Kristen Brown, Associate Director at the Wyoming Outdoor Council, wasn’t sure if joining The Fundraisingology Lab by Moceanic was worthwhile.

“I’d tried a few other trainings,” she says, “and I was hesitant to try another resource, so I put it off. But it’s hands-down been the best decision. I love learning and find the courses full of great tips that are easy to weave into my current practices.”

A quick look at her last three Spring direct mail campaigns shows the difference her new learning has made in revenue:

• 2019: $2,685 from 32 donors
• 2020: $8,800 from 69 donors (that was a record at the time)
• 2021: $20,500 from 147 donors

How did Kristen do it?

She posted drafts of the appeal on the members-only Fundraisingology Lab Facebook group, and members generously offered advice.

“The folks in the Facebook group were super helpful,” she says. The feedback told me the story I was telling resonated with others not familiar with our work. And that my focus on ‘just one’ was compelling. I also got help on how to improve my ask and break it down into how many deer could be protected with less than a dollar.”

Here are some of the other differences Kristen brought to the appeal:

• She wrote a letter using the principles described in The Fundraisingology Lab course, “Irresistible Communications for Great Nonprofits.”

• She sent a series of integrated emails on the schedule recommended in the training.

• She included current members in the mailing (“In the past, they were not asked until they were lapsed or at year-end.”)

• She worked to make the appeal more donor-centric.

The impact of this success on her organization was important. Kristen says, “This appeal not only brought in more dollars than ever before, but it also increased the engagement level of our donors. We do a lot of advocacy work, so having engaged donors is extremely important for our work. We really pushed the limits of our comfort level with some of the things we did. It was great to try it, and even better that it was so successful.”

The impact on Kristen may have been even more important. Her experience as a member of The Fundraisingology Lab gave her a sense of confidence and confirmed to her that fundraising is a good career choice. “It helped reinforce that I really enjoy the process of crafting fundraising messages,” she says. “I want to keep trying new things and improving our efforts. Often it’s just a number of small tweaks that really make a big difference. And having a community of people to talk with about the process has been so great.”

As Kristen says, “We are a small team and I have other responsibilities in addition to our fundraising. It’s important to me that any trainings I take be really impactful. I don’t have time to waste on things that aren’t great. With the Fundraisingology Lab, I don’t worry about this at all. I’m immediately able to leverage the information to be more effective.”

NOTE: Here’s a way you can be like Kristen and put effective strategies to work in your fundraising NOW! Attend our brand-new free webinar: The Fundraiser’s Blueprint to DOUBLE YEAR-END DONATIONS Without Spending More Money. Now is the time to put the pieces in place for your year-end fundraising with practical guidance from Sean Triner. Coming on September 8 and 9. Go here for details and registration.

Interested in experiencing transformation like Kristen has? Check out The Fundraisingology Lab. You’ll get practical support that will help you go to new places in your fundraising career. Join the waiting list now and you’ll be the first to hear when the doors open again (which is happening soon)!

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• Her Donors Are Saying YES with Their Donations — and Also with Words of Praise
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