Diversify, Diversify, Diversify

“My best advice to any development professional is to develop a funding diversification plan that involves your entire board and staff,” says Donna Batter, fund development director for Bellevue, Wash.-based Washington Women In Need. “Essentially, funding diversification is about cultivation and getting personal with donors. Given the fact that more than 90 percent of our organization’s charitable dollars come from individuals, we have a master cultivation system for each segment of our donor base, plus a system for introducing and emotionally connecting donors to our mission.”