​​There must be a goal and a plan when starting your campaign.  If there isn’t, then what are you doing and why? Below is my questionnaire that I give my clients to prepare them for their end of year campaign.  There aren’t many questions to it, as you can see.  The real purpose of this is to get them thinking about the direction of their work. 
Look at the questions below and let them help you determine your direction.  This is not a template created to be your only form of study but something to compliment the rest of your work.  Of course, if you need more help, then just reach out and we’ll work together.
 
Data questions
 How do you feel about your organization’s donor information record keeping?
 
Do you know any donors you want to reach out to specifically?
(We can work together to do a personal ask)
 
What do you feel are your organization’s main demographics?
(Age, gender, jobs, location, etc)
 
 Campaign questions
 
What is your goal for this campaign?

• Monetary = $
• Social (engagement and/or involvement) =

 
How much time can you give to this campaign?
 
When do you want the campaign to start?
(Before Thanksgiving or before Christmas)
 
What would you like to see happen as a result of this campaign?
(Tighten up your ask, update website, etc)
 
What story would you like to see highlighted during this time?
 
Are there past campaigns you can send me for examples?

Annual appeal season is right around the corner.  Yeah I know, you’ve been hearing me say that a lot lately.  It’s true and you need to engage your donors if you want a successful campaign.
If your organization is new or you just don’t know the proper way to engage your base on Facebook, then this post is for you. 
Using Facebook (or any social media) shouldn’t be difficult or very time consuming.  Follow these seven tips to get you on the right path to engagement and a great giving season.
 
#1 Be genuine
This cannot be stressed enough.  You don’t have to have a Master’s Degree in Journalism to write a post.  There is no need for big words or fancy lingo.  Talk to your audience like you would talk to your real life friends.  Be open, honest and real unless you curse a lot then maybe don’t be as real.  When you’re genuine, it will be felt and appreciated.

#2 Talk to people and not at them
No one likes to be talked at.  A conversation isn’t one sided and neither is social media. I’m sure you want to give your page followers the latest tip or post a picture from your latest fundraiser.  But, you also need to ask for input and listen too. 

#3 Listen to your ‘friends’
By this I mean to ask questions, request pictures of their pets, solicit their input for your latest fundraiser and be sincerely interested in what they have to say. They are on your page for a reason. They like what you do and who you are.  So, have real conversations with them.

#4 Respond to comments
Yes, there will be other friends that will respond each other’s comments but this is your page.  Your fans want to hear from you.  They want to know you are out there. 

#5 Pictures are princes but video is King
A picture is worth a thousand words especially in our fast paced world.  We all have short attention spans.  It has been shown time and time again that posts with pictures have better engagement than posts that don’t have them.  But, when you put a video up on your page, now that gets the best engagement.  A video conveys, in a matter of seconds, what a million posts can’t do. Alright not that many but, still, it’s a lot.

#6 Don’t overdo it
I know I’ve been talking about posting and responding and asking questions but there should be a limit.  You don’t want to burn out your audience.  Make your posts fresh, up to date, entertaining, and engaging but as a rule, you only need one or two a day.  Keep them coming back for more.

#7 Always remember that people can see when you have read a message
This is never talked about.  When someone sends you a message on Facebook, they can see when you’ve read it.  Keep that in mind when you are responding.  This will not only help your response rate but more importantly it will let your ‘friend’ know that he or she is important enough for you to read that message and respond quickly.
 
I always say that a person is more willing to give money to a friend than to a stranger.  Why is that?  They know each other.  They have a relationship.  They are vested (even in a small way) to the other person’s future. 
Your organization is the same way.  If someone has never heard of you or interacted with you before, they aren’t very likely to give.  However, if your nonprofit seems genuinely interested in its donors, then it’s easy for the donors to give their money to their friend.