While your library foundation might find success in special events and specific appeals, the workhorse of your fundraising is the annual campaign. This is a broad-based appeal, conducted every year, that is your biggest source of unrestricted donations.
Library Strategies has offered these 14 tips on making your annual campaign a success. Read their full blog post for details and for a sample appeal letter. Here’s the short version:
- Brainstorm first.
- Get names.
- Get more names.
- Draft a compelling letter.
- Personalize the letter whenever possible.
- Have the letter signed by the person who supplied the prospective donors’ names.
- Include a response card and self-addressed return envelope.
- Personalize your outside mailing envelope.
- Ask the volunteer who signed the letter to put his or her name above the return address on the outside mailing envelope too.
- Use the phone, email, or even personal meetings to follow up the mailing.
- Have a system for tracking donors and donations.
- Thank your donors immediately.
- Thank them again!
- Consider holding a special “thank you event” for your annual fund donors.
Read more on the Library Strategies blog.