What not to cut from your fundraising budget in hard times

Another great cartoon from The Marketoonist:

This could be a nonprofit. But the thing we cut is donor acquisition.

When things get tough, acquisition is an easy target. After all, it's usually a net-negative activity, so when you cut it, the bottom line instantly looks better.

What you don't see is what you've done to the future. You've eliminated future revenue. One season of cancelled acquisition means 7 to 10 years of depressed fundraising -- because of the donors who aren't there to give.

Hard times are hard. They force tough decisions. But cutting donor acquisition merely means you will prolong the pain for years into the future.

from Future Fundraising Now http://ift.tt/2hMsgbZ