Tag Archive for 'donors'

Fundraising 101: Attracting Donors to Your Library’s Homepage

Published by Gary Landeck on February 26, 2010 in General. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Pay close attention to your library’s homepage. In less than 15 seconds, does it tell you:

  • Who you are?
  • What your library is trying to accomplish?
  • Does it have a tagline that explicitly summarizes what your library does?

The design and content on your homepage should address each question in a way that balances breadth and depth. Don’t overwhelm your reader with too much information. Install “read more” links that allow the reader to dive in deep should s/he decide to.

Keep your homepage content dynamic. Put a tickler on your calendar to change something significant on your homepage at least once per month. Consider using a modular or block design that allows certain features to be easily swapped out. So many of us are visual creatures, so build a library of reusable images that you can use to keep your homepage content fresh.

Simple, dynamic, and compelling content on your homepage will draw your donors in. Don’t forget to put a link to your giving page!

Build Your Donor Base

Published by Gary Landeck on January 25, 2010 in General. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

In preparation for my library’s upcoming annual fundraising appeal, I happened across some interesting research. Relatively small organizations that have an established donor base will likely get the most for their fundraising buck if they leverage their existing donors to find new ones.

Rather than simply asking your donors for money, also ask your donors if they would be willing to make four phone calls to their peers on your organization’s behalf. Research shows that about one in four of those phone calls will result in a donation that’s similar in size to the one your original donor will make.

This tactic can have important ramifications to your major donor base. Major donors, besides their ability to give larger amounts of money, give the amount they do because they feel a powerful attachment to your organization’s cause. Therefore, it’s likely that most of your existing major donors will be willing to do this extra work for you.

This tactic also demonstrates the power of relationships. Your donors already have an “in” with their peers. If some of your existing donors can’t or are unwilling to make those phone calls, ask them if you can make those phone calls and mention their name.

Learn more about this simple strategy here, here, and here.

I’ll write more about this and other fundraising strategies as we enter our appeal season this spring.

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