The power of thanksWhen was the last time someone sent you a hand-written letter of thanks? For me, it was a few minutes ago. I was tickled pink. Literally.
I received it from a thoughtful staff member at a social impact organization where I volunteer. She had to have returned to her desk after the function we attended yesterday, written the note and popped it in the mail. That realization alone made me feel really special! We all know we need to say thanks, and say it often, but how many of us put this into action? I know how this made me feel – warm and fuzzy, appreciated and recognized. It reminded me why I volunteer there, and gave me a renewed sense of loyalty to their mission. How are you making your volunteers feel? Laura Mikuska · Time to think about your legacyDo you have a valid and up-to-date will? Yes, I’m talking to you. Not about donors leaving your organization a bequest. We all need a will that sets out our wishes after we die, including who gets what part of your assets and who will be asked to be executor. It’s really important to do this while you are able and to not put it off until it’s too late and the division of your legacy is left to strangers or squabbling relatives. Think, too, of your own legacy and which social impact organizations have meaning to you. You may not be able to give large donations while you’re living, but you, too, can make a huge impact through your estate. The Winnipeg Foundation, along with the Manitoba Bar Association and the Public Guardian and Trustee of Manitoba, is presenting the annual Will Week May 2 to 6, 2016. Take advantage of a host of seminars to learn how to create a will, update your existing will and how to arrange for charitable giving in your will. The Winnipeg Foundation is also holding Bequest 101 sessions in May and early June. So, if you have a will that represents your wishes and creates your legacy – wonderful! If not, now’s the time to act. Julie Mikuska.
· Canada Helps donors more generous – what that means for youThe AFP Foundation for Philanthropy released the results of its biennial survey of Canadian donors in March entitled What Canadian Donors Want. For the first time this year the foundation partnered with CanadaHelps, a national social impact organization that promotes charitable giving in Canada, and provides a portal for charities’ online giving. They surveyed CanadaHelps donors and compared their giving behaviours to the general population. Some interesting results:
What does mean for your organization?
The survey results have lots of fascinating details on donors’ actions – I recommend you check them out. There’s also a recorded webinar discussing the results, along with the presentation slides. Do you know what your donors want? Julie Mikuska · Moving…onI received an appeal from a large organization this week. Notwithstanding how awful the appeal was, what struck me first was the fact that they sent it to my former address. I haven’t lived there for almost 3 years. People move all the time. Many of your donors are among them. If you expect to maintain a relationship with them, you must make an effort to make sure you’re sending your appeal to their current address. There are ways to do this:
By not making an effort to check contact information, not only do you lose money on mailing costs, you also risk losing the donor. That’s why I’m moving on. Laura Mikuska · |
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