“It’s sad how quickly people can forget about you until they want something from you.”
Does this quote make you cringe when you consider what your donors might think about their relationship with your organization? Well, if the only time they hear from you is to discuss that next gift, I’m pretty sure, on some level, this is how they feel, and the result is mounting levels of donor fatigue.
Now, this is quite the conundrum. If you’re in donor development or direct response, isn’t it your primary responsibility to raise money to support your organization’s mission? If that’s true, what now? Do you give them some time to recover by engaging less frequently? Nope.
How about inviting them to an event, feeding them a nice meal, and then asking them for a check? Not really.
Oh, I know. We can ask them to be a team captain for our upcoming walkathon so they can hit up their friends and family for money for us!
Close, but no dice.
Stop Asking for Money
The answer is actually pretty simple: stop asking them for money. I know what you’re probably thinking, “This is nice and all, but it’s completely detached from reality. I have fundraising goals, and we need financial support to accomplish our mission.“
Let me be clear: I am not suggesting you stop asking for money altogether.
I’m merely suggesting we reframe the conversation on occasion. This will relieve some of the aforementioned donor fatigue and, at the same time, further deepen the relationship.
Understanding Social Capacity
Here’s an example. Instead of focusing solely on their financial capacity, you can go deeper by understanding “social capacity.”
Social capacity comprises how many connections a giver has on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook, how many relationships they have with other supporters of your organization, and how many donors live near them.
Developing an understanding of, and ultimately leveraging, the amount of social capital your donor has allows you to engage on a topic other than money and ask them to advocate to their relational network on your behalf.
This is a great way to change the conversation and, in the process, demonstrate that you know them on a much deeper level, outside of just what they can do for you financially. They will appreciate this—and as a result, it can increase their affinity for your organization, which will, in turn, inspire future generosity.
As a bonus, you gain exposure to a whole new universe of potential supporters through the advocacy of their relational network. Win-win!
Final Thoughts
To truly understand our givers on a personal level, we must get outside the boundaries of our universe. We have to intentionally seek out this information and build a profile that holistically represents who they are, not just in terms of what they mean to us but who they really are.
So let’s stop making our givers feel like an ATM and start making them feel like the valued, capable, loyal friends they truly are!
