Ready to put some donor love to work in your fundraising? Here are some specific things you can do:
- Thank donors for the same things you asked them for. If you asked them to help a hungry child, don't thank them for fighting world poverty. Those may be two sides of the same coin for you, but possibly not for your donor.
- Write and design your thank-you messages with just as much passion and precision as you write your ask. More, if possible.
- Make sure you report back to donors on the impact of their giving. Have a newsletter, and make sure it's all about the great things your donors make possible.
- Don't have a braggy, look-at-me brand. Build your brand around the concrete ways your donors can change the world by giving to your organization.
- Write and design for ease of reading, understanding, and acting. Jargon, complex writing, hard-to-read design -- those things are exclusionary.
- Listen to your donors. Find out what they care about, why they give, how they want to connect. Just connecting will improve the relationship, but they have incredibly valuable information they may be willing to share with you!
Beyond that, it's important to have a culture of donor love -- or at the least donor-respect. Build that culture by doing things like these:
- As many people in the organization as possible should connect with donors regularly. Mainly to thank them by phone. Many people at nonprofits only encounter cranky, disgruntled donors when they complain. They don't see the human and delightful side of most typical donors.
- Spread the stories of heroic donors. Not just those who make large gifts, but those who have been giving for a long time, have given in notable and sacrificial ways, gone above and beyond in any way.
- Check your bias. Donors are different from us in many ways -- most especially age. Understand and embrace the differences. That can transform your attitude.
Love your donors, and they'll love you back.
