Huth named AFP Fundraising Executive of the Year

by Lori Kingery, do good Consulting Special Projects Coordinator

I met Laura Huth on a chilly day in 1996 on the University of Illinois campus. She was running for political office, and caught my attention because she was only 26, and full of drive, determination, and grit. I knew this was a woman who was going places – places that would change the community we lived in, and beyond.

For 13 years now I have watched Laura hone her skills in the non-profit world, helping non-profits learn to do their work even better. For all she has done to raise money for good causes, for all she has done to teach others to do so for their causes, Laura is one person who certainly deserves to be recognized as an outstanding fundraiser.

For this work, Laura was recognized on November 13 by the East Central Illinois Association of Fundraising Professionals, receiving the Lisa Mauney 2009 Fundraising Executive of the Year award.

When she accepted her award on November 13, Laura gave a short speech that inspired me and actually made me tear up. I share it with you now:

In 1991, back in the days of VCR’s – and back when I was still a junior in college – I watched a movie that changed my life. In The Wrath of Grapes, a documentary about Cesar Chavez, I came to know a mathematical principle that would frame every day of my career from that day forward.

In this documentary, 1+1+1 equaled more than 3. It equaled change. Social change.

On that Tuesday evening watching that video many years ago, my calling became clear to me...

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CHARITY: JUST DO IT

by Laura Huth, do good Consulting President & CEO

I remember my first real pang of activism – of charity – when I was maybe about 12. A Time magazine lay open on the kitchen table and I saw the photo of a child. This wasn’t just any ordinary photo. Sure, the boy had large eyes, ears that stuck out from his head. But he wasn’t smiling and his eyes were covered in flies. I was stunned – I had never seen anything like this before. My knees buckled, my stomach sank, and my eyes welled up.

Ethiopians were starving, I read in the story that accompanied the photo, suffering from a terrible drought. The imagery of the words and photos moved me deeply; tears ran down my face and my throat hurt from trying to choke back tears.

Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago in a middle-class neighborhood, I was relatively shielded from these sorts of things going on in the world around me. We watched little television, listened to the classical side of NPR, got one paper a week, and only received Time because my sister won a subscription in a contest.

This is not to say that we were oblivious to the world around us and the suffering and needs out there. I had long volunteered at the local recycling center (this before curbside programs), accepting trunkloads of newspaper and bottles. We spent time at the Chicago Food Depository boxing up food for families...

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Q&A: Giving Levels on Reply Pieces

Dear do good:

Our organization is having an internal debate over annual mail appeal remittance envelopes. We're preparing for our holiday mailing and committee members are suggesting different methods of positioning giving levels on the envelope. Options include spelling out suggested giving levels starting from high to low (i.e., $1000, $500, down to $25), spelling out giving levels from low to high (reversing the previous idea), or just putting a blank line in for donors to fill out on their own.

We don't yet have a mechanism in place to easily segment our mailing list and letters into particular giving levels for custom letters or inserts. We’d love to get do good's thoughts on best practices for this reply piece – is there one method you've found that works best?

- What's My Reply?, Galesburg, Illinois

Dear What's My Reply:

Thanks for a great question! During this time of holiday giving, when nearly 25% of all charitable gifts are given, paying attention to the details is a must. Every single element of your holiday letter - from the outside envelope, to how and when it's mailed, to the letter itself, to the reply pieces, to any inserts - must all be in tip-top shape to grab the attention, and pull at the heartstrings, of your donors this holiday season.

With regard to the reply piece and how to list giving levels: studies have shown, and best practices dictate, that providing suggested giving levels – from highest to lowest – rules. If you were able to segment your database to provide more customized letters, my advice would likely be somewhat different, but since you are not (yet) able to do this, I recommend leading with the largest reasonable gift you think your organization could obtain by mail appeal, then drop down giving levels in logical chunks (i.e., $1,000, $500, $250, $100, $50). I recommend that the lowest amount be $50, then including after that a blank line with a dollar sign on it, followed by the word "Other." This allows donors to be led by suggested giving levels from your organization, but also leaves room for them to dictate their own gift.

The reason to lead with the largest gift has to do with human psychology; and, to put it bluntly, it's suggestive. It gives people pause, and helps then envision a larger gift than they might otherwise consider giving. Your goals here are three-fold: 1) to raise as much money as possible from the mailing; 2) to give your donors the freedom to choose to give and how much; and 3) to help your donors realize and even stretch their "giving vision."

While the change you see in responses and giving levels might not necessarily blow the lid off of last year's efforts, implementing this technique is very likely to help your organization drive giving up somewhat this year. Over time, as donors increase their investments to your cause, the change this one idea can bring can help build a domino effect for larger gifts, especially if implemented with a plan for donor segmentation in the future. Implemented along with other best practices in holiday and annual giving, you can really build a strong, sustainable individual gifts program for your organization.

Good luck, happy holidays, and best wishes for the new year!

- Laura Huth, President & CEO, do good Consulting

Looking for more advice on year-end or annual appeal giving to drive up giving levels and reply rates? Contact Laura Huth at 217-778-1687 or laurahuth@dogoodconsulting.org. Have a question for do good? Contact our experts at 217-778-1687 or dogood@dogoodconsulting.org.

Group Profile: Downtown Highland Park

by Jessica Paulsen, Director, Chicago Metro Office

Things are a little different this holiday season. People everywhere are thinking a bit differently about giving gifts – and giving back. What if there was a way to do both?

Sarah Wiebenson, Executive Director of Downtown Highland Park, has the answer – shop local first.

"If you can buy [gifts] in your own backyard, you’re not only helping yourself, but also your own community. You’re supporting your local tax base - paving the streets and maintaining current levels of City services."

The Downtown Highland Park Alliance was established in 2008 to help connect residents and businesses in the suburban North Shore community. Since that time, the Alliance has grown by leaps and bounds, now serving more than 450 businesses with a web-based merchant directory and a newly-launched district-wide gift card program. With a unique blend of small local businesses and high end national stores, the area has become a destination for shopping. Despite its rapid growth and growing popularity, it is the personal relationships and local connections that help the Alliance - and the businesses it serves – to grow and thrive.

"The merchants in your community can offer a more personalized service – they know what you like and may special order. You develop a one-on-one relationship you really won’t get in the mall," said Wiebenson. In turn, businesses rely on positive word of mouth to grow their client base. When the two come together, the community gets the benefit.

To learn more about how Downtown Highland Park connects local residents and businesses, visit www.downtownhp.com. To find places to shop local in your community, visit your Chamber of Commerce or identify a local Special Service Area.

Want to see your favorite non-profit organization highlighted in the next issue of Doing Good? Contact do good Consulting at dogood@dogoodconsulting.org or 217-778-1687.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM DO GOOD CONSULTING!

As the year draws to a close, do good Consulting wishes you a happy, safe holiday season and a new year filled with hope, inspiration, and prosperity.

- Laura Huth, Elizabeth Simpson, Jenn Raley Miller, Jessica Paulsen, Tim Newcomb, and Meg Cline

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