Strong relationships with donors are important to ensure fundraising success for non-profit organizations all year round. Donor cultivation strategies are not difficult; they are partly art and partly science. If carefully planned and executed consistently, they are powerful tools for any organization. So what should be done right?
The most important factor to take care of is the quality of conversation. Fundraising letters, telephone calls and messages should leave a powerful impression. The conversation should also be taken to the public. This comprises of pledge breaks, review programs, newspaper and tune-in ads. More donations are made if people feel part of the process.
Formal and informal events and parties are also a necessity in the cultivation process. They include wine events, annual dinners, program reviews and luncheons. The most important part of the events is the follow-up. Personalized telephone calls, emails and thank-you notes should come after a successful event. The follow system should be well planned and coordinated.
Personalization is important but not everything. The quality of the message communicated has the most impact. When you call, email or send newsletters, ensure that the message is well designed. For instance, use words and pictures to portray the kind of people the organization serves. Include information about the volunteers and recognize donor and the impact of their generosity.
Do not resign the work of welcoming and growing donors to individuals or certain groups of people. The process is a team effort that should include volunteers, board, staff, and even current donors. They serve as champions of activities of the organization and their impact on the society. The more people involved, the more people it attracts. Since you cannot predict the outcome of the cultivation process, influence it.
It is easier to sequence activities for corporations and foundations compared to individuals who do not have a calendar. However, the process of growing donors should be systematic, coordinated and strategic for corporations, individuals and foundations. Lastly, do not ignore the small givers. You cannot tell big givers from small ones and after all anyone has the potential to give big. So, grow both groups in the same way.
Cultivation is for growing a deep relationship, not with their checkbooks but their personalities. It is your business to know their business. What their vision for the future is, their culture and interests. It should not be cultivated when a fundraiser event is near rather all the time, all round the year. You will know whether you have succeeded if everyone is part of one big family with shared interest.
Just as courtship precedes marriage, donor cultivation precedes requests for gifts. Potential donors want to know more about your organization and whether you share similar values. So let them in into what you do, right to the details. Let cultivation be a process not an event or series of events. The process should be thorough, well thought, designed and implemented both before and after the gifts are given.
The most important factor to take care of is the quality of conversation. Fundraising letters, telephone calls and messages should leave a powerful impression. The conversation should also be taken to the public. This comprises of pledge breaks, review programs, newspaper and tune-in ads. More donations are made if people feel part of the process.
Formal and informal events and parties are also a necessity in the cultivation process. They include wine events, annual dinners, program reviews and luncheons. The most important part of the events is the follow-up. Personalized telephone calls, emails and thank-you notes should come after a successful event. The follow system should be well planned and coordinated.
Personalization is important but not everything. The quality of the message communicated has the most impact. When you call, email or send newsletters, ensure that the message is well designed. For instance, use words and pictures to portray the kind of people the organization serves. Include information about the volunteers and recognize donor and the impact of their generosity.
Do not resign the work of welcoming and growing donors to individuals or certain groups of people. The process is a team effort that should include volunteers, board, staff, and even current donors. They serve as champions of activities of the organization and their impact on the society. The more people involved, the more people it attracts. Since you cannot predict the outcome of the cultivation process, influence it.
It is easier to sequence activities for corporations and foundations compared to individuals who do not have a calendar. However, the process of growing donors should be systematic, coordinated and strategic for corporations, individuals and foundations. Lastly, do not ignore the small givers. You cannot tell big givers from small ones and after all anyone has the potential to give big. So, grow both groups in the same way.
Cultivation is for growing a deep relationship, not with their checkbooks but their personalities. It is your business to know their business. What their vision for the future is, their culture and interests. It should not be cultivated when a fundraiser event is near rather all the time, all round the year. You will know whether you have succeeded if everyone is part of one big family with shared interest.
Just as courtship precedes marriage, donor cultivation precedes requests for gifts. Potential donors want to know more about your organization and whether you share similar values. So let them in into what you do, right to the details. Let cultivation be a process not an event or series of events. The process should be thorough, well thought, designed and implemented both before and after the gifts are given.
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