As technology has improved over the years, so have our methods. The latest technology to drive our industry is the Internet. While direct mail is still the mainstay of most programs, online giving is gaining ground… fast. The median rate of growth in funds raised online is 27%, according to a 2007 eCRM Nonprofit Benchmarking Index Study.

Multiple studies suggest that online donors tend to be younger than mail donors – and that a significant number will continue to give through other channels as well. Multi-channel donors have higher revenue per donor and higher retention rates than single-channel donors.

THE PROBLEM

With this new technology helping us to expand donor relationships, what could go wrong? Aside from the economy, a big problem for nonprofits today is making sense of several disparate communication streams and data sources.

Many nonprofits are conducting multi-channel fundraising, but most are not coordinating their efforts to optimize performance. Often, the direct mail database does not talk to the online database, which is separate from the special event donor database, telemarketing data, etc. Large NPO’s have the added problem of coordinating national data with that of field offices, chapters or affiliates.

THE SOLUTION: DAVINCI PALETTE

DaVinci Direct, a full-service agency known for creative direct response fundraising, has teamed up with Waltham, MA-based ClickSquared to create DaVinci Palette, powered by a comprehensive software solution for interactive, multi-channel marketing.

DaVinci Palette blends the art of award-winning creative with the science of the latest relationship management technology. We’ll help you customize and coordinate the way you interact with all of your constituencies: direct mail donors, prospects, online givers, advocates, volunteers, special event participants, planned giving prospects, major donors, and more.

The result? You execute personalized, relevant and timely communications delivered when, where and how your donors want them.

BETTER TARGETING,BETTER RESPONSE

It all comes back to that fundamental issue: the relationship. With DaVinci Palette, you can manage each individual relationship to maximize response. DaVinci Palette provides the infrastructure you need to realize the full value of the e-channel, attract younger donors and interact with them through their channels of choice. You can conduct highly versioned, data-driven, “trigger/behavior based” e-campaigns. Palette is the tool that combines the best creative and technology to allow you to do all of the things you should be doing in this integrated media world.

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL BE ABLE TO DO

• Maintain a consolidated database of all constituent activity, across all channels and program areas – integrating data now housed in several disparate systems

• Create, execute and manage multi-channel fundraising campaigns

• Enable Web 2.0 capabilities such as content sharing, survey management and donor preference centers

• Deliver more complete and accurate strategic file analysis, over the Web, and connected to your database

• Facilitate integrated media fundraising strategy and planning

• Drive traffic to your website, special events pages, monthly giving offers, major donor societies, planned giving offers, etc.

• Attract younger donors by leveraging the latest e-channels: Web, email, and text messaging

Perhaps best of all, the added value of DaVinci Palette comes without any disruption of your current infrastructure. The solution is fed from your existing operational systems – so there will be no interruption to your programs.

DaVinci Palette will allow you to take advantage of the latest knowledge in the science of fundraising – while creating artful messaging and in-depth analysis. As Leonardo himself said, “The noblest pleasure is the joy of understanding.”

Without even giving you a moment of silence to engage in the conversation, he shares his one sided views on everything from politics to the local sports teams.  He never gets around to asking about you. He’s just interested in talking about “ME.”

You wait for the opportune moment when you can slink away gracefully.

As much as we all dislike such encounters with “me-focused” people, we can sometimes slip into the same kind of mindset when talking with our donors through the mail. And I use the work “talking”deliberately because I feel strongly that your letter should sound like a personal conversation that you are having with your donor.

It is said in copywriting that there are certain magic words, like “free”and “new.” But for fundraisers, I suggest that the most important word may be “you.” Use it freely and often in your letters and give your donors a sense that you do, indeed, know them, care about them, appreciate their support and welcome their opinions.

But how do you get personal with your donors? Here’s a list of the few things you might try.

1. Turn the “we” statements into “you” statements.

Many clients are so proud of the work they do, they focus on their statistics, their programs, their success — instead of simply stating the impact the donor has on the people they help.

For example, instead of saying,“our programs provided 100,000 meals last month,”say,“ you help us feed 100,000 hungry people every month.”

I simply added the “you,”got the “feed hungry people”mission in there – and changed from a passive voice to an active voice to make the sentence more dynamic.

Avoid the word “we”and talk one on one. Say “I deeply appreciate your support” — instead of “we deeply appreciate it.” Instead of “We’re proud of our efficient use of funds,” say “you can be proud of our efficient use of your gifts.”

2. Use the information on your database to let the donor know that you know them.

If you can reference giving history, work that into your letter. It shows that you know what the donor gave in the past – and can help you gracefully ask for an upgrade.

Reference the donor’s name and local city and state in the letter — simple pieces of data that many organizations don’t make full use of.

And, of course, you can never say “thank you” to your donors too much.

For example: “Your last gift of $XX came at a crucial time and was most appreciated. But there is much more we must accomplish in our fight against cancer. Sadly, XX,000 people will be diagnosed with cancer this year in (Donor’s State) alone.Today I hope you will give another generous gift of $XX – or perhaps even $UP1… $UP2 or more during our local (Donor’s City) area Annual Fund Drive.”

3. Don’t be afraid to share your feelings.

“I don’t know what I’d do without good friends like you. I’m worried about raising enough money by year-end to keep all of our programs going. I know you’ve probably given generously to the hurricane relief efforts. But frankly, the disasters of the past year have had a negative impact on us. I urgently need loyal friends like you to dig even deeper…”

4. Keep your language simple and emotional.

“Your child has cancer.” Can any words be more frightening to hear? Those are the words that Mr. and Mrs. Doe heard last August when Sally, their 3-year-old, was diagnosed…

“Shivering, scared and alone, Elaine wandered the streets in a desperation – until XYZ House – and friends like you – reached out and pulled her in from the cold.”

5. Offer help, solicit opinions and invite a deeper participation in your cause.

“Thank you so much for your ongoing support. And please remember that XYZ Org is here for you and your loved ones – always. You can call our Help Line at…”

“What programs would you most like to support? Take our on-line survey at….”

“Would you like to volunteer at the hospital? I could sure use your help. Call (name) at…”

Of course, these are just a few of the many ways you can make your communications with donors more personal and interactive. If you’d like more ideas,YOU can call me anytime at 508-746-2539.

Remember the olden day before Al Gore invented the Internet?

Direct mail was king in the direct response fundraising world. Then came the web and the predictions that it would soon dominate all other media, making books, magazines and newspapers obsolete. And, oh yes, direct mail was on its way out.

Well kids, here we are in 2008 and I still get the Boston Globe daily, still keep putting new books in the bookcase – and still toil over my direct mail strategy and creative every day. So nothing’s changed, right? Not quite.

The introduction of new media and technologies has had a significant impact on how we do business. And instead of being the replacement for direct mail, the Internet is becoming a powerful partner in many direct response fundraising programs.

The following are a few ideas for your program — some relatively new, some tried and true — all valuable in today’s fundraising world and, I hope, relevant to you.

Give your donors a choice on how to give

Web/mail integration is a great way to give your donors more choice. Instead of thinking in terms of converting direct mail donors to web donors, or vice-versa, let the donor decide how he or she wants to give.

One way to do this is to add an online giving option to your direct mail letters and reply slips. Tell donors that they can give via the web by going to a unique URL address.

The url directs the donor not to your page, but to a landing page that is coordinated in its design and messaging with the direct mail package – and enables the donor to make a gift online.

Some donors will give online, some will choose to respond via direct mail, and some will become donors who give via both channels over time. A recent study by Convio and StrategicOne suggests that these multi-channel donors may have a greater long term value to your organization. And the web giving option may be a good way for you to bring younger donors into the fold.

Grow Your Own

Conventional wisdom holds that the best email list for your organization is “organically grown” – or compiled in-house.  Ask for your donor’s email address in each direct mail appeal. Provide a reason to give you the email address by offering e-newsletters or other “inside information” to be disseminated electronically. Talk to them about how donating online saves money and reduces waste, making your mission more efficient.

The long term goal is to build a relationship with donors via multiple channels, and the web channel must be perceived as adding value to that relationship.

Keep Your Branding Consistent

Whether you’re communicating through the mail, web, telephone or any other medium, make an extra effort to stay consistent with your branding. The definition of “brand” that I prefer these days comes from adman Donny Deutsch, who states simply, “a brand is a set of shared values.”

This definition makes perfect sense for us in the nonprofit world. Your donors give because they share your values. They care about the same things that you do… and believe in your mission. Stay true to your core mission in all of your communications to continually highlight those values that you share with your donor base.

It’s more than just using the right logo and tagline. It’s the essence of your message. The tone must ring true to your donors in each and every message.

Give Donors a Choice on What to Give to

Round out your donors’ giving options with special offers such as Memorial/Tribute Gifts, Planned Giving and special events. Create a monthly sustainer offer for donors who give frequently, say three or more times per year.

Create mid-level and major donor clubs for those who give single gifts that fit your pre-selected criteria – and invite donors who give slightly less to move up to those “giving club” levels and receive special recognition and other benefits. Do special mailings aimed at corporate partners.

Test a Membership Offer

Even if yours is not a “membership- based” program, you may have success with a package that provides a “member card.” If you’re not comfortable with the term, “member,” call it a “supporter card” or “contributor card.”

Many organizations have been using this technique successfully for years. The membership offer provides donors with a sense of inclusion or affiliation, and provides an annualized offer that may become one of the staples of your program.

Issue a Challenge

At a recent conference, I heard one of the speakers refer to their “Challenge Match” appeal as a “license to print money.” I can’t guarantee that will be your experience, but I must agree that the challenge match appeal seems to work for every organization for whom I’ve tested it.

It doesn’t matter if the Challenge Fund comes from an individual, a foundation or a corporation. If it’s an individual, it isn’t even necessary to mention the person’s name. Just saying that “a generous benefactor has pledged to donate X dollars to us if we can match that amount from friends like you” is enough.

Donors like the idea of their gift doubling in value, and supporting twice as much work toward your mission. It’s kind of like a “2 for 1” sale.

Vary Themes Within Your Program

In addition to the specific types of appeals mentioned above, I like to create “branded appeals” that give each mailing a unique identity while staying consistent with the organization’s overall brand.

These appeals are like “brands within the brand” and can be as simple as Annual Fund, Winter Appeal, Spring Appeal, etc. The branded appeal can also tie in with your core mission, such as “Fall Research Appeal” for a health charity or “Beds and Blankets Appeal” for a homeless shelter.

Remember to Remind

Yes, we’ve been doing them forever, but reminders are still a powerful way to leverage your most effective appeals. If you do an Annual Fund in January, send out an Annual Fund Follow-up in February – within 2 – 3 weeks of the original appeal.

The follow-up mailing can employ a smaller, less expensive format than the prior mailing, and may generate up to 70 or 80% of the original.

Personalize but Don’t Patronize

Most organizations have effectively used personalization techniques to use the donor’s name, giving history, city and state within the text of a letter. But sometimes we can hit donors over the head with it. Donors have become savvy enough to know that computers, not people, provide this personalization, so don’t overdo it.

Remember to do the things that truly make your mailing sound personal. Speak in a conversational “me to you” manner, avoid the institutional “we” and tell the donor in specific terms what their gift is helping you do.

Keep the Layouts Simple and the Ideas Fancy

Creative director Steve Cosmopoulous used to say this to make his creative staff focus on the “big idea” instead of the window dressing.

The job of creative is to create revenue — not beauty. Of course, if you can increase revenue and win beauty contest at the same time, more power to you.

To Tease of Not to Tease

Teasers on the outer envelope work best when they contain a benefit, refer directly to the offer or tell the donor about the free gift or member card inside.  Teasers that are there just to be clever can be tricky. Your copy must be extremely provocative for this kind of teaser to work, and the best way to prove it is by testing.

I also like to test “blind” outer envelopes – plain ones with no logo, no teaser — especially in acquisition and for organizations that do not have great name recognition. Be wary of postage requirements, however.  Historically these have been acceptable as long as you use metered postage, but get postal approval ahead of time.

Be Careful with Inserts

Always test your packages with and without that great new insert you’re considering. Newspaper articles, brochures, lift notes and the like may provide great additional information about your mission – but they may also depress response. It’s counter-intuitive, but it’s been all too true for me many, many times.

One-Stop Shopping

When I started in this business in the mid-1980s, “one-stop shopping” was the product most agencies were selling. “Work with us, and you’ll get strategy, creative, database management, list/media services, analysis and reporting – and even printing and letter shop services – all under one roof.” It was an attractive proposition for a time.

You, the client, had one point of contact for everything you needed. And it was especially attractive for non-profits that did not have in-house knowledge of evolving direct marketing techniques and technologies. But that business model had at least one serious flaw.

To be a true “one-stop shop,” your agency had to be big. Getting big meant having many different departments and several layers of management. that added up to high prices – and difficulty in maintaining excellence in each and every aspect of the business.

The Age of Specialization

As fundraising programs became larger and more complex, the need arose for more specialists in specific areas of fundraising.

The industry spawned firms specializing in strategic data analysis. List brokers with expertise in niche markets. Database firms that added value with compiled data and predictive models. Most recently we’ve seen the rise of experts specializing in online fundraising programs and other new media and as the industry has grown, so has the knowledge of those on the client side.

Today’s non-profit professionals have, in many cases, more marketing savvy than many of their commercial counterparts. Directors of Development began to realize that perhaps their “one-stop shop” wasn’t the best at supplying every single service they needed. They also found that, as their internal departments grew, they could “unbundle” the services supplied by a single agency – and save a bundle in the process.

The Sum of the Parts are Greater than the Whole

Today DaVinci Direct still serves as a “one-stop shop” for many of our clients. We employ a team approach with an Account Director, Creative Director and Production Manager on each account. But instead of supplying every aspect of the program in-house, we focus on the strategic foundation and on providing our own unique brand of creative.

We outsource many services, but carefully manage processes to maintain quality, responsiveness to your needs and help you make sound, data-driven decisions.

To serve your needs to the fullest, we team up with best of breed partners to provide the very best solution for each aspect of your fundraising program. Your DaVinci account manager still gives you a single point of contact for all of your needs. But rather than employing the entire orchestra in-house, DaVinci acts as the conductor, directing each composition to achieve the perfect tempo and tonality.

Flexibility Drives Opportunity

While in the past agencies like ours would only entertain prospects that wanted a full-service solution, today we open more doors by being flexible enough to take on even a single project. Some of our best client relationships have begun by creating a test package that beats a long-standing control.

For one national client, we provide creativity and strategy exclusively,and work in concert with five other firms who specialize in database management, list services, analysis, printing and mail shop services. For another client, we managed a telemarketing effort to create a monthly sustainable program. For another we’re developing planned giving strategy and creative. Yet another has asked us to work with a third party to develop an online component to complement the successful direct mail program we’ve built.

At DaVinci Direct, we don’t try to be all things to all people. We just try to bring all the best people together to do all the things you need at a competitive price. Think of us as conductors of the orchestra that can help you make beautiful music. If you’re trying to create a masterpiece, talk to DaVinci.

1. Make “you” (the donor or prospect) the hero

Think of your letter as a conversation. Talk about “me! me! me!” and it’s boring. Talk about you – how much we know about you – how vital you are to our work – how we couldn’t do it without you – and it becomes more engaging. Consider the fi rst line of a letter your “headline.”

2. Focus on a Single Offer

Don’t make the mistake of trying to list all aspects of your mission in every letter. Make the offer clear and compelling. Tell them, in simple terms, what their gift will do.

3. Use Emotion

For some organizations, tugging at the heartstrings is essential – children’s causes, humane societies, etc. Even organizations that focus on more clinical subject matter, like medical research, can benefit by injecting some passion and conviction into the copy – while being sure to highlight the specific needs and benefits of supporting research.

4. Create Urgency

To increase urgency, test “rubber stamp” graphics on envelopes with the word, “Urgent” or “Important.” Try a deadline to increase the sense of urgency. Use a P.S. to add an urgent tone, or simply to restate the offer.

5. Act Locally

Use copy like “Our Annual Fund is underway in (DONOR’S CITY OR TOWN) and your help is urgently needed … or … we help 56,247 people in (DONOR’S STATE) who are living with this disease.”

6. Personalize the Ask

“Mr. Sample, your last gift of $XX came at crucial time. Your gift was vital to our (mention specific areas of mission the gift was used for). If you can give another gift of $XX, or perhaps even $XX… $XX or more, you will…”

7. Nurture the Relationship by Creating a Donor Dialogue

Thank donors for their ongoing kindness and support. Then ask them to contact you by email and/or mail to express opinions, get information, become involved in advocacy, volunteering, etc. Tell them, “your feedback is important to us!”

8. Test Special Offers/Themes

Invite major donors and major donor prospects to “Join the Club.” Offer special recognition and benefits “in appreciation for your outstanding leadership and support.”

Test Annual Fund or Matching Gift as a theme in both Acquisition and Renewal. Test a member card in renewal. Test a monthly giving offer to frequent givers.

9. Test a circled gift amount on reply slip

Circle the upgrade amount in “blue pen” and include handwritten text that says, “this amount would really help.”

10. Ask and then Ask Again

Include a soft ask in the beginning of the letter and a harder ask at the close. Test a lift note that includes an ask from a third party endorser. The reply slip should summarize the offer also contain another ask as a call to action. The reply slip should be able stand alone – in case it gets separated from the letter.

Having been on the receiving end of many Requests for Proposals over the years, I’ve seen the many different ways non-profits approach the weighty task of hiring a direct marketing agency.

Since this partnership is an important one, and likely to affect your fundraising program for a number of years, I have prepared a checklist of items that may make your task a bit easier and more efficient. Some items fall into the category of “Doing your “Pre-RFP Homework,” while others are about the RFP process itself.

Check the Rep

Before issuing an RFP, check with your colleagues – especially those at organizations similar to yours in size and mission. They’re your best source of information about the reputations of agencies you might consider. Who are they working with now – and whom did they work with in the past? What do they like and dislike about them? Who do they think is hot – and who’s not? What kind of results have they had? You can also check with vendors you trust, to learn about agencies they’ve partnered with successfully.

Join the Club

Professional organizations like the Direct Marketing Association, Association of Fundraising Professionals, Direct Marketing Fundraisers Association and other groups can be a great way to learn who’s out there. Attend any conference and you’ll be exposed to many vendors eager to work with you.

Check out the websites and publications of the professional organizations for news and information about who’s doing what for whom. Of course, reading industry publications is another important way to learn about your competitive environment and the services providers available to you.

Inquire Within

What specific goals are you trying to attain in your program? Do you wish to ramp up a small program to a larger scope? Breathe new life into a mature program? Acquire new donors quickly? Upgrade an existing donor base?Integrate many programs into a cohesive whole? All of the above?

Try to outline realistic goals and set the expectations of your Board of Directors and superiors appropriately. At the same time, you need to consider the capabilities of your in-house staff. Do you need to add people to get the job done? What are the skill sets you need on staff?

Define the Relationship

Some folks want a “one-stop shopping” kind of relationship, whereby one large agency provides all or most of the services you require. You need to determine whether you feel that one company can be good at everything – or would you prefer to choose “best of breed” subcontractors?

Some organizations have a “lead agency” that provides some of the services, out-sources others, but is the single point of contact for the organization have an extremely qualified, committed staff, because this option will be a great deal o work for you internally.

Some organizations struggle mightily in this task, while others pull it off gracefully. Again, you must have firm grasp of what you can realistically do yourself, what areas require outside help, and how to manage multiple relationships efficiently.

Don’t Reinvent the Wheel

If you’ve done an RFP in the past, or you can get one of your peers to share one created for a similar organization, deleting all proprietary information, of course, you’ll at least have a starting point in creating you

r own document.

Take your time on this document. The more detailed and comprehensive you make it, the more likely you are to find a partner who turns out to be a good fit.

Creating a good Request for Proposal — and evaluating all the responses — is a daunting task. If you don’t have the time to put into it, or simply don’tfeel up to the task, there are a number of excellent consultants who are adept at guiding you through the process of finding the partner who is right for you.

Be Exclusive

Don’t invite the whole industry to respond to your RFP. Organizations that undertake too broad an agency search often pay a heavy price in terms of time and effort. I have seen a planned two-month search turn into an exhausting six-month epic.

For example, let’s say Organization #1 sends out 25 RFP’s. Several staffers become overwhelmed by the task of going through 25 highly detailed documents, each of which can contain 50 – 100 pages or

more of dense material.

There’s so much material to go through, it becomes difficult to differentiate one group from another. Eventually, the 25 agencies are slowly whittled down to about a dozen, and then to a “short list” of 5 or 6 who

make full presentations, face to face. Clearly, to consider 25 proposals, you may be biting off more than you can chew.

Like any direct response endeavor, the better your list, the better the result. If you can start with a “pre-qualified” list of 5 –10 agencies, your task will be much easier.

For example, Organization #2, decides not to send out the RFP immediately, but to send a “Prescreening Questionnaire” first. They send the questionnaire to approximately 10 to 15 companies. Right off the bat, they can rule out agencies that do not give the right responses. Then, they have a “Round 2” face-to face-interview. They don’t ask for a full presentation, just a “getting to know you” meeting with perhaps 5 or 6 remaining agencies.

At this point, Organization #2 gets a personal impression each individual company and its people. Do you feel any chemistry or excitement? Who sounds like the real deal and who sounds like an empty sales pitch? Now, perhaps Organization #2 can narrow the field again.

Finally, only a small number of agencies are asked to write a full proposal, and fewer still get to do a detailed strategic and creative presentation in person.

This multi-round approach is easier on the client, because you can exclude a number of agencies quickly. It’s also much fairer for the agencies involved. Those who really don’t have a good shot at the business are spared the large expenditure of time, effort and out-of pocket expenses associated with a fullscale pitch.

Set a Realistic Time Frame

This is a big decision. One that’s going to affect you – for better or worse – for a long time. Don’t expect to complete the whole process in a couple of weeks. What’s the right amount of time? It varies by the size and complexity of the RFP, but a good rule of thumb is to plan for at least six to eight weeks.  

Ask the Right Questions

The “right questions” for your program will depend upon your mission, the size of your organization and the kinds of services you require. But there are certainly some general questions that would apply to almost any organization. For example, you certainly need to know what clients the agency has now, and what kind of results they have helped them achieve – over the long term. Ask for real case studies and references so you can talk to their clients.

You can also ask for references from organizations that are no longer with that agency. Find out why they left.  Sometimes it’s just a changing of the guard at the client organization or a personality conflict versus a failure to perform.

You can learn a lot about someone by the company they keep. Find out what partners the agency works with – and how well they work together.

Trust Your Gut

This business, like most others, is all about relationships. What’s your gut feeling about these people? Once you’ve moved past the requisite capabilities presentation, think about your

team on a personal level. Did they come up with any keen insights about your program? Did you “click” with them?

Usually you can tell in a short period of time whether or not you like someone, feel impressed by their knowledge and comfortable that you will be able to work with them. Finally, make sure you meet your “real team.” Are the people making the pitch the same ones who will be doing the work?

This article is by no means a comprehensive analysis of the RFP process, but I hope it helps you get off to a good start. Good luck and good hunting!

Breakthrough creative. Everyone wants it. Few achieve it. If you’re on the client side and want to get the most out of your creative partners, here are a few tips on how to play the muse to your creative team.

Provide useful background

In the “olden days” before the Internet, I used to ask all new clients for Annual Reports, articles, press releases, direct mail samples and other printed materials to get a feel for the mission, tone and voice of the organization. Today much of that background information is available online. It’s generally a good thing, but only if the client website is updated frequently.

Sometimes a web search can send a writer or artist in the wrong direction if your website features people, events and programs that are no longer relevant. That’s why I like to have the client provide a brief “what’s hot?” document before beginning a new package.

Brief is the key word here. We don’t need ten press releases and every bit of information you have – that’s information overload. Just give us a hot topic, like an emotional story of a person recently helped by your organization, a new program that’s experiencing great results or a research breakthrough that donors will find compelling.

Have a plan

A written creative strategy is a good way to outline the audience, goals, copy points, deadlines and sacred cows in a given creative project. In fact, just the exercise of going through this step with your agency will help clarify the project in your mind and provide a basis for judging how well the creative execution fulfills your needs.

If you don’t do a written creative strategy or brief, you should at least have a team meeting or conference call to describe what you’re trying to accomplish. The worst thing to do would be to have your creative team start a project without clear direction. Also keep in mind that there might be a hundred different “right ways” to write and design a successful piece – but ninety-nine of them might not be what you have in mind. Decide what you want and stick to it.

Remember that it’s very difficult for your creative team to hit a moving target. If you don’t know what you want or fail to express it clearly – or if you change your mind frequently – you are guaranteed a long and frustrating editing process.

Open your mind

If you are not open to new ideas, you’ll always get the same kind of creative – the kind that smells stale. Hold a Creative Audit with your account team to review all the work you’ve done in the recent past. Include a brainstorming session to explore new areas of interest.

During your brainstorming, try to avoid “idea killer” comments like: “we tried that ten years ago and it didn’t work… we can’t get good stories because our field people won’t talk to us …I don’t think Harriet likes purple, so avoid that… and … “how much does that cost?” Think big picture and worry about the details later.

Take a risk

In order to find a creative breakthrough, one must be willing to go out on a limb to a certain extent. Of course you should test any new approach first, in order to minimize your risk, but don’t be afraid to stretch every now and then.

The willingness to test something out of the ordinary will give you a chance for extraordinary results – plus, it will give your creative team the spirit to keep striving for “something extra.”

Realize that most gains are modest ones, achieved through a continual process of testing and evaluating different approaches. But by taking calculated risks, you’ll eventually finda new approach that blows everything else out of the water. It’s exciting.

Smell the roses

Some people speak up only when things go wrong. Don’t forget to crow about good results when it comes to year-end and you’ve made budget. And take time to celebrate all the little victories you win along the way.

Give credit where credit is due. Creatives can be a different breed of cat – and often misunderstood. But believe me, they’re like everyone else when it comes to someone saying “good job!” It feels good.

Give constructive criticism

You should never be afraid to tell your creative team when they’re off-base. You’re the customer and you should get what you want. However, be careful so as to not let your own personal biases affect the actual idea of “what your donors like.”

“What your donors like” should be based on the numbers. Past results should guide the creative team in the right direction. And when speaking about “your donors” remember that your donor file is not homogenized. It contains subgroups – made up of many different types of people and different segments respond to different creative approaches.

Be specific in your criticism. “This part works for me, this doesn’t, because of X.” The worst thing to hear is, “I don’t know what it is about this piece, but I don’t like it.” Because, as we established in Step #2, there are at least ninety-eight other “right ways” to do it over again and still have you come back to say you don’t like it.

Use good photos

“A picture is worth a thousand words,” right? Then why can’t we always use good photos to enhance our reply slips and other components? Most clients do not have ready access to great photos. Even if there are great photos on the website or in the annual report, sometimes they are difficult to acquire. However, make the extra effort for a good visual. It’s a compelling way to get your point across.

If you don’t have good photos in-house, consider investing in a half- or full-day photo shoot. You can probably get all the photos you need for the year in a single day. This is especially important if you don’t allow the use of stock photos. If you will allow stock photos, there are several stock houses online these days, so good photography is more accessible than it was in the past. It’s also quite economical, as many good stock images are available “royalty-free.”

When in doubt, test it out

Sometimes, despite your best laid plans and strategic thinking, you and your team cannot come to an agreement on which creative approach is best. When this happens, test. It’s the best way to prove what kind of creative will perform.

Some of my clients test eight, ten or more different approaches in a single mailing. It depends upon the size of your file – and your budget.

If there were a magic formula for creative that worked for every cause and every donor file, our lives would be much easier, but I would be out of a job. The best we can do is work as a team to strategize, brainstorm and test to find the best ideas for each individual appeal and its audience. It’s time consuming – but it works!

Then, hot on the heels of Katrina, came Rita. The Category 3 storm did not cause the same massive loss of life, but left the region with billions of dollars of additional damage.

As always in time of disaster, Americans responded generously – and continue to respond – not only with money, but also by opening their hearts, homes and communities to those who had suddenly become homeless.

Our best hope is that communities can be rebuilt, individuals and families can recover in mind, body and spirit – and that some good can come of the shortcomings in disaster preparedness that were brought to light.

At the end of it all – indeed, in the midst it all – comes the inevitable question: How will these massive national disasters affect my own fundraising program?

Stay the Course

The advice we’ve given to our clients at DaVinci Direct is to keep doing what you do best. Focus on your core donors – and after all is said and done, they will be with you through the worst of it.

Unfortunately, those of us in fundraising have learned some hard lessons of late. We experienced the effects of Hurricane Frances and the tsunami in South Asia last year. Prior to that the 9/11 terrorist attacks and anthrax contaminations kept average Americans in fear in their own communities – and wary of their own mailboxes.

So what have we learned from recent history? Hurricane Frances hurt several “non-disaster relief” mailers. For some, the initial impact on fundraising performance seemed devastating. But by the end of the year, many found their faithful donors stepping up to the plate. People still gave that year – but they did so later in the year.

Of course, many fundraising programs are still in recovery from Frances and the tsunami even as this new hurricane season takes its toll. When Katrina hit, some decided to “wait out the storm” by delaying drops. In some cases this makes sense. But if you mail frequently, you cannot afford to wait long. If you miss a donor mailing, you are sure to lose revenue. And what happens if another disaster – like Rita – occurs?

To Thine Own Self Be True

One thing we learned in the aftermath of 9/11 is that donors resent the idea of a charity “capitalizing” on a disaster. We saw a great deal of “patriotic” offers after 9/11 from charities whose central missions had nothing to do with patriotism. In many cases, these approaches backfired.

If your organization does play a supporting role in disaster relief, mention it on your website and perhaps in a section of your newsletter. But don’t drastically change your donor mail strategy in response to disaster.

Of course, you won’t mail into affected areas. But depending on how often you mail and where your donors are, it may not be wise to change anything, without running the risk of making a bad situation worse. Sure, you may have to take your lumps. Better prepare staff and board members for the worst. But don’t lose faith in the people who have been loyal to you, time and again.

Communicate with them, nurture them, but stay true to your central mission – and they will stay with you.