Who Approves Your Stuff?

Notably re-quotable

Recipients consider four elements when deciding whether to open — or trash — your email:

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"Are you skipping 75% of the elements your recipients use to decide which emails to open?"

> Quoted from an Ann Wylie blog, August 2021. (That's her on Zoom.) For decades, Ann has been one of my most useful, most trusted, most generous comms gurus. She's NOT a fundraiser (that's a good thing). She's from the much-less-forgiving, much-better-tested business and commercial world.

From the in-box...

"About your Dean..."

What's most important: Raising money ... or the approval of the great untrained?

Amanda (not her real name) wanted my honest opinion. At my invitation, she'd attached several appeals, requesting reactions.

Who's Amanda? She's a fundraising veteran who heads annual giving at a university's health foundation. (All true; she raises money for the U's med school and its teaching hospital.)

Here was my response to her just minutes later:

Amanda...

I just took a quick peek at your stuff.

Applying some quick down-to-earth tests developed with psychologist Jen Shang, I can usually tell within seconds whether a letter is built to succeed or built to fail.

This is not as presumptuous as it might sound. "Seconds," after all, is exactly the amount of attention and decision-making time you'll get from most so-called "readers" (since, as you well know, being in the biz: direct mail is skimmed as opposed to closely read).

Here's my assessment of the stuff you sent:

Health research letter, which you labeled "Dean-approved"(BIG red flag there, since untrained deans are commonly the nemesis of effective direct mail): FAILED in seconds.

Health patient care letter, Dean-approved: FAILED in seconds.
Health branded letter, Dean approved: MAYBE. It gets to the offer early, which is generally a good thing.
Cancer follow-up letter? Today I spent a tearful lunch with a 60-year-old husband and dear friend whose wife was at that very moment undergoing 8 hours of chemo. She's the fittest person I've ever met other than an Olympian. Yet their health future is very uncertain (and they have 3 kids). Your letter in their mailbox would score 4 flat tires.

You get the drift, Amanda. No point in wading deeper.

If you're looking, I can supply you with a half-dozen qualified direct mail copywriters who will do their best. They charge good money, as they should ... because they are trying to help your .org raise as much $$$ as possible.

But don't waste their time. As long as an untrained dean is your FINAL approval, this program has no real hope of excelling.

Successful direct mail is a delicate combo of science and art; it's far more emotional than institutions like universities readily accept.

Personally, I don't work with deans. I insist that they stay OUT of the approval process. Fundraising is high-stakes poker. The untrained can only do damage.

Oh, Amanda? One more thing.

Feel free to share my opinion, if you think it might help alter the culture internally ... because it's not MY opinion. It's the opinion of every leading fundraiser I know globally.

With respect, truly, honestly, really, I swear, thank you being in touch

~ tom

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What Amanda wrote back:

Hi Tom,

I want to thank you again for sharing your thoughtful feedback.

I have had a chance to meet with our leadership regarding next steps. For us, removing the dean from the approval process isn’t an option. We will, however, continue to work with his team to educate them on how fundraising appeals differ greatly from the types of letters they are used to sending out.

Our program has greatly improved over the past year, due in large part to data and analytic enhancements. Keeping in mind your thoughts and advice, my hope is that we can also improve upon our letter content this fiscal year.

I enjoyed speaking with you, and again, appreciate your honest review of our current letters.

All my best....

7 quick tests, developed with Dr. Jen Shang:

You TEST: Is the donor front and center?
Easy TEST: Is the narrative easy to consume?
Welcome TEST: Did you encourage the reader to continue?
Heart-Awakening TEST: Did the reader experience something bigger than themselves, emotionally interesting, vivid?
Best-Self TEST: Did your words/images connect the donor to the beneficiaries? Did you reinforce the donor’s self-identity?
Uplift TEST: Autonomy, competence, connection (basics for well-being)
Unconditional-Love TEST: Reader feels great about herself regardless of whether she gave.

PS: Want to learn these tests yourself? They're are taught in an online course developed with the Institute for Sustainable Philanthropy.

# # #

"Donor dominance" ... "THING" or nothing?

HERE. Mary Cahalane does her typically balanced, thorough job unpacking a weird rumor going around that somehow donors "dominate." She's titled her blog post, "Are donors the problem?" My hardened inner skeptic might subtitle her post: "Or have the people hired to fundraise found yet another flimsy excuse to avoid the hard, serious work of making money for their mission?" But that's just me; not Mary. To quote her: "This is a leadership issue.... Most donors don’t behave badly. They don’t expect much from us – and sadly, often don’t receive much."

"The Invasion of America" by Claudio Saunt

HERE. Working up a case for a new Indigenous museum. Writing a case means you try to grow fresh eyes: you visit, you interview, you read. Dr. Claudio Saunt, a historian in search of truth and justice, was a revelation. His latest heart-breaking book. His home page.

3 fascinating questions only your board/CEO can answer. AND their answers will make YOUR fundraising SO much easier!

HERE. Do you already know the amazing, extraordinary Gail Perry: global guru? The Gail Perry Group is full of heavyweights re: capital campaigns, major gifts, strategy & planning. Subscribe to her blog. It's a cave of treasures.

Fair warning: Podcast addiction risk

HERE. Even in the midst of the training cacophony that afflicts today's fundraisers, I ALWAYS make time for Mike Duerksen'sBUILD GOOD podcasts. This particular podcast features Ligia Peña, CFRE (Montreal and global). She speaks about turning monthly donors into legacy donors. (Yeah, that happens a lot!)