On Tuesday, October 29 F+H PARTNERS hosted an Arts Insights virtual roundtable discussion with three industry leaders in nonprofit arts and culture fundraising. The panel included Ljiljana Milojević, Senior Director of Development at Paramount Theatre; Rochelle Jerry of Jerry Consulting Group; and Peter Hussell, Co-Founder at F+H PARTNERS.
This informative discussion revealed what works and what doesn’t when it comes to year-end fundraising. Here are the key takeaways from the conversation:
It’s All About the Data. Our panel of industry experts all emphasized the importance of data when it comes to running campaigns. Donor information such as phone numbers, email addresses, and gift information like the amount and date are simple elements to start collecting if there isn’t a strong base of data already. For organizations that have a large database of information, the focus can then be on segmenting donors to better tailor the gift request. (Several organizations mentioned that they liked the Spektrix CRM for performing arts.)
Customize the Donation Request. Every donor is unique and therefore donation requests should be as well. While it’s not feasible to manually customize each and every ask, there are simple ways to make sure the donation request is as tailored as possible. Examples of this include: asking ticket-buyers to add-on a donation at their time of purchase, requesting monthly donors “top-off” their regular gift with an end-of-year donation, or suggesting small gift donors move to a higher level of giving to access more donor benefits.
Go Beyond (E)Mail. Traditional mailings and emails are staples of all fundraising campaigns. However, it’s important to consider what other communication channels may resonate with supporters. Our panelists spoke of their positive experiences with peer-to-peer fundraising efforts, especially around Giving Tuesday or specific initiatives. Ljiljana spoke of Paramount’s success with fundraising for their performing arts school. By leveraging the attention around Giving Tuesday and involving the students in peer-to-peer efforts they have been able to successfully raise funds for student scholarships.
Text messages can also be another underutilized communication method. While our roundtable panelists and participants did explore some caveats to this channel – fatigue from political campaigns and scam fears – inbound texting can still be a useful fundraising tool. Text-to-give initiatives, particularly at an event or included in marketing, help to reach people who otherwise may not respond to an email or letter.
Thank you to everyone who attended this Arts Insights virtual roundtable event! These events are held monthly and offer a regular opportunity to gain fresh perspectives and connect with industry peers. To ensure you don't miss future discussions, we invite you to sign up for our newsletter. Stay informed, stay connected, and join us as we navigate the evolving landscape of arts and culture fundraising together.
PS: Want to watch the whole session? A link can be found here.
