How to Create a Progress Report to Your Major Gift and Legacy Supporters

How to Create a Progress Report to Your Major Gift and Legacy Supporters

Published

From time to time I come across a really great post that I'm compelled to share! Here's one of them: 6 best practices for delivering progress reports to your major gift and legacy supporters. Follow this link to see examples of really good progress reports and how to construct them.

We talk so often about ways to update and inform our stakeholders but too often we're not quite sure how to do it - or how to make it interesting and very readable. Your supporters want to see what you’ve done with their money; and they're likely to make additional or increased gifts if you share that information with them. Here are the posts 5 best practices for delivering fundraising progress reports:

1. What’s this all about? Remind them who you are and how you are connected. Don’t flatter yourself. You and your mission are not the only things on their minds. They are busy. Remind them (briefly and succinctly).

2. Tell them where you stand right now. Be specific. Timelines are terrific. Use them. Show them what’s been accomplished and what still needs to get done.

3. Use pictures to tell the story. And remember to add captions! People love captions!! Videos are even better than pictures. So, if you have ’em, use ’em.

4. Enable a response or conversation. Make it easy for them to continue the dialogue with a survey, reply button, links to more information, opt-in forms, download offers, etc. Provide your email and phone number. Don’t hide! Make yourself available and accessible. They deserve access.

5. Keep it simple!!! No technical language. Be “punchy”, informational, educational, and heart-warming. No one cares about your technical gobly-gook! Use charts and graphics, headlines and captions for your fundraising progress reports.

News ARCHIVED | Blackbaud Target Analytics® Tips and Tricks 08/26/2015 5:14pm EDT

Added by Katherine Swank

Check back soon!