What more is there than the gift? Isn’t getting the gift the only thing that really matters?

After all, we have a budget to meet. We have clients to serve. We have a building, and overhead, and expenses.

So we send out letters. We host galas. We produce an annual report and send newsletters to communicate how well we are doing.

But wait, we are short of our goal. Our direct mail fell flat. Can’t get our Board and Staff to contribute. Our gala didn’t raise enough money and we only got names from half of those who did attend. And our development office is understaffed.

If this sounds familiar, that’s ok. Take a breath. Read on.

As fundraisers we know that our work is important. We know that the health and well-being of our organization is dependent upon our work. Our outcomes.

But while we “chase the money” we overlook the most important component of the fundraising equation.

The Donor.

The donor? Yes. The donor does give the gift. They attend our galas. Their names are in our annual reports and on our buildings.

But donors need more. They want more. They deserve more.

Donors are so much more than ATM machines dispensing $10, $100, $1000 as our needs arise.

Donors are partners in our mission. They are with us because the mission and ministry matters to them. They have reserved a place for our organization in their heart.

According to research “if organizations want to raise money for a charitable cause, it is far better to appeal to the heart than to the head. Feelings, not analytical thinking, drive donations.”

Science shows that “giving increases the amount of dopamine and serotonin in our brains—leading to increased happiness.” Giving actually makes donors happy!

The Association of Fundraising Professionals defines fundraising as “the raising of assets and resources from various sources for the support of an organization or a specific project.” Blah, blah, blah . . . .

In reality “Fundraising” is about helping people connect their existing passion directly to your cause.   It’s not about “convincing” them to give. It’s about helping them realize that they already care. Donors believe that it is a “privilege” to give to charity.

Fundraising is about what we do WITH our donors not TO our donors.

According to nonprofit guru Jeff Brooks, “When you ask [for a gift of support], you become part of the donor's world — a place where love, empathy and self-empowerment combine with generosity to make the world and the donor better.”

Yes you need the money to fulfill your mission. Without it you can’t exist. Neither can we exist without a community of passionate and faithful donors. It is their commitment to your cause, their connection to your good work that inspires their giving.

And remember, you are not the only charity Mr. & Mrs. Donor are supporting.

The results of the 2014 AFP Fundraising Effectiveness Survey shows organizations lose at least 57 percent of their donors annually. This translates into more than $25 billion in donations at stake. That’s significant turnover and missed opportunity.

Donors tell us that in making their giving decisions, they need to . . .

1. Know their money is used wisely,
2. Feel that the organization has a good reputation,
3. Have a strong belief in the organization’s mission, and
4. Believe that their support [truly] makes a difference.

Dr. Adrian Sargeant tells us that

“to keep donors loyal and happy and giving [year after year], you only have to connect two dots. Dot #1: the generous, wonderful, compassionate, kind donor. Dot #2: The good outcome that your donors’ grand and empathetic hearts will make possible (children saved, poor fed, people in crisis helped). Connect these two dots. Only those dots. [No third dot about your charity.] Your donors will not respond to that stuff. Just the opposite, in fact. When you insert a big fat third dot all about you [your organization], donors give less and leave sooner.”

“You can keep doing what you're doing and you'll keep getting the results you've been getting,” or you can put the Donor at the center of your fundraising equation.

Donors give with their heart. They believe giving is a privilege. They want to be inspired. They want to feel appreciated.

They want to walk with us side-by-side in fulfilling the mission and ministry.

Because, giving makes them happy.

This is an exciting time! Go through your database. Get to know your donors. Call each of them at least once per year regardless of how much they give. Celebrate their passion and generosity. Tell them a lot how their gift made a difference -- to the children, the seminarians, the sick and frail, the parishioners, and the faithful.

If you do this, you’ll get the gift(s) and so very much more.

-published in July 2015 "Dimensions", a publication of the National Catholic Development Conference

“In good times and bad, we know that people give because you meet [their] needs, not because you have needs.”~ Kay Sprinkel Grace

Fundraising is about helping people connect their existing passion directly to your cause.   It’s not about “convincing” them to give. It’s about helping them realize that they already care.

Most donors give from the heart. According to a research “if organizations want to raise money for a charitable cause, it is far better to appeal to the heart than to the head. Put another way, feelings, not analytical thinking, drive donations.”

Giving benefits donors’ health. Scientific studies show that “giving not only provides donors with a sense of purpose, but it also increases the amount of dopamine and serotonin in our brains—leading to increased happiness.”

So it is essential that your organization have simple, emotionally compelling messages that are regularly shared with donors and the community. A story that touches the heart and makes a person feel good, will most likely inspire giving. Donors remain generous donors when their hearts are full and happy.

While we know it is far easier and cheaper to raise money from your current donors, it’s also good to engage new friends, alumni, and family into the organization’s giving community.

These folks are called non-donors, or as I like to call them, “not yet donors”.

So what is the difference between donors and non-donors and how do you engage and support their giving relationship with your organization?

A donor is "a person who donates something, especially money to a fund or charity.” They have been “asked” in a way that touches their heart, prompting an affirmative response.

According to nonprofit guru Jeff Brooks:

“Nearly everyone you communicate with when you raise funds is squarely in the donor category. These people donate!  

They're always free to say no to any request, but they operate under this "deal": If you go to them with a compelling, meaningful and relevant reason to give, and if they agree with you, trust you and the time is right for them, they give.

When you ask, you become part of the donor's world — a place where love, empathy and self-empowerment combine with generosity to make the world and the donor better.

I can't think of any other relationship in the wider marketing world where the "buyer" and the "seller" are so perfectly aligned or where so much good accrues to both sides.

This is utterly liberating. You don't have to tiptoe and apologize around donors. You can be bold and joyful, and that always leads to stronger fundraising.”

In other words, most all people are donors. They give, just not to your organization. They are your “not-yet-donors”.

So how do we engage these “not-yet-donors”?

How do we inspire the passion in the “not-yet-donor” that helps them realize they want to help the cause?

1. Remember . . . they are already donors, just not to your cause . . . yet.
2. Believe deeply in your heart and head that donors matter.
3. Genuinely respect and honor your donors and the difference that they make in the world. Don’t treat them like ATM machines.
4. Make your “ask” about them, not you. This is not a one-night stand. Donors want to know you’ll be there in the “morning”.
5. Show and tell the donors what’s in it for them. Demonstrate that good feeling a donor can receive from taking action. Be enthusiastic and real.
6. Speak directly to the donors and their likes and interests. Connect with them. Find a way to build a relationship with them as you guide them into the donor family.
7. Share stories regularly about how donors’ gifts are making a difference.
8. Say “Thank You” a lot and mean it.
9. Ask them for a specific amount to contribute to the cause. They need you to ask for exactly what you want. Be confident. Be direct. Be specific.
10. Have fun!

* * *

Connect with these not-yet-donors via direct mail, email, social media and special events and, yes, even telefundraising.

“Telefundraising remains one of the most effective means of communications when attempting to convert supporters to donors. The practice enables a dialogue between nonprofits and their perspective donors, which can lay the foundation for engaged activists and consistent support and engagement.” (Gabe Raff)

Contact J. Milito & Associates today for help connecting you with your not-yet-donors.

You’ll be glad you did!

Do you hear the clock ticking?

If your fiscal year ends June 30, you have less than 120 days to meet your Annual Fund Goal.

Are you going to meet your goal?

Your leadership is counting on you…..to meet your goal.

Your students and their parents are counting on you….to have enough tuition assistance funds to keep tuition affordable and accessible.

Your valuable teachers are counting on you…..to provide funding for classroom resources and professional development.

So with 120 days to fiscal year end, what is your strategy for finishing strong so your school or organization can continue its mission and strong tradition as you close out this year?

Here are 4 simple things you should be doing right now to help you meet your goal . . .

1. Identify an “angel”, a benefactor who will provide a “Matching Gift Challenge.” Leveraging a larger gift is a great way to inspire your donors and supporters to give a gift of support.
2. Put the finishing touches on your final (spring) direct mail appeal of the year and mail very soon to your lapsed donors who have not given you a gift yet this fiscal year. Make sure your message inspires your donors to give. Make it short and sweet and remember: Thank your awesome donors and let them know how they are needed to help reach your goal – “Our current and future students are counting on you to help us reach our goal and put us over the top!”
3. Use all your social media, publications, postcards, year-end events and eblasts your powerful message to everyone else who is connected with your school.
4. Follow up the letter and eblasts with a phone-a-thon to personally reach out and reconnect with your lapsed donors to ask for that gift of support.

It can all be done and we can help. We have an easy 5-step process for conducting a successful phone-a-thon for your school and the good news is that there’s still time!

The clock is ticking……..5 Steps to a Successful Phone-a-thon

During this season of love and romance we are reminded just how important it is for us to demonstrate our love and appreciation for our donors. And oh so important, to not just show our love during the Valentine’s season, but also throughout the year. Make Valentine’s Day every day for your donors.

The reality is, that if you don’t make your donors feel good about their experience of giving to your organization, they’ll will most certainly move on to another equally deserving but more attentive organization.

In a 2006 study, Jorge Moll and colleagues at the National Institutes of Health found that when people give to charities, it activates regions of the brain associated with pleasure, social connection, and trust, creating a “warm glow” effect. Scientists also believe that altruistic behavior releases endorphins in the brain, producing the positive feeling known as the “helper’s high.”

Your organization is responsible for keeping that “warm glow” alive in your donors.

And remember . . . all of your donors, the $25 donor and the $5,000 donor, deserve your LOVE . . . .

1. Say Thank You and mean it. Thank ALL of your donors often. Say “thank you” like you mean it. Thank them warmly and sincerely, and help them feel good about their decision to give to your organization. Thank them in a handwritten notes and personal phone calls. Remember a gift receipt is NOT a Thank you. If all you send is a receipt, your donor will not feel the appreciation required to make a second gift.
2. Communicate with your donors (not at them). Make sure you tell your donors all about the great things they made possible. Engage them in conversation. Talk person to person. Communicate with them like they are your very best friend since grade school. The great Tom Ahern says, “Your job . . . is to bestow purpose and meaning in exchange for support. That's all you have to do. It's simple.”
3. Shower your donors with tales of their excellence and value. Your donors want to know what your organization is doing that matters. They want to know how your programs are changing lives, are making a difference. They are not so interested in hearing about what a great organization you are. They want to hear about the transformational donor experiences of their peers (other donors).
4. Focus on the donor and the dollars will follow. It is about building relationships. It is about connecting with people who believe so passionately in your mission that they are willing to give of themselves and their resources to help you make a difference in the world. Each donor is a unique partner in your life changing work. Focus on what they want to do with their giving and why it giving to your cause is important to them. Then help them. And remember, please don’t treat your donors like they are ATM machines.
5. Be Accountable . . . Be a Good Steward. Trust is a precious commodity. You have been entrusted to uphold your organization’s mission by the people who support you with their money, time, and trust. You must be transparent. You donors need to know that you did in fact use their gift for the purposes you outlined in your solicitations. Being accountable for the funds you raise will keep your donors contributing to your cause. Lost trust is difficult if not impossible to repair. According to Stephen Covey, “Trust is the glue of life. It's the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It's the foundational principle that holds all relationships.”
6. Listen and Ask. Do you know your donors? Not their name, address, last gift, and giving potential. Do you know what inspires, drives, and excites them? Do you know why they give to your organization? Don’t assume you know the answer to these questions. You need to interact regularly with your donors to know who they are and what prompts their decision to give to your organization. There is so much you could learn from your donors. Be open to what they have to say and offer. Be sincere. This will create a special bond that builds trust and relationship.

Do you love your donors? Do they feel the love?

Contact J. Milito & Associates today.  We can help you show your donors the "Love" they deserve.