When you receive a gift from a donor, do you thank them? 

This week, Ryan and Steve talk about why that may not be the best thing to do. 

Also:

How the Post Office's digital offerings affect your direct mail

Don't have a match? Create one.

Check your results, but at planned intervals (not EVERY day)

Flamin' Hot Cheetos

Just like Ryan and his kids...you don't love all your gifts equally. Undesignated gifts, that can be used for any part of your organization or mission, have the biggest impact...but how do you get more of them?

Also:

Ryan unboxes a piece of mail live on air

Your fundraising should be emotional, but your fundraising strategy shouldn't be

The impact of a two word email

Hard butter in Canada (nope, not a typo)

The first mailbag episode--Ryan and Steve answer your questions sent in to [email protected].

How early is too early to talk about Thanksgiving?

Should you use fundraising gimmicks?

How do you get started nonprofit fundraising?

How do you show donors your leader's personality without it being an ego trip?

What makes a good fundraising story?

How do you use scaffolding AND tell a story in fundraising?

Does copy lead the art direction? Or, does the image dictate the words? 

No matter which side of the debate you fall on, you need to use images--and they need to be effective. Are effective images beautiful? Happy? Sad? Stereotypes?

Like so many things, it depends. 

Come along with us as we dive in to how to choose and use images that will actually support your fundraising instead of detract from it.

Also:

Call to Action GIFs in email

Giving to your own organization

What a hostage negotiator can teach us about fundraising

You know you need to ask donors for a gift. Do you give them amounts to choose from--if so, that's an ask array? Let them choose their own amount? If you give donors choices, how do you order those choices? Ryan and Steve answer these questions and SO MUCH MORE!

Also:

Ryan and Steve argue over streaming services. 

What your fundraising can learn from HBO Max. 

Why knowing what you don't know is more important than knowing what you do know.

The placebo effect...is a placebo?

No matter how big your organization is, you're on the look out for new donors (or, you should be). 

But like everything in life, it's easier said than done. 

Ryan and Steve talk about why you need to focus on acquiring new donors, where to find them, and most importantly how to bring them in. 

Also:

Ryan gets thanked by an organization for something he didn't do. 

Steve talks about being antifragile. 

The one question you need to answer in every piece of your fundraising. 

And, Matt Damon. 

Maybe 2020 was a banner year for your fundraising. Or, maybe it was a year to forget. Either way, how should you approach donors in 2021?

Inbox, mailbox. Same thing, as far as many of your donors are concerned. So how do you make sure your fundraising message is cohesive across the two mediums? Ryan and Steve explain easy ways to do it--and why it's vital if you want to survive in the future. 

2020 was the year of the virtual event. 2021 will probably have a mixture of in person and virtual events. But the playbook for a successful event is the same, no matter what kind of event you're throwing. 

So you've bought into the need for your leader to strategically reveal things about them...but now what? How do you even start?

Ryan and Steve go through the steps of how to make your leader jump off the page and be there with your donors when they read your mail or email. 

Also:

Ryan continues to wish he hadn't pitched this as an episode topic

Steve does his best to keep Ryan off balance