Donor Relationship Management

No one wants to listen to complaints every day. Whether the complainer is a spouse (“Put your dirty dishes in the dishwasher!”), one of your kids (“Why can’t you take me to the mall?”) or a donor (“Stop sending me so much mail!”), it might seem easier to ignore the situation than to do something about it.

But just as you don’t want your spouse to file for divorce or your child to hitch a ride to the mall from a stranger, you also don’t want a valuable donor to say goodbye to you.

Large nonprofits have the luxury of employing a prospect researcher, but what about fundraisers who don’t have an in-house pro? Sophisticated researchers can check several dozen Web sites while preparing an in-depth profile, but development officers can find simple facts about their donors by themselves, simply by searching several key Web sites. Below is a list of sites that development professionals can employ from their desktops to help answer some key questions in an organization’s search for information on its prospects. * How can I verify someone’s address and telephone number? Web site: www.zabasearch.com By entering the first and last

Prospect research is most effective when you have the information you need when you need it. Sounds obvious, right? But it implies that an organization knows what information it really needs. The type of information needed depends on the prospect’s stage in the solicitation cycle. There are three stages within the solicitation cycle: the identification stage; the cultivation stage and the solicitation stage. 1. Identification of capable prospects is among the most important responsibilities of prospect research. At the identification stage, you only need to have clear evidence of major-gift capacity — expensive property or significant stock holdings, for instance. It is not

Mention the word “campaign” and it virtually becomes synonymous with “database screening.” Once your organization has decided to embark on a campaign -- be it a capital campaign, an endowment campaign or a campaign for a very specific project -- a database screening is on the horizon. Screening helps identify new prospects in your database; provides clearer, more concise information on your known prospects; helps organizations prioritize prospects; and enables segmentation of prospects. Campaign screening and research is a four-part process that involves timing; compatibility and capability; selection; and roll out. 1. Timing. In an ideal world, a screening would be done before

Hispanic Americans quickly are becoming one of this country’s largest minority demographics and are expected to eclipse all other ethnic groups by the next U.S. Census, says Loretta Poggio, consultant with Ethnic Technologies, providers of targeted mailing and telemarketing lists with ethnic and religious groupings. Before targeting any specific ethnic group, Poggio says nonprofit organizations should first do a house-file audit to reveal the ethnic representation of its constituents and show which groups are under represented. The next step is to examine its mission statement and find its relevance to the particular group it’s looking to engage. When targeting individuals of Hispanic

In her in-depth report “Asian-American Philanthropy: Expanding Circles of Participation,” published as a chapter in the book “Cultures of Caring: Philanthropy in Diverse American Communities,” Jessica Chao, vice president at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, looks at philanthropic trends within the Asian-American community. Chao explains that Asian-American philanthropy is not one size fits all. The types of philanthropy are as diverse as the population itself, influenced by social adaptation, economics and various levels of acculturation. Asian Americans give informally to close family and social circles and more formally to alumni and professional associations, doing so out of a sense of duty and obligation to the family,

The Jackie Robinson Foundation is an organization that seeks to perpetuate the legacy of Jackie Robinson — the legendary baseball star who was the first African American ever to play major-league baseball — by providing scholarships and support services including mentoring to minority students. As the organization commemorates the 60th year since Robinson broke the color barrier, Vice President and COO Allison Davis took the time to share some general tips she’s garnered through her experiences with the organization’s black donor base. The key focus, as with all donors, Davis says, should be on strong cultivation, strong branding and good DRM. 1) As with

I’ve decided to offer my advice to those with inquiries concerning their fundraising troubles … a sort of “Dear Abby” column for the fundraising forlorn. I’m even willing to dole out this advice free of charge. Those with questions need not fear a monthly retainer bill or any other type of charge. Just please don’t tell any of my clients I’m giving it away for nothing!

Pop quiz! What’s wrong with this hypothetical appeal from an imaginary nonprofit organization raising money to rescue, spay or neuter animals, and place them in loving homes?

For fundraisers who rely on direct mail, these are the best of times and the worst of times.

First, the bad news: The sheer volume of information bombarding donors — from traditional broadcast and print media to the Web, e-mail and instant messaging — is making it harder than ever to get attention for your appeals.