Say What? Listen to the Messages Your Donors Are Sending

Offer donors options. For example, “too much mail” should trigger an offer to reduce appeals to once a quarter, mail only the newsletter, mail only twice a year, etc. It should not automatically result in removing a person from the mailing list.

Another common donor comment is, “I can’t give as much as you ask for.” This is a great time to explore if the donor is on a fixed income. Perhaps he or she has become a candidate for planned giving. The large gift that triggered the higher gift array on the reply form may have been a memorial gift or a portion of an insurance payment. This is an opportunity to learn more about the donor and strengthen your relationship.