A Data-Driven Strategy For Your Organization's Fundraising Plans
Are your fundraising goals increasing but you're not sure how you'll meet them?
Did you fall short of your annual giving goals last year? Maybe your program could use a boost.
Have you seen an increase in new donors but aren't sure how to keep them engaged so they become repeat givers? Are you unsure your donors are being stewarded effectively?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, then join The Sollog Group for our next cohort starting in July 2023. Over four intensive strategy and training sessions, we will create an annual giving plan that is based on your real data so that you aren’t just throwing spaghetti at a wall but informing strategy with data. We will walk you through everything you need to know to segment your list, create effective messages, and track everything so that you walk away with a ready-to-go Annual Giving Plan that fits your organization, your donors, and the actual facts of what works for you. Your Mission. Fully Funded.
When: Mondays from 1:30-3:30 p.m. on July 10th, 17th, 24th, & 31st. In addition to the four intensive training sessions, cohort participants will also receive three virtual check-ins to be used within 12 months of the last session.
Where: Live Zoom training with sessions recorded for participants to review, a Google drive folder for interaction between instructors and attendees throughout the training period, plus homework for each session
Cost: $675 (registration closes June 23rd)
Ideal participants have a fundraising CRM, an operating budget of less than $2.5 million, and a small development office. Participants understand a strong annual giving effort is the foundation of any development program, even if they have struggled for years to develop a robust program. Cohort participation involves four intensive 2-hour trainings (every week) with homework between sessions.
With ever-increasing fundraising goals, decreasing resources, and the need for donor-centered strategies, now, more than ever, nonprofits need to identify and focus on donors with the greatest likelihood of supporting their organization. If this sounds familiar, then this cohort is for you.
I attended The Sollog Group’s Annual Giving Cohort in 2019. The sessions were very informative and helped me to better understand ways in which I can use data to determine the direction to take with my annual fund development plan. Nick and Amy presented clear examples of best practices around solicitations and stewardship efforts, and while this cohort was centered around Annual Giving, they also demonstrated ways to use data to analyze and refine other aspects of my development plan, for example, how to identify those that are my best and most loyal donors. They were ready and willing to extend their advice and share their extensive expertise around other subjects as needed. I would highly recommend this cost-effective cohort to any development professional -especially those in small or one-person development offices that need a little ‘refresh’ on their development plan!
– Elaine Hinckle, Director of Development at Sacred Heart Center
Understanding your data so you know what is needed to set you up for future success
Analyzing your past results
Donor retention and acquisition
Deep-dive into segmentation and why it is important
Segments to focus on during these unusual times
Understanding the ins and outs of messaging and solicitation vehicles
Stewardship and its role in your overall plan
Donor-centric multi-channel plans
Creating a system for tracking results and how to report out to key stakeholders
Pulling it all together
Who should attend? We recommend that you send the primary individual responsible for your annual giving efforts and gift-entry. If that happens to be the same person consider including your director of communications, development, finance, or a development/fundraising committee member.
What does the time commitment look like outside of sessions? Homework is meant to augment the work done during the sessions and will lead to the creation of concrete and actionable plans for your annual giving program. It should only take 1-2 hours between each class. Time will be dependent on how well you understand your database and its capabilities. If you need to export data and do a great deal of manipulation in Excel it could take longer.
What will I have following the completion of this fundraising cohort?
Better understanding of what data you should be collecting on your donors and how it can be used in your solicitation and stewardship efforts
Key Performance Indicators (KPI) you should track throughout the year in order to assess your program
Data clean-up plan
Segmentation plan
Stewardship plan
System for reporting out and tracking progress to goal