I hope you enjoy this brilliant guest post by my friend and fellow fundraising professional, Colton Withers.
Donor relations professionals are loyal, passionate
about their work, and ardent advocates for all donors, be they annual fund
donors or major gift donors. That said, in my
experience as a donor relations professional turned major gift fundraiser, I've learned they are
not always the best at making a case for their incredibly vital work.
In asking donor relations professionals “why do we
have a donor relations program?” or “why should we invest in additional FTE
donor relations staff?”, you’ll likely hear “because it’s the right thing to do,”
“our donors deserve the very best,”or maybe
“loyal and happy donors today are major gift donors tomorrow.” All of which are true…but not very compelling
in today’s increasingly metrics-driven fundraising landscape.
For those of you who don’t
carry a portfolio and/or have senior management who have forgotten what it’s
like to work in the trenches, listed below are some ways in which donor
relations work directly influences major gift work. Instead of citing
incredibly true but idealistic rationale for building your donor relations
program, try some of these instead:
1. Donors will ALWAYS ask me about their
endowment reports. Nothing derails a well-scripted major gift
ask faster than questions like “Why is there a balance left in the support
account?” and “If you aren’t spending the money I’ve given you, why do you need
more?” How much is that endowment report worth?
The next major gift being asked of that donor.
2. If they’re on a board, they probably
know the ask is coming, but they expect and deserve a rich, impactful
experience. Nobody gave a major gift solely because
they sat on a board. Conversely, resentment can build with donors who feel like
the only reason they are on a board is their checkbook. Make sure you keep
these folks engaged and feeling useful, no matter how hard and professionally
trying that can be at times.
3. They will let me know about the time
that their gift was improperly allocated. Even if it was 10 years
ago. Major gift fundraisers hear about these errors when a six-figure proposal
is on the table. To re-tool a well-known idiom, “the ‘yes’ is in the
details.” Donor relations professionals
are the keepers of these fine details. Is it John, Johnny, or Jack? See below.
4. They will call me fuming about their mis-spelled
name or their improperly addressed letter. FUMING. Or worse
yet, throw away a beautiful, carefully articulated solicitation without reading
it. No gift made at all. Database friends, you are our only hope *cue Princess
Leia/General Organa meme*. Your work may be the most vital in any fundraising
shop. We hear you, we see you, and we love you.
5. They want and deserve a personalized
donor experience. If they don’t have to fill out their name
and address on a yearly solicitation, they’ll have more time to think about
increasing their gift, right?! Maybe,
maybe not. But donors who feel “known and loved” by your organization will feel
more like part of your family, which definitely plays a role in major gift
success. Pre-populated forms, personalized URLs (PURLS), coding preferences (of
all kind) into the database, and addressing
them as their closest friends address them all bring the donor deeper into the
fold and increases the chances of a major gift proposal being accepted.
6. They are going to feel donor fatigue more
acutely and sooner than I think. As Lynne points out,
donors need to be thanked SEVEN times for making a gift. Seven displays of
gratitude before another ask can be made successfully. A major gift in this
campaign (in a world where you are either in a campaign or preparing for the
next one) is dependent upon the stewardship of the last campaign gift. Donor
relations professionals are purveyors of gratitude and can stop donor fatigue
dead in its tracks.
Donor relations is a
value-adding mindset that impacts absolutely every part of your fundraising
operation. It’s an investment that will pay the highest dividends. You’re the
fixer. The keeper of little details that add up. When speaking about your work,
be proud in knowing that you are adding value to your organization and not
“just writing thank you notes” for the sake of writing them. Major gift
fundraisers should love, honor, and appreciate your work. Tell them I told you
so!
With gratitude,
Colton Withers, CFRE
Director of Development
Purdue Foundation
