A Big Mistake by Non-Profits Regarding Planned Giving

Get this scenario: A non-profit organization decides they want to start or ramp up their planned giving campaign to raise or increase funds for the organization. The first instinct is to immediately think this would be a campaign targeted at those who are leaning toward their older years, right? Those people who are 65 years young plus.

Check out this short article published by the Non-Profit Times that I received today. You may be surprised and it could shake up who you target for your Planned Giving Campaigns:

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Planned Giving…
7 donor prospect segments

In these days when everyone is the star of his/her own reality series (aka Life), it can be difficult for nonprofit fundraisers to send effective requests to donors. If everyone is an exotic island, won’t every individual respond only to a personal pitch?

Speaking at the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ international conference on fundraising, Larry Stelter of The Stelter Company shared the results of studies undertaken in 2008 and 2009 to gain insight into the donor universe.

Stelter advised that it is never too soon to prospect donors for a place in their will, ironically because older prospects are often resistant to making such an inclusion and once an organization is in a will, it is seldom removed from it. Stelter also offered a closer look at the prospect segments that he has ascertained. They are:

• The Secret Givers. They are less educated, less affluent and younger than the norm.

• The Movers. They are young, affluent, educated and interested.

• Age 30-39. They don’t know the lingo, they haven’t been approached and they are open to giving.

• Age 40-49. They are largely outside the conversation, and they are the generation most open to planned giving and to sharing their inheritance.

• Age 50-59. They are the hardest hit by the recent economic downturn and they are lukewarm to planned giving.

• Age 60-69. They are knowledgeable about planned giving, but that does not raise their interest.

• Age 70+. They are least interested in planned giving and most interested in directing money toward family and friends.

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Marketing Measurement

Today I read an article from the publication NonProfit Times and it reminded me of the huge need, and often missing piece, of metrics related to marketing campaigns. One of the most common mistakes of marketing metrics is to judge a campaigns effectiveness simply by one piece (most often, the first) of the puzzle. After one TV spot, or one direct mailing piece, or one newspaper ad, etc. doesn’t produce the desires response then the plug gets pulled on the campaign. This conversation does open a pandora’s box of dialogue relating to creativity v. content and the other many different components that contribute to marketing effectiveness but the point remains, don’t judge a campaign by one step. Also, if you’re putting all your eggs in one basket, that also creates it’s own set of problems. Create multiple touch points for all your marketing campaigns for potential consumers, clients, donors and volunteers.

Marketing Measurement

Today I read an article from the publication NonProfit Times and it reminded me of the huge need, and often missing piece, of metrics related to marketing campaigns. One of the most common mistakes of marketing metrics is to judge a campaigns effectiveness simply by one piece (most often, the first) of the puzzle. After one TV spot, or one direct mailing piece, or one newspaper ad, etc. doesn’t produce the desires response then the plug gets pulled on the campaign. This conversation does open a pandora’s box of dialogue relating to creativity v. content and the other many different components that contribute to marketing effectiveness but the point remains, don’t judge a campaign by one step. Also, if you’re putting all your eggs in one basket, that also creates it’s own set of problems. Create multiple touch points for all your marketing campaigns for potential consumers, clients, donors and volunteers.

Echo Media FREE Digital Strategy Webinar

The Echo Media Digital & Web Strategy Webinar this Thursday is gonna be chock full of useful tidbits. We’ll be covering all (or most) things relating to digital and web. (websites, online strategy, social media, online community, email marketing, etc). Did we also mention that it’s FREE!? Join us this Thursday, June 24 from 11a-Noon EDT. Register here: http://bit.ly/adIB8t

Digital Media Strategy Webinar

The Echo Media Digital & Web Strategy Webinar this Thursday is gonna be chock full of useful tidbits. We’ll be covering all (or most) things relating to digital and web. (websites, online strategy, social media, online community, email marketing, etc). Did we also mention that it’s FREE!? Join us this Thursday, June 24 from 11a-Noon EDT. Register here: http://bit.ly/adIB8t

Digital Media Strategy Webinar

The Echo Media Digital & Web Strategy Webinar this Thursday is gonna be chock full of useful tidbits. We’ll be covering all (or most) things relating to digital and web. (websites, online strategy, social media, online community, email marketing, etc). Did we also mention that it’s FREE!? Join us this Thursday, June 24 from 11a-Noon EDT. Register here: http://bit.ly/adIB8t

Digital Media Strategy Webinar

The Echo Media Digital & Web Strategy Webinar this Thursday is gonna be chock full of useful tidbits. We’ll be covering all (or most) things relating to digital and web. (websites, online strategy, social media, online community, email marketing, etc). Did we also mention that it’s FREE!? Join us this Thursday, June 24 from 11a-Noon EDT. Register here: http://bit.ly/adIB8t

Quote of the Month – Summer 2009

“Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability.”  – Sam Keen

The Remaining 8 Hours – by carl s. johnson

What do you do during your day? Probably lots of things, right? A myriad of activity, bustling schedule and basic routine. You know, stuff. Have you ever stopped to reflect on how much of it matters? How much would you consider valuable, significant or remotely newsworthy? How much do you have to write home about?

Why do I ask, you ask? A couple of weeks ago, I was having a conversation with a good friend of 15 years. One of those, deep, late night, restless conversations that we are always having. Out of seemingly no where, he asked me a simple question.

What is the most valuable or beneficial thing you do during the day?

I had to pause for what felt like 10 minutes. Silence. Then I tried to picture what a typical day looks like for me and all that I do. My mind was really turning and I wanted to present him with a good answer. I don’t think anybody ever posed that question in that way to me before. Wow. Looking back on my day, what did I do of real value or significance? Anything? What can I say I am most proud of?

I told him probably it is the time I get to spend with my son. Or taking the chance to pray for people. I guess that is significant, right? I think that outweighs work (while work is essential and important and sometimes rewarding) Or eating. Or email. Or running errands. Or watching Dancing With the Stars. We sure do cram our day with a lot of stuff. The scheduler fills up quickly, leaving little room for the unexpected. Or the intentional. Or something truly thoughtful and actually meaningful.

Sometimes I hate the fact that we are so confined by time. Everything can feel regulated and systematic. After all, we only have a 24 time period to work with here.

Let’s break it down:

Work takes up a third of your day (8 hours)
Sleep, depending on the person, takes up a third of your day (8 hours)
So, what are you doing with the remaining 8 hours of your day?

It’s kind of unsettling when you look at it this way, isn’t it? Ok, borderline depressing. Well, not to worry. I’ll encapsulate all this and close with a positive thought. Taking a step back to reflect is always a good thing. It causes us to bring into focus the idea that we should be making the most of each day. These little bits and pieces can really add up to create significance in our lives. I would say to try and do the hard work of cutting out the little things (or huge things) in your life that don’t matter. If possible, free up some of your time to try some new things. Love people. Be more intentional. Find true fulfillment. Make it count. I bet you will start feeling different when you put your head to the pillow at the end of the day.

We’re Baaaacckk!

Did you miss us? So we took a little break from the Echo Element – our fun little monthly happenings newsletter. We hope this email finds you well. Here’s to enjoying a lovely Michigan (or wherever you call home) summer that is fast approaching us. May it be filled with all your favorite things. Trips to the lake. Strawberry pie. Outdoor concerts. Fireflies. Festivals. Whatever.