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See GivingDNA in action alongside your peers in fundraising. Tour the Platform on 5/26/21 @ 12pm CDT.

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It was a rare treat to have donor communications guru and fundraising legend Tom Ahern as a special webinar guest. Tom shared his standing room only talk on “Loverizing: the lucrative difference a few well chose words will make.” If you missed the webinar you can download it here to get all Tom’s tips!

5 Things Tom Ahern Didn’t Get to Tell You

With just under a thousand people joining we didn’t have time to answer everyone’s questions! Tom graciously agreed to answer a few after the webinar ended….

  1. What is the best way to report to our donors?

Often, through every channel you have: print newsletters, emailed newsletters, Facebook postings.

  1. How segmented does our donor appreciation need to be? As an educational institution, our donors consist of a variety of constituencies – students, parents, alumni, parents of alumni, grandparents, corporations, and foundations.

Segmentation is a gift to you. The more you know about them and can refer to that special information, the more targeted your materials are.

  1. Do you agree that there should be an envelope for donors to make a contribution in every newsletter?

Absolutely!

4. What do you recommend for “loverizing” donors in your annual report? We typically list donors alphabetically across several pages.

List them by how long they’ve supported you.

5. Is it likely (or possible) that well-written newsletters could raise more money month-to-month than direct mail?

It’s done by charities all over the country. And has been since the Domain Formula came along in the 1990s.

Want more of Tom’s insights?

Sign up to get his free “tips” e-newsletter His website boasts a free library packed with great examples and critiques. Tom is a prolific writer and author of 5 books, my personal favorite is How to Write Fundraising Materials That Raise More Money: The Art, the Science, the Secrets.

Thanks to everyone who joined us and if you missed it, we hope you will tune in! If you missed it, I hope you will catch it! Huge thanks to our friend Tom Ahern for joining us.