Why donor-focused fundraising doesn't work

« The envelope has 2 sides -- you can use both | Main | Do you want partners or admirers? »

12 July 2022

Why donor-focused fundraising doesn't work

Almost everyone says donor-focused fundraising is a good thing.

But look into what exactly donor-focused fundraising means, and one of your most common findings will be this:

So-called donor focused-fundraising is fundraising with a style and approach that the fundraiser feels good about.

Which isn't donor-focused at all.

In fact, it's probably donor-ignoring. Possibly even anti-donor fundraising.

When you really focus on donors, you slam straight into the truth that you aren't your donors and your donors aren't you -- thus aiming at them means missing yourself. And vice-versa.

True donor-focused fundraising will probably not appeal to you. That's one of the ways you can tell when you're getting it right: It's not tickling your fancy. It seems corny, simplistic, and old-fashioned.

Donor-focused fundraising really is the love-fest it's cracked up to be. Just not in the way many fundraisers want.

(This post first appeared on April 26 2017.)

Posted by Jeff Brooks on 12 July 2022 at 08:23 | Permalink

Comments

What this blog is about
The future of fundraising is not about social media, online video, or SEM. It's not about any technology, medium, or technique. It's about donors. If you need to raise funds from donors, you need to study them, respect them, and build everything you do around them. And the future? It's already here. More.

Subscribe to this blog's feed

About the blogger
Jeff Brooks has been serving the nonprofit community for more than 30 years and blogging about it since 2005. He considers fundraising the most noble of pursuits and hopes you'll join him in that opinion. You can reach him at jeff [at] jeff-brooks [dot] com. More.

Blog policies

Search

Follow me on Mastodon

I'm a Fundraisingologist at Moceanic, the company that can help you transform the way you do fundraising through one-on-one coaching or membership in The Fundraisingology Lab. Find out what we can do for you and with you!

A proud member of The Case Writers, a collective of the smartest, most donor-loving creative professionals in the business.

Irresistible fundraising!

Raise funds with your eyes open. Skip the guesswork. Show your boss what really works. This book takes you on a fact-filled and memorable journey through writing, design, strategy, and the mental game of effective fundraising.

Proven, tested, real-life techniques that give donors what they want so they can make the donations you need. If you care about fundraising, about your donors, and about supporting your cause, you need The Fundraiser's Guide to Irresistible Communications by Jeff Brooks. Order it today.

Categories

Writing for fundraisers

Admit it: Fundraising writing is weird.

So many people get thrown into the work of writing fundraising without ever being told about the weird they need to live with -- and master -- if they're going to succeed.

Until now. How to Turn Your Words into Money: The Master Fundraiser's Guide to Persuasive Writing by Jeff Brooks, is specifically and tightly aimed at helping you write better fundraising. Including things like ...

Specifically how to ask.
How to use rhyme to make your message more memorable and persuasive.
How to tell stories that motivate donors to give.
How to meet donors' emotional needs.
Whether you should use guilt as a motivator.

Whether you're working on your very first fundraising writing assignment or you're a seasoned veteran ... whether you want it for yourself or need to show someone else how the pros write fundraising -- or both -- this is a book you should

Branding can boost fundraising

Discover how to make branding improve your fundraising in The Money-Raising Nonprofit Brand: Motivating Donors to Give, Give Happily, and Keep on Giving. It's easier -- and less expensive -- than you may think! If your organization is even vaguely considering "branding work," you need to read The Money-Raising Nonprofit Brand by Jeff Brooks. Read more here.

Popular series