To the Point: Be Generous to Inspire Generosity

When we treat our donors like walking wallets, they'll get mad and leave us. When we lavish them with a ?generous spirit and excellent service, they'll stay with us. What do I mean by a generous spirit? Here's your checklist.

1. Give away. Give away everything you can, and it will pay off. For example, at Network for Good, we give away free training, newsletters, and fundraising and marketing tips. Our sales and customer service staffs give generously of their time, never rushing someone off the phone. This makes quite a few people love us — and they go on to buy, recommend or evangelize our paid services. Which pays off in the long run. If we tried to nickel-and-dime nonprofits, they would not feel the same way and we'd have fewer funds in the long run. Keep this approach in mind if you're a membership or services organization.