Comments for ask direct

Comment on Lessons from Live Aid (Has it really been 25 years?) by Frances

Frances — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:34:25 +0000

Great post Damian. Really brought me back (and forwards!).

Comment on Lessons from Live Aid (Has it really been 25 years?) by Blase Ciabaton

Blase Ciabaton — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 14:21:45 +0000

Wow Damian what an awesome post! I remember Live Aid too but never really thought about it from this perspective. Thanks for sharing some great lessons about the importance of keeping passion in your work, and thanks also for pointing out that really no task is too big. And yes, thanking donors will always be important. Really enjoyed this post!

Comment on Edwina Newcombe Account Manager by Strategy Rocks! — ask direct

Strategy Rocks! — ask direct — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 08:47:02 +0000

[...] and Edwina spent yesterday locked in a full day strategic planning workshop with a client. That may sound like [...]

Comment on The Friday Fundraising Quiz by John Lepp

John Lepp — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:30:53 +0000

In Canada the envelope pack would do better. All in ones tend never to do well, especially unaddressed householders. My answer pack #2.

Comment on The Friday Fundraising Quiz by Aline Reed

Aline Reed — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 12:21:30 +0000

Tricky question. Is it the format then? Do door drops in envelopes work better for you? Otherwise, we’ve found the right celebrity can double response so I’m hedging my bets here.

Comment on Help me raise €4,000 for Friends of the Earth to celebrate reaching the dubious milestone of 40 years of age by damian

damian — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 09:51:08 +0000

Thanks Kathy, and thanks for the donation! Only €3,416.86 to go…

Comment on Help me raise €4,000 for Friends of the Earth to celebrate reaching the dubious milestone of 40 years of age by Kathy Allen

Kathy Allen — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:49:56 +0000

Hi Damian

A brilliant fundraising post. I read it from beginning to end, got choked up when I saw the pic of your kids and the ‘PS’ sealed the deal as know Sean very well and it made me smile I will now make a donation to both you and Sean’s causes of choice.

Kathy

Comment on Direct Mail Response Rates by Sheila Dunne

Sheila Dunne — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 09:22:40 +0000

For direct mail and fund raising/charity a debit ask can be costly in relation to bank charges if there are returns

Comment on Have you asked your donors to cancel their direct debits yet? by Would You Take the Risk? – Donor Tools Blog - Technology for Fundraising and Donor Management

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:09:23 +0000

[...] A non-profit company recently offered their donors on direct debit plans the option to cancel. The company submitted a form to the donors that included a check box to cancel, (no questions asked) and also provided a place to request a different amount taken each month. What actually happened? Four people canceled, but over 400 people asked to raise the amount they were giving each month.1 [...]

Comment on Edwina Newcombe Account Manager by Almost as good as being there… #29thIFC — ask direct

Almost as good as being there… #29thIFC — ask direct — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:15:52 +0000

[...] the wonders of Nordwijkerhout and the International Fundraising Congress this year (although our Edwina is [...]

Comment on Have you asked your donors to cancel their direct debits yet? by paul

paul — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 07:08:14 +0000

I’m impressed. Conor is right - Brave - and the right thing to do.

Comment on Have you asked your donors to cancel their direct debits yet? by Conor

Conor — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:46:31 +0000

Great post Damian, I actually read and posted something about this in December called “A donation vacation” what I love about your post is its been tried and tested and the results are great. Well done and well done Tim & co at the hospice foundation for being brave

Comment on How to ask your donors for €10,000 in the mail… and get it. by Jules

Jules — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:38:26 +0000

While the “emergency situation” here was undoubtedly key, I think there are another two critical factors:

1. The high value ask was for a specific “high value, life-saving” end.
2. The note works both as a straight lift letter, to encourage higher gift value, and as a genuine appeal directly to those in a position to step up to the ‘benefactor’ role.

I think that a similar approach could work extremely well for any non-profit with a capital project of the right value and strong emotive meaning for the donor.

A million euro project for a new resource center would probably not work. But projects in the €10,000 to €100,000 range - to provide a life saving operation for a child; to bring clean water to a village; or to protect a habitat from destruction - probably would.

Jules

Comment on How to ask your donors for €10,000 in the mail… and get it. by Brenda Clerkin

Brenda Clerkin — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:49:43 +0000

Very encouraging.
Well done!

Comment on How to ask your donors for €10,000 in the mail… and get it. by damian

damian — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 12:17:23 +0000

Thanks Bruce.

Comment on How to ask your donors for €10,000 in the mail… and get it. by Bruce Clark

Bruce Clark — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:41:16 +0000

Nice one. Congratulations.

Comment on While we’re on the subject of big asks… by Bruce Clark

Bruce Clark — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:39:01 +0000

£200,00? Stingey sod - could he not have come up with the full £250,000!

I supposed Greenpeace could have made up the difference with 100,000 fifty pence pieces.

Comment on Barretstown spring appeal income up by 42% by What Donors Want? « Conor’s Fundraising Blog

What Donors Want? « Conor’s Fundraising Blog — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 10:08:30 +0000

[...] Donors Want? 15 06 2009 After a successful weekend of fundraising and then reading Damian’s post here about his recent successes (donor mailing up 42%) I am even more convinced now that if you give [...]

Comment on Barretstown spring appeal income up by 42% by Conor

Conor — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 10:49:57 +0000

well done Damian, great results. You are right, people still want to donate. Our job is to answer the questions… Why give…why now?

Comment on Work by Barretstown spring appeal income up by 42% — ask direct

Barretstown spring appeal income up by 42% — ask direct — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 10:14:29 +0000

[...] Work [...]

Comment on We Won! Best Direct Mail Award for Barnardos. by damian

damian — Thu, 14 May 2009 15:56:15 +0000

thanks Paul

Comment on We Won! Best Direct Mail Award for Barnardos. by paul

paul — Wed, 13 May 2009 20:48:05 +0000

congrats Damian.

Comment on 2009 An Post Direct Marketing Awards Shortlist by Mar

Mar — Fri, 08 May 2009 13:28:38 +0000

Congrats to all in Ask Towers!

Comment on Are you your donor’s biggest fan? by damian

damian — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:02:01 +0000

… and now more than ever do you need to inspire that raving fandom-ness amongst donors. If your donors really really really like you, they’ll pull out all the stops when the going gets tough, they’ll stick with you during the hard times. And, as most donors are promiscuously supporting several charities, when they start cutting back, you want to be sure it’s one of the other charities they drop first.

Comment on Why, in the midst of the depression, you need to do more direct marketing. by A good case for doing more DM « Conor’s Fundraising Blog

A good case for doing more DM « Conor’s Fundraising Blog — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 08:00:19 +0000

[...] good case for doing more DM 28 04 2009 Damian at Ask Direct did a great post a while back making the case for doing more DM. Ok its his business but what Damian [...]