The begining entry for.....Blogging – Welcome to the Geiger Counter

I have been with Blackbaud for six plus years and in the nonprofit space for fifteen years plus.  During my travels, I get to meet and work on the front line with lots of different types of fundraisers, marketers, advancement services teams, technologists, strategy agencies, and industry partners.  It’s interesting work!

Over the past few weeks I have been out to visit several customers and have gotten to participate in the annual Blackbaud conference in Philanthropy.  The one question that seems to be on everyone’s mind and folks are chatting about – what is going to happen with the economy.  The idea of doing more with less rings true.  What’s different about it this year?  Perhaps how the question is answered – typically we hear – tighten the belt on overhead, change in fundraising strategy, etc.  One of things that I would put forward is to think about making every constituent interaction count.

What does that mean?

• Collect pertinent data every time you connect whether it be an outgoing touch or a constituent calling in.  What do you need to know to best segment your constituent s into groups that they relate to?
• Invest in the transaction. Make sure to tailor the process and the message for the group. The investment in a deeper segmentation needs to be maximized by the investment of what you are messaging to them.
• Strengthen your ties.  Remember to say thank you – thank you for being a long standing member, thank you for your participation, etc.-  it’s not always about the ask