10 Principles of Fundraising with a Mobile Twist – Part Three

Author: Cassie Bair, July 16th, 2012

Say “thank you” in more ways than one!

“10 Principles of Fundraising… with a Mobile Twist” – Part three of a five part series on how mobile and fundraising work hand-in-hand.

The perfect fundraising effort has many components. Leave an element out and your final result may not be what you expect. Learn to perfect each of these 10 must-have steps and your efforts will yield better results every time.

Last time we discussed the importance of telling your story and telling their story. Miss out on some of our series? Check out part one and part two. Meanwhile, learn about steps 5 and 6!

Step 5: Be direct
A great story is compelling, but if you don’t specifically communicate what you are asking for you probably won’t get it. Are you asking for a one-time donation? Are you asking for a long-term monetary commitment? Are you asking for volunteers? If so, how many and how much time do you need? Are you asking for advocacy action? For the supporter, this is important. Unless you are specific about what you want, all of your hard work could be wasted.

mTip: Customize your text messages to accurately depict your specific requests.

Step 6: Be gracious
Thank you goes a very long way. Whether you received a $1 donation or $1,000 donation, a simple thank you makes a donor feel like their effort was worth it. But it doesn’t stop there. Your thank you is an opportunity beyond a thank you. It’s a way to continue your story, let them know how they can stay involved, tell other stories and make sure their donation is not just a one-time event.

mTip: Donors should be thanked an average of 3 times per donation, in a variety of ways. Use text messaging to send an immediate thank you recognizing them for their support!

Stay Tuned: Next week we’ll share part four of 10 Principles of Fundraising with a Mobile Twist.

Cassie Bair is the VP of Marketing at Mobile Accord. Cassie has worked with multiple nonprofits leading marketing, strategic partnership and cause marketing initiatives. mGive, a Mobile Accord service, educates, engages and empowers nonprofits and their stakeholders through our groundbreaking utilization of SMS (text message) technology. Contact Cassie on Twitter (@Bairings) or by texting CASSIE to 50555. Message and Data rates may apply. For full terms visit www.mGive.com/E.

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