Lisa & Jaime -
Congratulations to all on a fast campaign. Is this the fastest time-to-goal on record?
This is a season in which neutrality and genuineness are precious commodities. No surprise that many people I know have given more than usual to projects such as ours. I hope you can complement this with open and genuine messaging.
On Fri, Dec 16, 2016 at 6:52 PM, Michael Peel email@mikepeel.net wrote:
Continuing the English fundraiser as part of reaching the global fundraising target makes sense to me.
Continuing the fundraiser after the global target has been reached is
rather more concerning - except where the funds are being raised specifically for the endowment.
This seems right to me.
Clear and welcoming messages build trust. You can thank everyone for helping reach the goal quickly, and be clear about where further funds go. Funds raised over the annual target, before the end of the fiscal year, can go into the endowment - again with clear & grateful language once the annual goal is reached.
Budgeting deserves its own consideration. Having a prioritized list of future projects is great for communicating intent and helping the movement plan. But expanding the budget has implications for reserves, endowment, and future budgets + strategy. If surplus goes to new projects, then "everyone giving $3" would not mean "no fundraising needed for years to come". In fact the overhead associated with persistent projects could make it harder to sustain operations next year.
Finally, as you find that you have spare banner-cycles because of the successful campaign, *please use that same banner space* and your talent for connection to honor and inspire editors, donors, and readers. A more than perfunctory thank-you. A good fundraiser is a victory over the commercial forces that make the Internet and most media suck; its success should be a story we can all hold on to and share. :)
Warmly, SJ