We hope to see you at our next Thursday Workshop:

Topic: Identify, Focus, Promote: Three Planned Giving Strategies to Enact Right NOW
Date: Thursday, November 19 from 1-2 pm EDT
Presenter: Sally Boucher, Client Service Manager at WealthEngine

Successful organizations succeed and even thrive in poor economic conditions not by cutting back on fundraising investments, but by focusing them more strategically. Because major and planned gift donors are often the most loyal and committed to your cause, and because they may be amongst the least affected by the vagaries of the current markets, now is the perfect time to review your planned giving strategies.

This workshop will cover three opportunities to enhance your planned giving program:

1) Identify and rate your best planned gift prospects
2) Focus on those least hurt by the financial market upheaval
3) Promote gifts that appeal to donors when times are tough

To register for this and other free workshops, please visit: http://www.wealthengine.com/pub/workshops.jsp

The New York Times’ annual Giving section includes over a dozen articles, essays and charity profiles on fundraising and philanthropy. One particulary interesting article, “New Fame for the Everyday Donor”, describes how, given the current economy, charities are rethinking their fundraising strategies to focus more intently on smaller-level donors found through direct mail, online giving and social networking.

“It’s easy to be drawn to the multimillion-dollar donations, but we’re doing ourselves a disservice by not elevating the stories of the working mothers and fathers who also contribute what are significant amounts to them,” says Eugene Cho from the nonprofit, One Day’s Wages.

At WealthEngine, we routinely hear stories of the $25 donor who, through proper prospect identification and cultivation, later became a major donor. We also hear how our Propensity to Give (P2G) score helps to prioritize and segment donors and prospects across multiple campaigns–major gift, direct mail, special events, etc. Now is great time to embrace and plan your 2010 cultivation approaches for the “everyday donor.” Let us know if we can help!