Recording; Passcode: Q1%WtsV6
Slide Deck

  • Tips for a successful fundraising campaign
    • The Message
      • Talk about the impact of your project. Cite examples of your work and its tangible impact on the community. If you have statistics about the number of staff and hours they’ve put into it, cite them.
      • Explain how the money will be used. Pull back the curtain a bit on how you are approaching your project … what you have reporters and editors working on, your process for gathering, verifying, and presenting information, and the hours, and other expenses that go into it.
      • Invite conversation. Don’t simply ask for money … start a conversation with readers. Ask them for their input advice, suggestions, and questions about your coverage.
    • Goal Setting
      • While not a requirement, we recommend that you set a fundraising goal to appear on your fundraising page.
      • There’s a psychological benefit to having donors feel like they’re helping you get to the finish line.
      • You don’t want a goal that’s unattainable, nor do you want to set one that undershoots the potential you have to raise money in your community.
      • You can adjust your goal after launch based on what you learn from the response.
    • Getting the word out
      • Writing about your mission and work: Perhaps write an article about your launch of the Local News Fund. Or write about it with a column from the publisher or editor. Consider a series of articles going behind the scenes about your mission, business model, and/or Local News Fund project. Each piece of content like this is an opportunity to make the case and ask for support.
      • Email: Whether it’s subscriptions or a one-time donation like this, asking via direct email message generates the most effective rate of response. And because of the nature of open rates and competing for attention with so much else, don’t be afraid to ask multiple times, looking for different ways of approaching it: a message directly from the editor, for example, or sharing the impact that a particular story had on the community.
      • Social media: Good advice for anything related to social media is to remember the “social” part, but it’s especially important when you’re asking people to give you money to support the work.
      • On your site: It makes sense to include this appeal for support and any columns or articles you write explaining the mission and work of your Local News Fund project. We’d also suggest including a tagline with all articles that includes a sentence about supporting the work with a link to your fundraising page.
    • Follow Up and Thank You
      • Donors who receive a thank you message in a timely manner are 4 times more likely to give again.
      • Givebutter will generate an email automatically right after someone donates, providing each donor a receipt and acknowledgment for tax purposes
      • It is always good to follow up with a personal thank you email, call, or text. Each week, you will receive a daily donor report with contact information for those that provide it. 
  • As you launch your campaign, we encourage you to review:
  • Local News Fund Reminders
    • Fundraising Materials – All fundraising solicitations should include this LNF language:
      • The 2022 Local News Fund is a program administered by Local Media Foundation (LMF), a 501(c)(3) organization affiliated with Local Media Association. The purpose of the program is to allow independent and family-owned news organizations to solicit tax-deductible donations from their communities for journalism projects that focus on critical local issues. Contributions to this program are tax-deductible to the full extent of U.S. law; please consult a tax advisor for details.
    • Weekly Givebutter donation reports – will include donor opt-in contact information
    • Monthly Payouts – within 20 days of month end. 
    • Check donations
      • Mail to: Local Media Foundation, P.O. Box 85015, Chicago, IL 60689-5033
      • Make payable to Local Media Foundation; put project name on the memo line.
      • Notify me when you receive a check or when a donor tells you a check has been sent to LMF.
  • Participant Resource Folder contains
    • Marketing Assets and Inventory Log
    • Giving Tuesday resources
    • Email campaign templates
    • Crowdfunding Resources
    • Success Stories
  • Success Stories
    • Daily Hampshire Gazette link to LMA article (COVID-19)
      • Michael Moses, publisher of Daily Hampshire Gazette, Greenfield Recorder, Athol Daily News, Hampshire Life, Amherst Bulletin, and Valley Advocate
      • Campaign was driven primarily through direct appeals from Michael, to readers, on multiple platforms. This includes two letters to readers in all pioneer valley publications, in print, online, within app, and through email.
      • Campaign announcement: https://www.gazettenet.com/Guest-column-Michael-Moses-33748160 
      • Raised $22,000 with 300 donors in under a week; in total raised $81,457 from 864 supporters
      • Also published a thank you ad which includes a note from the publisher to readers, along with a number of personal notes of support from folks that donated. They published an updated version weekly.
      • Editor’s Thank you: https://www.gazettenet.com/Editor-s-note-34003899 
    • Manchester Ink Link (2021 LNF)
      • Promoted the campaign regularly in the morning eNews, which goes out to more than 3,000 daily subscribers which has a 40%+/- open rate.
      • Daily “asks” were framed in various ways, from examples of our reporting to heartfelt appeals. See examples here
        • Produced a promotional video which was posted on our website and also shared in eNews and on Facebook.
  • Giving Tuesday – Tuesday, November 29
    • Giving Tuesday is a great opportunity to bolster support for your 2022 Local News Fund, leveraging the attention the #GivingTuesday slogans will be getting on social media. 
    • We’d strongly recommend you consider special content, and social media, email, and advertising push timed for Tuesday, as the national campaign gives you a reason to do so! 
    • A folder of Giving Tuesday resources has been added to the Participant Resource Folder