Yes, I know that we at the No Bull Fundraising Blog have often extolled the values of free publicity. But today, I want to remind you that the media won't do your job.
Case in point: The MSNBC article, "After the hurricanes, relief fundraising stumbles."
“Because of the other big news stories that are out there … the cameras and the lights didn’t stay on to show the need that people have,” said Suzy DeFrancis, spokeswoman for the American Red Cross, which is operating 57 shelters for roughly 6,000 victims of Gustav and Ike and has served 4.5 million meals. “It’s not that the American people don’t care, but that they don’t know.”
To which, I answer "and who's fault is that"?
If your donors don't know about the need for help, then you aren't doing your job. It's that simple. Sure, it's wonderful when your cause gets wild media coverage. The money comes rolling in. But when it doesn't, and the need is there, you need to educate your supporters.
A spokesman for the Mennonite Disaster Service commiserated:
“If we get to a point where we realize we can’t move forward (with services in the hurricane zone) we would have to do something we have never done, which is launch an appeal for donations,” said Sundberg, the group’s spokesman.
He's right. An appeal is one option. But if the group isn't ready yet to cross that line, they can choose to send an informative letter to their donor base and educate their supporters on the need at hand. In fact, that's what ANY good appeal letter should do first and foremost.
If the newspapers aren't reporting how bad the damage is, YOU can report it. In fact, you should report it. It's part of your job. Your campaigns can't be just about raising money. They have to also be about raising awareness.
One of Turnbull Marketing Group's clients sent out an emergency appeal shortly after Gustav hit, before Hurricane Ike barreled down on Texas. The media coverage was light, and what was there was focused on how Gustav wasn't "as bad" as Katrina. The real damage was barely discussed.
So what did we do? We sent a letter detailing the true devastation that was caused by Gustav. We did what the media didn't do.
And what happened? The organization had one of its most successful returns ever.
The materials you send to your donors don't have to be fancy. They just need to be informative, interesting, and compelling.
Don't expect the media to do your job. Just do it -- you'll be amazed at the results.
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