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(a)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