Welcome back to Ask a Responsive Fundraiser! This week, we are thrilled to have Kyle Cartwright, the Interim Executive Director and Director of Development at Civic Nebraska, a nonprofit advancing voter rights, civic health, and youth leadership.
He helps nonprofits, businesses, and donors build thriving communities through fundraising, philanthropy, and social impact strategies. A Nebraska native, Kyle has held leadership roles in philanthropy, arts, and culture and serves as a saxophonist in the Nebraska Army National Guard’s 43rd Army Band.
Be sure to check out past editions of Ask a Responsive Fundraiser and leave us a comment on LinkedIn so we can answer your questions!
Editorโs note: Kylesโs answers were edited for length and clarity. Watch the video to see his full answers.
Dear Responsive Fundraiser: Donor fatigue only seems to be increasing and we’re worried about keeping our most loyal supporters engaged. What are some fresh ways that we can create meaningful connections with our donors?
Kyle Cartwright: After a contentious election season, I know a lot of people have been emotionally taxed a little bit and certainly financially stretched with their involvement. But, I have found one of the most effective ways to keep folks from feeling a sense of fatigue is knowing that others continue to join them. The best way I’ve found is to show that their support is joined by others.
I think galvanizing or re-inspiring re-engaging for some of the folks who we always rely on, but we don’t want to take for granted because that’s a slippery slope. If you’re not asking how folks are feeling about their relationship with you and their engagement, you might be surprised and probably not in a good way.
I know it’s trite, and we all talk about storytelling and stewardship and speaking to donors. But I think it just bears mentioning againโ handwritten note, a phone call here and there, talking to your program teams, finding those stories that are meaningful and moving for for a general audience.
Dear Responsive Fundraiser: Many of our donors are older, and we’re concerned about growing the next generation of our donor base. How can we adjust our strategies to connect with younger donors? And is it possible to do this while still resonating with our current base?
KC: I’m a big proponent of the responsive framework. I think this question really cuts right to the heart of that is recognizing that our donors are not a monolith and finding the ways to o the research.
There are a lot of tools out there to understand the age demographic of your current base of support. Really try to understand some of those demographics and do some research as to where they congregate, how they engage, and what’s particularly motivating to them.
These are not new things. It’s not changing your mission. It’s not changing your message all that much, even if it’s just a reframing.
From a tactical standpoint, for instance, is creating some accessibility to the organization as well. There are many ways to engage. You can add your voice, or you can attend an event. But, if your giving form starts at $100 or even $50, you’re probably not signaling that this organization is for everyone.
This is where you can segment and have a responsive form. Maybe you start at $5 a month, or $10. Now, they can get in the system. We’ll start giving them more attention because they moved into this space as a core supporter of our work.
Dear Responsive Fundraiser: As an executive director, I often feel isolated in making big decisions, especially during uncertain or difficult times. How can I build a stronger support network and involve my board in more strategic discussions?
KC: I think there’s a fallacy that it’s lonely at the top. And I think it’s lonely because we as leaders and, societally, make it seem like in leadership, we have to have all the answers or we’re going to be figured out or we’re, we’re fearful of sharing some of the challenges we’re facing. Our senior staff looks to us, but I really want to challenge that notion in the sense that we should look to them.
The sort of collective brain trust of that space is far wiser than we as leaders. It’s reinforced this experience of having effective people around me who know their jobs and know the community they serve like the back of their hand.
It’s also empowering and galvanizing for the people around you to feel a sense of agency and empowerment over the decisions.
There are mentorships, peer networks, finding folks that you can rely on, and maybe who have trust and confidentiality and that ability to impart some information that helps you process, but who is relatively disinterested in the organization itself or or others around it.
