Communication Materials For Fundraising

Brief Report – Workshop on

COMMUNICATION MATERIALS FOR FUNDRAISING Wednesday, May 9, 2012, India International Centre, Max Mueller Marg, New Delhi The workshop was organized by the South Asian Fund Raising Group (SAFRG), and conducted by: 1. Bharati Ramachandran from Barapani 2. Shweta Luthra from Orange Cup Solutions List of participants: 1. Aditi Chaudhry, Communication Coordinator, SOS Children’s Villages of India 2. Dushyant Yadav, NCO, Peace Foundation 3. Archana Toppo, Documentation and Fundraising Officer, Sewa Bharat 4. Philips Prabhat Joseph, Communication Manager, The Leprosy Mission Trust India 5. Swati Dave, Coordinator – Donor Relations, Dr Shroff Charity Eye Hospital 6. Phaedra Engel-Harrison, Communications Advisor, Care India 7. P Nair, CCO, Literacy India 8. Satya Prakash, Project Manager, Literacy India 9. K Mishra, Additional Commissioner, Social Security Association of India 10. Amulya Tirkey, Manager – Corporate Linkages, Don Bosco 11. Uzzwal Madhab, Executive Director, Lakshya Foundation 12. Rishi Vashistha, Manager – Communication and Advocacy SESSION 1: COMMUNICATION FOR FUNDRAISING Importance of communication, communication elements and tools, annual reports and websites Bharati Ramachandran Key take-aways: 1. Introduce: The first thing while designing any communication is to bring everyone on the same page. This is why an introduction becomes an essential element of all communication for fundraising designs.

2. Define your audience: It is a good practice to identify your target audience in the very beginning. It is also worthwhile to connect with their needs, expectations and fears. With practice, you can start talking to just the right people. Value your audience, remember: First, you are an individual donor. Then, you become an entry on the supporters’ file. Then, you are part of the database. Then, you are a lapsed donor.

3. Research, don’t assume: Assumptions fail, research pays off. Your basis of all communication design should be supported by quality research, involving the target audience. Assuming people’s mindsets, community behaviour or expectations can lead to a failed campaign.

4. Group, segregate: Grouping your prospective donors is always a positive practice. It helps you define who to talk to, more clearly, in terms of your donors’ geographical locations, priorities etc.

Trend on rise: More people contribute smaller amounts to charities these days. This has led to a different form of fundraising. This also leads to a stronger, more stable donor-base that can be sustained over a longer period of time.

5. Be careful on who comes first: Your communication for fundraising design would essentially have the three elements of we (charity), you (donors) and they (beneficiaries or cause). The order of presenting these varies with the kind of communication one is sending.

6. Fundraising-friendly Annual Reports: Your annual reports can go beyond just being a formal, statutory reporting device and become a versatile tool for communicating work, building credibility and raising funds. By work, we mean accomplishments first, and efforts a little later. a. Your annual report does not have to necessarily look, feel or weigh a certain way. b. It should be shared with everyone you work with.

c. Readership figures (which can be easily traced with the help of Google Analytics) from current edition of your annual report are a good addition to the next one. d. Limit the number of pages. A heavier report would be read less, and cost more.

Your communication team should decide on the number of pages, structure, size, colour, orientation and content of your report. Once done, they should invite the heads of various departments to provide inputs within set parameters and word limits.

Again, whether the report will be printed, available in digital media or online or both is a call that communication team would take. e. Your annual report is NOT an activity report, it should always look and feel like an achievement report.

The readers will find out the activity themselves once they are convinced of the achievement.

For example, instead of saying, “We disbursed INR 30 Crore in loans to more than 80,000 Dalit women”; say, “More than 80,000 Dalit women have INR 30 Crore in assets now.”

7. Case study, really? Tell a story of change, or better still, tell a story of success. You can’t afford to bore your audience by narrating a case study. While telling a story of success, be sure of: a. Showing real characters, full of life, telling a story themselves, b. Clearly bringing out the struggle in the story, c. Mentioning the change that happened, d. Narrating first person stories, which come out from actual visits and meetings with the person concerned, and e. Not repeating a story.

Don’t say the old lady screamed. Bring her on and let her scream.

Don’t tell. Show.

8. Themes, not projects or departments: While reporting programmes and initiatives through common tools, you should make it a practice to report by themes and not by boring, monotonous programmes running into projects and so on. You should: a. Tease the reader into reading more rather than making him dutifully do your pages from top left corner to the bottom right one, b. Use plenty of photographs, action photographs that is. Unless really required, a group of influential people sitting around a conference table should never be preferred against a bunch of children making merry and playing in the sun (in Magic Bus’ context), c. Introduce other voices in terms of quotes and testimonials from your stakeholders to further enhance your credibility, and d. Position financial summaries in a manner that looks uncomplicated and easy to understand – one of the best ways to present such information is pie-charts along with briefs for ready inference.

9. Different breeds, different needs: It is a great idea to have at least three different versions of communication documents positioned at three different audiences – for the government, for meaty donors and for general fundraising and awareness.

10. A little a. b. c. d. e.

bit of ALWAYS, every time: In all communication for fundraising, you should ensure that you always: Say thank you, Invite your donors to ongoing projects, Add an appeal for donation, Ask for sponsoring upcoming issues, and Leave your contact details.

11. On the a. b. c. d. e.

web: Essentially, your website should have A single line description that tells everything about who you are and what you do, Individual stories of change that stand out instantly, Statistics that support your being, and An upfront ask, that sets the expectation of your visitors right in the first place.

A minimum level of interactivity to keep your visitors (aka prospective donors) engaged and animated – this could be achieved by use of polls, articles, tips, games, surveys etc.

Resources: Use the website of Jacob Nelson (an authority on web communication) – www.useit.com to your advantage. Also, initiatives like Google Grants, YouTube for Non Profits and so on are of great help.

SESSION 2: DONOR COMMUNICATION Communication for donor acquisition and retention, elements of donor Shweta Luthra Key take-aways: 1. Talking for the desired results: You should begin with research, gathering all the Ws. Who to talk to, how, when, to what effect and through what message. The message you give out is important not just for building funds, but also in positioning your cause. Therefore, you must be careful while choosing a message that not just raises money for you, but also positions you accurately.

2. Ask, ask directly: Don’t mix up messages. When you want a donation, ask for it. When you want to share a story, just tell a story.

Remember: Many people don’t donate, just because they were never asked. Therefore, don’t be shy to ask, when that is what you want.

3. What’s the minimum you give? Always have a minimum donation amount. It helps you maintain a certain standard for your charity, and in terms of sustainability too, lets you reap the most out of your efforts.

4. Direct Mail mix: A well-coordinated direct mail mix essentially contains the outer envelope, the letter, the donation form, the business reply envelope and premiums, if any. a. Storytelling is the keyword in DM. b. Work on emotional triggers, positive ones. c. Make use of the Johnson’s box (the top left corner of the letter) for the most important message. d. Underline important messages in body. e. Use pictures.

5. The always checklist: While communicating with the donors, existing or prospective, make sure that you always: a. Add options for donation, b. Add contact numbers where people can call, a universal helpline number is a great practice, c. Add space for personalization, d. Allow room for references, and e. Use premiums (stickers, address labels etc.) to the maximum effect and reach.

6. Things to remember and do: When you work with donor communication, always remember: a. People, generally speaking, give to people. When a donor has a certain sum to give and he has a couple of choices, he would follow the order of: people > brand or organization > causes. b. Always space your tell vs ask communication in a 2:1 ratio. That is, for every two emails on engagement, send them one email on fundraising. When sending emails on engagement, always acknowledge their support.

Remember: Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a gift and not giving it. Saying thank you nicely is important, especially if you want another gift. c. Use emails to the best of your advantage. Since a lot of people prefer to donate online, there is a likelihood that they will have an email id that you can send them wonderful things about your organization to.