Mid-level giving: 3 tips to keep donors engaged

Mid-value giving is a largely underdeveloped area of fundraising. This is because charities tend to focus on acquiring donors and locking in major donors.As a result, mid-level donors get left on the back burner, which is a shame, as they’re a vital part of the fundraising mix.In this blog post we're going to look at why mid-level donors are important and what you can do to make them feel loved.But first, who are your mid-level donors?This answer is different for every organisation, but as a rule, your mid-level donors occupy the space between your largest average gift and your smallest major gift.You’ll need to do some number crunching to figure out who they are.Why are mid-level donors overlooked? Mid-level donors tens to be overlooked as they account for a small amount of a charity’s donor base (around 5 - 10%). And yet they can contribute as much as 40% to 50% of an organisation’s annual revenue.This is why it’s important to keep them engaged.Here are three easy ways to do it:

1. Establish personal relationships

As mid-level donors account for a small percentage of your donor base, you can afford to go the extra mile with them. So, rather than write an email, pick up the phone and have a good old-fashioned chinwag. Find out why they give to your organisation. Thank them for their continued support. Tell them about upcoming events and update them on charity news.Remember, you want to build long-term relationships with these donors. How you treat them now is crucial.

2. Offer exclusive benefits 

If you want your mid-value donors to stay engaged (and increase their donations), make them feel important by offering them exclusive benefits.For example:Private tours/meet-and-greets: What better way to see the impact of their donations than a tour of your facility/projects and meeting some of your beneficiaries?Quarterly conference calls: Why not host exclusive conference calls or webinars you’re your mid-level donors, to update them on charity news? You could talk about recent projects/initiatives, fundraising events and share success stories.Public recognition of donations: Whether it’s a shoutout on social media, or a name-drop in your newsletter, your mid-value supporters will be grateful to receive public acknowledgement of their generosity.

3. Plan events with your mid-level donors in mind 

As you plan your fundraising calendar, be sure to factor in a couple of events for your mid-level donors. You’ll have intel about the sort of activities they enjoy from your conversations with them.This will give them a chance to connect with one another and meet charity staff and volunteers.Every personal touch point will strengthen your relationship with them and keep them engaged with the cause.Looking for talented fundraisers to lead on your mid-level giving strategy? Give us a call on 0203 750 3111.

The Fundraising Regulator: Should your charity register?

If you work in the third sector, you’ve probably heard of the Fundraising Regulator. But what is it? How does it work? And should your charity register with it?

What is the Fundraising Regulator?

The Fundraising Regulator is an independent organisation that provides accountability and sets fundraising standards (such as the Code of Fundraising Practice), for organisations in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland to follow.

Scottish charities are primarily managed by the Scottish Charity Regulator.

The Fundraising Regulator also maintains the Fundraising Directory and investigates complaints made about fundraising and fundraisers.

Do charities have to register?

It’s voluntary to register with the Fundraising Regulator, but it’s good practice to do so, as it shows your charity is committed to legal, open, honest, and respectful fundraising.

Once registered, charities agree to follow the Code of Fundraising Practice.

How do charities register?

Applying to register is quick and easy. All you have to do is fill out a form on their website and they’ll do the rest.

In terms of the registration fee, it depends on how much you spend on fundraising each year. If you spend less than £100,000, it’s £50. If you spend above that, the fee is higher, and there’s a yearly fundraising levy on top to keep the Fundraising Regulator running.

The costs are listed on their website.

The Fundraising Regulator has plans to increase these costs in the coming years, to better support fundraisers, but they will still be tiered, meaning the amount you pay depends on your fundraising budget.

What are the benefits of registering?

Once registered, you can use the fundraising badge (an icon that says ‘registered with the Fundraising Regulator’) on all your fundraising materials. This is a great way to demonstrate to the public that you’re a trustworthy and legitimate organisation.

Considering charity scams increased during the COVID pandemic, it’s more important than ever to show potential donors that their money is safe in your hands.

As well as the badge, every charity registered with the Fundraising Regulator is added to their Fundraising Directory.

Corporates often check the directory for charities to support, so registering could bag you a partnership.

Registered charities can also access fundraising support, training, and advice. Some of it is generic and available for everyone, but some can be tailored directly to your organisation. Either way, it can help you level up your fundraising potential.

Looking for fundraising talent? That’s our area of specialty. Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 or email info@bamboofundraising.co.uk to find out how we can help.

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The importance of databases for small charities

Data is an invaluable asset for charities.

How do you store yours?

Word documents? Excel spreadsheets? Post-it notes?

Hopefully, the answer is ‘none of the above’ and you’ve invested in a solid database that’s accessible, user-friendly, and simple to navigate.

But, some charities still rely on these archaic methods to collect and store data.

In this post, we’re going to dive into the reasons why databases are important for small charities and look at the pros and cons of some of the most popular CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems on the market.

But first things first.

What is a database?

A database is a computerised system that makes it easy to search, select, store, and update information. They can be used for all sorts of reasons, but charities tend to use them to:

• Store data about staff, employees, donors, suppliers, and volunteers

• Record and track donations

• Streamline fundraising activities

• Track grant applications

• Manage gift aid

• Generate thank you letters for donors

Why are databases important for small charities?

Having all this information under one virtual ‘roof’ can help charities improve communications with supporters, volunteers, and other teams within the organisation, and better target their fundraising campaigns.

And the benefits don’t stop there.

Here are three more reasons to invest in a database.

Accessibility

Having all your data in one place makes it quicker and easier to find the information you need.

Who has the time to shuffle through 92 pages of Excel sheets to find a phone number?

Consistency

A database makes it a lot easier to make sure you don’t have numerous records for the same supporter.

Optimised fundraising

Successful fundraising campaigns don’t just attract new donors. They retain existing ones.

Considering it less to retain than to attract new support.

A well-managed database containing key information about your donors, such as the number, amount, and frequency of their donations, can help you optimise your fundraising efforts.

You’ll know how and when is best to approach them and how much they can afford.

This will ensure you don’t alienate them by asking for too much, too often.

Pros and Cons of Database

Now we’ve clarified why a database is important, let's look at some of the systems used by charities – and the pros and cons of each.

Raiser’s Edge

A cloud-based fundraising and donor management tool built specifically for charities, Raiser’s Edge is used by charitable organisations around the world.

Pros

• A well-known brand in the CRM (customer relationship management) market

• Multifunctional and highly customisable

Cons

• The system requires time and expertise to set up

• It’s pricey

Donorfy

Popular with small UK charities, Donorfy is a simple, user-friendly contact database.

Pros

• Easy to use

• Free for small charities

Cons

• Lack of customisation options

• You need to upgrade to access the bells and whistles

Salesforce

One of the big players in the CRM world, Salesforce is an all-in-one solution designed to help you attract and retain donors.

Pros

• Wide range of customisable features

• A trusted resource, used globally

Cons

• It’s complex to set up and configure

• The cost makes it less viable for small charities

Lamplight

Another popular choice for small charities, Lamplight is an all-in-one database system built to support charity operations.

Pros

• Designed specifically for small charities

• An established brand in the sector

Cons

• Complex modular pricing system

• Setup requires professional assistance

Final Word

So, there you have it. We’ve delved into the importance of databases for small charities and looked at some of the options on offer.

Are you looking for fundraising talent to manage your database? Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 to start the conversation.

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How Charities Can Combat the Impact of Recessions

It won’t have escaped your attention that everyone in the UK is feeling the squeeze right now. Energy prices have soared, the cost of filling your car with fuel has skyrocketed and the weekly grocery shop has gone through the roof.

UK inflation hit a 40-year high in July and is expected to rise an extra 13% in October.

To combat this, the Bank of England has raised interest rates to a level not seen in 27 years and warned that the UK faces a recession that will last until the end of 2023.

However, it's not all doom and gloom.

The charity sector was hit hard in the recession of 2008, and it bounced back. This time will be no different.

How did the 2008 recession impact the third sector?

Back in 2008, a global financial crisis brought about what has become known as ‘The Great Recession.’As a result, charitable donations in the UK dropped by 11% and charities large and small experienced a reduction in income at the same time as a rise in demand for the services they provide.

Government funding dried up and organisations that had come to rely on this income stream had to find alternative sources – fast.

To be fair, many of the charities that relied on statutory funding had known for years that they needed to establish a ‘Plan B’ but hadn’t done so.

If there’s one positive to take away from the situation, it’s that the recession made them take action, by accelerating changes that were going to be made anyway.

It was hard. But they survived.

So, what can you do to ride out the recession and minimise the impact of future recessions?

Maintain Communication

Communication is key – in good times and bad.

Maintaining visibility is as important, if not more so, during times of hardship. Donations may decline, but people will still give to the causes they care about, albeit in smaller amounts.

What's more, the dip won’t last forever

.You want your voice to remain heard, so you don’t lose out when things pick back up.

Diversify Your Revenue Streams

From large-scale donors and private investment to public events, government grants and legacy giving, there’s more than one way to add to those coffers.

Give yourself options. Don’t focus your attention on one- or two-income channels.

Form Partnerships

Get together with like-minded charities with similar missions and fundraise together.

After all, half of the pie is better than none of it. And many hands make light work, as the saying goes.

Remember though, that trust is vital for partnerships to be successful. Don’t jump in with both feet before researching potential partner organisations first. Choose the wrong one and it will be more detrimental than beneficial to your cause.

Final Word

These are just a few actionable ideas for charities to combat the impact of recessions and come out the other side shining.

If you need recruitment assistance or advice on effective hiring during the current cost of living crisis. Give us a call on 0203 750 3111.

Recent Posts

Chasing Salaries: The existential threat to career progression

Before we get into this topic, I think it’s worth setting out our stall at the top. Here at Bamboo HQ, we believe that fundraisers are worth their weight in Francium (the most valuable element- see ya’ later gold) and should be remunerated as richly as reasonably possible.

But, if salary becomes your only guiding light when making career decisions, the risk is that one day, you’ll find yourself in an unfulfilling, going nowhere role…

There are two main reasons this happens:

1. Selling your skills, rather than building them

Salaries are less competitive when you have as much to gain from the role, as the charity does from hiring you. It’s simple supply and demand.

If I’m joining Save the Children’s corporate team to build strategic, global partnerships in a non-leadership position, I am probably being paid less than if I were setting up a major donor programme for a small charity from scratch.

This is because the former know they have a lot to teach me, and that working for them will make me a more valuable employee, whereas the latter know they have nothing to teach me and need my expertise.

This is fine if you’ve finished growing as a professional, but not if you’re still climbing the ladder.

2. Golden handcuffs

Chasing salaries will almost certainly get you way above the market average for your level of experience, but there’s a risk you’ll be promoted to the limits of your competence. You’ll have been selling your skills rather than building them, for a while and you won’t be as competitive when you’re next looking for a role.

This can place people in the highly uncomfortable position of having to consider a heavy reduction in salary to secure the roles they’re interested in, which is often something they’re unable to accommodate once they’ve adjusted their lifestyle.

Career progression v salary

These problems occur when your plan for your career becomes secondary to salary expectations.

Of course, you should push to be valued to the greatest extent possible, but within the context of a role that fulfils your long-term career aspirations.

To fulfil your potential, we’d advise the following:

Speak to people who’ve achieved what you want

You might be someone who has their career mapped out and knows they want to be Cancer Research UK’s Director of Fundraising one day, or you might know you want your next role to be in international development.

It doesn’t matter how well-developed your plans are - find someone who has already done what you’re looking to do (LinkedIn is a fabulous tool for this) and ask if they’ll meet you for a coffee. Ask them how they did it, and what they’d suggest you do to accomplish the same.

Have clear aims for each career move

Before beginning to explore new roles, have a clear idea of what your non-monetary objectives are and don’t compromise on them, regardless of the salary on offer.

If you’re looking for a role where you’ll work on international projects, (on multi-country partnerships), don’t settle for an international role where you’ll be working on traditional charity of the year partnerships because the high salary helps you rationalise it.

These sorts of compromises might result in a higher salary now, but at the cost of even higher salaries in the long term.

I know what you’re thinking: ‘Why would I listen to a recruitment consultant? Of course, they’re going to tell me to accept a lower salary’.

Okay, you don’t have to listen to me, but what about those who have been there and done it? Here are two real-life accounts that highlight the pros and cons of salary chasing:

“I was there during the major donor boom in UK fundraising when the new wave of philanthropy came over from the US and the majority of UK charities were looking to build out teams. I was incredibly fortunate to have previously worked at a US University and was receiving plenty of lucrative job offers.

In the end, I settled on a small charity with an extremely fundable proposition, with no track record in major donor fundraising. I felt that the strength of my experience would allow me to build the fundraising platform quickly, and resolutely demonstrate my impact.

Unfortunately, it involved 3-years of painstaking work, often fielding internal arguments whilst I embedded the lessons and learnings from my previous role. I was extremely proud of what we had achieved, but it was small fry compared to what my peers were achieving. I felt like I was playing catch-up as the techniques, approaches, and language had changed so much around me.

In the end, I had to take a salary drop to take on a more junior role with a larger charity, as they were unconvinced of my ability to work with their larger donors, due to the smaller, less well-developed programme I had been working on.

I now have the job of my dreams, but that misstep cost me about 2 – 3 years of career progression and I always warn my team against similar choices. Fundraising is a valuable, misunderstood, complex area of work and there are charities who will dazzle you with salaries to have you solve their problems for them, but they aren’t thinking of your long-term prospects. You have to be the guardian of your own career.”

- Director of Partnerships & Philanthropy, International Charity

“One of the best things I ever did for my career was make a series of sideways moves. It helped me accomplish what I wanted to in the long-term.

My first boss in fundraising was a phenomenal fundraiser and leader, who went on to become Director of Fundraising for one of the UK’s largest charities.

He was a keen teacher and sat down with me one day to map out my career ambitions and what my plan was for getting there. I wanted to be Director of Fundraising for a charity having impact within my local community one day and he pointed out that my progress through high-value fundraising left a gap in my knowledge around individual giving, community, and events, which form an incredibly important part of the puzzle for smaller charities.

He convinced me to take a sort of high-value fundraising sabbatical, to make a series of sideways moves into these areas of fundraising to broaden my experience. I spent 4 years exploring these other areas, before returning to high value.

This experience has proven to be invaluable. Earlier in my career, it provided me with perspectives my colleagues didn’t have, and later it gave me the breadth of experience I needed to secure the Director of Fundraising job I had coveted.

In the short-term, I probably fell £5k behind my peers in the salary stakes, but in the long-term, I have gone on to get the leadership role, while many of my peers have become stuck as expert leaders within their chosen income streams.”

- Director of Fundraising, Local Homelessness Charity

Final Word

When making career decisions, try to focus on your future pension pot rather than tomorrow’s bank balance. The future you will thank you.

If you’d like to discuss your next career move, get in touch on 0203 750 3111.