Guest Post:  When technology fails…

. . . you leave your audience with “Powerful Points”, instead of using Power Point!

 Guest post by Kathy Wright:

That’s exactly what Wayne King did in February when his laptop crashed just before the meeting of the Bartlesville Network of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Wayne gave a fabulous presentation entitled Donor Data: The Fundraiser’s Best Friend.

What were his Powerful Points?

1. A good database system provides continuity when previous staff move on and new staff take over.

Don’t make new staff members have to re-create past history with your donors. It duplicates effort (translate that into cost for your organization) and annoys your donors. Use a donor database to track contact points, gifts and reminders for future actions.

2. When tracking constituent information, pay particular attention to the salutation.

With today’s technology, there is no excuse for using “Dear Friend” as a greeting in a donor letter. Address donors by name and use the name they prefer. For example, don’t call someone Mrs. Fred Smith when she wants to be called Doris.

3. Use your donor management system to maximize fundraising by creating a cultivation plan for individual donors or prospects.

Here’s where your investment in a donor management program can really pay off. Create individualized contact plans. Diligently record interactions with donors. Write down what you learn to help jog your memory the next time you talk with your donor. This is how you build meaningful relationships over time.

4. Raise more money.

Know your donors. Their passions, their interests, their reasons for investing in your organization. By keeping good notes and contacting donors respectfully, you WILL raise more money.