Picture a backyard that is full of healthy grapevines growing in it. This picture will look so sweet and endearing that you'll crave to have it someday Lauri Korpikoski Olympics Jersey , but how can you start working for your dream if you don't have that grape farmer-like knowledge on grapevine growing? Well, it's time for the good news. Whether you have the complete grape growing knowledge or not, you can finally get a successful grape garden and taste a sweet harvest sooner rather than later.
Remember though that, because of the sensitiveness of grape growing, the process is never regarded to be simple and easy Leo Komarov Olympics Jersey , unless you are guided with the right do's and don'ts on grapevine growing. So if you are tired of relying on undependable information, check out these great tips for grape growing below:
Learn about grape specie.
Before you jump into other more necessary steps, take time to consider a particular grape variety that is suited for your area's climate and soil. Like for instance, when it comes to Chardonnay and Riesling. These varieties need a lesser winter season and requires a good hot season. However, there are also some that requires the complete opposite thing. Therefore Mikko Koivu Olympics Jersey , if you want to be sure of your success in grape growing, make learning about grape varieties your first move.
Also, consider the vineyard's location.
Grapevines of any breed are all sensitive in terms of location. In choosing the vines' location, make sure that your chosen yard receives good sunlight. Keep your vines away from tall trees or buildings that can block the sun from shining onto them. This is important, because vines needs sunlight so that they do not become prone to diseases.
Think about the soil type and minerals.
It is also a must to consider a good soil Jussi Jokinen Olympics Jersey , because grapes do not want to cast their feet on bad soil. Grapes love soil that are not too moist or too dry. This type of soil is healthy to the vines, for it can hold enough water particles. When it comes to minerals, make sure that the grapes are given adequate amount of nutrients. Pull off weeds surrounding them, for they may take nutrients away from the vines.
Keep the vines in a good condition.
After the hard work, your vines will soon start growing their branches. So make sure they grow right. Never allow them to crawl outside your garden. Maintain them through regular pruning.
A trellis is also vital for your vines.
You may also need to consider building a fence made of concrete for it to stand and grow strong. This is especially true if your soil is soft. Like for instance with hybrids. They grow a lot taller than other breeds Erik Haula Olympics Jersey , so preparing a higher trellis for them is essential.
Once you keep yourself guided by these grape vine growing guides, you will surely achieve great and sweet success. So better be guided and enjoy the entirety of the grape growing process, so that you too have good grapes to eat and wines to sip from your own yard. Are you willing to spend $1.25 to raise $1? To lose money to make money? You should be. Most donor acquisition mailings never pay for themselves. They lose money. And rightly so.
Acquisition letters (letters designed to acquire new donors) should be a vital part of your development program. Current donors fall away. Some lose interest in your mission. Some lose their jobs. Other leave the country. Some die. You need to be mailing fundraising letters to people who have never supported your cause in order to replace the donors who fall away every year through no fault of yours.
But to be successful at acquiring new donors, you need to ignore one set of numbers and fix your eyes on another. The numbers to "ignore" are the costs of getting your first donation. According to James Greenfield, in his excellent book Mikael Granlund Olympics Jersey , Fund Raising (second edition), you can expect to pay anywhere from $1.25 to $1.50 to raise $1 with an acquisition mailing. That doesn't sound like a wise use of your resources, does it?
But with acquisition fundraising letters, you need to have your eyes fixed on the lifetime value of your donor, not the short-term value of their first gift. You need to remind yourself (along with your board members Valtteri Filppula Olympics Jersey , key volunteers and inexperienced colleagues) that your goal with acquisition mailings is to acquire friends, not funds.
Let me illustrate.
Let's say you mail a fundraising letter to a list of 10,000 strangers. These are people who have not supported your organization before but might. Assume that your costs for writing, design, production and postage come to $0.60 a piece. Your mailing costs are thus $6 Joonas Donskoi Olympics Jersey ,000. Let's say you receive a 1 percent response rate. That's 100 gifts. Further assume that the average gift is $30 Your income is $30 x 100 donors, namely, $3,000.
Are you in trouble? No. Here's what you tell your executive director. "We gained 100 new donors. And up to 80 percent of them will give again, provided we follow up properly and solicit their gifts in the right way in the future."
Each of these new donors effectively cost you $30 each (your net loss divided by total new donors). Are you willing to spend $30 today to raise a friend who will likely give your organization hundreds of dollars in gifts in years to come? You should be, provided you can remember that your goal with acquisition letters is to raise a donor, not a donation.
My thanks go to Stanley Weinstein and his book Sebastian Aho Olympics Jersey , The Complete Guide to Fundraising Management (second edition), for his insight into the economics of donor acquisition.