It’s not what your donors give you, it’s what you give them
- Fri, April 23 2010
- Filed under: Fundraising essentials
In fundraising, we tend to focus on what we can extract from our donors. Instead, we should focus on what we can give our donors: gratitude, social impact, good feelings. The money will follow.
Think of your donors and how they feel. It is a very personal, emotional choice to give away money to something you care about. You as the organization these donors support want to handle those strong feelings of your donor with care. They have acted in a way that is deeply meaningful to them. If the only way we react to their gift is with a tax receipt, we’re not only being rude, we’re being disrespectful.
It is far easier to keep and cultivate a donor than to go find a new one and convince them to care about your cause. That’s one reason to give thanks early and often in your online outreach. Another is that your gratitude bonds the donor to your cause. And, because most nonprofits stink at online relationship-building, if you are good, you are going to stand out.
Be extra nice to your donors today.
Comments
Hi guys,
I will most definitely be nice to my donors. Showing appreciation goes a long way.
Kind regards,
Sam
X
Wise words, Katya, and even more so if we recognize the strength of the human desire to know we are efficacious (can make a difference), that we matter. The philanthropic act is an ideal way for a person to come to answer this craving.
And even better: it’s contagious. People notice when someone’s life is emboldened by a deed of philanthropy.
http://www.newfuturescircle.com/access/bold-money/