Ketchum’s 2009 Top Questions
Tuesday, December 1st, 2009
At Ketchum, we receive a lot of questions from nonprofit organizations about fundraising, the economy, giving recovery after the recession and even more. We’ve put together a list of the top most frequently asked questions for 2009, and here are Ketchum’s answers.
Frankly, they will not. The economic events of the last 18 months have changed people and organizations. These changes cannot be reversed. However, the Giving USA Foundation does provide some excellent analysis showing how long it typically takes for giving to start growing once a recession ends. That analysis can be found here.
And before we start pining for the good ole days of 2007, consider this: the Fundraising Effectiveness Survey shows that most organizations were losing 5 donors for every 6 donor they were acquiring in 2007. It showed 6 for 6 in 2008. So even in 2007, most fundraising programs had significant donor retention and stewardship issues. Click here to see the survey report.
At Ketchum, we know that it is time for better than normal methods for acquiring donors and keeping them engaged. As part of the Pursuant group, we are helping organizations re-think their entire donor spectrum in order to maximize the lifetime value of every donor.
Of course, if you have a compelling case for support that shows donors how they can make an impact in other people’s lives, their communities, the world, etc. then you need to move forward. Ketchum is helping many organizations discover the best path for securing important philanthropic support now, both within and outside the structure of a campaign.
Ketchum is helping organizations understand their strengths and weaknesses and recognize that what is working for others may not work for you. Yours is a unique constituency that has its own reasons for supporting your organization, Ketchum can help you embrace and build upon that.
Perhaps this history suggests that a better question to ask is “is there anything we can do to fundamentally change the level of generosity in this country?” At Ketchum, we believe there is and we welcome the opportunity to work with organizations that are passionate about their causes and truly wish to engage a larger constituency in important missions.
The issue of metrics in development is an important topic these days. Ketchum has participated in numerous discussions with nonprofit leaders about how to create better tools for measuring the real impact of investments in development personnel and resources. Year-to-year comparisons do not fully capture the ROI especially when you consider that most transformational gifts institutions receive are the results of years of cultivation, not months. (For an example, read about the genesis of a $150 million gift that was 10 years in the making)