It IS Personal

Direct mailer writers always talk about making our mail "personal". For us that means lots of "I, you, we", using a conversational tone, and, quite often, fudging the rules of grammar a bit. But the other day, a couple of things happened that reminded me that there is another way to keep things personal -- something it's all too easy to forget in this day and age of social media connections and conducting business by e-mail.

First, I ran into an acquaintance who runs an arts organization. She was thrilled because her group had just been notified that they were the recipients of a big grant. I congratulated her, and she told me this story:

"You know, we thought for sure we were out of the running this year. The group giving the grant just announced they were eliminating arts funding! So when I got word, I immediately called them up to say 'thank you'. The man in charge of granting the awards told me that he had gone against the new policy specifically for us because he remembered meeting our Executive Director and having a great conversation with her at an unrelated event. Personal connections really do count!"

Do they ever.

A similar thing happened to me a couple of months ago. A client I'd been working with for a couple of years went through some restructuring. They completely reevaluated all of their old contracts with an eye on reinventing their program from the ground up. I fully expected to lose the business.

But the Development Director called me up and asked that I stay on, one of the few contractors asked to do so. Now, I'm sure my strong work ethic and quality product played a part in that decision. But the tipping point?

I took the time while on a vacation in their city to stop by and meet the gang at their office.

This wasn't actually a calculated move on my part. At the time, I had no idea that they were planning on restructuring. I just wanted to be able to put faces to the e-mail addresses and conference call voices. But those couple of hours out of my vacation paid off.

Those face-to-face connections are important -- maybe even more so now that so many of us do business with people across the country...or across the globe. It might take a little extra time and effort, but the payoff could make it all worth it.

Angling for donors

The other day, I overheard a development professional I know telling a potential client, "I like to let board members have input into all direct mail copy."

My alarm bells went off, and I wanted to jump in and offer all sorts of unsolicited opinions about that. But instead, I decided I'd just save them for you.

Now, he went on to explain that he likes to involve board members so they have buy-in to the direct mail program -- a sort of "We're all in this together, folks!" idea. I am all for inclusion and board buy-in.

In fact, I believe wholeheartedly that everyone involved in your organization, from the board president to the once-a-month volunteer, should know what's going on in the organization and be able to communicate that.

But.

A few years ago, I wrote a letter for an organization run by a very respected, very intelligent scientist. He was widely published in prominent scientific journals and national newspapers and magazines. He was a great writer, and he hated the letter I wrote for them. Ripped it to shreds. He deplored the overly emotional tone and the use of 2nd person point-of-view. He was adamant that his donors would see through such a hackneyed ask and leave the organization in droves.

Naturally, I was upset. I had worked extremely hard getting the complex technical details in the appeal right and melding those with the kind of impassioned, personal plea I know works in direct mail.

The development staff and I sat down and discussed how to proceed, and eventually, we convinced the executive director to test his approach vs. my approach. The results were definitive in my favor.

Now, this guy was a Ph.D. He had a couple of decades of experience in writing about his subject on me. But he didn't -- at that time -- know direct mail at all.

Unless your board members -- or other people you're asking to read your direct mail copy -- are or have been involved with direct mail before, it is likely that they'll look at a good appeal letter and see all the same things my scientist client saw: hyperbole, simplified language, lots of "you", too much bold and underlines -- things that academic writers are trained to avoid like the plague.

There's a reason hopeful anglers like to hire guides when they go on a big fishing expedition: they want an expert to show them where the fish are and what they're biting on. Rather than tossing their lines out and seeing what happens, they're taking the expert's advice and adapting it to their equipment.

Your direct mail program needs that same care. If you take bits of advice from every angler on the river, you're not going to catch as many donors as you want.

Buy-in is great. But educated buy-in is better. So make sure anyone reviewing your direct mail letters has a good Direct Mail 101 course -- or at least read an article like this one from Fundraising Success -- before they toss in their line. And happy fishing!

The Passion Behind the Ask

"Passionate people are the only advocates which always persuade. The simplest man with passion will be more persuasive than the most eloquent without."

~Francois de La Rochefoucauld

You are the best advocate for your organization.

Which means that everyone at the organization – from the receptionist, to the IT person, to the program staff, to the Executive Director – is a fundraiser.

Daunted? Don’t be.

I’ve been writing direct mail fundraising letters for fourteen years. And as I’ve talked to countless staff members, trying to gather the information needed to produce a blockbuster piece, there’s one question I’ve learned to ask first:

Why are YOU so passionate about this issue/problem/organization?

Because when you’re trying to raise support – whether it’s time, money or energy – for your organization, you’re talking to people. And people want to hear the good stuff before putting that all-important signature on the check.

They want to be moved. They want to feel they can make a difference. They want to connect with their tribe and feel they’re part of something greater than themselves.

And if you’re trying to get their money (or time, or referrals, or anything else), you’ve got to convince them that you can give them what they want. The best way I’ve found to do that is to convey your passion.

That’s one of the things I love about direct mail. It’s personal, it’s impassioned, and it conveys key things about your organization, its mission and its issues in a concise and friendly way. While asking for money!

But that ask starts with your passion. After all, a direct mail letter is a personal letter from one person at your organization to one donor. That one donor -- multiplied by the thousands of letters you send out -- needs to sense your excitement about the cause, your commitment to working on it. They need to feel that YOU are absolutely convinced that your organization is the best for the job.

When they can feel every ounce of your passion in that ask, that's when they are most moved to give.

So, what do you love about your work? And why should it matter to the rest of us?

Tip: Photos in Direct Mail

The other day, a client asked what I thought about using photos in direct mail. I sat down to shoot off a couple-sentence answer and ended up writing several paragraphs about my experience with photos -- the good, the bad and the complicated.

The next day, I stumbled across this article from Jeff Brooks at Future Fundraising Now, which could have saved me a lot of trouble if I'd found it earlier! I agree with his advice to test, test, test...but here are some other thoughts I shared with my client about photos.

The Good

When you find a photo that tells your story, use it. The story should be clear at a glance, or easily understood with minimal text. Color is best, but black and white or sepia can be effective for some photos. People and animals work better than things.

The Outer Envelope, the Letter and Inserts are the best places for photos. But if you're going for an image on the envelope, it needs to be particularly strong. Remember, your number one goal with the outer envelope is to get it opened, so any photo you use has to be intriguing and compelling. And you need to follow up on that intrigue in your letter copy, or the people who open the envelope are going to feel cheated.

Offering a free gift? Include a photo of the gift. Inserts are great for this, and you see many organizations put the premium photo on the OE. But be careful that you're not over-selling the premium to the detriment of the organization and your cause.

MercyCorps is one organization that uses photos well, as is NRDC -- check them out.

The Bad

I have been involved in testing photos on OEs, letters, inserts and replies. Results were generally either even with no photos, or unimpressive, with a couple of exceptions like those noted above. It would be easy to assume that photos just don't work, but the real story is this: BAD photos don't work.

Photos of people standing around -- even important people -- are ineffective in direct mail. Got a photo of your executive director shaking hands with President Obama? Great! But please don't put it in your direct mail. Landscapes often make beautiful photos, but they're a difficult sell in direct mail...unless they tell that compelling story.

And even the best photos are no good if you have to run them so small that it's hard to tell what's in them.

Bottom line: if your photo isn't going to entice a donor to give, then you're better off without it.

The Complicated

If you're running the photo in color, that will mean additional printing costs. Be sure to check to see if you need permission to reprint it, and what kind of attribution you need to supply. Using more photos means less room for copy, so if you have a wordy copywriter or an organizational tendency to include a lot of information in your letters, you'll have to remember to cut.

I really do like using photos in direct mail. When done well, they can boost response and give your donors a great sense of what your organization is all about. But it's important to choose the right photo, put it in the right place, and test, test, test!

Three Ways to Keep Copy Fresh

The other day, my 8-year-old asked me what I did at work. Patiently, I explained (again) that I write letters asking for money for organizations that help people. She rolled her eyes and said, "I know that! I meant what did you do today?" I told her that I worked on a letter for one of my clients. She heaved a big, 8-year-old sigh and said, "Yeah...but, well, do you just write the same letter over and over?" Nearly every time I sit down at the computer and stare at the blank screen, it feels like a brand new mountain to climb. There are new facts to learn, new victories to share, new programs to ask for money for. Most of the time, I feel energized by the work that I do. Each letter is a new opportunity to delve deeper into an organization's mission and to find new ways of telling their story.

But everyone has days where work feels like, well, work.

And one of the most important parts of my work is making sure I don't write the same letter over and over. Believe me, donors can tell when you're phoning it in. They know when your copy is less-than-inspired, and they respond by NOT responding.

So how do I keep it fresh each and every time?

1. Micro-editing. Like all writers, I have words and phrases I favor. Organizations have those too. I combat all that boilerplate with aggressive line-by-line editing. A stronger word or a more active phrase can liven up even the most lifeless copy.
2. Read it aloud. A direct mail letter is a personal letter from one individual at your organization to one donor. It should sound like that person talking to a friend. When you read it aloud, you can hear those boring recitations of facts for what they are: turn-offs. Bonus -- you can also spot the complicated turns-of-phrase, the too-long sentences and the just-plain-awkward asks.
3. Turn it on its head. Say something unexpected. Use a metaphor or simile that no one would anticipate. Ask a question that cuts to the heart of your issue (and leads the donor right to where you want them to go). Take advantage of literary techniques like assonance and alliteration. Make a pun. Unleash your creativity and see where it takes your letter. (You can always cut those bits that don't work out, but taking the risk is bound to pay off now and then!)

I told my daughter a few more details about the letter I was working on that day -- for an environmental organization -- and it led to a great dinner-table discussion about conservation and natural resources. The next day, I heard her telling one of her friends, "My mom writes a lot of letters, but they're not all the same, even though it kind of sounds like they could be."

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Tip O' the Moment

Lapsed Donors

Lapsed donors -- people who haven't given to you for 24+ months -- are some of your best prospects for giving. But you need to figure out how to treat them.

Some organizations continue to mail them Renewals or send them a particularly strong appeal, hoping to lure them (or guilt them) back into the fold.

But I like to put them into a Prospecting mailing with a specially tailored package that acknowledges their relationship with you but also has a more aggressive "sell" of the organization -- reminding them why they joined in the first place. This segment routinely performs double that of an outside list.

The package does require a few tweaks:

• Make sure you address them as a supporter or Member. No "Dear Friend" for these folks. Let them know right up front that you know who they are.
• Citing victories in your letter? Thank them for their past support that made those victories possible.
• When you're telling the story of your organization, acknowledge that they have heard it before. You may remember... or As you well know... are great introductory phrases that let that lapsed donor know they're remembered.
• Don't ask them to join; ask them to re-up and welcome them back into the fold.

Consider lapsed donors as estranged family members. They're still part of the family...they just haven't been around for dinner in a while. Reach out to them, remind them of those special family recipes they might have missed, and invite them to come on back.

What are your tricks for bringing lapsed donors back? Please share them in the comments!

Tip O' the Moment

Signing the Letter

Sometimes, who signs a fundraising letter (or e-mail) can be one of the most contentious points in planning a direct mail campaign. Which is funny because my answer is very, very simple.

The signer -- and there should only be one! -- should always be the person with the most name recognition on the particular issue you're addressing in the mailing.

So why is this very simple thing so complicated to put into practice?

The reasons are endless. A nonprofit might have two figureheads (a President and an Executive Director, say) who both feel they should be the ones signing letters to donors. Or it could have one leader who is very well-known for one specific issue -- even though the organization is working on several issues -- who insists on signing everything. A nonprofit might have oodles of celebrity support, but be afraid to ask for celebrity signers. And on and on.

Organizations should consider each letter they send out as a new opportunity to bond with their donors. Which means they should think carefully about what issue will do that and who the best person in the organization is to address that issue.

In an organization with a particularly strong or charismatic leader, it might be that leader every time. In an organization that has two distinct audiences -- say an activist human rights group with a strong education program -- there may be one leader who is perfect for addressing the activists on the list, and one for the education supporters.

One environmental group I work for has a celebrity -- in this case, an actor well-known for his environmental advocacy -- sign a letter for them a few times a year, while the executive director signs everything else.

Above all, your letter should always have only one signer. Remember, fundraising letters are personal letters from your organization to your donor. They should speak directly to that ONE donor, person-to-person. And they can't do that if they're signed by two people.

Ten Questions That Can Reinvigorate Your Fundraising

Wake Up!

Now that we're seeing some sun in Portland, I'm ready to wake up and revitalize my creative and business efforts. Each day I spend a few minutes thinking about what's working, what's not working and what could I do even better.

Before the heat of summer does you in, try taking a similar ground-up look at your fundraising program.

Here are ten questions you should ask yourself -- and (better yet!) several people in your organization -- that will reinvigorate and refocus your fundraising program:

1. In 25 words or less, what does your organization do? By limiting yourself and your colleagues to 25 words, you get at the essence of what your organization does, the chewy center that hooks your donors and makes your work real to them. If you're on the ball, you've already got a great elevator pitch worked up. That's the kind of answer you're looking for here.

2. What is your story? Everyone at your organization should know your story -- how and why you were founded, what initial obstacles you encountered and what successes spurred you on, how you got from those beginnings to where you are today. Think of a traditional story arc and try to tell your own story in that way.

3. Who is your customer/donor and what distinguishes him/her? In order to craft a compelling fundraising letter, you need to know who you're writing about and who you're writing to. The same is true for your entire program. What kind of people benefit from the work you do? And what kind of people think that's important? Look at your donor file -- how old is your average donor? Male or female? Where do they live? How much money do they make? How much education do they have? Target your letter to your donors as much as you can for the best results.

4. Why is this work so important, and why are you passionate about it? This is the emotional core of what your organization does, the gut-punch that moves your donor and inspires him or her to give. Use as powerful language as you can muster -- don't hold back!

5. What problem are you trying to solve and what steps are you taking to solve it? Here's the meat of your 'Ask' -- the very reason for your letter to the donor. Be as specific as possible here. Will a $20 gift provide lunch for 5 underprivileged students for one week? If you have more than one problem to tackle, write them all down. You may not use all of them in every fundraising effort, but having them on hand will help in the future.

6. If you could have unlimited funding to do one thing for the organization/constituents, what would it be? We all have those "If I won the lottery..." fantasies. Well, here's where you consider what life would be like if your organization won the lottery. You won't include all of this in any one letter, but it's an important exercise to dream big. What specific things could you and would you do if you had unlimited funds? Show your donors your vision, and they just might show you a larger gift than usual.

7. What does your work accomplish? For you personally? For one constituent? For many constituents? For the world? Donors want to hear that their contribution is accomplishing something important. Include a personal anecdote about a time you were moved or inspired by something your organization did. Tell the stories of people whose lives your donors have impacted through their gifts. Tell them how their support is changing the world!

8. Have you gotten feedback from constituents/donors? A couple of well-placed quotes from people who have experience with your organization can add a huge portion of credibility to your fundraising letters. Ask volunteers why they like being involved with your work, conduct a donor satisfaction survey, and write it down every time one of the people you help says a heartfelt thank you.

9. What is one big success you've had? One failure? Your successes add credibility to your organization. They show that you are able to do what you set out to do. Remind your donors every chance you get that you have a track record to accomplish what you're asking them to fund. And while you may not want to include a failure in a letter to a donor, understanding failure and the opportunities that come from it is critical to your success.

10. What are the barriers to your success and how do you overcome these obstacles? It's not always fun to sit down and think about those things that hold us back. But your donors want to hear that you have a clear view of the task before you and a strong and innovative plan to accomplish it.

Whether you've got a new development officer or consultant to acquaint with your work...you need an overhaul of your fundraising efforts...you're trying something new in your direct mail or online fundraising...or you just want to inject new spirit into your fundraising program...answering these ten questions can help you reinvigorate yourself and your organization.

How do you recharge your fundraising? Any tricks I should know about? Please share them in the comments!

Tip O' the Moment

Write to ONE Person

This is true of ALL your Direct Mail communication -- heck, all of your communication with your donors, period -- but don't forget that a fundraising letter is a personal letter from ONE person in your organization to ONE donor.

Yes, most of your donors will get the same letter, but when you're writing it, don't think of your donors as a mass group of anonymous sacks of donation money.

One of my clients keeps a photo of a kind-eyed senior citizen above his computer to remind him who is reading his letter. He calls her Verna, and whenever he crafts an ask, he imagines how Verna will react.

You, too, should write to your own Verna, the one person who stands in for your entire audience of donors.

In these days of e-mail and Facebook, the art of letter-writing is waning, but try to think about how you would ask an old friend to support your cause.

Would you give them your official mission statement and a bulleted list of accomplishments and leave it at that? Or would you ask them questions, remind them of shared experiences and explain how important it is to you, personally, that they support this cause? (Hint: it's the latter!)

One simple trick for making a letter personal is to write the first draft starting every paragraph with I, You, or We statements:

• "I know you are someone who cares about the future of our planet."
• "You are no doubt aware of the growing gap between the rich and poor in this country. But did you know..."
• "We never back down from a fight we believe in!"

Above all, when you're writing fundraising copy think more about what your donor gets out of supporting your organization, not what you get from their support.

It's Not You, It's Them

I recently sat in on a client meeting where a small group of program staff and fundraisers started talking about the "competition." They were worried that another group may have scooped them on an issue, and they were brainstorming ways for their organization to stand out. The day before, I had read a post from The Agitator about the 60:40 rule of fundraising.

So it all got me thinking about competition and the nonprofit world.

The idea is nothing new in the business community, where entrepreneurs are encouraged to find their niche and stake out a spot where they can stand out from other companies doing or selling the same thing.

I can’t argue that that’s not a valuable exercise, or that you should never compare your organization to the others out there who are raising money for the same cause you are. It is critical that you understand your place in the market and the unique services that you offer.

But for a nonprofit organization, you need to take another step. Because your fundraising is not about you and your organization. It’s ultimately not even about the people, animals, places or things that you serve.

Your fundraising is about your donor.

Once you define your organization and its niche, you need to look at how your methods, goals and mission align with your donors’ values.

How can you make your donors feel like they’re supporting the only organization out there capable as acting as their proxy in solving a problem? Sure, there are a lot of environmental/animal rescue/poverty-fighting/health organizations out there. They may even be working on the same issues you are. So why should your donor support yours? What are you doing for them?

Want to go even further? Engage in Social Fundraising. Give your donors a space to share why they support your organization. Use your Facebook page or the comment section of your blog as a space for them to tell their story of support.

It’s easy to get caught up in looking at your organization on the inside. But for a non-profit, it’s critical that you walk in your donors’ shoes. Understand what motivates and inspires them. Know why they give. And remind them every chance you get.

When you can do that, you really will have a leg up on the 'competition.'

The Three R's of Copywriting

There are hundreds of books out there that can teach you about the principles of great copywriting. But I find there are three simple rules -- The Three R's -- that I turn to time and again when I need a little creative jump-start. Make Your Writing Relevant

Nobody wants to be mailing an issue-based appeal on the wrong issue. So if you are an environmental organization mailing on conserving public lands, you don't want your letter to hit two weeks after a major oil spill.

Chances are, you're already paying attention to news relating to your mission (and if you're not...well, you should be!). So make sure to apply that news to the copy you're writing for your donors. Because if they're interested in your mission, they're probably paying attention -- at least in a small way -- to that news, as well.

If you know a relevant vote is coming up in Washington DC, try to time your mail to hit when news about that vote hits. If you have a newsletter featuring an issue you want to mail on, let the newsletter hit first so that your issue is already in the minds of your donors. And if a major news item happens to hit just as you're preparing your letter to go out, make sure you acknowledge it (at the very least) in your communication with your donor.

Above all, make your mailings relevant -- to your organization's mission, your donor's hopes and fears, and to the world happening outside your front door.

Make Your Writing Readable

Most of us have heard -- and some lamented -- that newspapers aim for their reports to be written at an 8th grade reading level. That's probably a pretty good rule of thumb for direct mail fundraising letters, too. Use simple, short sentences and easy to understand vocabulary.

But it's not just the way the piece is written that makes it readable. It's also the way you put that text on the page. Short paragraphs rule in direct mail -- normally no more than 4-5 lines. Toss in a couple of one-line paragraphs.

Try double indenting paragraphs you especially want people to read.

And I've said this before, but it bears repeating. Highlight your most important points, including your Ask. Use bold, italics, strikethrough or underlines to add emphasis. Ask your graphic artist to circle deadlines or other points that are tremendously important.

Anything you do that makes your letter easier to read is going to help push your donors through the letter and on to the reply form...and to their gift.

Make Your Writing Relatable

Remember, direct mail letters are personal letters from one person in your organization to one donor. Sure, many donors get that same letter, but you should always have one specific donor in mind as you're writing. One copywriter I know keeps a photo of Edna, "his donor," above his desk to remind him to always write specifically to her.

Sprinkle lots of I's, You's and We's into your copy. Remind your donor that we're all in this together. Reveal a personal hope or dream of the signer's that relates to your organization's mission. When donors see that there are real people behind the curtain, people who share their values and aspirations, they are more likely to give the first time and to stick with you for the long haul.

These personal touches, making your organization and the people who run it relatable, draw people in. Remember, it's much harder to say "no" to a friend than to a faceless organization.

Remember these Three R's as you're drafting your fundraising letters, and you'll have letters that work harder for you and your organization.

Need more examples? Have more questions? Post them in the comments!

Donor Communication...It's Elementary.

I'm on information overload! This is a photo of less than two weeks of communications from the elementary school where my daughters go, not including those papers that disappeared into the uncharted nooks and crannies of my 8-year-old's backpack. And it doesn't include e-mails.

When you've got this much information coming through the house -- and that doesn't include the mail, newspapers and magazines, emails, Facebook messages, Tweets and texts -- you have to prioritize.

I've developed a system that keeps my head above water. When I get the daily stack, I always manage to find time to look at my kids' drawings, read their paragraphs and listen to the new songs they've learned. That's important to them, and so it's important to me.

Next up are the sheets of paper with obvious deadlines. Anything that says, in great big letters, "Sign this or your kid will be left crying in the cafeteria while the rest of the class skips off to the zoo!" gets my attention.

And that leaves the rest of it. Volunteer opportunities. Plant sales for other classes. The name of the kid who won the spelling bee. The PTA meeting minutes. Upcoming events and festivals.

Most of that third group never even gets read before I recycle it in an effort to find the surface of my dining room table.

So. What does my kids' school's communication issue have to do with your nonprofit? Well, I'm pretty sure my neighborhood school isn't the only group out there throwing everything they can at their constituency, hoping to get a few responses here and there.

The funny thing is, most schools would never communicate with their students this way. Teachers know that if you want kids to act, you have to give them simple, direct instruction, uncluttered by distractions and without too many options. The same is true for your donors.

Your donors have priorities, and for many of them, that does not include reading every word you write for them. (And as a copywriter, I hate to even think that!) Try these tips for more effective donor communication:

Make it easy for them to see what you're asking them to do. Highlight the important text with bold, italics, underline or even by circling specific words and phrases in the copy. Indent ask paragraphs and other copy that summarizes your main point. I keep wishing that the school newsletter was divided into action sections so I could easily see what I need to do.

Use urgency to get them to act. Deadlines work. If you can't put a specific deadline on your campaign, use language that conveys the importance of acting immediately. Highlight these passages to enhance their effectiveness. When papers from school come home with deadlines, I can put them in date order and tackle them as they come up. No date? I guarantee it will get lost to recycling before I deal with it.

Appeal to what you know is important to them, not just what's important for you. To do this, you have to understand a few things about your donors. Why did they give to your organization in the first place? What do they hope to accomplish with their giving? You may have to spin some of your needs to make them appealing to your donors. But keep their interests in mind when you're writing to them if you want them to respond to your communications.

Bonus tip: If you can use segmentation to identify those donors who give to specific campaigns (but not to any other asks), you can focus their mailings specifically on the issues that interest them and personalize their mail to acknowledge their dedication to that issue. I don't have a kid in the fourth grade, so I find it endlessly irritating to receive reminders about the 4th grade talent show. Know your audience and cater to their needs and interests.

Focus for Success. If your idea of a good direct mail package includes a letter about your education program, a planned giving brochure, a petition for an activist effort, and a fridge magnet advertising your annual festival, you can't blame your donors for feeling overwhelmed and confused...and for tossing your package aside. Keep your package simple and focused on one major issue so your donor doesn't have to work so hard to understand just what she's supporting with her gift.

Now, my kids' elementary school doesn't have a communications director. Their primary directive is educating my children, not ensuring I know what's going on. So I cut them some slack.

And I know that many nonprofits can't afford full-time communications directors either. Indeed, you might feel that your main objective is your mission, not making your donors happy. But informed donors are donors who give, year after year. They make your mission possible.

It's in your best interest to engage everyone at your organization in an effort to communicate with them as effectively -- with respect for their time, energy and dedication to your cause -- as you can.

How does your organization minimize communication clutter and maximize giving? Please share your ideas in the comments -- I'd love to hear about them!

Whoops! Recovering from Mistakes

Mistakes get a bad rap. Sure, everybody likes to talk about learning from mistakes, and there are many, many old sayings encouraging us to shrug off our mishaps.

But I've spent a lot of time in meetings devoted to deconstructing every step of a mistake -- how did this happen? Who did what? Who can we blame?

It's usually clear what happened within five minutes of reviewing the error, but the meetings almost always ramble on for another 45 minutes, assigning blame, shaming the people who messed up, and ensuring that everyone present will be hitting the hooch later on and sighing, "What a day!".

I am all for self-reflection.  Knowing how you got from point A to Disaster Ave. can be a valuable exercise. You can bet I have learned to double-check the latches on my springform pans since the little Thanksgiving mishap pictured at left.

And while I didn't love cleaning out the oven, I did enjoy the scent of pumpkin cheesecake that wafted through my house every time we cooked anything for three weeks afterwards.

That's why I love mistakes. They take you in new directions, give you insights you may not have gotten otherwise, and fuel creative solutions.

Several years ago, a client I was working with made a mistake in their segmentation that resulted in a whole bunch of people who had asked not to receive direct mail getting a special appeal. From an organizational perspective, it was a big mess-up. A few people called up, mad as all get-out that their wishes had been ignored. A few other generous souls gave to the appeal anyway.

The organization sat down and decided to contact the affected donors, thank them for their dedication, apologize for the error, and explain the new procedures that would ensure the same mistake was not repeated. They also gave the donors the opportunity to start receiving communications from the organization again, and several took them up on it.

As a result of the original mistake, they did lose a few donors. But they also streamlined their segmentation process, cemented the support of other donors, and had an invaluable opportunity to connect with a group of donors who had been virtually ignored.

Next time somebody (metaphorically) drops the cheesecake in your organization, go ahead and have the meeting. Figure out what happened and why it occurred. But spend the next 45 minutes talking about what you learned from the mistake and what opportunities opened up because of the error. At least then the drinking will be celebratory.