Asking For – And Getting - Increased Gift Amounts: Best Practices For Using Your RE NXT Analytics Or Fundraising Essentials Next Ask Amount Scores

• Move givers below $25 to $25;
• Move $25 givers to $50;
• Move $50 givers to $100;
• Move $100 to $200;
• Move $200 to $250.

• Select all donors that have made a gift in the past 18 months who also have a NEXT ASK AMOUNT OF $1-$250. The objective of this appeal is to upgrade current donors into a higher level of the assigned Next Ask Amount range.
• Then you’ll divide the group into the following sub-groups and CREATE A SEPARATE APPEAL CODE for each group so that you can analyze the results.
  • $100, $75, $50 Ask – current donation is $.01-$49.99
  • $200, $150, $100 Ask – current donation is $50-$99.99
  • $250, $200 Ask – current donation is $100-$199.99
  • $250 Ask – current donation is $200-$250
• Check out the BEST PRACTICES FOR APPEAL LETTERS toward the end of this article and use its advice to craft your solicitation language.
• Use a reply card and offer a REVERSED-ORDER OF GIFT AMOUNTS as suggested above – going from the highest request to the lowest. You can read an excellent article on anchoring ask array amounts here.
• Use the Appeal Performance Analysis Report filtering it on appeal codes so that you see how your STRATEGY ONE TEST letters performed. With results in hand, you’ll be prepared to make changes to your language or ask array amounts as necessary.

• Select all non-givers and all past donors that have not made a gift in the past 18 months who also have a NEXT ASK AMOUNT OF $1-$250.
• Then you’ll divide the group into the following sub-groups:
  • $100, $75, $50 Ask – no donation history
  • $100, $75, $50 Ask – last donation was $.01-$49.99
  • $200, $150, $100 Ask – last donation was $50-$99.99
  • $250, $200 Ask – last donation was $100-$199.99
  • $250 Ask – last donation was $200-$250
• Check out the BEST PRACTICES FOR APPEAL LETTERS toward the end of this article and use its advice to craft your solicitation language.
• Use a reply card that offers a REVERSED-ORDER OF GIFT AMOUNTS as suggested above – going from the highest request to the lowest.
• Use the Appeal Performance Analysis Report filtering it on appeal codes so that you see how your STRATEGY TWO TEST letters performed.

• Select all donors that have made a single gift of $200 or less in the past 18 months that also have a NEXT ASK AMOUNT OF $251-$500.
• You’ll only have one group and need just one appeal code for this test when you analyze the results.
  • $40/Month, $35/Month, $30/Month, $20/Month Ask – current donation is $.01-$200
• Use a reply card or phone call script that offers a REVERSED-ORDER OF GIFT AMOUNTS as suggested above – going from the highest request to the lowest. The ask array makes it easy for donors to increase their total annual giving to between $250 - $500.
• Check out the BEST PRACTICES FOR APPEAL LETTERS toward the end of this article and use its advice to craft your solicitation language.
• Use the Appeal Performance Analysis Report so that you see how your STRATEGY THREE TEST letter or telephone campaign performed.

• Select all donors that have made a single gift of $250-$749 in the past 18 months who also have a NEXT ASK AMOUNT $1,001-$5,000
• You’ll have two groups for this test and need two appeal codes when you analyze the results.
  • $2,500, $2,000, $1,500, $1,000 – current donation is $250-$749.99
  • $2,500, $2,000, $1,500, $1,000 – current donation is $750-$999.99

• For donors with current donations of $250-$749.99: Create an APPEAL LETTER (or leave-behind letter in the case of face-to-face visits) that focuses on one or several specific funding priorities for the organization – acknowledging in the letter what the upgraded gift amount would allow the organization to accomplish.

• For donors with current donations of $750-$999.99: Have gift officers MAKE A PHONE CALL to these donors that first thanks them for their past gift and shares an example of how donations made a difference to one person’s life. Then tell the donor that the organization wants to make the same difference to many more people’s lives. Let the person on the other end of the line know that YOU'RE NOT ASKING FOR A GIFT TODAY – but rather that you’re reporting on the impact that their past giving has had. At the end of the call let them know that you’re sending a letter asking them to consider an upgraded gift and to expect to receive the letter shortly. Thank the donor again and let them know what a pleasure it was to speak with them personally on behalf of the executive team at the organization. (Be sure to have your talking points written out but do not read them word-for-word so to avoid sounding scripted.)
• If the donor does not answer the phone on the second attempt, leave a message that ACCOMPLISHES THE OBJECTIVES ABOVE but is less than 1 minute in length. (Have voicemail talking points ready to go!)
• Then, send the same letter as above to these people and have it HAND-SIGNED AND ADDRESSED by the gift officer making the call or leaving the voicemail.
• Check out the BEST PRACTICES FOR APPEAL LETTERS toward the end of this article and use its advice to craft your solicitation language.
• Use a reply card or pledge card that offers a REVERSED-ORDER OF GIFT AMOUNTS as suggested above – going from the highest request to the lowest.
• Use the Appeal Performance Analysis Report filtering it on appeal codes so that you see how your STRATEGY FOUR TEST letter performed with those that only received the letter and with those that received a phone call or voicemail message accompanied soon after by the hand-signed letter. You might want to also note which constituents were talked to personally from those that received a voicemail message to see how they differed or did not differ in their responses - you could use the same appeal code but with a unique PACKAGE CODE for this purpose.

• OUTLINE A PROBLEM for your donor can solve
• Offer a simple, results-oriented SOLUTION
• Describe an attainable goal including what it will cost to SOLVE THE ISSUE
• Give an EXAMPLE of what the funds raised will accomplish
• Use a unit of accomplishment - $100 pays for 300 meals

• MAKE AN UPFRONT ASK – early in the letter – again at the end
• Include a STRING OF GIVING LEVELS appropriate for each donor where possible – use your Target Analytics Next Ask Amount ranges for each segment of prospects or for each individual if you've mastered using “IF” fields in a variable text letter
• Increase the gift’s value through a CHALLENGE or matching gift strategy
• Include an urgent reason for your giving DEADLINE

• USE "YOU" rather than “I” or “We” in your letter
• Write for ONE READER – read your letter aloud to “hear” your words
• Tell a story using a conversational tone and AVOID lots of data – again read your letter aloud to “listen” to your tone and choice of words
• Use visuals, such as PICTURES, where appropriate
• Ask the reader to JOIN YOU in accomplishing something amazing
• Assume your reader is about to give, and THANK HIM OR HER IN ADVANCE

However you choose to implement your Next Ask Amount results, you’ll want to CONSTANTLY BE TESTING new approaches and analyzing your results – keeping those that perform well, re-testing those that don’t perform well the first time, and adjusting weaker strategies in the future.

Testing new fundraising strategies, Next Ask Amount segments, current, lapsed or never-donor groups and new ask arrays TAKE TIME, deliberate ACTION, tracking and analysis – none of which occurs overnight or in a week’s time.