Individual giving - thanking donors

When boards and non-profit leadership talk about fundraising, individual donors are typically, and easily, talked around or even not thought about. Meanwhile, so many of us have donor retention rates under 40% and direct mail response rates are under three percent. I can see why many in our world don't see the intense value of individual donors, or even think that there is a way to increase the amount of individual giving for their non-profit.

Although I subscribe to the philosophy of donor-centered giving, I'm not even writing about that. I think many non-profits have a lot of work to do even before they start working within the ideas of being donor-centered.

Here's an example. A few months ago I attended a luncheon that was a fundraiser for a popular LA-based non-profit. It was my first time attending one of the events and I was blown away by what they presented, so much so that I made a donation.

First donation to them ever. I felt so good about being part of their incredible impact.

Time when by and one day we received their newsletter. It reminded me that I hadn't received a thank you letter or a tax letter yet. 

More time went by, and six weeks after I made the donation I received my thank you/tax letter.

Six weeks! Seriously? I couldn't believe it.

Even though I am now on their mailing list, I don't feel any more a part of them as I did before I made the donation.

I like what we do at the non-profit I fundraise for. Once we see a donation we call the donor to thank them. This happens within 24 hours of receiving the donation. Then a thank-you letter goes out within three days. Three days is the absolute latest it will go out, that's our goal. It doesn't mean that we don't do all we can to get the letter out earlier.

Individual giving can change your mission and impact. It's much more sustainable than corporate giving and even foundation giving. Growing your donor relationships will be totally worth your while. You can start by thanking them.

Thanks for reading.

Time to reignite your fundraising?

I've presented conference sessions called "Reignite your fundraising" and love engaging with other fundraisers and development peers about my ideas regarding what we can do to take our fundraising to another level.

Before, I begin, it's important to note that although the title of this post if about reigniting your fundraising, all of this starts with you.

I recently ran into a donor who was volunteering at our office. I shouldn't say "ran into", as I heard her voice and immediately got up and went to greet her. I was ecstatic to see her and thanked her for a recent generous donation.  Of course that wasn't the first time I thanked her as I called her the day of the donation and then sent a thank you letter. Nonetheless it was my excitement in seeing her that made her day.

"The person before you didn't even know my name. Every time he saw me I had to re-introduce myself."

Reigniting your fundraising will only work if you are on board, if you have endless energy and passion for your cause, and if you are willing to be the main cheerleader.

Let's start.

My first idea is to respond to a donor email with a phone call.  You will surprise them, and your relationship with them will be stronger. In other words, you are investing in the donor relationship. Building these relationships is key in reigniting your fundraising. Try it.

Speaking of the phone, I suggest getting used to using it. Email doesn't show emotion. A donor can't hear your excitement over email. So call them. Once you see their donation pick up the phone. It changes everything.

Another reason to use the phone more and email less is that, especially in huge cities like Los Angeles where I live, face to face meetings with donors don't happen as often. The phone call brings at least a little bit of a personal touch to the relationship.

More to come.

Thanks for reading

Pick up the phone!

It's so easy.

In donor-centered fundraising, it's crucial.

Every day I try to respond to emails by picking up the phone and calling the person who just emailed me. They are usually happily surprised.

Then we get to talk. How is their day? How are we doing in our programs?  Yes, our Gala was incredible. Our relationship just got stronger.

Calls don't have to be reserved for donors. Call your vendors too. Build relationships everywhere you can. Your development and marketing efforts can only get stronger because of them.

Plus, in some cases, who will make someones day.

It's easy. Just pick up the phone.

Thank you for reading!

Losing a donor

Let's face it, if you are a development and fundraising professional who is hugely passionate for the work your non-profit agency does, losing a donor can be heart breaking.

I remember getting an email from a donor who I had been trying to connect with. Being new, I had only met them once while they were in the office, and it was a great conversation.

I had no idea that while I planned meetings with them, trouble was brewing.

While none of my emails were being returned, a decision was being made to not donate again.

Not because of anything program wise or due to any lack of program work. When I finally heard from them, it was a simple email about a challenge in their perception on some things the agency was doing with staffing. I say perception because for the agency and those served, the changes were great. This donor perceived them to be negative. And because of this they would not donate again.

I of course looked in the mirror. After a lot of time going back and forth in my head, I realized I had done everything right in regards to my profession. There was nothing I could do.

The breaking up email was sent to me and our CEO. At least I was included. My response was thanking them for the honest feedback, and letting them know that the voiceless and invisible population we serve needs them, so to please connect with me if anything ever changed.

Being one of the most positive people I know, I feel they will come back one day. They haven't yet. I will check in once in a while with a personal note.

I allowed myself time to be disappointed and then I jumped right back into being as strong of a development person as I could be, focusing my eyes on the prize and constantly working to ensure the donors that sustain our work always feel in positive relationship with us, to the extent that I have control over that.

Thank you for reading.

3 quick actions for today

It's Friday.

We all have our own rituals throughout the week, and on Fridays I like to have a long list of action items for the day. I try not to schedule any off-property meetings and focus on one thing: donor relationships.

Three actions that are consistent for Fridays with me are:

Call a donor. Or several donors. Not a donor who is getting close to their time for the annual donation. A donor who you just want to say hi and thank you to.

Do a site tour with a donor. Some of you might not have this option. In that case invite a donor for a coffee. Yes, face to face time with the donor is the key here.

Spend some time on your next current-donor mail appeal. It might not be for another few months, but some creative time spent today will totally pay off. Remember, donor-centered.

I absolutely love time with donors. If you are new in fundraising and still uncomfortable with calling a donor or meeting with a donor, I promise that the more you do the more comfortable and even fun it gets. Your passion for the mission of your agency and the donor's passion/vision for the mission can only grow stronger when you spend time with them.

Thanks for reading!