What information do you need? It all revolves around their interests.<\/p>\n
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- What are they passionate about?<\/li>\n
- What other causes do they give to?<\/li>\n
- Where do they volunteer?<\/li>\n
- Have they had a personal experience with your cause or family and friends who may have?<\/li>\n
- What motivates them to give?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
It\u2019s the personal connection to your cause that matters the most in the long run.<\/p>\n
The How: Lead Your Donors On A Journey<\/h2>\n
![\"perfect-donor-journey-mobile\"](\"https:\/\/causevox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/screen-shot-2019-07-02-at-2-33-45-pm.png\")
<\/p>\n1. Have A Conversation<\/h3>\n
Ideally, this journey starts with a conversation. \u201cA conversation? I don\u2019t have time for that!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n
I hear you. Making the time to speak with every donor may seem overwhelming.<\/p>\n
So, start small. Begin with your major donors or those who\u2019ve been around for a while. Email them and ask if they\u2019d be willing to schedule a short \u201cget to know you better\u201d meeting, maybe over coffee or at your office.<\/p>\n
A short conversation can go a long way toward helping you understand their passions.<\/p>\n
Another way to capture this information is through a personalized email or a more impersonal survey.<\/p>\n
Along the same lines, you can also try the good old pen and pencil approach. At my nonprofit, we\u2019d use these special \u201cQ&A\u201d cards during special events, such as donor appreciation gatherings, socials, and event fundraisers. We\u2019d scatter these cards on the tables and chairs around the room (along with pens) and collect them at the end of the night.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t forget to track this information in your CRM database. Treat it like gold!<\/p>\n
2. Validate<\/h3>\n
After learning more about your donor, reach out to them and acknowledge that conversation\/survey response. Let them know that you appreciate the opportunity to get to know them better, and tell them to stay tuned for more information on things that matter to them.<\/p>\n
3. Segment<\/h3>\n
Next up, take a look at all the data you\u2019ve collected, and group similar donors together. For example, some of your donors may love your animal shelter\u2019s dog-walking program, while others appreciate the free immunizations you provide.<\/p>\n
Then, create targeted communications for each segment. That may mean separate newsletters altogether, or similar content with a different feature story for each newsletter. You can also use this information to send segments targeted nonprofit stories and volunteer opportunities.<\/p>\n
If you notice that one or two segments are larger than others, then cater to these audiences on social media platforms.<\/p>\n
4. Ask<\/h3>\n
While asking every current donor for a gift during each campaign may seem like the best way to maximize your reach, a targeted approach may help bring in more dollars in the long run.<\/p>\n
Armed with the knowledge of what makes your donor tick, you can target prospective donors for each fundraising campaign you run. Let\u2019s say you know that 20% of your current donors are also volunteers. In that case, you may want to reach out to them about participating in an event-based fundraiser<\/a>, such as a fun run or a polar plunge.<\/p>\n
5. Thank & Then Begin Again<\/h3>\n
Continue to thank your donor for their efforts, and then begin the process again. Continue to get to know your donors by inviting them to special events, sending annual surveys, and scheduling in-person get-togethers.<\/p>\n
Make every conversation about them and what they would like to do to help promote your organization\u2019s mission.<\/p>\n
Over time, your donor\u2019s segments may change, and your approach may adapt, but the key is to work with your donors to give them what they want out of the giving experience<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Bonus Takeaway Tips<\/h2>\n
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- Encourage Feedback<\/strong> Always be thinking of ways to learn about your donors. Answer calls, even when they\u2019re angry ones. Respond to letters, email, and social media comments. Make an effort to get to know what your donors think about your cause. If possible, don\u2019t let a negative experience or feeling go unresolved.<\/li>\n
- Focus On<\/strong> Donor-Centric<\/strong><\/a> Cultivation<\/strong>: If your donor doesn\u2019t fit in a segment silo, don\u2019t push it. Test out a few different approaches to find the best one for them.<\/li>\n
- Maxed Out? <\/strong>Ask For Volunteer Help: Can\u2019t fit in another meeting? Don\u2019t know how to create the right survey? When you don\u2019t know where to turn, seek volunteer help<\/a>. Your organization will be stronger for it.<\/li>\n
- If At First You Don\u2019t Succeed\u2026<\/strong> Chances are, you\u2019ll always have a handful of mysterious donors. You don\u2019t know why they give, or their capacity for giving, but you know that they\u2019re consistent. Don\u2019t push your luck, but do extend the offer for a quick conversation at least once a year. Let them know they\u2019re important, and you want to make their experience the best it can be. You never know what may happen if you appeal to them at the right time.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Understand what fuels your donor\u2019s commitment to your cause is the number one way for you to provide them with the perfect donor experience.<\/p>\n
Continue to learn about your donors, create a marketing strategy that inspires them, and then ask them to give to the campaigns they connect with.<\/p>\n
Yes, your organization has needs. Yes, you are tasked with raising money. But to really connect with your donors, remember that it\u2019s not about you.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s always about them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Do you find that it\u2019s hard to relate to donors when you\u2019re knee-deep in the trenches of fundraising? If so, you\u2019re in good company. When you\u2019re on a deadline, and you need to raise money, and you have limited resources, and you\u2019re hearing that, even with your best efforts, you may not reach your goal, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":51492,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11280","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.causevox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/screen-shot-2019-07-02-at-2-33-45-pm-600x400.png","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/www.causevox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/screen-shot-2019-07-02-at-2-33-45-pm-600x600.png","author_info":{"display_name":"Candace Cody","author_link":"https:\/\/www.causevox.com\/author\/candace\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.causevox.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11280","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.causevox.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.causevox.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.causevox.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.causevox.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11280"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.causevox.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11280\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.causevox.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51492"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.causevox.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11280"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.causevox.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11280"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.causevox.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11280"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- Focus On<\/strong> Donor-Centric<\/strong><\/a> Cultivation<\/strong>: If your donor doesn\u2019t fit in a segment silo, don\u2019t push it. Test out a few different approaches to find the best one for them.<\/li>\n
- Encourage Feedback<\/strong> Always be thinking of ways to learn about your donors. Answer calls, even when they\u2019re angry ones. Respond to letters, email, and social media comments. Make an effort to get to know what your donors think about your cause. If possible, don\u2019t let a negative experience or feeling go unresolved.<\/li>\n
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