Creativity is Intelligence Having Fun!

Creativity is intelligence having fun--I absolutely love this quote from Albert Einstein.  A lot of people think you have to be super serious about your donor marketing and stewardship...I'm not one of those people. I don't think Einstein would have been either.

I happen to believe that generosity is so much fun!  Why would I want to take something so joyous and turn it into an 8 1/2 X 11 boring wall of words?  So, I don't.  Your marketing can incorporate a meaningful method with a splash of some masterful moxie--that's intelligence having fun.  

This week my social media posts have highlighted nonprofit marketing as being either remarkable or invisible.  Which one are you? Do your donor thank-you letters get:

• thrown away unread,
• filed in the tax folder without being opened--except in April by an accountant,
• or open, read, and acted on by your donor?  

Research says that most donors find thank you letters boring.  But, it doesn't have to be that way.  You can be remarkable.  Sure, you have to include legal details about the gift they just made to you, but you don't have to stop there.  Make it stamp-worthy!

Stamps aren't cheap, so how can you get as much mileage out of them as possible? Here are a few tips I've learned throughout the years that just might work for you.

• Don't send the same thank you letter every single time.  We change our letter every month.  I know what you're thinking--but honestly, it's not that hard. And we've noticed that donors open these letters and are making gifts several times a year now.  #donorloyalty  
• Make the letter look more like a card than a bill.  No one wants to open bills, right?  And, even a kid can tell the difference.
• Don't be afraid to use a little color.  My CFO tells me that adding color costs 6 cents--that's it!  Well worth it for such a generous donor, don't you think?

Effective marketing uses both sides of your brain and donors appreciate it.  Give it a try!

All My Best,

dawn