A Lesson from Glee

When you think of Glee, what comes to mind?  Obviously, show choir, witty dialogue, and Brittney’s famous one liners.  When I think of Glee… I think of mash-ups.  Glee does an amazing job blending the classics with new hits.  For example, did you ever think West Side Story’s I Feel Pretty could be combined with TLC’s Unpretty?  Or, my personal favorite Singing in the Rain and Rihanna’s Umbrella.

So what do these musical medleys have to do with fundraising?  It’s all about blending the old with the new, when it comes to connecting with event participants.  I’ve posted before about the power of hand-written notes [defunct link removed] and how these old school techniques shouldn’t be forgotten – the personal touch makes a difference.  I’ve also posted ideas for social media and mobile.  When you’re creating your participant outreach plan, think about how you can blend tried and true tactics with new innovations.

Consider this?  When you send an email about your upcoming event or a fundraising promotion, follow up it with a phone call that same day.  When calling participants tell them about the email you sent and the promotion you’re running.  Then update your Facebook status and tweet about it.  If you have a blog, blog about it.  These days’ participants consume information through a variety of channels, so take advantage of all that’s available to you.  The more you promote and share event activities the more likely participants are to take action.

Here’s another example.  When thanking your top fundraisers, send them a personal note and then congratulate them publicly on facebook, twitter or linked in.  If you have a blog, ask your participants to write a post.  They could share their fundraising tips and success or they could share their reasons for getting involved.  The blog post is two-fold.  First the individual you ask to write a post will feel appreciated and second your readership will enjoy learning from a peer(s).

What do you think?  What can you do to mash-up your fundraising efforts?

If you have a few minutes check out my favorite Glee mash-up.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amy Braiterman

Amy Braiterman, principal strategy consultant at Blackbaud, supports customers with their peer-to-peer fundraising events with a process she refers to as “data-driven strategy.” Amy’s data driven strategy analyzes how effective event participants are using online fundraising tools and takes those results to develop an event fundraising plan. Prior to joining Blackbaud, Amy earned her fundraising stripes managing events for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Alzheimer’s Association and Share Our Strength. She shares her fundraising know how here on npENGAGE, by hosting educational webinars and speaking at customer conferences