{"id":21749,"date":"2019-06-25T19:43:22","date_gmt":"2019-06-25T19:43:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/virtuous.org\/raise\/2019\/06\/25\/closing-the-distance-to-your-donor\/"},"modified":"2019-06-25T19:43:22","modified_gmt":"2019-06-25T19:43:22","slug":"closing-the-distance-to-your-donor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/virtuous.org\/raise\/closing-the-distance-to-your-donor\/","title":{"rendered":"Closing the Distance Between You and Your Donors"},"content":{"rendered":"
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At the heart of fundraising is a relationship. Not with a dollar, but with a donor.<\/h3>\n

And so the wider the distance between you and your donor, the more difficult and impersonal it will be to ask for help.<\/p>\n

In the world online fundraising, closing that distance actually means that we need to go beyond digital. Here\u2019s how.<\/span><\/p>\n

Just recently one of the most famous endurance races occurred in <\/span>Boulder, Colorado<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Ironman Triathlon<\/span><\/a> is largely considered one of the toughest endurance challenges on the planet. Competitors have to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and if that wasn’t enough — they cap it off with a jaunty 26.2 mile run (also known as a marathon).<\/span><\/p>\n

Even typing that is exhausting.<\/p>\n

The training these athletes endure to compete is brutal\u2014<\/span>and the day of the race is even crazier. Competitors have only 17 hours to complete the entire triathlon! <\/span><\/p>\n

But being the kind of guy that is always looking for the story inside the story… I can’t help but notice that while there are actually three very different chapters in this race\u2060\u2014swimming, biking, and running \u2060\u2014there is only one final goal. <\/span><\/p>\n

Reach the finish line.<\/span><\/p>\n

The specific activity of the triathlete will change throughout the event, <\/span>but the objective is the same.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Close the distance between you and the finish line.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is true for fundraising too. But the \u201cfinish line\u201d is your donor.<\/span><\/p>\n

Not the money.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Objective of Fundraising<\/span><\/h3>\n

In fundraising there is always a specific financial goal. Everyone is focussed on meeting or beating a number<\/em>. <\/span><\/p>\n

But if that\u2019s your goal every time you reach out to your donor, you’ll lose.<\/span><\/p>\n

It might seem like I\u2019m splitting hairs, but follow me on this.<\/span><\/p>\n

The goal of the Ironman athlete is to complete the triathlon. But as they put one foot in front of the other, their immediate objective<\/em> becomes far more focussed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That objective<\/span> is to shorten the distance between them and the finish line as quickly as possible. <\/span>By closing the distance, they move closer and closer to their goal.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the same way, your immediate goal in online fundraising is not to get money, but to shorten the distance between you and your donor.<\/span><\/p>\n

Shorten the emotional distance.<\/span><\/h3>\n

First things first, you need to shorten the emotional distance between you and your donor. <\/span><\/p>\n

You\u2019ve got to get them to care. They need to feel a deep urgency to join in the work, the project, or the cause.<\/span><\/p>\n

Most of the time, you are not competing against another nonprofit for their charitable dollars. <\/span><\/p>\n

You\u2019re competing against apathy. You\u2019re competing against routine. <\/span><\/p>\n

So be sure to tell the stories of how donors are making a difference through their gifts. Tell stories that demonstrate the need you\u2019re trying to solve. Put the donor at the center of your story and let them know they are indispensable.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And don\u2019t be afraid to use emotive language to describe the situations and needs. <\/span><\/p>\n

The need is real! And the donor\u2019s gift is exactly what can meet that need.<\/span><\/p>\n

Shorten the intellectual distance.<\/span><\/h3>\n

Secondly, you\u2019ve got to shorten the intellectual distance between you and your donor.<\/span><\/p>\n