What do your donors want?

Fundraising has changed.

In the past, we raised money simply by asking.

We ask by mail. We ask in person. We ask at events.

And we raise money.

Today, there are more nonprofits than ever before, which means more people than ever are asking.

On top of that, donors are smarter. They know good fundraising when they see it.

They are tired of being “beat” for money.

They expect more. They want to see a good return on their investment in your organization.

They want more than ever.

I believe that the nonprofits that will be very successful this year will pay attention to what donors want and do everything they can to give it to them.

It just makes sense to look at the source of your funding, doesn’t it?

Here’s my short list of what donors want from the nonprofits they support.

• They want to know that they can trust their nonprofit. It’s not good enough to be just a charity anymore. You have to prove that you are worthy of the donor’s trust. You must do what you say you will do and prove that you can handle money wisely. Otherwise, you will never hear from the donor again.
• They want a clear request that they can immediately understand. Donors are busy and unwilling to go through a long and vague application to find out what you are asking for. For-profit companies make a simple and straightforward request, and now people expect that from non-profits as well.
• They want to know that their gifts matter. Even if they can only give a small gift, they want to feel important and know that their gift made a difference.
• They want to know the result. People are curious. When they give, they want to know what happened. Did you get the result you were looking for with the program? Did the person or animal in your story have a happy ending? Don’t leave your donors hanging, wondering what happened.
• They want to be thanked and appreciated. Donors like to be recognized, even when they insist they don’t. Do a good job of thanking donors and chances are they’ll donate again. Think for yourself: Have you ever gone out of your way to do something for someone and then not been thanked? It doesn’t feel good, does it? And you usually don’t feel like helping that person again. So don’t be that person for your donor, thank him well.
• Givers want to feel good about the experience of giving. Givers want to feel good about giving to you. They want to know that they made a good decision giving to you and that you will do great things with their money. No one wants to make a donation and then worry that they’ve wasted their money.
• They don’t want to be hounded with more gifts. Donors who love your organization want to support you and see you succeed. But they don’t want you to ask for more all the time. (Hint: If you do a good job of building trust and helping them feel good about their donation, they’ll be happy to donate again.)

Most of these donor needs are fairly easy to meet. You do it through notice

response, good communication and attention to the relationship.

To win the donor’s heart and keep him giving, your job is to give him

• Heartwarming stories. Share with them the story of the boy you just fed or the dog you just saved. Tell the story with a lot of emotion and use photos and videos whenever you can so that the donor can get as close as possible to the story.
• Clear explanation of the need. The clearer and more concise you are, the better. Learn to describe the need in simple language, without jargon, without acronyms and without extra words.
• Excellent client service. When the donor calls or emails with a question, be prompt, friendly, and courteous to get an answer. Your donors foot the bill for your organization’s operations. Treat them accordingly.
• Sincere gratitude. Be grateful to your donors. Show your appreciation whenever possible. Be real and authentic and thank them warmly. Donors will put up with a lot when they feel appreciated, so if you do nothing else, do this and show them your gratitude.
• Trust that your organization deserves their support. It is your job to build trust with the donor. Do what you need to do to build trust: keep your word, be transparent, and share information. Show that your nonprofit is trustworthy.

There are many practical things you can do to build trust. A great thank you letter goes a long way. The same goes for a New Year’s card. Here is a great example from Muttville. It is a postcard that achieves several things. It’s a nice giving touch, it gives me an idea of ​​what they’re doing and it’s very easy to read.

A simple postcard like this is easy to produce and easy to read. Clearly, I was able to read it in just a few seconds when it arrived in the mail.

It’s easy to look at something like that and think “there’s no question, which means there’s no way to raise money.” Not everything you do needs to raise money directly. I guarantee that a piece like this, with the purpose of building the relationship, will ultimately help you raise more money. Never focus so much on the money you want right now that you lose the money that will come in the future because you neglect the relationship.

Now is your turn. What are you doing to give your donors what they want?

It’s a good time to take stock of the things you’re doing to build trust and show your appreciation. Improve the things you’re doing to give your donors a good experience.

If all you do is take a step in the right direction, it will be worth it. Your donors will notice.