A Box of 64’s with the Built-in Sharpener

There’s really nothing that brings back memories like the smell of a box of Crayola crayons. You can almost smell it now, just thinking about it, can’t you? When I was little, you either had the giant box of 64 Crayola Crayons with the built-in sharpener, or you wanted one.

The Crayola marketing geniuses certainly made all the kids think that they just couldn’t draw a respectable sunset without Burnt Sienna. And art with a dull crayon? Forgettaboutit.

But I’m here to tell ya, folks…bigger isn’t always better.

That may sound a bit odd coming from a non-profit organization that relies on donations to fulfill our mission of creating a better quality of life for people in my community. But I remember a day not too long ago when it was still early in the morning, and we had two noteworthy donations come in. One donation would be along the line of a box of 64’s; the other donation would be more toward the standard box of 8. But, to me, both were significant. And you don’t even have to leave the crayon industry to understand why.

Let me introduce to you Senior Crayon Maker, Emerson Moser. Moser made over 1.4 Billion crayons prior to his retirement from Crayola in 1990. His life’s work, 37 years, was spent creating colorful ways for children to express themselves. Although that may not be impressive in and of itself, upon retirement Moser announced that he was, in fact, colorblind!

Apparently, one day Moser made a decision. He decided that the hindrance of being colorblind was not going to stop him from being successful at Crayola. His dedication to that decision throughout the years eventually propelled him to, maybe the most awesome title I’ve ever heard, Senior Crayon Maker. In other words, Moser showed his true colors. 😉

This isn’t altogether different than the two donors I spoke of earlier. Both of them decided one day that they would make annual gifts to the Community Foundation. They made dedicated decisions. And both of them have loyally followed through with their gift-giving promises. Those generous donors know that we will invest their donations efficiently and distribute them effectively. They are partners with the Foundation. They follow the work we do. They appreciate our leadership. They trust us. But ultimately, they made a decision. The dedicated decision to give loyally and annually. 

Maybe you don’t know who your loyal, annual donors are…yet. I’m sure a few quick clicks in your database and a report will clearly show you. Just read a few prime pages by Penelope Burke and she’ll confirm that loyal, annual donors—of any monetary amount, box of 8 or box of 64—are statistically more likely to leave major gifts or end of life gifts to your organization. But this I know for sure, loyal donors can be the difference between a successful non-profit and a significant non-profit. With occasional donors, we can make grants. With loyal donors, we can make a difference. With occasional donors, we can make scholarships possible. With loyal donors, we can make college diplomas possible. With occasional donors, we can focus on immediate needs. With loyal donors, we can focus on strategic needs. See the difference?

This reminds me of a quote I learned long ago:  “The difference between ‘involvement’ and ‘commitment’ is like an eggs-and-ham breakfast: the chicken was ‘involved;’ the pig was ‘committed’.” Boom! Mind explosion!

Use your left brain marketing methods to steward your loyal donors. I don’t care if they’ve given you $25 or $2,500 per year…if they’ve given loyally every year, they are your people! Find those people in your database, put them into a strategic donor segment, and market to them about the giving tools that will make giving to you as easy as pie. This is left brain strategy that can easily be implemented.

Then use your right brain to create a marketing piece that makes them feel special, shows them they you really do care that they have an affinity for your organization and act on your requests through their capacity to give. Maybe even thank them in a way that makes them want to tell other people about what you did. We recently made our own seed packets. It was quick, easy, adorable, affordable—and a showstopper! How will you use your right brain to separate yourself from the rest of the mail in the mailbox? What will differentiate your ask from the dozens of others they receive each year? You know what would impress you…do that! That tiny pencil sharpener in the Box of 64 made all the difference, didn't it?

To give annually, no matter what amount, is the kind of loyalty that all fundraisers dream of! Like Sally Field once said, “You like me, you really, really like me.”  And they do really like you! They want to help you move the needle and make an impact. After all, there’s a fine line between success and significance, involvement and commitment…and it’s probably drawn with Burnt Sienna.

All My Best,

Dawn
[email protected]
dawn brown creative, llc.