E-mail has become the preferred form of communication for many people. You get messages and take action on your own time. It’s true that chockfull inboxes can be unwieldy, and messages can get lost or deleted. Let’s not forget the scourge of spam, too. However, receiving an e-mail from a recognized source—like your school—puts the information in writing that the reader can easily respond to 24 hours a day.
So, how about e-solicitations for your annual fund campaign?
“It depends. E-mail is not a good replacement for eye-to-eye contact for an important ask. Then again, nothing is,” said Herb Soles, Assistant Headmaster for Development at Norfolk Academy (VA).
“However, we have had great success with ‘e-mailathons.’ For those who don’t like to call, it presents a nice alternative. Norfolk Academy often holds phonathons in the School Library next to the computer labs. We have teams of volunteers calling and sending e-mails at the same time. Sometimes a volunteer will begin calling and then switch over to e-mail those prospects unreachable by phone. The e-mail team usually outperforms the phone callers in volume; however, it hasn’t be proven that their response success is higher. E-mail is a good instrument for the ‘old toolbox’ but you shouldn’t depend on it totally.”
One advantage of including e-mail in your annual fund communication plan is the live link. Include a link directly to your annual fund donation page that lets your supporters make a credit card or PayPal donation on the spot.
Barbara Beachley, ISM’s Survey Analyst, uses e-mail to collect survey data for a variety of reasons, noting that current technology (Caller ID, cell phones, etc.) as well as changes in the “traditional family schedule” has produced a response rate using electronic methods.
“We can no longer count on the family being home at dinnertime,” she said.
Missy Ketchum, Director of Institutional Advancement and Stewardship for Episcopal School of Jacksonville (FL), informs families in its e-news that the phonathon is coming up, but not exactly when.
“After we call, the next day we send e-mails to everyone we did not reach because we got their answering machine. We write ‘sorry we couldn’t reach you, here is why we were calling' and include the link to our online donation form,” she said. “We get a great response from this e-mail because people are right at their computers and can donate online.”
The Lausanne Collegiate School (TN) Advancement Team uses e-mail as a follow-up to all other contacts, including the initial appeal letter, phonathons, and face-to-face contact, said Michael Christopher, Assistant Headmaster—School Advancement. “We use e-mail heavily with good success late in the spring, when we are winding up the participation portion of the drive.”
Has your school used e-mail successfully in your annual fund campaign? Let us know! E-mail communitymanager@isminc.com.
Additional ISM resources of interest
ISM Monthly Update for Development Directors Vol. 8 No. 8 Online Giving is Growing—How Well Does Your School Communicate?
ISM Collection—Development: Your Annual Fund
Additional ISM resources for Consortium Gold Members
To The Point Vol. 7 No. 6 ‘Q&A’ Article Answers Parent’s Questions About Annual Giving
To The Point Vol. 14 No. 5 The Circle of Influence as a Fund-Raising Tool
