I’m sitting in my office finally taking the time to read the Public Agenda Research Reports: The Charitable Impulse. This study interviewed donors and charity leaders to find out each others’ perceptions.
Reading the comments of donors versus the perceptions of leaders, I’m reminded of all the times people tell me donors are really motivated by tax-deductibility of their gift. (They’re not. Think about it in terms of your own giving. Time and again, donors are primarily motivated by the impact of the cause.)
Donors consistently trust local nonprofits more than national organizations or the government. They say that local nonprofits have heart and are able to make a real difference in their community.
Whether local or national, donor say they “feel personally betrayed” when scandals erupt because they feel that their “money was misused” (p. 8). This report says donors feel their charitable giving as a form of activism. A way of voting with their dollars.
Read this report–it’s a free download here. How do you need to change the way you “engage” donors? Have you been trying to engage donor prospects in ways that do not interest them?
Remember, in the Get R.E.A.L.! process, the engage step is like dating. If you find out your date doesn’t like Thai food, you don’t insist on taking them to a Thai restaurant. (Unless you don’t want a second date with that person!)
So if you’re not talking about the heart of your cause and the people actively making a difference through your organization, take this time around the holiday to re-write all of your messaging. Or at least to re-script the talking points you use on a daily basis!
Have a great Thanksgiving!
Marc
Posted by Marc A. Pitman under
2. Engage[2] Comments
FUNDRAISING BASICS: Get R.E.A.L! Engage!
All too often, we’re totally backwards about asking people for money. Asking so fills us with fear that we put off the inevitable as long as possible. But at some point, our organizations goes into a financial crisis, and we
have to ask. And we just blurt it out on letters or in person.Â
Imagine the donor process is like the dating process. We want to get married (get the gift) but we’re scared to death of meeting people. So we stall, staying inside, not going on a single date. Then, we really NEED to get married so we run into the nearest bar and ask the person at the stool beside us if they’ll marry us!
Crazy, isn’t it?
So why do we do this with asking?
Even if we do the excellent work of the researching step, it’s still too soon to ask for a major gift. We need to date the prospective donor first. I call this the “engage” step.
Research is behind the scenes; engaging involves direct communication with the prospect.
Be genuinely interested in them, not just their money. (Or your perception of their money–some folks look well off but are merely broke at a higher level.)
Take them out to lunch. Visit them when traveling in their area. Send them articles you think might interest them. Take note of what interests them, and what doesn’t. There’s no point in asking someone to make a substantial gift to a cause they don’t care about.
At least do the courtesy of trying to find something in your cause that relates to their interests.
Engaging is a two-way process. Be sure to share the successes your organization is experiencing. (Remember, people give to winning causes, not to needs!)
I feel this step is even more important than “research.” No one raises money behind a desk. It’s all about relationships. So get out there and meet your prospects.
But don’t get stuck here either. No prospect has ever made a significant gift just because you were friendly and engaging. They still need to be asked…
