FundRaiser Blog
Good News? Great Time to Ask!
Here’s my response to a fantastic question raised by one of our colleague nonprofit communicators this week. Eager to hear your thoughts!
Q: Should I include an ask in announcing a big win? Tomorrow we’ll email supporters to celebrate a recent victory. This win has not been a focus in our emails to folks on this list, but is something our organization is responsible for (and supporters will care about).
I want to keep supporters excited about our impact, and motivated to give during our year-end campaign (we’ll email a year-end appeal later this week). It seems easiest to just send a quick victory email sharing the great news and linking to more detail on the win. But I wonder if it’s best urges folks to take a Thank you action, e.g. “Thank President Obama for this good thing!” Keep in mind I have to send the year-end email later this week, and can’t rework that content (it’s part of a series).
What do you suggest? Thank You action to accompany victory, or just the announcement?
A: Ask away, capitalizing on this joyous and powerful moment! Catching folks on the upswing—which zigs from our more typical nonprofit zag of mobilization around threat, crisis or flat-out desperation—is powerful! Don’t miss out on this opportunity.
Sounds like you’re concerned that making an ask now will decrease response to your year-end appeal later this week. Start with the announcement, and a big thank you. Then select one of these ways to play it to generate additional wins for your organization:
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Ask for an action—signing an online thank you to President Obama—to help supporters feel connected to this victory.
- This enables you to connect the dots between your donors’ support and your org’s impact, especially if this particular issue hasn’t been a communications focus. Let them know how they’ve helped make progress happen. Thank them, and charge them up for more victories like this.
- Taking an action, even a very small action like signing a thank you note, does make folks feel more involved, and a part of the win. That’s always a good thing.
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Ask for a donation, even though you’ll be asking again later in the week. This win is a perfect ramp up to an ask, after a huge thank you!
- The immediacy of the win is likely to motivate some supporters to give right now, especially if you bring the win to life with a story full of vibrant details.
- Some folks give to year-end campaigns while others prefer to support specific issues and campaigns. Don’t assume you’ll generate a lower donation total this week just because you’re asking twice.
Whatever you ask for, it’ll be a win-win as long as you share the credit for the victory with your supporters! Can’t wait to hear what happens.
- See more at: http://gettingattention.org/2014/12/nonprofit-ask/#more-21755
Nancy E. Schwartz helps nonprofits succeed through effective marketing. Nancy and her team provide marketing planning and implementation services to nonprofit organizations and foundations nationwide. She is the publisher of the Getting Attention e-update and blog. For more nonprofit marketing guidance like this, subscribe to her e-update at http://gettingattention.org/nonprofit-marketing/subscribe-enewsletter.html
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