Fundraising strategies, like anything else, wear out. They become stale for a number of reasons. Most common is that people in the organization get tired of them and start taking shortcuts. Mail appeals become boring. Articles lack passion. Thank-you notes are photocopied, with the sponsor’s name filled in by a volunteer.

The second most common reason is that a strategy that works well for one or two groups is adopted by many groups and its overall effectiveness is decreased. This is particularly true with special events. One group makes a fortune on an “awards dinner.” They get a lot of publicity and everyone has a great time. So another group does an awards dinner. After the third or fourth or fifth group does one, people get tired of awards dinners and look around for something new to do. The same fate can befall almost any strategy.

There is also the problem of market saturation. Direct mail, phone solicitation, and other mass appeal strategies are now alienating donors and sponsors as fast as they attract them. All these reasons are related to each other. It is hard to keep a feeling of excitement about your appeal letter if you know it will show up next to 20 other worthy appeal letters in a donor or sponsor’s mailbox. It is hard not to get cynical when the struggle to raise money is never ending and even if you succeed in raising the amount you need for one year, you will have to start over next year.

When planning your fundraising activities, you need to become familiar with the various fundraising strategies that are out there (see chart that follows) and which of these strategies are most appropriate for your particular situation. EAI can help your association sort through the options and develop an effective fund raising plan.