Who is our target market for Annie Bs?

What a great opportunity we all have to stimulate our giving this fall through Annie Bs! Opportunities, like great vision, or big ideas, still need to be developed into an action plan. So, where do we start?

First, go to the NVCF.org website and download the Annie B’s packet. No reason to start from scratch when the team at the Community Foundation has done so much work! Read and digest all of the documents. Then, gather 2 or 3 people from your organization and ask, “what is the most strategic use for Annie Bs?” “ Which donors or donor prospects do we want to connect with?” “ Who will be most enticed by a ‘more than a dollar’ concept?” This is the perfect opportunity to reach a population you’ve wanted to target but never had a way to grab their attention! Annie B’s is perfect for trying something new.

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What Should We Raise Money for during Annie Bs?

Another way of planning your Annie B's strategy is to brainstorm on how you will use the money. You might have a new program to launch or an under-funded program to bolster. Maybe you’ve been dying to start and build an endowment. Many of last year’s participants chose to put all of their proceeds into a specific project.
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North State Secrets are told out loud!

I hear the comment regularly: “my organization is the best kept secret in the area.” Well, that’s a problem. That’s a problem you can begin to solve during the Annie Bs Community Drive.

Some organizations use Annie Bs to deepen their presence in the community. Others use it specifically to grow their mailing list. Some use it to position themselves as a real contributor in a service area or cause.

When your efforts combine with the NVCF Annie Bs publicity, people will begin to see you as part of the action. They will see your name over and over. Your secret life will begin to disappear. This will help you for years to come.


Simple Cost Effective Strategies

So, how shall you reach your donors for the purposes you want to fund? NVCF isn’t interested in you adding a big event or a new mailing program to promote Annie bs. Rather, the foundation hopes that you will layer in Annie Bs to your current strategies—direct mail, your annual fall event, or your web-ask. We know—having said that—that many of our participants lack regular opportunities for this type of integration. They don’t have an annual fundraising program of any type!

Here are a few inexpensive ways to increase your responses to Annie Bs:

1. Create two mall dessert events or a tour and party at your facility.

Friends and board members can serve this effort by inviting people. You just need to ensure that those 90 minutes together are unforgettable. Also if you plan to ask for a contribution using the Annie Bs incentive, make sure you have a response device to hand them. Good intentions don’t necessarily translate into action.

2. Drive people to your website and then insert an Annie Bs link for them to directly donate to you. How do you drive them to your website, you ask. When you publish your next newsletter, make sure you describe the Annie Bs program and give your web address. How about printing a banner with the name of your organization and the website address and hang it outside your building for everyone to see? Send an e-blast or postcard to your top 500 constituents reminding them to check out your website and be sure not to miss donating to Annie Bs.

Good Follow-up for Annie B's insures a year’s worth of benefit

Annie B's will invite each of your donors to City Plaza for the big celebration on October 11th, but you can always invite them, too! And when it comes to next steps, don’t forget to add all your Annie B’s donors into your database and send them a personalized thank you note for their contribution. Let each of them know how much you raised, what you did with the money, and how many participated to benefit your organization. Your success makes them feel like they are a part of a winning team. Of course, as your organization wins, others win, and the community benefits from many new dollars given to make our community better!