Meet Your Fiscal Year End Goals
The fiscal year-end loomed large.
Everyone on the team of Families Feeding Families received their assignment.
Austin, the Director of Communications, met with his writers. “Now, more than ever, we need to communicate with clarity and conviction. Our donors need to not only be personally and thoroughly thanked, but they need to know specifically how their money is being used. They trust us to tell them the truth about how their donations are making an impact. And they need to know that if we continue to help families, we need them to increase their giving to the next level. It’s our job to get this message out via blog posts, newsletters, and all social media platforms. We need a strong letter that conveys the message that families are truly being helped.”
This is the letter that emerged:
Dear Bonnie,
“I honestly didn’t know how I was going to feed my three children. I was forced to make a decision – give them up and know they will have a better life with someone else. At least they wouldn’t be hungry anymore. Or I could try one more time to find some help. That’s when I discovered your emergency food pantry at Families Feeding Families. But not just that. You helped me find immediate employment and learn skills on the job. This is a happy-ending story. My kids are still with me. You tutor them after school and then we go home together when my workday is over. I don’t know how to thank you. I’m sending you a photo of my kids eating a hot meal at home. They are smiling. Not just because their tummies are full, but because we feel like a family again.
Thank you, from all of us, Shelby, Justin, Noel, and Abby.”
Remember last month, Bonnie, when I told you about Shelby? She was desperate -- searching for a way to make ends meet. Because of you and many others with generous hearts, her family is together today.
We are grateful for your continued support of Families Feeding Families.
But there are more families just like Shelby’s. In fact, the needs of these families increased by 50% last year – more food, more job training, more mentoring. Would you consider increasing your monthly gift by 50% or more to meet this ever-growing need?
We would love to tell you about a new family next month who are off the streets and going to sleep in their homes tonight with a full stomach. And they will be up early the next morning to go to school and work and come home together again.
With your help, that’s exactly what will happen.
Thank you again for your support. You are making a life-changing difference for Shelby.
With thanks,
(CEO signature)
The letter was strong. Personal. Specific. Exactly the piece needed heading into the final stretch of the year-end campaign.
The targeted appeal letter was created based on the information in the system implemented by the Advancement Director. She made it a point to gather as much data as possible from a variety of sources about Bonnie and the many other donors. https://bloomerang.co/blog/top-10-ways-to-upgrade-nonprofit-donors/
https://npengage.com/nonprofit-fundraising/donor-stewardship/
One way to know Bonnie better was through receiving feedback through an online three-question survey:
1. Why did you start giving to Families Feeding Families?
2. Why is this organization so important to you?
3. What questions do you have for our CEO?
Her answers were added to the database along with the donor persona already in process. They knew Bonnie’s basic information as well as where she worked, her hobbies, and other causes she supports. She received a handwritten thank you note each month; was on the eblast list that always included a story http://www.thestorytellingnonprofit.com/blog/how-to-collect-a-story-for-a-non-profit-thank-you-letter/ on how donations were being used, and she is asked for feedback when each blog was posted.
Families Feeding Families had other ways to reach out to Bonnie and other donors. They were invited to participate personally in the feeding program at one of the many facilities throughout the country. Then, they were challenged to share their experience with their friends. And of course, she was invited to attend the annual banquet that celebrated the successes of the year and set out the challenges for the coming year. All donors were invited to host a table and invite their friends and family. Families like Shelby’s would attend and share from their hearts their life change.
The part of the year-end strategy included specifically asking donors to not only continue giving but to commit to helping meet the fiscal year-end goal and also to increase monthly giving in the coming year. That ask included specific dollar amounts to consider and what their dollars would be used for.
Telling stories paid off. Telling the truth paid off. Showing and not just telling paid off.
The results were in. Families Feeding Families finished the fiscal year-end strong because of a concerted team effort. The future looked bright. With always more families to feed, there was always more work to be done.
What happened to Shelby? She is now a mentor in the program, helping other single moms take the bold step and ask for help. Shelby’s story is a work in progress.
What happened to Bonnie? She made a strong connection between her giving and what happened to Shelby. She volunteered each Thursday afternoon at the nearby Families Feeding Families facility. She took her own family there once a month to help stock the shelves, clean the tables and serve the food. After that experience, they decided to increase their giving. They knew that if they gave 50% more in the coming year there would be more food to share, more people to meet, and more stories to hear from recipients, volunteers, and staff.
What is your year-end strategy? What stories will you share to encourage donors to level up their giving?