Gosschalk tests personalised sponsorship email 4

Fundraising | Tania Mason | 11 Feb 2011

Fundraiser Alan Gosschalk is testing a new way of raising sponsorship money through Justgiving by tailoring each request to the prospective donor.

Gosschalk, who is currently helping deafblind charity Sense with its fundraising on an interim basis, is planning to do a long-distance sponsored walk in June for Hope and Homes for Children.

Rather than sending out a blanket sponsorship request to all his prospects, Gosschalk began by selecting his top ten givers from previous years and sending them versions of this email, tailored to each person:

Dear <insert name> Joe

Last year a few 'friends' accused me of sending a standard sponsorship email request and I notice that this meant that you <insert 2010 support> failed to support me. I really hope this this was because you forgot and not because you dislike me, my family or Hope and Homes for Children!

<Insert brief small talk re family> So how are you all? I hope that xxx is excited re whichever Uni he is going to, that yyy is still enjoying cricket and that zzz is not worried about 'Nando leaving 'pool.

Anyway I am walking again this year and I really hope you'll see fit to sponsor me. In previous years you have been very generous and sponsored me for <insert amount> £50 so I hope you'll be able to do this again, or even more if possible! It costs just £20 a month to pay rent for a whole family in Africa so your money will go a long way.

<insert appropriate ending> Thanks for considering this, you handsome generous devil and bye for now.

Alan

PS Here's the link! www.justgiving.com/AlanGosschalk2011

Once most of the top ten have made their pledges, Gosschalk will then contact his next ten prospects, “who have something to live up to”.

He said the approach seems to be working – he is just over halfway to his fundraising target of £1,400 with four months to go. One donor, Caryn Skinner, wrote on his Justgiving page: “Your new ‘personalised’ email had me charmed, you should be a fundraiser in real life too!”

Directory: Sense
Who's Who: Alan Gosschalk

Place a comment

Rarry Revan
Ranter
Rantingrules
15 Feb 2011

Dear Alan,

Thank you for your personal response to my rant. A thousand apologies if I offfended you and besmirched your good name in public. Thank for the offer for a game of "who'se got the biggest CV" but no thanks. You have clearly been around for ages so I could never compete.

I think I will keep my anonymous cloak on, it gives me the freedom to say what I think, rather than towing the sector line which can be so dreary and poointless although I will make an effort to be more constructive.

I'm glad that ImpACT is alive and well, it's just a shame that the same thing can't be said for accountability and transparency in the charity sector.

Yours chastened,

Rarry

[Reply]

Alan Gosschalk
11 Feb 2011

Rarry, instead of being negative and cynical all the time, which can get very tiring, how about coming out from behind your cloak of anonymity and doing something positive for the sector. Really happy to compare fundraising records anytime btw. Oh yes, and it's written ImpACT (for a reason) and is in fine health. Perhaps you could use some of your immense intelligence and not believe everything you read xx

[Reply]

Niki May Young
website editor
Civil Society Media
11 Feb 2011

Hi Rarry - thanks for your comment - just to relieve your woes, this was added as an 'And finally' to our Fundraising eNews which was just sent. So if you receive that (which you can sign up for here: http://tinyurl.com/6af8r6g) you'll see for yourself that there is plenty of more serious news going on as well.

All the best,
Niki

[Reply]

Rarry Revan
Ranter
Rantingrules
11 Feb 2011

Blimey, there was me thinking there was a lot going on in the charity sector but clearly not if this appears to be "News". Glad to hear that Alan has learnt some fundraising in his 14 years as a fundraiser.

Maybe he could turn his attention to raising funds for his brainchild IMPact which appears to be going down the drain!

Big hugs,

Rarry

[Reply]

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