At Effective Creative, we’ve all directly experienced what an effective philanthropy programme can do. Academic scholarships, philanthropic donations to the arts and the investment of time and sponsorship from generous patrons have been critical in enabling each of us to embark on the paths that led to our work today.
Major donors have also become increasingly critical for charities of all sizes. They make up an increasing percentage of all charitable giving, they provide the funds for long-term and ambitious planning, and when other forms of giving decline during economic downturns they are what ensure non-profits can continue their vital work.
So for both personal and practical reasons, we are particularly passionate about helping charities build effective philanthropy programmes.
INSIGHT: Your time is your department’s most precious asset
No other form of charitable giving is as dependent on relationship building and personal stewardship as major giving. This means the largest gifts to charities cost the most in staff time to secure.
That’s why our strategic decisions and creative assets are designed to free up you and your team to spend more valuable time with your donors.
Templates aren’t cheating
From scheduled mass emails to design heavy assets like impact reports and personalised proposals, communicating in a way that feels personal is incredibly time consuming. Clever templating is the solution.
Its value begins before asset creation. That’s why we provide record keeping templates; to empower your team to gather and store the information about both donors and programmes that will make every interaction feel special. With the information required to make each donor feel personally connected to your programme efficiently captured in those records, they can then be used to craft powerful content.
We create effective philanthropy communications and assets with blocks that can be swapped in and out seamlessly to tailor for each donor, from the bank of specific content options inspired by donor and programme records. This means that even the most complex asset can feel entirely personal to the donor, and be entirely manageable for you.
IMAGINATION: Effective Philanthropy is the art of the unexpected
When milestones roll around, it’s the gestures, messages and gifts from those we’re closest to that have the capacity to truly delight us. In those moments, our loved ones are uniquely placed to show how well they know us, as well as how much they care. They can wrap something which only they would know is the thing we’ve been dreaming of, because they’ve listened, remembered and searched so carefully.
We constantly strive to find ways to delight your donors at every turn, and we do it by supporting you to share, creatively, the things that really matter to them, which only you can offer.
What to give and when to give it
Our effective philanthropy strategies create moments that will stick with major donors by applying what you know about them and their hopes, and reflecting this back in personal and meaningful ways that no one else can.
Once we’ve co-created those perfect gifts, messages and moments, our work isn’t over. Then we have to effectively schedule them because every successful communication is a product of getting two things right: the message and the delivery.
Our communication calendars are built around two separate streams: scheduled communications and responsive communications. The first ensures donors receive the right quantity of contact and updates, at times and intervals which will suit them without becoming predictable. The second creates those moments which make a major donor feel connected and grateful to you, proud of their impact and certain to deepen their commitment.
IMPACT: Theirs is yours
Every philanthropy professional really works for two different groups. Sure, you work for your charity, but you also provide a vital and indispensable service for your donors.
When it works, a major giving programme is a win-win proposition: the charity receives vital funds for its programmes, and the donor is provided with a way to achieve their goals. These individuals have the personal ability to have a marked impact – and they tend to want to know exactly what that impact is.
However, this can lead to overinvestment in facilitating hyper-agency. Though attractive for major donors to feel a sense of control over how their significant donation is spent, it limits charity impact by bringing in hugely restricted funds, and limiting your team’s potential by requiring onerous feedback.
It’s a journey, not a destination
Major donors don’t read a single message and write a cheque! That’s why our effective philanthropy acquisition strategies and campaigns are about creating a compelling and fluid journey. One that excites prospects by the opportunity to join a powerful collective, aligns your programme’s mission with their values, helps them imagine the impact they personally can create over time, and shows them the experiences and treatment they can expect as a valued member of the programme.
That journey continues once they’re on board, and you need space for them to choose their own adventure without requiring a personal guide to go entirely off piste! There are loads of ways you can give your donors the feeling of choice and control whilst still ensuring that your charity or foundation’s experts can use funds where they will have the greatest impact. That’s why our strategies are filled with ways for donors to have a meaningful say in the programme and its direction, which don’t limit your ability to have a meaningful impact for your cause.
If you would like to add any more insight, imagination or impact to your philanthropy programme please do get in touch at hello@effective-creative.co.uk