1. Essentials of Fundraising with
eTapestry
Pam Dechert, CFRE Senior Consultant

2. What are the essentials of
successful fundraising?

3. Today’s session will cover:
What are the keys to successful fundraising?
How is fundraising doing?
Tools in eTapestry to more effectively build relationships and raise more
money for your annual fund.

4. We’ve all got an opinion on
this…
But ultimately successful fundraising comes
down to:
A compelling, strong, passionate mission
your donors connect with;
A relational approach to your donors (it’s
about relationships, not numbers or money)
A vigorous relationship-building program
(which implies the use of multiple
strategies), and
An understanding of the connection
between fundraising and every other
function of your organization.

5. 2012 CHARITABLE GIVING TRENDS

6. MULTI CHANNEL AND MULTI
GENERATIONAL IS THE NEW
NORM…BUT

7. Annual giving – essentials of
fundraising success start here
• New donors start out by giving to your
annual fund
• It is the beginning of donor loyalty (or
not)
• It reaches the largest group of
individuals
• New donors and multi year donors will
increase overall fundraising

8. HOW ARE YOUR RELATIONSHIPS?
2012 FEP Report Takeaways:
 For the first time since 2007, the net giving level was positive and stands in
stark contrast to 2009 during the recession, when the net giving level was
$19—that is, for every $100 a charity gained, it lost $119.
 In 2011, the net giving level was $0, meaning charities lost $100 for every
$100 gained. BUT:
 For every $100 you gained in 2012 from new donors & returning
donors, you lost an average of $96 from lapsed donors and smaller gifts
from current donors.
Fundraising Effectiveness Project: You are or should be opted in!

9. FEP – OPT IN

10. Annual giving – where it all
• New donors
begins start out by giving to your
annual fund
• It is the beginning of donor loyalty (or
not)
• It reaches the largest group of
individuals
• New donors and multi year donors will
increase overall fundraising

11. HOW’S YOUR RELATIONSHIP?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
What is your retention rate?
What is your average gift?
What is your upgrade/downgrade rate?
How do you compare do yourself and others?
Do you have a goal to increase retention and donor loyalty?
How well do you know these donors?
What is a loyal donor?

12. HOW ARE YOUR RELATIONSHIPS?
Do you Benchmark?

13. HOW ARE YOUR RELATIONSHIPS?

14. DONOR RENEWAL AND GIVING
DYNAMICS

15. CAMPAIGN & APPROACH
ANALYSIS

16. CONSECUTIVE MONTHS AND
YEARS

17. •
•
BUILT IN AND CUSTOM QUERIES
TO
Built in: USE
• LYBUNT/SYBUNT
• Top Donor
Custom: All new donors to the Annual Campaign
• Compound query of all first time donors to your Annual Campaign
• All donors this week and subtract out
• All donations before this week

18. HOW DO WE USE THESE TO
IMPROVE RELATIONSHIPS AND
RESULTS?
• Set realistic fundraising goals and donor retention rate
goals
• What if you increase donor retention by 4%,6%,10%?
• Measureable by quarter
• Set regular communications with these constituents

19. HOW DO WE USE THESE TO
IMPROVE RELATIONSHIPS AND
RESULTS?
• Based on these queries & reports; create custom queries to identify key
donors to communicate with and thank for upgraded gift, new
gifts, downgraded gifts.
• Use Mass Update to mass add contacts
• Use Custom Account query to add calendar items
• Segment thank you’s and communications based on these.
• New donor thank you and welcome to your group
• Thank you for being a loyal donor letter
• Thank you for increasing your supports
• Thank you for coming back and supporting us again
• Communicate how their money is making a difference

20. How’s your relationship?
What is the minimum data you require for:
• A donor record
• Salutations
• Address, City, State
• Account Type needs to be
REQUIRED
• Gift Entry
• Campaign & Approach needs to be
REQUIRED

21. How’s your relationship?
• Donor Profile:
• What do you know about the relationship?
• What do know about the donor?
• Do you set regular communications with each donor and track them
in the donor’s record?
• Do you track your informal communication?
• Do you regularly do NCOA updates?
• Do you track volunteering?
• Do you target any of these donors to build a great profile? 10, 20?
• Ask board and staff about information, birthday, interest in your
group.
• Informal and Formal research? Do you assign staff donors to
manage or to research?
• Do we ask them their preferences? Why not?

22. How’s the relationship?

23. How’s the relationship?
Use eTap mobile to add a donor contact!
Use Quick Entry when you are back in the office!

24. How’s the relationship?

25. How’s the relationship?
Use your dashboard to manage it, remind and build those
relationships!

26. How’s the relationship?
• Queries and Reports on the dashboard
• Calendar of Relationship to do’s
• Progress and donors to communicate with

27. To sum up on essentials of
fundraising success
• Starts with building loyalty and Annual
Giving
• You need a healthy relationship that is
built on your mission AND solid
data, analysis, communication to keep
and build a strong donor base that
knows you make a difference with their
help and giving.
• Use the tools in eTapestry to track, build
and maintain those relationships that
lead to fundraising success!

28. Speaker Follow-up Slide
pam.dechert@Blackbaud.com
317.819.7529
For more information, resources,
and conversations, visit:
blackbaud.com/research
npEngage.com