October 16, 2011
A Personal Touch Lifts Donations and Helps Charities Save Money
Scott Suchman
The National Symphony Orchestra sent 750 people personal letters asking them to attend a gala. “It used to take four No’s before a donor said Yes,” says a fund raiser. “Now it takes eight No’s to get a Yes.”
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Scott Suchman
The National Symphony Orchestra sent 750 people personal letters asking them to attend a gala. “It used to take four No’s before a donor said Yes,” says a fund raiser. “Now it takes eight No’s to get a Yes.”
Jim Young, the top fund raiser at the Navigators (No. 226), in Colorado Springs, says he took the words of a fund-raising mentor to heart when he made some changes in the way the religious group solicits donors.
“He said that you raise funds by who you mail to, but you get more efficient at raising funds by who you don’t mail to,” Mr. Young says.
Over the past year, the Navigators has cut down on its appeals but raised the same amount or more than it
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