The Internet is not...direct mail with free stamps. It is something much bigger than that...The big win is in turning donors into patrons and activists and participants. The biggest donors are the ones who not only give, but also do the work....The Internet...allows some organizations to flip the funnel, not through some simple hand waving, but by reorganizing around the idea of engagement online. It means opening yourself up to volunteers, encouraging them to network, to connect with each other, and yes, even to mutiny.So it's not JUST the Internet. The blog is a great idea. Compartmentalizing donors into networks is a great idea. Using the Web to boost participation and interest will be great ideas for years to come. But that's not IT. It's about ARM: alumni relationship management. And it's going to be a lot harder than CRM. Well, they're probably exactly the same, but let's pretend that we've got the big challenge.
Becoming a leader in Annual Giving is not the same as becoming a leader in market share of cereal foods or batteries. It's so cerebral. It's about reputation and memory and experience and happiness. It's about embracing the future, holding on to the present, and getting pretty far from the past. It's about getting that extra minute on the phone with a pledge asking them to spread the word or read the blog. It's about looking at the refusals with an analytical rather than an acerbic mind, bearing in mind that there is a reason she is not giving and that it's Annual Giving's fault.
We can't afford to be indirect with our consumers. We can't put Phoenix-shaped furniture in their living rooms or the letters "EU" in their kitchens. (If this doesn't make sense, check this out.) If they aren't doing that themselves, we have to go head-first. The dominoes are already set up. Let's knock 'em down!
