Track 2: Direct Response Fundraising

Deepening relationships with your donors means understanding why, when and how to best communicate your program’s mission, brand, accomplishments and needs.  More importantly, it means gaining a better understanding of ‘who’ your donors are including their interests, patterns of interactions with you and of course giving history.  The sessions in this track will share why, when and how to communicate with your donors at critical junctures in their relationship with you including the prospect and ‘new relationship’ stages, the seriously committed and the ‘please take another look’ stages.  From the tried and true to the new and thought provoking, you will walk away with direct marketing fundraising strategies that will both enhance your donor relationships and enhance your bottom line! - All Sessions Eligible for CFRE Points

THURSDAY (GEORGETOWN WEST ROOM)

Breakout 1: 10:30am – 12:00pm

Are You Listening? How to Keep New Supporters Giving after their Crucial First Gift

Description: It is far more cost effective to retain a new donor than it is to reacquire her, or to solicit new supporters.  That’s why it’s so important that every organization have the best practices in place to convert those first time supporters into loyal donors.  But many organizations find that, sometimes, getting a new donor to make a second gift to their organization is next to impossible.  What motivates a donor to give and how can your organization target and build on that motivation?  The purpose of this session will be to address those highly elusive – but supremely important - first time donors in a way that will keep them supporting your organization for years to come.  Conversion opportunities to be discussed include: thanking a first-time supporter (just thanking!), understanding and speaking to what the new donor wants to hear (and how!), and giving new donors your “all”.

Speakers: J.B. Mantz, Director, Direct Marketing, Mercy Home for Boys and Girls; Steve Froehlich, Senior Director of Direct Response at the American Society for the Prevention and Cruelty Animals (ASPCA); Beth Isikoff, Director, National Account Development, Blackbaud

It’s the End of the World as we Know it – and do you feel fine? (How online fundraising is changing everything, and how to make it work for your organization)

Description: Email and widgets and blogs, oh my! Online fundraising has changed our world forever and for good - but it sure isn't easy. Just figuring out what new technologies are actually achieving results is hard. Even harder is dealing with the way new technologies are shaking up the way organizations function. In this workshop, we'll deliver frank advice and experience about both, and profile one organization that has been there and done that - and is making it all make sense.

Speakers: Madeline Stanionis, CEO, Watershed; Amy Ricigliano, Director, Direct Response Marketing, Planned Parenthood Federation of America

We Miss You: Proven Ways to Bring Back Lapsed Donors

Description: This dynamic session explores several proven methods of data mining and creative packages that can bring back lapsed donors. The featured organizations have all successfully reinstated lapsed people, who have produced a greater lifetime value for the organizations once back on the file. We will look at techniques that apply to large organizations as well as smaller groups and utilize mail, phone and on-line techniques for reinstatement.

Speakers: Lisa Maska, Partner, Lautman Maska Neill & Company; L.Lynn Mehaffy, Account Supervisor, Lautman Maska Neill & Company; Craig Ziskin, Director of Annual Giving at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine; Joyce Grand, Director of Operations for House of Ruth

FRIDAY (JEFFERSON EAST ROOM)

Breakout 4: 9:00am – 10:30am

Minding the Gap: Bridging the Divide between Direct Response and Major Gifts

Description: The standard fundraising model within non-profits has one department dedicated to broad-based fundraising - that which utilizes direct response techniques to raise smaller gifts from mass audiences, and another department dedicated to major gift fundraising - which relies on developing individualized plans for giving based on personal knowledge. Quite often, we are left with a great divide - a gap - for those whose apparent commitment to the organization warrants more than traditional direct response treatments, but are not quite ready for the personal relationship that is forged within the major gifts arena. Minding the Gap is a session for those on any step along the way. Non-profit professionals will discuss the importance of having or building a mid-level donor program, including how to define your mid-level audience, appropriate program structure, direct response and development staff collaboration, communications strategies, migration of donors into and out of the program, analysis and evaluation of the program, and keys to success.

Speakers: Cathy Finney, Associate Vice President, MINDset direct; Donna Adair, Senior Development Officer, Catholic Relief Services; Tricia Reyes, Director of Direct Marketing and Operations, Lighthouse International

Creative Responses to Acquisition Challenges

Description: Your goal is to recruit more donors next year, but without an increase in budget? Postage rates are climbing, paper costs are going up. How do you manage to pull off a miracle? Before you give up hope, come hear about innovative ways to stretch your acquisition budget. We'll identify strategies that can bring impact to your acquisition program without breaking the budget.

Speakers: Jenny Allen, Principal & Vice President, Adams Hussey & Associates; Pete Carter, Senior Vice President, Adams Hussey & Associates; Brandon Hemel, Director of Planning, Adams Hussey & Associates; Sara Tatnall, Membership and Marketing Coordinator, Jane Goodall Institute

Marketing Forensics – Letting the Data Lead You to Growth

Description: Sustaining growth in an integrated fundraising environment can provide incredible opportunities and daunting challenges for non-profits. Understanding the core drivers of growth for your organization is the key to sustained fundraising growth. This session is designed to provide a framework for understanding how to leverage your data to lead you to that growth. The strength of each revenue stream varies based on mission, donor perceptions and even organizational structure. The discussion will review examples of how some organizations are identifying their core growth areas and using data to create a path to growth.

Speakers: Amelia Koch, Director of Membership, Chesapeake Bay Foundation; Kevin T. Moran, Co-Founder & Principal, Integral