Do you really make it worth your donors' money to give to you? That's the question at a recent post at Queer Ideas: Why giving to charity can be like buying a Polaris submarine. (You'll have to go read the post to learn how a submarine comes into this topic.)
The point is this: Most of the time, what happens after a donor gives to a nonprofit is just not all that cool:
Instead of being invited to be part of something life changing, I get a polite and formal letter that informs me that my money has gone in to a big pot and will do something good, somewhere at some point in the future.
What could you do to really thrill your donors, to make them feel the importance of their giving?
What would make them say "Giving that gift was the best thing I've done in a long time!"
What would make them feel more powerful, more connected, more happy about their life?
If you aren't doing that, you really aren't a fundraiser yet.
Think about it.
