Episode

Maybe 2020 was a banner year for your fundraising. Or, maybe it was a year to forget. Either way, how should you approach donors in 2021?

Inbox, mailbox. Same thing, as far as many of your donors are concerned. So how do you make sure your fundraising message is cohesive across the two mediums? Ryan and Steve explain easy ways to do it–and why it’s vital if you want to survive in the future. 

2020 was the year of the virtual event. 2021 will probably have a mixture of in person and virtual events. But the playbook for a successful event is the same, no matter what kind of event you’re throwing. 

So you’ve bought into the need for your leader to strategically reveal things about them…but now what? How do you even start? Ryan and Steve go through the steps of how to make your leader jump off the page and be there with your donors when they read your mail or email.  Also: Ryan continues

Have you ever felt like you’ve made a huge mistake when agreeing to something? Steve did at around the 8:45 mark in this episode he agreed to do. You’ve probably heard the fundraising phrase, “People give to people”. It’s true, but not just about the people (or animals) your organization is trying to help. “People

In this episode, Ryan and Steve talk about why email shouldn’t be a fundraising afterthought anymore.  Also: In Mail Call, Ryan reviews an email he got that seemed like it was from a friend Easy things to test in your emails If you’re only going to do this one thing to be a better fundraiser,

A couple episodes ago, Ryan and Steve ticked off designers by explaining that good, beautiful design isn’t effective design–now it’s the copywriters’ turn to send in angry emails (to podcast@oneicity.com)! Having the best idea, compelling offer, and attention-grabbing lede doesn’t mean anything if the writing in your appeal isn’t effective for fundraising. That doesn’t mean

Can you have Newsletters that raise significant amounts of money while still engaging donors and informing them about what’s going on at your organization? Yes…as long as it’s easier to read than the example letter Ryan has in Mail Call.  

Getting a gift from a donor is amazing, but it’s even better when you can have that gift matched.  Ryan and Steve discuss how best to talk about matches to donors, and how you can use matches to increase results in both cultivation and acquisition.   Mail Call:  “This month at [organization name]”  Dollar bills

If your organization has been around for more than 12 months, you have lapsed donors. “That’s all well and good,” you say. “But how do I get them back?” Ryan and Steve discuss reactivating those donors, an email data fail, and more. 

Ryan and Steve talk about telling fundraising stories, mail that’s (literally) hard to see, and why you should plan your fourth quarter fundraising now–even it’s April or May. 

Major Donors. You know you need them, but how do you find them? In Episode 2, Ryan and Steve talk about how to acquire major donors…and cooking recipes.