It’s surprisingly easy to fall into a rhythm where you forget the human side of your relationship with a donor. You get focused on arguably important things like impact reports, client stories, and ask amounts.

But in the rush of everything, are you forgetting about the donor as person? Remember, donors have entire lives outside of their giving to your organization, just as you do. While their giving is certainly important to them (and to you!), they may also have children graduating, businesses booming or declining, family members in poor health or any number of other things.

Sometimes, the best way to connect (or reconnect) with your donor as a person is to bring yourself into the relationship. I’m not asking you to share your life story with the donor, but think of ways that you can be vulnerable and engage authentically.

Just the other day, I heard a story from a client who shared some photos of her daughter accompanying her on National Take Your Kid to Work Day as part of a strategic touch point to some of her donors. Several donors responded including 3 that were in qualification and hadn’t engaged yet. By giving her donors an opportunity to connect personally, this fundraiser brought the human side into her relationship with these donors, and they, in turn, were willing to share more personally with her.

Don’t forget that at the end of the day, you are a person connecting with another person and partnering together to make a difference in the world.

Jeff

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