A few years ago, I was trying to drum up participation in our upcoming Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk by hosting a booth at a community fair. I had cheery, purple decorations (purple is the signature color of the Alzheimer’s cause), freebies such as pens and magnets, and lots of information about our walk to benefit Alzheimer’s research and treatment. We also had free informational guides on caregiver stress and brain health.

A lot of people stopped by to sign up for the event or to ask questions about Alzheimer’s warning signs. Others walked by, smiling, but declined to stop. This is typical, because a general audience is going to generate varied responses. But one woman’s reaction to my efforts caught me off guard.

The woman walked up to my booth without really knowing what I was promoting. As soon as I said “Alzheimer’s disease,” she immediately put her hand out in front of her as if to say, “STOP.” She quickly said, “Don’t talk to me about that. My mother had that, and I had to take care of her for 12 years – I don’t ever want to hear that ‘A’ word again.” Before I had a chance to respond, she was gone.

Since then, I’ve had others respond negatively to my fundraising efforts, and overwhelmingly, their reasons have to do with the fact that they don’t want to think about Alzheimer’s disease. It’s depressing to them, either because they’ve watched someone die of it or they’re afraid they will develop it themselves.

Luckily, these people are the exception instead of the norm. Most people are open to the cause because they desperately want to find a cure. Almost everyone knows someone who’s been affected by Alzheimer’s. Even though it’s not an easy topic to talk about or think about, for most people, the desire to put an end to the disease overrides any discomfort with it.

Still, I have a feeling that I’m not alone in this experience. Charity events that raise money to help those with AIDS/HIV or mental illness may face similar challenges. And because of ageism in our society, causes that focus on children may fare better than those that focus on older adults. I don’t have any hard data on this, but it’s just a hunch.

I’d love to see all charity events be successful, and all causes be embraced. But until stigma can be erased, we need to support each other in our diverse efforts. What do you think about how we can overcome stigmatizing barriers? Post a comment below.

When I ran the Southern Utah Alzheimer’s Association, I always made a point to send a thank you note within a few days of receiving a donation; admittedly, though, I used a form letter in my word processing program that I would adapt to each individual donor.  According to an article at fundraisingIP.com, although it was good that I personalized each letter just a bit, I still made the mistake of sending a printed letter instead of a handwritten one.

Handwritten thank you notes are the ultimate expression of appreciation. Of course, this is not always possible to do depending on the number of donors to thank, but handwritten notes show that you took the time to sit down and create something from scratch just for that donor. Donors are also more likely to keep handwritten notes than form letters, which means they may be more likely to keep you on their donation list for next year.

Here are some more tips for writing thank you letters:

Make the letter about the donor, not about your organization. Focus on how generous and thoughtful the donor is, not how great your organization is – that is, unless you’re going to tell donors how their contributions are making your organization better (see next).

Provide details about how the donor’s gift will make a difference in your organization. Donors want to hear about tangible ways their money will create meaningful change, so feel free to elaborate on this aspect of your organization.

Be genuine, but also make it a feel-good letter. If you are sincerely grateful for the donor’s contribution, this is easy to do. Start and end the letter with “thank you,” and write the letter with the goal of making the donor feel good about his or her act of generosity. If the donor is a business, agency, or corporation, consider offering an in-service or other type of benefit if appropriate.

When you take the time to really say “thank you,” everybody wins. What other tips do you have for writing thank you letters? Post a comment to this blog and share your expertise with others.

Awhile back I wrote about how the 2008 Southern Utah Memory Walk was a huge success, both in terms of participants and funds raised. This is fantastic news, and I’m thrilled that the event will help find a cure for Alzheimer’s and provide services to families in Southern Utah who are facing the disease.

Yet even the most successful charity events can be challenging in their own way. Case in point: The Southern Utah Memory Walk Committee anticipated 200 participants on Saturday, November 8^th. Instead, almost 400 people came out for the event! As LuAnn Lundquist, Regional Manager for the Southern Utah Alzheimer’s Association, explained, “We were short on food and shirts, but long on enthusiasm and participation.”

The thing is, if you run out of food and t-shirts, those are good problems! It means your event surpassed even your own high expectations. Don’t beat yourself up if something like this happens at your event. Instead, appreciate the good problems and learn from them for next year.

For instance, if you can only offer continental breakfast for up to 200 people based on your budget and in-kind donations, avoid advertising that a free continental breakfast will be provided. Instead, say something like, “Limited breakfast snacks will be available, but eating before the event is encouraged.” That way, people will know that there’s a chance that they’ll get to snack on a banana or a bagel, but they won’t count on it for their morning meal.

The same thing goes for t-shirts. If you only have 200 to give away, instead of promising a t-shirt to anyone who donates $25 or more, simply say, “The first 200 people to arrive that donate $25 or more will receive a t-shirt” (adjust the details to your own event accordingly). This way, participants won’t count on getting that t-shirt, but they will hope for it and be motivated to show up early.

For most participants, these good problems are minor issues. Strong supporters are there for the cause, not the free stuff, and many already have too many charity event t-shirts to fit in their dresser drawers. But clarifying the details of your event will turn those good problems into solutions for next year.

What would you do in these kinds of situations?  Leave a comment in the box below.

Let’s face it – statistics are dry for most of us. Who wants to look at numbers when you can be out raising awareness and working with others dedicated to your cause? But the truth is that knowing the demographics of your organization and its donors can greatly enhance your fundraising efforts.  Here are some questions to ask that can help you plan for the future:

Who makes up the greatest percentage of your organization’s gifts year-over-year? Individual donors? Corporations? Across the board, individual donors tend to make up a larger percentage of gifts, but it’s important to know these numbers for your own agency.

What percentage of your donations comes from women? According to the U.S. Department of the Interior, women are gradually becoming more likely to give to charity than men. Do you have special fundraising campaigns targeted towards women?

What percentage of your yearly donations is from established donors? What percentage is from new or one-time donors? It’s always best to build up your base of established donors significantly while also attracting new ones.

How much money is raised from each individual special event or fundraising campaign?  Which ones do better than others? Would it make sense to add or subtract events or change their focus?

How much money do you raise each year from baby boomers? According to the U.S. Department of the Interior, baby boomers donate a sizable amount of money compared to other generations. Targeting fundraising campaigns and athletic charity events to this segment of the population could boost your fundraising results significantly.

Although it may seem tedious to dig up these numbers, doing so can help you develop a more informed, targeted fundraising plan. If you already do this, please share other demographic trends that you examine and how often you pore over your statistics.