Tap into nonprofit donors' passion
Melanie Bonsu, fund development manager, Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts
As a kid, I was asked to sing Whitney Houston's “Greatest Love of All” at my preschool graduation. I rehearsed every night with my dad and to this day, I still know every word of the song. While I choked on stage and started crying (my mom had to come up and get me) the opening line still resonates with me today: “I believe the children are our future.” I have connected that belief with my professional life, and with the organizations I choose to support.
The well-being of children is my passion, but, I am just one person and children are one of the many charitable causes. There are more than 1.5 million registered nonprofits in this country. In 2015, approximately 71 percent of the $373 billion of charitable donations in the U.S. came from individuals. That $268 billion came from individuals who felt passionately about a cause – be it education, human services or health. They felt connected enough to try and make a difference. It's my job as a fund development professional to connect that feeling to form a relationship to my organization that, above all, fulfils the donor's personal desire to make change.
Once you've made a connection with a person who is inspired by your organization to make a gift, how do you keep them from leaving you for one of the other hundreds of organizations that could fulfill their passion for change? Below are a few tips I've picked up along the way (all inspired by my preschool graduation song):
Show them all the beauty they possess inside. Give them a sense of pride – ask and listen to what they want to see changed by your work. Don't come to the table with an initiative that doesn't align with their passion. Donors see investing in a nonprofit as a way for them enhance their own feelings, basically they donate to make themselves feel good. Embrace this in your approach; it's not what your charity can do, it's what your charity can do because of them.
Everybody's searching for a hero. Make your donors your organization's heroes and make sure they know it. Make them the center of your communications. Have your philanthropic newsletter focus on the difference they're making within your organization and your community; not what your organization is doing. Using the word “you” numerous times drives home the fact they are the catalyst; your nonprofit is just the vehicle.
The greatest love of all. Say, “thank you,” and say it often and promptly. Showing appreciation is a great way to reiterate to your donors how important they are to you. Don't make acknowledgements purely transactional; always hand sign. Follow-up thank you notes, phone calls, postcards or even pictures are all well received and should include some information on the impact the gift made and personal stories from your constituents. If you're a youth-serving organization, handmade cards are a big hit.
Melanie Bonsu is the fund development manager for the Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts.
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