As December approaches, arts organizations are gearing up for their year-end fundraising appeals. This critical period makes all the difference in reaching and exceeding goals, and allowing your organization to effectively deliver on its mission. To offer some tips on ramping up your year-end, we spoke with three leaders in arts fundraising: Ljiljana Milojević, Senior Director of Development at Paramount Theatre, Rochelle Jerry of Jerry Consulting Group, and F+H Partners co-founder Peter Hussell. Each brings unique insights into how arts organizations can optimize their year-end giving efforts.
Ljiljana Milojević believes it is important to consider how you structure and segment your appeal. At Paramount Theatre in Aurora IL, she manages three to four giving campaigns annually, integrating both print and digital follow-ups. At this time of year, they leverage Giving Tuesday, to raise funds specifically for Paramount School of the Arts. Ljiljana recommends organizing comprehensive campaigns, using A/B testing, and focusing on converting subscribers to donors. For example, Paramount tested a direct mail piece with a 1- and 2-page version so they could see which performed better. (Surprisingly, it was the 2-page version.) Performing tests like this and tracking your results helps boost effectiveness over time. Still, nothing beats a personal connection with the organization. "For us, it's fortunate because can show the work firsthand. So inviting them into our space, inviting them to talk to artistic team, to talk to our production team behind the scenes tours, costume shop, things like that."
Rochelle Jerry, stresses the importance of clear messaging to communicate your organization’s need for contributions and support. She is an advocate for leveraging digital marketing and social media to ask across multiple platforms to ensure you are reaching your audience, but she's also a fierce advocate for making all the communication mission centered. "I like to say, as professional fundraisers, we are mission drivers. We come up with creative ways to share the mission, so that you understand our mission and are compelled enough to make a contribution and stay engaged and want to help along the way." To be effective across multiple platforms, plan out a calendar considering all the mission touchpoints from the donor's point-of-view and make sure the moments add up to a deeper understanding of your organization's work.
Peter Hussell, has executed year-end appeals for various large performing arts organizations. Year-end appeals can vary widely, from simple email appeals to multi-channel efforts. Peter cautions organizations against spending too much time and energy on Giving Tuesday. "Giving Tuesday has been a great success at focusing the public on taking action and making a gift to whatever cause or causes they support, but with national organizations spending big on advertising and inboxes and social feeds filling up with appeals from every charity a donor has ever come in contact with, it is a terrible time to capture attention and a terrible time to try to make your case to first-time donors." Instead, he points out that arts organizations have an advantage over many other types of charities because of the contact they have with donors and ticket-buyers throughout the year. Considering the stewardship and touchpoints you can create across the year will ensure your organization is top-of-mind when donors are ready to give.
Key Takeaways:
Strategic Campaign Planning: Ljiljana Milojevic emphasizes the importance of structured and segmented campaigns, particularly around key events like Giving Tuesday and fall appeals.
Mission-Centered Communication: Rochelle Jerry emphasized the importance of keeping the organization's mission at the forefront of fundraising efforts, highlighting the role of fundraisers as "mission drivers," using creative storytelling to engage donors and convey the organization's purpose. By consistently communicating the mission and its impact, organizations can inspire donors to contribute and remain engaged throughout the year.
Building Year-Round Relationships: Peter Hussell advises arts organizations to focus on building strong relationships with their audience throughout the year. By ensuring that their mission and achievements are consistently communicated, organizations can remain top-of-mind for donors, especially during competitive times like Giving Tuesday.