It’s just after 8:00 a.m., and I’m 30,000 feet over Los Angeles right now, headed home from the 21st Annual Leadership and Development conference put on by Russ Reid. What a great week of learning, sharing and connecting with nonprofit leaders from around the U.S. and Canada.
This is an amazing conference put on by some of the smartest and most enjoyable people in the fundraising industry (oh, and did I mention they’re great co-workers too?). I had the privilege of presenting several sessions this year with my good friends Charity Monte and Tom Hooper.
Here are some of the key fundraising insights and trends that I picked up throughout the conference:
62% of ppl who considered supporting new charity last year turned to the web to search and learn. Your website is important. #Russreid2011
Top 3 influencers of 2ndgift conv: Expln ur mission; show donors how they make a diff; be specific abt what gifts have done. #Russreid2011
#Integrated #fundraising: More touch points lead to more effective campaigns. #Russreid2011
Monthly sustainers give as much as 33% more annual revenue than single gift donors. #Russreid2011
In #integrated #fundraising, some channels generate interest while others gather responses. Be careful what you cut. #Russreid2011
Monthly sustainer Long Term Donor Value can be as high as 230% more than single gift donors. #Russreid2011
Donors to domestic #poverty causes are 69% more likely to be monthly sustainers than the overall donor population. #Russreid2011
You most certainly have expectations for your #nonprofit board. But do you know what they expect of you? #Russreid2011
Monthly sustainer retention rates can be 30% – 45% higher than single gift donors. #Russreid2011
Social media is at its best when rallying people around a critical cause. #Russreid2011
“Gut instinct” is dangerous in fundraising. Test everything. #Russreid2011
When integrating #fundraising channels, strive for overall lift, not just indiv channel performance. #Russreid2011
Letter mailed to 1,200 potential major donors generates 30% response and $120k in net revenue! #Russreid2011
Surprise finding? Many of your major donors will come from your direct response #fundraising donor file. #Russreid2011
Hey #nonprofits – what’s your website for? #FUNDRAISING (ok, and a few other things, so long as they don’t get in the way). #Russreid2011
Want to improve you #nonprofit website? Focus on making an emotional connection with donors and site visitors. #Russreid2011
Hey #nonprofits – regular usability testing can improve online donor conversion by as much as 50%! #Russreid2011