| Do you want your donors to give more, do you | | | | One way to increase the size of average donations is |
| want them to give more often, or do you want | | | | to ask each donor to give a gift of the same size as |
| more of your donors to give? | | | | their last gift. If Samantha's last gift was $150, ask |
| If your answer is "all of the above," here are some | | | | for $150 this time. If Brad recently mailed you a gift |
| tested ways to increase the size of donor gifts using | | | | of $75 (which is an amount higher than $45 but lower |
| fundraising letters. | | | | than $100 on your ask string), ask Brad for a gift of |
| Ask for specific amounts | | | | $75 in your next appeal letter. |
| Stating the sizes of gifts that donors can make helps | | | | Customized asks like this are costly in time (database |
| to overcome their inertia and prevents them from | | | | manipulation) and production (customized printing for |
| having to think up a gift amount (which may be too | | | | each reply device or letter), but the results can be |
| small) on their own. | | | | spectacular. Again, this is worth testing. |
| Increase the size of your smallest suggested | | | | Mail special appeals to major donors |
| donation | | | | Donors or member who send you gifts of |
| If you feature an ask string in your reply device, | | | | £1,000 or more should never be told: "Your |
| increase the size of the smallest suggested gift, like | | | | gift of £25, £50 or even |
| this. | | | | £100--whatever you can manage--will be much |
| Before: | | | | appreciated right now." In the same way that you |
| $20 $45 $100 | | | | should never ask a £100 donor for |
| Other $______________ | | | | £1,000, you should never ask a £1,000 |
| After: | | | | donor for £100. Asking major donors for |
| $25 $45 $100 | | | | major gift amounts will increase the size of average |
| Other $______________ | | | | individual donations. |
| This simple adjustment will likely translate into larger | | | | Upgrade donors each year to cover inflation |
| average gifts, although your response rate may drop | | | | Another way to increase the size of donations is to |
| slightly. | | | | invite your donors, perhaps once a year, to increase |
| Circle the desired donation | | | | their gift amount by a given percentage to cover the |
| On the reply device that donors mail back with their | | | | cost of inflation. Example: "If you can manage to |
| gift, circle the second and higher amount. Beneath | | | | increase your gift by 4% this year, from $50 to $52, |
| your circle, handwrite: "Your gift of this amount will | | | | that will help us keep pace with the cost of inflation." |
| make a big difference." | | | | Reduce your expenses |
| Ask based on each donor's giving history | | | | This step will not increase your gross revenue but it |
| In the above example, you see that if you ask | | | | will increase your net revenue. Reducing your costs |
| donors to give a donation of $20, $45 or $100, they | | | | for design, printing, lettershop, postage and other |
| are likely to make a donation of $20, $45 or $100. | | | | tasks--even if only by a few cents per package--can |
| But what about your donors who are capable of | | | | boost your net revenue without much extra effort. |
| giving at higher levels? What about your donors who | | | | Just make sure the quality of your appeal letters and |
| sent you larger gifts than the ones suggested on | | | | packages does not decline. |
| your reply device? | | | | |