Communication Strategy/Fundraising Case 2

Since I've started here at The Cedar, I've been trying to put together concise, easy-to-read, solid "fundraising case points" to share with our donors. Obviously, these "case points" are always going to be fluid, but the bulk of the case, once I've nailed it, will presumably stay the same. My friend James (who is naturally good at this stuff) had a bunch of great suggestions. Besides being a fundraiser himself, he is alse donor to The Cedar, so has a valuable perspective on what inspires people to donate to the organization. He suggested that I contact our donors/stakeholder and ask them what they think. After all, who knows what inspires better than those who already donate? So last week, I merged an email to all of our donors (last gift 2004 - 2007) for whom we have email addresses asking for their feedback on the above Cedar fundraising case messages. This is the message I sent:

I understand and appreciate your investment in The Cedar Cultural Center as a donor and stakeholder, and I value your opinion regarding how The Cedar presents itself to and communicates with the rest of the world. I would like your advice about the messages we send to our current and potential donors and community members. Would you be willing to look over the attached message/s (see below) and offer some feedback?

Here are some questions to consider:
1) Do these messages offer an interesting/compelling/accurate snapshot of The Cedar Cultural Center?

2) What motivates you to donate to The Cedar? Is this effectively expressed in these messages?

3) Do these messages offer any enlightening information? Do these messages make The Cedar stand out among other arts and/or non-profit organizations?

4) Do these messages have urgency? Do they provide a clear enough call to action?

5) I also have pie graphs that demonstrate The Cedar’s spending and revenues, but the images were too big for smooth email transmission. How important is it to you to understand exactly how your donation is being spent? Would knowing specific information about The Cedar’s budget and finances make you feel more comfortable making your donation or encourage you to make a larger donation? If yes, what specific financial information would you like to know?


There are a number of reasons why this communication is a good strategy:

1) As part of our communication strategy, it's important for us to have a consistent, clear, and inspiring message with a call to action that accurately, adequately, and effectively describes who we are and provides a case for support. No one knows better than our current donors what inspires people to give to an organization like The Cedar.

2) Asking our donors to participate in this process of creating and molding the language that best describes The Cedar says to them, "we consider you to be part of this community." When they respond, they are saying, "we consider ourselves to be part of this community." The more a part of The Cedar a donor feels, the more likely they'll be to support The Cedar consistently and at significant levels. Even if they don't respond, the fact that we asked for their input sends a message that their opinion is important and recognizes their investment.

3) Any length of time a donor spends with this is time they're thinking about The Cedar. Affinity will increase with the number of minutes any individual considers a given organization. Inclination to give will increase with affinity.