A year ago, a wealthy donor committed 20 million dollars over a five-year period for the hospital’s operating budget. A fundraiser’s (and management’s) dream! Everyone told the MGO that “all you need to do is steward this gift and in four years he’ll be ready to make another gift.” Her boss said, “Don’t even think about going back to him and asking for more.”
But this MGO knew something her boss and senior leadership didn’t. She knew that a new project the hospital wanted to embark on was right up this donor’s alley. Now even though her donor had just committed a huge amount of money to the hospital, she knew that if her donor did not have a chance to fund either the entire project or be the lead gift, he would be deeply disappointed.
So the MGO made her case to her boss to go back to the donor who had just committed 20 million dollars! Her boss relented and gave her approval to approach the donor.
The MGO knew this donor so well and what his passion was, that there was no hesitation when it came to solicit this donor. The result was amazing. The donor wanted to fund the entire $1.5 million project… on top of the $20 million he already gave!! And he told the MGO this: “I’m so happy you brought this to me. You know I love the hospital and all it’s done for my family and me, but this project is something I’ve wanted to help do my entire life. Thank you for bringing this to me.”
Wow!
Here is what this true story is telling you right now. Donors have life! Donors who are inspired by your mission and your work want to support it, even if they have already made a previous gift.
And the answer to “when is enough, enough?” is this:
Never.
Never, unless the donor has told you, “that is all I can give, or want to give or will give… don’t ask me again until…”
What Richard and I have learned over the years working with MGOs in all types of non-profits is this: it’s usually the MGO or the leadership of the organization that makes up a story in their heads about what donors are thinking, and this is what prevents them from asking donors for more support.
If you are holding back on asking donors for a gift because they have “already given,” you are not being Donor-Centered. You are not allowing donors the opportunity to fund projects and programs that are changing the world; you are holding your donors back!
What would have happened had the MGO in my story listened to her boss’ initial plea not to solicit that donor? (By the way, the reason her boss didn’t want her to solicit the donor was because she didn’t want to upset the donor and risk losing the $20 million pledge.)
Two bad things would have happened. 1) The hospital would not have received the funding and 2) they would have robbed the donor of something he had wanted to fund his entire life. They would have robbed him of joy!
When you look at it that way, how could she not have asked that donor to fund that project?
That is exactly how you should look at your donors. Right now, there are donors on your caseload for whom you have made up a story in your head. You feel uneasy about asking for another gift, because you’re thinking “they might get upset” with you, or something bad is going to happen.
But why don’t you look at your caseload with a different pair of donor-centered eyes? Which are the donors that are thrilled with your mission and what you do? Hopefully the majority of them. Now, because you know these donors, you can find projects and programs that these donors would love to be a part of.
Build a great case for them, and then ask if your donor(s) would like to be part of it by providing the resources to make it happen. You could be providing them with one of the greatest joys of their life.
So, what are you waiting for?
Jeff
PS — The need for donor-centered fundraising is the reason that we wrote our new book, It’s Not JUST About the Money. Have you gotten your copy yet?