The ideal way for non-profit organizations to ensure fundraising success all year long is to build strong relationships with donors and prospects. Donor cultivation strategies are part science and part art. The strategies rely on careful planning, consistency and personalized communication. Here are some of them;
The most important factor to take care of is the quality of conversation. Fundraising letters, telephone calls and messages should leave a powerful impression. The conversation should also be taken to the public. This comprises of pledge breaks, review programs, newspaper and tune-in ads. More donations are made if people feel part of the process.
Formal and informal events and parties are also a necessity in the cultivation process. They include wine events, annual dinners, program reviews and luncheons. The most important part of the events is the follow-up. Personalized telephone calls, emails and thank-you notes should come after a successful event. The follow system should be well planned and coordinated.
Personal interactions are essential but not everything. What matters is what and how you communicate. The phone call, newsletter and email should have a carefully designed message to invoke certain emotions. Use words and sometimes pictures to tell of the people served by the organization. Also talk of volunteers and donors and how much their sacrifice has been useful.
The efforts to welcome donors and cultivate them should not be left to a particular individual or group of people. Everyone including volunteers, staff and the board should be involved. Current donors are the best to involve as they are advocates for the organization activities. Diversity of people attracts even more people; hence, integration of people of different walks of life is crucial. People influence the cultivation process, take advantage of them.
It is easier to sequence activities for corporations and foundations compared to individuals who do not have a calendar. However, the process of growing donors should be systematic, coordinated and strategic for corporations, individuals and foundations. Lastly, do not ignore the small givers. You cannot tell big givers from small ones and after all anyone has the potential to give big. So, grow both groups in the same way.
The important fact to remember is that cultivation is more than knowing about their checkbook. You must make it your business to know their culture, interests and vision for the future. A successful relationship makes everyone feel part of one huge family with a common goal. The relationship should not be when there are funding efforts in the near future.
Donor cultivation is to requests for gifts what courtship is to marriage. One always leads to the other. All potential donors are interested in is in what your organization does and whether it reflects their own values. So, do not shy away from sharing down to the smallest detail. Make cultivation a life -long process rather than an event. Think it through, design and implement it thoroughly. Do it before and after the gifts are given, it can make a huge difference.
The most important factor to take care of is the quality of conversation. Fundraising letters, telephone calls and messages should leave a powerful impression. The conversation should also be taken to the public. This comprises of pledge breaks, review programs, newspaper and tune-in ads. More donations are made if people feel part of the process.
Formal and informal events and parties are also a necessity in the cultivation process. They include wine events, annual dinners, program reviews and luncheons. The most important part of the events is the follow-up. Personalized telephone calls, emails and thank-you notes should come after a successful event. The follow system should be well planned and coordinated.
Personal interactions are essential but not everything. What matters is what and how you communicate. The phone call, newsletter and email should have a carefully designed message to invoke certain emotions. Use words and sometimes pictures to tell of the people served by the organization. Also talk of volunteers and donors and how much their sacrifice has been useful.
The efforts to welcome donors and cultivate them should not be left to a particular individual or group of people. Everyone including volunteers, staff and the board should be involved. Current donors are the best to involve as they are advocates for the organization activities. Diversity of people attracts even more people; hence, integration of people of different walks of life is crucial. People influence the cultivation process, take advantage of them.
It is easier to sequence activities for corporations and foundations compared to individuals who do not have a calendar. However, the process of growing donors should be systematic, coordinated and strategic for corporations, individuals and foundations. Lastly, do not ignore the small givers. You cannot tell big givers from small ones and after all anyone has the potential to give big. So, grow both groups in the same way.
The important fact to remember is that cultivation is more than knowing about their checkbook. You must make it your business to know their culture, interests and vision for the future. A successful relationship makes everyone feel part of one huge family with a common goal. The relationship should not be when there are funding efforts in the near future.
Donor cultivation is to requests for gifts what courtship is to marriage. One always leads to the other. All potential donors are interested in is in what your organization does and whether it reflects their own values. So, do not shy away from sharing down to the smallest detail. Make cultivation a life -long process rather than an event. Think it through, design and implement it thoroughly. Do it before and after the gifts are given, it can make a huge difference.
