If you could only have time to spend time with one person whom would you choose?
I bet you instantly thought of your most generous donor, the one who is the one who makes the biggest contribution to your charity. Section 18A Donations
If so, you’re about average. You’re like the rest of us who knows the 80/20 rule and what you should spend your time with those who are capable of making the largest gifts.
How about all the other people? Are their donations not important? Aren’t they likely to become significant donors?
There’s a massive gap in the way people treat donors.
The Inequality of Attention
The people who have traditionally made the most money receive the most attention. Others don’t get a fraction in your attention or even less. I refer to this as The Inequality of Attention, and it’s all over the nonprofit sector.
It’s the belief that people who contribute the most need the most attention to feel valued. It’s not a problem. However, most people are so focused on their biggest donors that they neglect other donors.
I think this is the primary reason behind the huge problem with donor retention we’re experiencing. This is the reason people tend to give a few times before moving on to a different charity.
Every cent counts isn’t it? Isn’t it true that every gift counts?
This is certainly the case when taking a look at your budget. If you’re in need of money to pay for the electricity every penny is crucial. When you’re trying to build connections, there’s an underlying difference.
Let me introduce you to Carol.
Carol is a retired widow and lives on an income that is fixed. She’s donated an annual donation of $50 over the last five years. She’s incredibly concerned about your cause. If she hasn’t left an enormous gift in her will you’ll never be able to appreciate the magnitude of her generosity.
She’s not even on the radar. There’s a lot potential to contribute If she felt more connected to your company. She could be the best volunteer you’ve ever had, or has strong connections to people who can make life-changing contributions.
Do she not deserve to be treated with the exact same amount of respect and admiration that the person who contributes $5,000 per year? Shouldn’t she receive the same amount of respect and feel equally appreciated?
The majority of people who are fundraising are simply too busy to pay attention. Or , they are simply too busy to spend the time to consider what they can do to be a positive impact to every single donor, particularly the ones like Carol.
There have been many occasions that I’ve made substantial donations to non-profit organizations. They were certainly important gifts for me. A lot of them were gifts for causes I was completely convinced in. Most of the time I was dissatisfied when I received no acknowledgement whatsoever for my work. There was no acknowledgement. No engagement. No money in the bank account for emotional reasons. I was one of many, and I could feel it clearly and loudly.
Why do people think their gifts don’t be important? This is because they don’t have any evidence that suggests they are important.
Guess who’s job it is to make them feel happy about their donation and trust that they are important?
Yep. You.
If you don’t take action that you can’t do, who will? I can tell you for certain that if you do not make people feel happy about the experience of supporting your organization then they’ll be looking for the next organization that seems appealing.
The act of giving is an act of love.
The initial gift is made as a response to the emotional stir one is experiencing. It’s also an examination. If you succeed, they’ll give another. If you fail the test, they’re gone.
The people who donate to your organization should feel confident about the experience they had with you. They require confirmation that they have made the right decision in giving your charity money. They must be convinced that the trustworthiness of your organization.
It’s your responsibility, as a non-profit fundraiser, to aid people keep and maintain those emotions.
If not, they’ll find another organization that appears like they’re reliable and doing a good job, and worthy of donations.
With only a few hours in your daytime, the issue is, how do you provide customers a positive experience and make them feel confident about giving even when you must perform it on a large scale? How do you establish trust when you’re working one-on-one , but rather one-to-many?
The numbers of retention for donors are terrible. If you’re able to keep 30% each year, it’s thought to be good. (I consider it a terrible thing!)
The process of acquiring donors is costly. The majority of nonprofits make a loss trying to get new donors on their board.
Isn’t it more sensible to spend time praising existing donors to prevent them from abandoning us? It’s not more efficient to slow down enough to devise a plan of communication that builds trust and provides our donors with a feeling of trust in our organization?
I believe it’s true. If you take the necessary steps to boost the positive impression that a donor feels about your relationship with them and you’ll notice an increase in retention as well as the total amount of donation.
ICAN formula
Who is responsible to establish connections with donors? Yours. Does it work one-to-many? Yes, it can.
Think of your last experience when you were watching ads on television or online video that touched you to the point that you wept. It wasn’t one-to-one fashion did it? It was a one-to-many. It was developed to offer viewers a specific experience, and then distributed in a massive manner. It was designed by a single individual in mind The emotional impact was felt by all those who watched it.
It’s possible also. You can provide ALL of your patrons the feeling of being appreciated and valued and appreciated, without having to meet each and every one of them.
It requires planning, strategy and a deep knowledge the donors’ requirements and desires. It takes time and thinking.
Let me provide you with an excellent starting point.
These are the four actions you should do to strengthen your bonds, increase trust and make people give more. These can all be carried out one-to-many and they’ll need you to slow down long enough to think every detail. The best relationships cannot be created in a rush. They require time and consideration.
To inspire. People need to be moved before they donate. There’s a good chance that your organization is performing amazing, heart-warming, and heartfelt work. It’s altering life (maybe even saving lives) If your non-profit stopped operating and it was gone, it would create an enormous gap.
Also, tell your story. Inform your friends about the woman who could not make it to her dialysis appointments if not the transportation program you offer Discuss the struggles of a family who lives in poverty and what it means to them to get the chance to own their own house. Discuss the reasons the reason why your non-profit has the mission it does, and less about how it’s accomplished.