Thursday Buzz: Keep Donors Donating

As we race toward the end of the fundraising year, there are still plenty of opportunities to reach donors who gave last year but haven’t yet this year.

“Prioritize your returning donors based on their lifetime value,” says Marisa Taylor in a blog post for Care2  (opens in a new tab). “This will help you determine who will receive more personal outreach from your team.”

Taylor recommends a few tips for any donor retention effort, including setting goals for return donors. Are you tracking those goals as the year progresses? Try displaying your retention rates where your team can see them. “You’ll know if you need to make adjustments or changes to your plan if you are tracking along the way.”

Taylor also suggests making your donors feel appreciated by sending thank-you cards before asking them to give again. You should also be strategic about ask amounts. If you ask too little, you may not hit your goals; too much, and donors may not give at all.

Finding a Writer

https://twitter.com/UpAbility/status/913372449206611970

Good writing is vitally important to any association. From newsletters to email marketing messages, communicating clearly and persuasively is key to any success metric that an organization may have. But hiring managers aren’t always the best judges of this specific and important skill.

What should hiring managers look for in writing samples? The Indiana Society of Association Executives  (opens in a new tab) shares a few writing tips to help hiring managers pick the right person.

When looking at a candidate’s writing, make sure he or she avoids redundancies such as overusing the word “also” in statements that begin with “in addition,” “additionally,” or “furthermore.” And don’t forget to check for accurate “who” and “that” pronoun usage.

Other Links of Note

Are your meetings with your remote workers inefficient? Beth’s Blog shares some best practices for virtual meetings  (opens in a new tab).

According to a new study, American business travelers are becoming more comfortable with artificial intelligence and think it will improve their travel experience, reports Forbes  (opens in a new tab).

Leadership advice from Bill Gates. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella shares the best advice  (opens in a new tab) the company’s founder ever gave him, reports Inc.

(MicroStockHub/iStock/Getty Images Plus)