Chris Smith – 10 Do’s and Don’ts of Donor Relations

I made a year-end gift to a favorite charity several years ago. It was the fulfillment of a pledge made months before. Outside of church, this was the largest check I had ever written to a non-profit. For me, it was a big check. A really big check.

I counted the CEO as a friend, had volunteered at the facility, and believed in their mission. Writing the check filled me with joy. It felt good.

I anticipated my friend calling in a few days and thanking me for the gift. I was looking forward to chatting with him and reliving the joy of my contribution. “I was glad to help,” is what I imagined saying. Then we would set a date for lunch.

He never called. Fifteen years later, I still cannot believe it.

VISIT HERE TO MEET CHRIS SMITH AT MAJOR GIFTS RAMP-UP TENNESSEE 

This is donor malpractice and no way to treat a friend.

Every non-profit is completely dependent on donors for their very existence, except for those who operate solely through government grants. How we treat our donors is crucial. Here are ten reminders of how to foster, long lasting and life-giving relationships with your non-profit’s most valuable asset.

1. Do thank your donors. You have to thank your donors five times for every gift before asking for another gift. IRS statement, hand-written note, phone call, inclusion on the Donor Hall of Fame, invitation to volunteer, gift of flowers, a personal note from a client served—the ways one can say thank you are limitless.
2. Do not take your donors for granted Most likely, my CEO friend was simply busy, putting out fires, and running an organization. Or perhaps there were family issues like sickness. But the fact is, my friend forgot about me at best or took me for granted at worst. It stung. No one wants to be treated as if they were an ATM machine.
3. Do communicate Newsletters, annual reports, brochures, emails, social media, gatherings—all are needed. If the 1990’s are calling and want your website back, it is time to upgrade. But trust me, you have to communicate in a one-on-one fashion as well. Get out there and tell your story.
4. Don’t assume Listen, even your best donor may not read your annual report or quarterly newsletter. (You still have to do both by the way.) You started a new program last year but guess what? They do not remember it. You eat, drink, and sleep your non-profit. Your donors do not. Never just assume your donors know what you want them to know.
5. Do think donor centric Do you have a parking space reserved for donors? Does your mission statement include your donors? How often do you spotlight donors in communications? Yes, you have a program to run, lives to change, and a mission to accomplish. But donors make it possible. Think about your donors and the experience they have with your organization.
6. Do not rely on email Pick up the blame phone. The longest 18 inches is the distance from your phone to your ear. Quit sending out emails thinking that means you are actually communicating. All you are doing is filling up an inbox. Emails do not count. Text, phone, and best of all, in person visits are the only contacts that matter.
7. Do treat your donors as friends Interact with donors in a normative fashion. Treat them the way you would treat a friend. One time I sent out a somewhat personal ask for a non-profit at the end of the year. The targeted donors were friends, but friends I no longer saw on a regular basis. I had the disconcerting thought that someone on my list may have passed away in the previous year, and I had not heard the news. I was going to make an ask and had not communicated with them in the previous 12-months? Shame on me!
8. Do not rely on your Board If you expect your Board to be great fundraisers, introducing you to their wealthy friends, making asks and raising significant money, you will forever be disappointed. They are not going to do it. Quit shaming your Board and making yourself crazy at the same time. Let it go.
9. Do not stay in your office When you pick up the phone, make appointments to visit with your donors. Listen, you are not going to raise the money you need sitting in your office. You’re just not. Get out of your office. (And yes, this means you will have to hand off some responsibilities to someone else.) Carve out significant time in your calendar for donor visits each week. You will not regret it.
10. Do thank your donors A repeat of number one because it really is that important, and it provides an excuse to close with this sad story. A headmaster of a school secured a six-figure pledge from an alumnus, the first ever from this donor. The consultant suggested sending flowers to the spouse as a simple thank you. The headmaster demurred, assuming the donor would think if the school spent $100 on flowers, they were somehow or another not good stewards of donated funds. Two months later, primarily because of a lack of follow-up, the pledge went away.

VISIT HERE TO MEET CHRIS SMITH AT MAJOR GIFTS RAMP-UP TENNESSEE 

Treat your donors right, not just because it means more money raised, but because it is the right thing to do.

Chris Smith Reveals The Ten Do’s and Don’ts of Donor Relations was first posted at INSIDE CHARITY

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