Recommended Content, Layout, and Uses of the Nonprofit Donation Remitance Envelope, And Why

Of the nonprofit donation remittance envelope, (the envelope of any varying legal size included as a donation request on its own, or included in a more formal donation request (such as folded into an annual appeal letter, for example), its design (layout and content) is the most important aspect of this fundraising tool.

We've all seen tons of them.  Remittance envelopes fall out of the newsletter that comes quarterly by postal mail from our favorite nonprofit; or it falls to the floor as we unfold the solicitation letter we received at the end of November asking for a year end contribution to a charity working for a cause we care about.

Let's step back for a moment.  First, what is effective, successful, and professional fundraising?

When we solicit donations from established donors and potential new donors we are not simply asking for money, holding the tin can out with a little sign taped to it that simply says 'give to this charity'.  We know, today, that according to professional nonprofit best practices, the point of soliciting a donation is not to simply raise a buck here there and wherever we can.  Rather, the point in fundraising is to make a compelling case to people, companies, governments, etc. that may (or already do) donate to your organization such that they are not just guilted into giving or are just giving because they get some tax deduction for it.  We engage potential and established donors, we inform them, and make a compelling case to them why our organization is worthy of their support.  We do it knowing (ourselves, as the nonprofit making the request) that first, we can not fulfill our mission statement's goals without community support such as donations from the public and other entities.  As such, our nonprofits' donors are requisite partners in our effort and in fact, are partners in our organizations' successes and accomplishments.  It is not simply hyperbole or sentiment to thank donors.  Frankly, when a nonprofit says "we could not have achieved organizational success without you, donors" they are not being trite but rather honest and even clear minded.  If a nonprofit does not raise funds, year round, each week of each month, they can not afford their annual operating budget.  The organization that does not raise funds but more importantly, that does not raise partners in order to provide its mission's programs today and in the future is struggling.  I am sure of it.  The nonprofit that understands that its lifeblood is its ability to deliver its mission to the community understands that without its community's current but also ongoing or future support, it is dead in the water or treading and sinking fast.

Nonprofits make a compelling case to a pool of current and potential new donors (who are as determined by professional research to be more likely than just a random group of people to give to this particular cause and organization) explaining why they should give to this particular nonprofit (such as, if it's the case, perhaps it's the only organization doing the work it does; its programs' success rates; its excellent and ethical reputation; 80% (or more) of every dollar raised goes to programs and organizational operations; and its team or staff and volunteers and their credentials, experience, and reputations in their fields).  Too, once accomplishments are achieved, all donors are in relatively short time (perhaps on the organizaiton's website and in the next quarterly newsletter) made aware of the achievements their contributions enabled in the community (perhaps even providing the demographics and service statistics for those served) and the donors are thanked.  They are told in this correspondence that your organization's board, volunteers, and staff know that without their contributions your organization would not have achieved what it has.  Finally, the donors are made aware of what current and new mission based goals (programs) the nonprofit is working on and how they can support current and future work.

So, why even include a remittance envelope at all?

Most of all fundraising is still conducted, today, through direct solicitation such as postal mail requests.  Printing in bulk is not expensive and as long as a nonprofit has a P.O. Box or street address it expects to keep for a while, printing up thousands of donation remittance envelopes (as included in the overhead or expense portion of the fundraising budget) is a small cost compared to its donations (or income) return rate.  Track it and see, if you don't want to take my word on it.  What's more, remittance envelopes (especially postage-paid ones, and using the U.S. Postal Service Nonprofit Bulk Rate when possible) are very convenient and economical modes for donors to submit contributions, right when they are asked for a donation (such as in an appeal letter).  When Susan P. Jones or Abraham Z. Smith receives your nonprofit's request for support, he or she can just write a check and pop it into your organization's included remittance envelope and then drop that into the mail on the way into work the next morning.

You may think, 'Arlene, you were saying that the design of the remittance envelope is all important, earlier?'

Yes, it is.  Here's why.  A remittance envelope (like any contact whatsoever with any potential supporter of any kind of your nonprofit) is an opportunity.  The donor, as they go to fill out the remittance envelope, will also be reading the questions you ask of them, in it; or will be made aware of other ways they can both further their contribution (when possible) or support your nonprofit in other ways IF YOUR NONPROFIT MAKES THEM AWARE OF THESE OPTIONS.  This is where layout and content in the remittance envelope become powerful.

Of course the design or layout of the envelope must be uncluttered, clear, and pertinent.  Space, of course, no matter what size remittance a nonprofit uses, is limited.  So, all of its content must only be that of the highest likelihood to produce a donation and repeat support.  This content, it just so happens, tends to also be the information that is the most helpful and informative to the donor. Click on the following image for an excellent example of pertinent and helpful content for the donor and organization:

All Rights Reserved.  Arlene M. Spencer.

When looking over the content that I've recommended, above, consider the potential donor to be someone that is interested in the cause your organization serves, and is interested in seeing the community continue to receive the services or products your nonprofit provides to your community.  Think of the potential donor as someone who is genuinely interested in your organization's welfare and further success.  If they wish to support your agency, then ask them in the remittance for the help you need, but too, let them know in what vast many different ways they may support it.  They may not know that these are the many different options they have to help your agency.  They may always say "no", of course - but at least they've been made aware.

Important things to keep in mind in the remittance's design:

__ Obviously, on the outside of the envelope you'll print your organization's name and mailing address.  You'll also include a box that either provides pre-paid postage or requests a postage stamp be affixed in the postage spot.  Finally, you'll include at least four blank lines in the return address spot.

__ Both inside the envelope flap, and on exterior of the envelope under the flap, is where the above information that I suggest in my graphic can be placed (obviously omitting what you wish or adding what you wish, such as maybe the demographics of the population your organization serves, or the reason why your organization's work is necessary, etc.).

__ What is key - especially since you do not want to be printing and then re-printing remittance envelopes (except in important instances, such as the change of the organization's mailing address, of course); remember not to put organizational information on the envelope that will become outdated quickly.  For instance, if you include the budget breakdown for your organization's operations for 2012 on the inner envelope (to demonstrate to the potential donor how well the organization is run and where each penny of every dollar raised goes - which of course is great content in the actual appeal letter) then you'll need to recycle any of the remittance envelopes with that information on it in 2013 and after!

__ Also, please keep your donor's need for privacy in mind.  In all places on the remittance where you request their contact or other information (wherever you provide a prompt for them to fill in) - be sure that the envelope flap covers it while it's in transit back to your organization through the mail.  Otherwise, people will not respond with information filled in. 

__ As such, be sure, too, that the adhesive strip that secures your remittance envelope will neither cover up (and seal over) or expose any of the donor's filled in information after they've filled it out and then sealed the remittance envelope to mail it back to you.

__ Finally, but not of least importance, the United States Postal Service provides information and suggested guidelines and helpful tips to nonprofits or other organizations that are having remittance envelopes printed up for regular postal use.  See their USPS Quick Service Guide 201c Courtesy Reply Mail guide.  It's helpful and I recommend you look at it, as you design your remittance, as well. 

Once you have your template submitted to your printer, they will offer to give you a sample or draft of a single remittance, per your design, if you wish.  I would take them up on it BEFORE authorizing the entire order be printed so that you can take that sample to one or two local Post Offices.  Actually ask a post master there what they think of the proof and if there are any changes they'd recommend or problems donors may have mailing them back to you.  Do this.  It is worth the time it will take to do.  Do it before you authorize the entire remittance print order.  This ounce of prudence can save your organization and its donors frustration, time, money, and your organization's professionalism will remain in tact.

No Nikola Tesla Museum Exists in the U.S., Yet - But A New Nonprofit Is Hoping You'll Help Change That

I am a Nikola Tesla fan.  Always have been since I learned about his ground breaking electrical inventions and his life. 

So, I was pleased when I read this weekend the article Nikola Tesla museum campaign earns $500,000 online in two days in the The Guardian U.K (U.S. Edition, article by Adam Gabbett, August 17, 2012).  I had no idea any of this was afoot and so, I thought I'd 'pay it forward' and help the effort by posting this post.

Tesla was a Serbian born in the Austrian Empire in 1856, who in June 1884, by virtue of his extraordinary engineering talents, came to America to to work for Thomas Edison.  Tesla invented the alternating electrical current and in 1894 demonstrated short range wireless electric communication: each were firsts.  Tesla wanted to provide the world with free wireless electricity (and in 1900 was going about doing it, beginning to build the Wardenclyffe Tower to transmit it worldwide), much to his former boss and contemporary's frustration. Thomas Edison, of course became an industrialist/tycoon through the sale of his electric devices.

As students, today, learn American industrial history, Thomas Edison is an inevitable topic while Tesla is usually simply not mentioned if not actually avoided, relegated because of his obscurity to something like a mystic or cult phenomenon - which is ludicrous.  By virtue of Edison's economic success and Tesla's eventual failing health and poverty at the end of his life, Nikola Tesla's discoveries were lost to most.   The historic and scientific canons of thought (and therefore history) did not consider him as important in the story as the light bulb baron.  Yet, Tesla's discoveries and contributions to the industrialized world and even our lives, today, cannot be denied.  This man and his contributions should not just be properly lauded - a museum is just the kind of public outreach tool that would rightly clarify prior misconceptions (and erroneous assumptions about a man whose only apparent misdeed is failing to become an industrial tycoon) and instead properly get his inventions and contributions known to people, and eventually taught in the classroom.  A museum would do the trick.  Yet, no Nikola Tesla museum exists in the United States.

Where would this museum most properly be located?  Where Nikola Tesla, himself, worked - his own laboratory, that he bought in 1901 in upstate New York, which still stands today - and is now up for sale for $1.6 million.  The State of New York has promised a matching grant of $850,000 to purchase the land, to the 501(c)(3) nonprofit working, now, to build the museum, Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe (New York) if the other $850,000 can be raised from the public (eh hem, you and I).  Hence, The Guardian's article about the museum campaign - which is more than on track.  The Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe, the nonprofit working to create the museum, is raising more than hoped by this time.  It's getting a boost by none other than Internet cultural phenom, The Oatmeal .  His fundraising is being done through Indiegogo of which he is giving the museum 100% of the contributions he receives.  Donors can also give to purchase the land (and eventually to build the museum) through the museum's PayPal page (via either credit or bank cards or a PayPal account), or this same museum web page provides the mailing address if donors would rather postal mail checks, money orders, etc. to the museum itself, to contribute. 

If you have a spare $5 (which doesn't come cheaply, today - I know) and believe in educating the public about those who have contributed to human scientific achievements and to our quality of life, today - or if you just like scientist geeky types - then please give.  It would be good to know that the $5 that could admittedly buy you a treat like a latte with all of the fancy trimmings instead went to insure that people, today and tomorrow, learn factually about a critically important grandfather of modern day science and electricity.  If you do give, I thank you.  I hope to visit that museum!

Contribute Assistance For Victims of Hurricane Irene

American Red Cross's Hurricane Irene Web Page

The Humane Society of the United States's Work With Hurricane Irene Victims

Results of Foundation Center Study on America's Foundations' Level of Granting Given Today's Tough Financial Times

This Thursday I sat in on a Foundation Center "Outlook On Foundation Giving" webinar given by Steven Lawrence, the Senior Director of Research at The Foundation Center.

The Foundation Center conducts studies on various aspects of philanthropy, throughout the year, annually, and provides the findings in published reports, such as the Foundations Today Series.

Thursday afternoon's webinar was based on The Foundation Center's Foundation Growth And Giving Estimates Current Outlook 2008 Edition.

The good news is that according to their findings, The Foundation Center reported that:

"Although the economic outlook has worsened in 2008, findings from the Foundation Center's annual "Foundation Giving Forecast Survey" suggest that foundation giving will continue to grow in the current year. Overall, more than half of respondents expect to increase their giving, with the biggest foundations being most likely to expect increased giving." [The Foundation Center's Foundation Growth And Giving Estimates Current Outlook 2008 Edition, Key Findings page]

According to survey responses, in 2007, American community foundations increased their giving the most of all types of private foundations (other types include: family foundations, corporate foundations, etc.). Community foundations gave nearly 14% (13.9% estimated unadjusted for inflation) more donations, in the 2006 - 2007 fiscal year, compared to the previous fiscal year. [The Foundation Center's Foundation Growth And Giving Estimates Current Outlook 2008 Edition, Page 7]

Their findings indicate that foundations are increasing their donations (grant making).

Lawrence shared in the webinar that foundations determine their fiscal year's grants budget based on a rolling average of their assets over various numbers of previous fiscal years. Half of the respondents projected their grant giving based on the previous year's asset performance. One third based their giving on their assets' performance over the past two years, and the largest foundations based their grant budget on their assets' performance over more than previous two years (e.g. 2.5 years or more).

Finally, it was interesting to learn that while The Foundation Center, over its years of studying giving trends, has found that American foundations do not decrease their giving during years later to be determined national recessions; they do decrease their giving a year or two after a year of inflation, nationally. This may be good information to inform your grant raising strategy for your upcoming fundraising (or development) plan for fiscal budget goals to come.

If, later, 2008 is deemed a year of national fiscal recession (as we can suspect), the findings indicate that foundation's grant making will not decline, and in fact, will increase.

What Motivates Giving?

Jason Dick, blog author of A Small Change - Fundraising Blog, is hosting the February 2008 Giving Carnival (group blog session). Jason asks a great question of anyone who would like to either email a response to him or blog about it on their blog, and send Jason the link (he will post all of the responses that he receives on Monday, February 25th. Be sure to return and read others' responses and respond to them. Let's get a dialogue going!). You can join us and respond at infosmallchange at gmail dot com by January 21st.

If you can not join us this month, in the discussion, you can join the Giving Carnival group blogging sessions (once a month) to blog or simply email a response to various philanthropy questions. We always need hosts, too. Becoming a member of the Giving Carnival Google group by clicking the link. We would love to have you when you are able to contribute and respond.

Jason asks, "What motivates giving? Is it compassion, good fundraising, desire to make a difference in the community? What is it?"

As is often the response, I say, 'it depends'. Here's the dirt...

Individuals give because they are affected by a cause or issue, they believe that something can be done and that the nonprofit sector provides viable solutions, and because they have located a nonprofit providing a solution that they believe in, towards the issue, and the nonprofit is effective, reputable, successful, transparent in its operations and reporting, well run, and accessible. I wrote more about today's savvy, less whimsical, individual donors in my post A Shift In Giving: Proactive Philanthropists Instead of Passive Donors Nonprofits do not just get to pass GO while being handed donations for the year. Today, nonprofits must meet a real need in our community, address the need successfully, operate efficiently while reporting honestly, and must work with the community and its resources - rather than trying to be a lone agent. Results are everything today.

Families, trusts, community foundations and their members, and foundations give because they have amassed a lump sum to dedicate to the issue(s) that also concerns them. These entities exist to give. It is arguable that, as legal 501(c)(3)...etc. organizations, they give because it is federally mandated that they give a specific percentage of total holdings, annually. It is also sometimes the case that these kinds of philanthropists are set up for the tax benefit. I do not believe that these are the REASONS, though, that most charities are set up, or why they give. I think that families, trusts, community foundations, and individual foundations give because someone saw a need in our community and again, believed that the nonprofit sector, specifically, could provide effective solutions.

Private foundations give for very specific reasons. Often private foundations are set up to support a singular specific cause, organization, or the private foundation only accepts grant applications by invitation (and does not accept applications for grants from just anyone). For instance, some private foundations are set up to singularly fund one hospital. Or, other private foundations only give to organizations serving one religion and its work. Other private foundations may be set up to support a single private school.

Donors are researching how to make the greatest impact in our communities and this post links to a recent published study that discusses this phenomenon at: Yet Another Example of Donors Expecting Results; Non Profits, You Can't Just Take the Money and Cross Your Fingers Anymore

To determine what foundations are looking for and why they engage with nonprofits by donating read Grant Writers, Get an Inside Peek On Where Our Foundation Donors' Heads Are which highlights Judith Rodin, President of the Rockefeller Foundation, interview on Charlie Rose in which she talks about what one of the most preeminent foundations in the world looks for when donating.

A more general, overarching discussion on why grant donors give is at Why Do Donors Give Grants At All?