across multiple channels.

3. Integrated First Gift Journeys Align appeals, stewardship, and follow-up to convert first-time donors.

4. Building Unbreakable Donor Bonds Develop strategies for long-term loyalty and donor retention.

5. Integrated Mid-Level Strategies Bridge the gap between annual giving and major gifts.

6. The Art of Transformational Giving Cultivate and secure mission-defining support.

Each 90-minute session includes: • Live instruction from industry experts • Practical case studies and real-world examples • Interactive role-playing and problem-solving exercises • Q&A periods to address your specific challenges

Instruction will be live (optional) and shared as a recording.

Participants will gain actionable strategies, templates, and tools to implement immediately within their organizations.

Hands-On Support

Beyond the webinars, the Fundraising Accelerator provides continuous support to ensure successful implementation of strategies:

Cohort Program:

• Monthly group sessions for 3 months following the webinar series

• Collaborate with peers facing similar challenges

• Share successes, troubleshoot obstacles, and refine strategies

• Learn from the diverse experiences of other nonprofit professionals

Expert Guidance:

• Direct email access to our instructors for specific questions

• Dedicated Slack channel for real-time problem-solving and idea-sharing

• Personalized feedback on your implementation plans

• Insights on adapting strategies to your unique organizational context

This extended support ensures that the knowledge gained during the webinars translates into practical, lasting improvements in your fundraising efforts. We are committed to your success, providing guidance as you navigate the complexities of implementing new strategies across your organization.

Learn More →

But wait! There's more...

Don't miss out on our:

• fundraising research

• community bulletin board

• peer group meetups

• AI tools

• resource library

• and more!

>> Get the full newsletter at joindpp.org <<

Have a great week,

Louis