What is the best way to fundraise for your charity? Join Megan and a variety of guests - from fundraisers to marketers to charity executives and more - as they explore how current trends in fundraising and society affect the charity world. Get your questions about fundraising answered by sending your topic to junkmail@frontier.io.
Episode 13
With Benjamin Johnson & Matt Hussey
Have charities been affected by the 2020 phenomena? Ben and Matt sit down to predict the total end-of-year amounts for charities across Canada and look at what this year has taught them for fundraising in the future.
Episode 12
With Benjamin Johnson & Matt Hussey
How does a charity maximize its end of the year giving potential? Matt and Ben take a deep dive into year-end fundraising strategies, the idea behind “Giving Tuesday”, and what year-end campaigns look like for Frontier in 2020. It’s time to get as enthusiastic as Matt’s Enneagram type about wrapping up the year right!
What’s up with the Toronto Raptors? [1:17]
Recapping the last episode and Matt’s Enneagram number [4:33]
Year-end giving statistics [6:55]
Matt remembers his first December at Frontier [8:42]
What is “Giving Tuesday” and does it matter? [10:46]
Is there such a thing as “too many emails” during year-end giving? [18:41]
Is event-driven fundraising necessary? [21:54]
Embracing optimism as a fundraising strategy [26:53]
Seasonality in fundraising [31:21]
What does an integrated marketing strategy look like? [34:03]
The shareability of fundraising [42:24]
A fairly recent trend in the charity world is Giving Tuesday. The idea is to take advantage of commercial holidays like Black Friday and Cyber Monday with a charitable spin on that Tuesday. And while it’s certainly not ineffective, it pales in comparison to the level of giving seen in December and the last few days of the year. This is why Ben recommends starting with the end to be a successful fundraiser. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having a day to highlight charitable giving. The world could certainly use more of that. But don’t neglect end-of-year fundraising efforts in lieu of hopping on the bandwagon.
Inboxes are made to be cleared. Most people try to get that little red bubble on their email app down to zero as quickly as possible. Often by the end of the day! It’s important to keep that in mind when deciding how often to send email communications to subscribers about donating. Consider the sheer volume of email ads retailers send out in general, let alone during the holidays. And while it’s not an exact comparison, the point is that when it comes to marketing of any kind; overcommunication is communication. Don’t get lost in the background by sending out only one end-of-year giving reminder. Leveraging the bulk of annual donations on the hope that readers will see and respond to ONE email in the middle of a communication heavy season is a HUGE risk. Marketers need to develop a strategy that will keep their organization at the front of donor’s minds before the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Day.
Integrated marketing strategies recognize the fact that there are multiple touchpoints with an audience throughout their day, week, month, and year and that people interact with different mediums in different ways. They also recognize the need for all marketing content to be consistent in voice and timed efficiently to maximize its efficacy. There is no need to isolate the different mediums of a marketing team. The structures of a charity often hold an organization back from achieving its potential. The direct mail team SHOULD be communicating with the digital team to come up with a unified strategy. When an organization uses all of its resources in an integrated way, everyone wins.
Email Matt and Ben YOUR fundraising questions at junkmail@frontier.io!
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Episode 11
With Benjamin Johnson & Matt Hussey
Ben has turned 10 years old! At least in Frontier Years. Matt and Ben also get to talk about the new venture they are exploring with webinars and jump into the Junk Mail and answer a question about premiums.
Email Matt and Ben YOUR fundraising questions at junkmail@frontier.io!
Frontier on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frontiermarketingco/
Frontier on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/frontiermarketingco/
Follow Frontier.FM on
Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts
Episode 10
With Benjamin Johnson & Sarah Kryzmowski
Special guest Sarah Krzymowski joins Ben to discuss why Frontier uses the Enneagram as a tool for a better understanding of donors.
Episode 9
With Benjamin Johnson & Matt Hussey
A person’s name is the sweetest sound they can hear, but make sure it’s spelled correctly! Ben and Matt dive into their Junk Mail in this episode and respond to some interesting questions! How much of a year’s donations are condensed into the final few weeks of the year?
Episode 8
With Benjamin Johnson & Matt Hussey
Where is the balance of great stewardship and ask frequency? Matt is back to help Ben explore the subject of donor fatigue and how to prevent it.
The 4 Causes of Donor Fatigue (Article)
Donor Fatigue is a Myth (Video)
Episode 7
With Benjamin Johnson
Matt is out exploring the Ontario wilderness and left Ben solo! Ben spends this time reflecting on the last 10 years of Frontier, the journey he has had, and how fundraising and donor attitudes have shifted.
Episode 6
With Benjamin Johnson & Matt Hussey
Junkmail is alive and thriving! Thanks to the research of Innes Purdue, Ben and Matt delve deep into the benefits of print acquisition and how to select the winning rental list.
Episode 5
With Benjamin Johnson & Matt Hussey
Social media of an organization can be difficult to navigate, as a brand itself isn’t looking for social connection. So how does a charity engage online with its donors and is social media the best way forward for your organization? Ben and Matt discuss on this episode of Frontier FM.
Episode 4
With Benjamin Johnson & Matt Hussey
It’s safe to say COVID-19 has forced the world into digital spaces whether they were ready or not. But what will the impact be for the fundraising community? On this episode of Frontier FM, Matt and Ben explore the latest digital trends, the rise of Gen X donors, and how subscription culture will impact online giving in 2020 and beyond.
Matt and Ben give a pandemic update [1:44]
The acceleration of digital in 2020 [3:34]
Embracing Gen X as the next wave of generosity [5:56]
Serving analog people in an increasingly digital world [7:38]
Removing barriers to digital giving [12:04]
The impact of digital trends on charitable giving [14:12]
What creates a successful monthly donor program? [35:30]
The pandemic’s impact on Frontier and the charitable giving landscape [43:44]
The advent of Dark Mode [52:08]
Baby boomers and millennials often dominate the conversation when it comes to targeting age groups for charitable giving. But is Gen X the secret weapon few are talking about? Ben seems to think so and his argument is a solid one. They are currently peak wage earners who grew up before digital but often thrive in digital environments making them prime candidates for print to digital campaigns. And with COVID already forcing most things into a digital space, this could be a huge opportunity to see a philanthropic burst from Gen X.
The Microsoft Zune was a revolutionary idea. It was also largely a failure. How can both be true? Because even though it was essentially one of the first music streaming services, people couldn’t wrap their minds around not owning the music. Now, nearly everyone has some sort of streaming service. What changed? Ben suggests that while technology moves slowly, society occasionally has “catch up moments” where things become essential that once didn’t make sense. He also suggests that COVID is one of those moments. Digital technology has been around for a long time, but the pandemic has forced people’s behaviors to change causing a massive digital shift.
A major digital trend over the last ten years is the subscription model. It creates steady and predictable income for businesses and charities alike. One of the reasons it’s so successful in the charity world is because it takes the burden off of the donor to remember to give. But how do fundraising organizations implement this model successfully? The first thing Ben suggests is to apply his three fundamentals of fundraising: urgency, impact, and accountability. Donors need to feel like they showed up at the right time, that they’re making a difference, and that the organization will handle the funds they receive responsibly. Another great tip Ben offers for acquiring younger monthly donors is having low initial amounts for giving. Giving twenty-five dollars per month might be a big ask for a struggling college student, but five to ten dollars per month will help them feel connected to the cause without breaking the bank.
Email Matt and Ben YOUR fundraising questions at junkmail@frontier.io!
Gen X Giving - Effective Fundraising Strategies for Gen X Donors (Article)
Frontier on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frontiermarketingco/
Frontier on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/frontiermarketingco/
Follow Frontier.FM on
Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts
Episode 3
With Benjamin Johnson & Matt Hussey
In this episode, Ben explores the interconnectedness of us all. How is our lack of distractions during a pandemic leading us to seek out connection?
Matt picks Ben’s brain about how this affects international development and civic charities. Has subscription culture affected the way charities review donor giving?
Episode 2
With Benjamin Johnson & Matt Hussey
Frontier Marketing is taking a week off! Before Sabbath Week, Ben and Matt discuss what’s so appealing about long-form donor appeals and the power of storytelling.
Episode 1
With Benjamin Johnson & Matt Hussey
In Frontier’s new Podcast, Ben Johnson and Matt Hussey discuss the religion of Direct Mail, and why it’s become an important piece of fundraising. Are charity organisation's responding to COVID-19 directly? What if they aren't direcing contributing to relief efforts, is it still relevant for them to discuss this with their donors?
Ben and Matt dive in depth to the research about these topics.
