You are in the business of raising funds for your mission. You should have a method of collecting names from every resource to encourage readers, visitors, event attendants, and members to go to their next level in their commitment to your organization. How you promote your organization is integrally tied in to your level of success.

How to re-think that campaign:
1. Assess your current promotional efforts. Is your website fluid? Is it current? Are you posting progress every month and celebrating your milestones?

2. What does your website look like? Is it vibrant, does it look inviting?

3. Are you cluttering up your message? People like stories, not the same old stuff. How focused is your website on people?

4. Are you thinking people, not necessarily patrons? Yes, you want people who visit your website to eventually become a believer and join. How are you leading them to water?

5. Do you have the means to potentially collect the names of the people who visit your website? What are you doing with those names?

6. Are you giving them emotional experiences, or flat ones?

7. Are you encouraging them at every possible venture, to participate somehow in your programming – either through a short news blast, a special promotion or an update?

8. If you stage events, are you inviting your reading public? How? What about those names you collected?

9. Do you have plans for external communications, your regular monthly media blasts to the general public through the media that celebrate your milestones?

10. Do you have an "official" spokesperson, or is it anyone’s game? Do volunteers have the authority to speak on behalf of your entire organization? How about dissenting committee or board members? Will they speak on your behalf to the press?

Take these questions and answer them to chart a new course to fundraising success. For a complimentary fundraising assessment write me at kayte@bestprincipledsolutions..