Donor Relationship Management

Most people hesitate to give criticism or honest feedback. I’ve done it myself—sugarcoating my comments rather than telling someone what I really think. Unless someone asks me specifically what I really think, probing in various specific areas, I’m more inclined to give positive feedback...

Who are my donors, and how have they engaged in the past? Most will answer this question in one of two ways. First, by quoting recency, frequency, monetary segments, complete with highest previous contribution and timing of the most recent gift. Second, by describing donor demographics/wealth with off-the-shelf segments or with their homegrown analysis...

This week’s solar eclipse was heavily anticipated and highly celebrated. About 16 percent of the U.S. was able to experience a total eclipse, including Nashville. Here in Nashville, hotels were sold out as visitors came to view the eclipse, and there were plenty of viewing parties and events as everyone geared up for the magical experience...

Today’s changing landscape is constantly evolving the nonprofit sector. And with the evolution of digital technologies comes more opportunity for fundraising—especially when it comes to event fundraising. RAISE 2017 is the first national conference for event fundraising professionals, and it’s all taking place from Sept. 25 to 26 in Washington, D.C...

What’s a great way to steward your donors? Memberships! By incorporating membership options into your nonprofit organization, you’re allowing your donors to be more engaged in the organization. It also gives them some added benefits and simplifies giving, so they don’t “forget” to donate...

At the recent Bridge Conference, I enjoyed several wonderful sustainer sessions. During one of those, someone asked about the automatic sustainer upgrade process some nonprofits are apparently using. My hair immediately started standing up straight! What happened to being donor-centric?...

Your organization has no cute kids, puppies or people that you regularly serve. But you keep hearing that you’re supposed to share those “mission moments” about real people to engage your community. How does sharing powerful stories work for you?...

Who are your highest value donors? A major gift officer would likely answer the question with a list of the top 10 donors from the past year or current top prospects. A direct marketer might quote the top RFM segments or pluck a group with the largest previous contribution...

As a strategic planning practitioner, I love the process and the outcomes, but I am saddened when a well-conceived plan just sits on the shelf. From a fundraising perspective, a strategic planning process that engages key constituencies and great minds is a wonderful cultivation opportunity, and the resulting plan should give confidence to donors who might invest in making the plans a reality...

Unconscious bias affects our ability to raise funds for our missions. But their effect doesn’t always have to be negative. Understanding bias allows us to navigate around it, sometimes mitigating its effect, so that it doesn’t impact our bottom lines...