A 5x5 Model Webinar Development-Stage 1 Presenters o Ginny Z. Berson o Maxie C Jackson III o June Fox, DEI o Kim McCarson, o Isabel Pichardo December 10,

A 5x5 Model Webinar• Development-Stage 1

• Presenterso Ginny Z. Bersono Maxie C Jackson

IIIo June Fox, DEIo Kim McCarson,o Isabel Pichardo

• December 10, 2012

• 4pm EST

Development - Stage 1

Development - Stage 1

Development - Stage 1

Stage 1• 2 Revenue Streams

• Membership Database

• Underwriting Kit

• Employ "Best Practices" in development

Stage 2• Revenue generation includes

foundations and/or grants

• 2 Development Officers

Development - Stage 1H. June Fox

DirectorDEI Station &

Business Relations

703.759.2221www.deiworksite.o

rg

Development - Stage 1Membership

Program

• Pledge Drives 2x/yro April & October

• Within 48 hours of pledgeo Pledge Reminderso Thank You Letterso Time IS money

• Communicate Throughout the Membership Yearo eBlastso Newslettero Event Invitationso Thanks-a-thonso etc.

Development - Stage 1Renewal Letters

• Use a multi-letter series – at least two letters, but more is better

• Be sure you are asking your donors to increase the donation amount each year

• Code your letters so you can analyze your results

Development - Stage 1Letter Conventions• 12 point type, minimum

• Serif font (courier or times) unless your audience is very young

• Short, indented paragraphs, conversational language

• Ragged right margins

• Signature preferably in blue - black is the second best choice

• A.P.S. that summarizes what you would like the person to do - the call to action

• A responsive device that does not give the member an opportunity to downgrade from their previous membership gift

• Self-addressed courtesy reply envelope

• Simple creative - no more than two colors (black plus 1 primary) and few graphics

Development - Stage 1

Development - Stage 1What Should Your Mailing

Include?

• Carrier Envelopeo white envelope with

your station’s return address

• Lettero one sheet (can be front

and back if you like)

• Response Deviceo separate card or

perforated section at bottom of letter

• Return / Courtesy Envelopeo pre-addressed to the

station, but not stamped

Lapsed Donors

• Send at least 1 lapsed letter per year

• Go back up to 5 years in your files

• The majority of lapsed donors don't know they're lapsed!

Development - Stage 1DATABASES

Allegiance - $15,000+

www.allegiancesoftware.com

MemSys - $10,000+

www.memsys.com

Donor Pro - $2,160/yr + .005/record

www.towercare.com

Gift Works - $600

www.giftworksconnect.com

Donor Snap - $500

www.donorsnap.com

eTapestry - Free+

www.etapestry.com

Be sure to look for discounts via

www.techsoup.com

Development - Stage 1OPTIONAL STAFFING

Station Volunteers

Retired Service Programs

Disabled Citizens Groups

Development - Stage 1Kim McCarson

Executive [email protected]

Development - Stage 1KOOP 97.1fm

18 years old3,000 watts

1800 members150 volunteersstaff: 2 ft, 2 ptMixed format

Share frequency$270k Annual

Budget

Development - Stage 1Looking Back...• No direct mail

campaign

• No guidelines for pledge drive

• No development database

• Slow to send thank you letters and gifts

• Only 1 staff member

• Pledge drive raised $34,000

Development - Stage 1Direct Mail

CampaignIncreased mailed-in donations

Renewals18% increase in renewal income

Ask strings

Lapsed84% increase

Additional gifts90% increase

Very little cost

Printing & Postage costs:

18% of lapsed letter income

13% of end of year addt'l gift income

No Increased cost in thank you gifts

Development - Stage 1Pledge Drive

Introduced pitch practice

Required minimum of 5 pitches/hour

New Incentives:

T-shirts

Benefit Card

Fast Fulfillment:

3 weeks

Development - Stage 1

Development - Stage 1Mistakes to AvoidTaking on too much at once

Trying to do it all yourself

Instead...1 Step at a time

Devise a plan and goals

Decide what you can implement

Determine what worked/didn't work

Delegate!

Development - Stage 1

Isabel Pichardo

WRTU/WRUODevelopment

Coordinator

787.764.0000 ext 15741#

[email protected]

How we developed a “Boricua” Fundraiser effort in Puerto Rico

Development - Stage 1

Radio Universidad WRTU / WRUO FM

On the air since 1980 as a music and information station, we started funding awareness campaign on 1995

Station was seen as part of the Government, so there was no culture of giving and only listeners that had been exposed to Public Radio philosophy at the States knew what a Friends organization was

about.

Development - Stage 11-Person Development Team

As a good example of the above, I need to plan ahead all the stages of the fundraiser…

Theme, music beds, testimonials, premiums, volunteers, food, mailing goods..

The station had never engaged before in asking for support, and in 12 years we have gone from -0- to 10,000 members, active and non active… but still there..

Development - Stage 1Community Engagement

It was the natural first step, to position WRTU as a station committed to support the cultural scenario in Puerto Rico

Provide a forum for local and international musicians, theater, dance, art exhibitions to promote and explain their work to our audience, that we knew had a special interest in cultural affairs.

Community Engagement paid off!

Development - Stage 1Awareness Campaign

Started a campaign explaining the concept of Public Radio. A media tour in major TV and Newspaper was an important part of making the case.

Letting listeners know that even if we were financially founded by the University of Puerto Rico and CPB’s funds, the listeners will have the opportunity to help support the station.

Started with a major fundraising concerts in 1996, that helped finance the next steps.

Development - Stage 1Preparation & Training

Not even staff was fully convinced

it was a good idea!

CPB training was the key… as part of the Stable Revenue Project we had a consultant that gave us guidance in different areas.

Participation in the NFCB & PMDMC conferences gave us perspective. We are not alone!

Invested in the MEMSYS database to be able to organize the donations and track them…

The best investment!

Development - Stage 11999: 1st On-Air

FundraiserSelected special related music

premiums, books among with station goods…

Have staff and volunteers ready and relate them to the process…

Make every show sound like a special, the Festival ambiance is contagious to the public.

We started a Monday… and a Hurricane showed up!!! So we tide it up next week, and it was a huge success!!! Always something is going to happen, shake the dust and keep asking!

Development - Stage 1Plan, Prepare, and

Repeat

Make sure musicians, performers and artists show up at the station during the campaign.

Pledge reminders should go out in 24 hours

Encourage listeners to use their credit cards and invite them to make multiple pledges during campaign!

Use the web page to let people know the atmosphere at the station, photos, Facebook, Twitter and other social media.

Development - Stage 1Lessons Learned

WORST NIGHTMARE- NEVER offer something that you do not have on hand!

Avoid people showing up during the Festival to pick up their premiums!

WRTU’s Shopping Network- Don't get carried away with premium offerings- make it simple

I confess, we never do a renewal series, we renew two times a year, during OAF Campaign… until next year! I'm planning on that!

Development - Stage 1We participate in different ways;

making sponsorships, trades, co-productions and public service announces to countless activities in the year.

We receive exposure, logo presence, tickets and Cd’s or books for future premiums and regular giveaways to the audience.

We place our promotional booth, distribute promotional material and collect names, addresses and emails for our prospects lists.

We reinforce communication with our listeners through social media.

Not Fundraising...

Be Visible

Development - Stage 1

Special Project/Events

Concerts produced by us, or for us… Income and exposure!

Professional recording studio used in co-production of full production of Cd’s in exchange of Cd’s as premiums and special presentation for the RadioAmigos. Even got a Grammy nomination!

“Jazz, arte y amigos”- Art exhibition for the station programming fund.

Development - Stage 1Fundraising is a

Continuing Relationship

Let them feel that the station enriches and helps transform their local cultural sphere.

Our programming and the community support for the arts are worth the investment

As we interact with our community, we become their partners, and they will become our supporters.

It’s all about value… Our role in the community is greater than our airwaves…

Development - Stage 1