BIG’s Blog: Being Stuck

You want to move but you’re afraid to move.

The whole world is going digital, yet what you know is direct mail. Nobody said you should dump your direct mail program, as long as it is working for you. Hopefully, it still is.

What direct mail and online fundraising have in common is that they are both “big nets.” You have to have a big net to keep bringing in new supporters. Planned giving and its off-shoot, major donor, are not about bringing in new supporters. I know that you know this, but lately, some of your fundraising brethren are pulling back on direct mail to invest in major donor work. That makes no sense.

Planned giving and major donor work is icing on the cake of “big net” fundraising, which is direct mail (especially acquisition) and online. Direct mail and online are known as “annual giving” and they are the base of your triangle of giving. Without a big net effort, you don’t have the supporters who turn into major donors or bequests.

But, back to the issue of “being stuck.”

Online is very different from direct mail, and none of us feel comfortable with what we don’t understand. At Browne Innovation Group we will offer an online education program called Acquiring the Next Generation of Supporters, beginning in January and focusing solely on “online.” But as my blog reader, I’m giving you a heads up. Let me know if you are interested, and I’ll see that you receive information. If you learn about online and become conversant and comfortable with it, maybe you’ll also become unstuck.


-Mike

Welcome to BIG's Blog!  Please feel free to forward this post to your friends and coworkers...and email me a comment at: mike@big-db.com