What All Good Fundraisers Know

Gratitude.  It’s a lens through which to view life.  And it’s critical to major gifts fundraising.

Donors are under absolutely NO obligation to give you a dime.  They don’t need to give away money at all.  They can take that money and use it for a family vacation for the kids and grandkids to the Galapagos Islands.

Donors choose to give you money because of how it makes them feel.  And if you take it as your due, they can feel that too.

Photo by Bart Maquire on Flickr.com

I once had an Executive Director who spent three days complaining about the fact that a donor had used a credit card to pay off a $75,000 pledge.  We received $75,000 for our cause, and all he could think about was the processing fees that could have been avoided if the donor had just used a check.  He begrudged them the airline miles, completely losing sight of the fact that they were in fact making a very generous (and voluntary) donation.

I heard another Executive Director in a panel discussion recently complaining that her organization was doing all this amazing work, and they were doing “all the things they were supposed to be doing” for fundraising and yet the big gifts just weren’t coming.  I could feel the sense of entitlement in her complaint.  Like donors owed her support. 

Donors owe you NOTHING.  And they can tell when they’re being treated like an ATM.

When people hear that I work in fundraising, they almost always say, "Oh, I could never do that.  I could never ask people for money."  What all good fundraisers know is that fundraising is not about taking people’s money.  It’s about facilitating joy.  It’s about connecting individuals with the great feelings that come about when you help someone else. 

Good fundraising is about giving your donors an opportunity to make the world a better place through their support of your nonprofit.

This is true whether your donor gives $25 or $25,000.  They are choosing to support your organization because they believe in your vision and impact.  They could give their money to another nonprofit.  Heck, they could go online and spend that money on new clothes or take a friend out for lunch.

When you receive a donation in any amount, be grateful.  Be awed.  And express that gratitude in an authentic and genuine way.  It’s better for your soul, and it’s better for your bottom line.