Let me guess... your To-Do list probably has "write thank you notes" on it. And, it is probably not an item you get to check off as done because tomorrow or the next day brings more donations and more thank you notes. How do we make donor stewardship less rote?
I have a confession to make. During this year's year-end giving season, I was worried. Really worried. Praying constantly worried. It started when a client didn't receive a gift that was well cultivated, easily solicited, joyfully committed... but not given. Next, I heard from a prospective client about their disappointing year-end giving. Then, I received an email from a national donor database company that half as many donors had given by December 31, 2018 than by December 31, 2017. Digital giving reflected the same declines according to M+R. Fewer donors were giving and those that were giving were donating larger amounts, perhaps as a bundling technique because of the new tax law or perhaps another reason. This follows a larger trend. The Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy’s Philanthropy Panel Study has been tracing household giving since 1968. When we look at the percentage of households who gave year over year from 2000 to 2014, we see a downward trend and we have lost over 10% of givers. Donors to religious causes has declined by over 12% in those same years. Yet, the sheer total of giving according to Giving USA has grown. Fewer donors are giving and those that are…
A common complaint I hear is that the Board is not active in fundraising. In many ways, it is an unreasonable expectation. However....There is one aspect of fundraising that must begin with the Board, no matter the revenue generation model.
Earlier this week, I had lunch with a friend and fund development colleague, Catherine, who is doing incredible work at the organization she serves. We were chit-chatting about fundraising in general when she made a wonderful comment. "When people ask me about my job, it's not about fund raising. My job is about building connections, connecting people to community. I love connecting people to what they care about and to each other. It's all about [the donor's] need for connection in our world." This comment came on the heels of another eNews I read recently from Marc Pitman. In his reflection, he stated, "Last week, at the Nonprofit Storytelling Conference, fundraising legend Jeff Brooks shared a perspective I think will help you in making your 5 – 10 calls this week. First, he showed a picture of a soldier leading an army. Everyone was marching in lockstep. He said that nonprofits tend to think of donors this way: the nonprofit is out in front (like the lead soldier) leading an army of committed donors, willing to sacrifice for the nonprofit’s cause. He then showed a reversed image: a soldier leading the same army in a different direction. He said this is how…
Life is rarely binary. More often, our lives are filled with "yes, and" choices. Those "yes, and" choices create tension. In the fund development sector, our mantra is "it's all about relationships." We cultivate and get to know donors. We wait to ask donors until we have built a relationship; we don't treat them as ATM machines. We steward and thank donors for their generosity. We engage them in understanding the impact of their gifts. All of these moves, these tasks, are meant to build the relationship between the donors and our organizations. And, yet, our tasks are measured by donations. How many donations did we raise for how many dollars? How frequently did we receive a donation? How frequently is a donor giving? And, more. The indicators of our success rely on data, the numbers. Those statistics, that data, often drive the stress in our field. We lay awake the night before a fundraising event wondering if the net proceeds will be sufficient or exceed last year's numbers. We look at the year-to-date budget and revenue numbers and feel the pangs of panic of the yawning budget gap. We count the number of coffee and meetings we have had and feel…
"Will I sit next to a new person every year?" Earlier this week, I met with a longtime client. Their fund development person had given their notice after a year of work. It wasn't unexpected. Three months after starting the position, the fund development person said they were burned out and didn't want to do fund development tasks anymore. A bit of a problem. It's not entirely unexpected in the field either. CompassPoint and the Haas Jr. Fund released their study, Underdeveloped, a few years ago about fundraising and nonprofits. One finding: over 50% of fund development people at small nonprofits (less than a $1 million in revenue) are planning to leave their position within two years. Yes, you may be sitting next to a new person every two years. Unfortunately. In the years since the CompassPoint study findings, we have seen an increase in uncertainty in the funding environment. Federal, state, tribal and local grants and contracts are being cut. As a result, there is more pressure and, yes, competition for foundation, individuals and corporate dollars. How then do we flourish when the work is never done and where the primary goal is to help connect people with generosity? This blog…