You’ve heard other development folks talk about “their” donors as though they have the donors’ undivided attention and may even possess their exclusive rights. (I won’t ask if you’re guilty as well.) Claiming donors leads to a slippery slope that encourages us to believe that those people with big hearts who send checks large and small are supporting our organization alone.
Just to introduce a reality check into the matter…in a national donor survey we conducted, we learned from donors themselves that they support a variety of nonprofits — and your very best donors may be supporting more than ten! That doesn’t sound like they belong to any particular organization, does it? ”Your” donors are also supporting their church, alma mater, political campaigns, United Way, health-care related organizations, the PTA, their local Goodwill, homeless shelter, little league and Girl and Boy Scouts.
The fact that donors give to multiple organizations should not only prevent us from considering them “our” donors, but it should make us think of “Nanna.” Why? Because these donors give to you, and like a grandmother who sends Christmas gifts to all her grandchildren, they wait to see who remembers to say thank you, who shows appreciation for the gift “Nanna” just sent. You can be sure “your” donors are keeping track and they compare your expressions of gratitude with those of the other organizations they support.
It’s easy to understand. Just think about the last time you sent a gift for a bridal or baby shower. After a few days, you probably started looking for a thank you note from the gift recipient as you sorted through your mail. You might have even noticed the thank you that you did receive was a generic “thank you for your gift” note with no mention made of what you actually gave. Someone was pumping out thank yous as fast as they could. Also, think about the times you sent a gift and never received a thank you, or months passed before one came. We all have the same expectations, and your donors are just like you. They want to be thanked. They want to feel appreciated.
As we enter the “season of sharing,” remember to make it the “season of thanking.” Are you showing enough appreciation to your donors for their gifts? Do you send out personalized thank you letters that specify the amount of the gift within 48 hours of receiving that gift? Do you call your donors at least once a year just to say “thank you”? Does your board chair send out a second personalized hand-signed letter to thank new donors or large year-end donors? How many ways can you think of to thank the very people who make your work possible?
As times get tough, donors become more selective about the organizations they are supporting and donor attrition rates increase. A lack of appreciation could be one of the criteria your lost donors were using as they moved on. The next two months offer you a tremendous opportunity to stand out among the organizations “your” donors are supporting. You can make them feel good about their decision to help you. Think of the ways you can accomplish that goal and start today.
Call me at (325) 677-1342 ext. 108 or send me an email at pfulham@zachryinc.com and ask me how Zachry Associates can work with you to develop an overall donor retention program that will keep “your” donors giving larger and larger gifts … year after year. With more than 40 years of helping nonprofits grow their donor bases, we have pioneered ways to enhance your overall fundraising efforts. So let me hear from you.
And, yes — “thank you” for reading this!
