FundRaiser Blog

The FundRaiser Software Blog is an excellent resource for nonprofit organizations looking to learn more about fundraising, donor management, membership management, and much more.

Eeny-Meeny-Miny-Mo

How to pick your invitation list

In this week's Tony Poderis blog, the focus is inviiting donors to events that they might not "normally" be invited to attend.  Any time we are faced with selecting a portion of our donor database, we should be thinking "Groupings".  And any time we think "Groupings", we should take a few moments to consider what criteria will be used for the group of names we have in mind.  One simple, yet effective, method of consideration is to write a concise, but complete, sentence describing who it is that we are trying to target.

Any data can be used

Since we can use virtually any information that is stored in our records, we don't really need to focus on the data to make our "selection sentence".  It may be as simple as:  "I want all the people who have given in the past six months".  But be aware that a simple statement may not be complete.  What if a donor has died since they last gave?  What if a donor has no address, no phone, and no email on record?  What if they have been designated as someone who NEVER wants to receive any solicitations from you?  So maybe the original statement might become more like:  "I want all live donors who gave in the past six months, so long as we can contact them and they haven't opted out of such contact".  Not so concise, but more specific, and more likely to give you the results you want.

Groupings can always be modified

If you can't think of all the fine points of selection in the very beginning, don't worry about it.  Use the NOTES section of the Grouping to store your selection statement, and then modify the statement as you come up with those fine points.  As you modify the statement, go into the Grouping Criteria section, where your eyes will be led (via color-shading) to those choices you have made so far, and decide what changes, additions, etc., you need to make to match your new, revised, selection statement.  The name of the Grouping can stay the same, even though it might not totally reflect what you're trying to accomplish, but the NOTES are where the real heart of the matter should be spelled out.  If you want more information on Groupings, consider the training video in the Customer Portal section of the website, or sign up for a class using our Training Calendar.

Personal Form Letters: Oxymoron?!
Site Visits to Build Donor Loyalty

Related Posts

Wait a minute, while we are rendering the calendar
grassroots campaign data entry grants premiums email correspondance donor retention rate membersip benefits tech tip user spotlights legacy giving Congratulations updates End of Year Letters customer service understanding giving trends Resiliency donor recognition Codes planned giving community broadcasting data analysis targeted mailings transparency community arts nonprofits community supported gardens case study GivingTuesday holiday letters Facebook donor profile auction board members endowment campaign how-to videos GoFundMe project new nonprofit passwords ticket sales Alternative Addresses budget overview FundRaiser Spark FundRaiser Hosted donor advised funds follow up ROI membership benefits Network for Good increasing giving amounts texting donors volunteers alumni Donor Portal accounting software donation history major gift prospects Crowdfunding Campaign holiday giving annual campaign donor loyalty nonprofit fundraising vacation look and feel new donors donor slip direct mail Personalizing appeal banquet upgrade Constant Contact charity golf tournaments correspondence pledges backing up data brick campaign in honor of donations publicity materials entering auction gifts fundraising development director planning gift notes field raffle donor engagement customer portal spare fields support general new features gift entry gift acceptance policy adding personal notes to letters segmenting donors operational costs relationship tracking holiday phoning donors Thanksgiving capital campaign letter templates lapsed donor personalizing letters password protection the Ask donor retention security merge fields monthly giving donor source SYBUNTS Importing Data new leadership welcome packet prospects reports Excel office LYBUNTS donor attrition rate government grants training tip mailing motivation motivation code In-Kind gifts custom page user interface word processor tax summary letters Reporting to IRS ticketsales giving levels membership programs #GivingTuesday change of address updating Volunteer module mode code upgrading donors Thank You fundraising letters FundRaiser Basic pictures Reminders thank you letters disaster relief mission driven data conversion Task List tribute gifts salutation training donor attrition annual maintenance plan memorial giving animal rescue solicitors communications Groupings social media donor contact information small donations advanced tab Snow Birds New Year online donations spreadsheets announcements major donors appeal letters operating systems product news donor targeting donor preferences campaign management Cloud large donations foundations Company culture Tickles how to handle auction gifts arts campaign Facebook campaign donor prospects merge notes recurring gifts donor relations on site training National Change of Address volunteering repeat donors features letter new version add ons online donations moves management PayPal role of nonprofits building donor relationships importing csv event management technical support corporate sponsors giving history donor NCOA processing happiness anonymous donors flash sales

Connect With Us

  800-880-3454 ext 3
  Email Us
  Request More Information
  Monday-Friday
      8:30AM-5:30PM CST

Customer Portal Login Form

User Name:
Password:

If you are not sure about your Customer User Name, please call 800-543-4131 and we will be able to help you.

Or you have lost your password, Request Password