Donor Relationships: A Journey, Not a Destination

When I’m working with clients, I will often compare major gifts fundraising to dating. In dating, you’re working to get to know them and identify how your lives might work together. Major gifts fundraising is no different – you’re learning more about the donor to identify if their philanthropic lives might be a good fit with your organization’s mission. (You’re just dating 150 people at a time.)

However, what some fundraising trainings get wrong is that they treat major gifts processes as if they should have a beginning, middle and an end. Just look at a typical representation of the Moves Management model for major gifts:

Whenever you see it presented, you see that it’s linear. Once you get to the last step of stewarding the gift, you’re done. In my dating analogy, that’s like getting someone to agree to marry you, and then not making any effort in the relationship after that.

That’s why when we talk about Moves Management at Veritus, we talk about it differently. You can see that we depict Moves Management as a never-ending cycle of cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. There is always something more to learn, or something new you can do to bring your donor closer to your work. Just like the goal for a dating relationship is a long and healthy marriage, for major gifts there should not be an end game in your donor relationships.

So, what does this practically look like for you as an MGO?

Every relationship milestone achieved should inspire your next step. When you achieve one of your relationship goals with your donors, that is something you should celebrate -whether it’s something small like learning more about them, or something big like a large gift. But once the celebration is done, you should be reflecting on what to do next.

• Did you learn about a donor’s passions and interests? Great! Now how can you use that knowledge to build a communications plan that deepens their connection and understanding of that area of your work?
• Do they feel strongly connected? Wonderful! Do you know more about how they choose to make their philanthropic decisions, so you can prepare an ask that aligns with that?

There is always more to learn about your donor, or something more you can achieve. Make it a point, after you have celebrated each victory, to challenge yourself to think “Where can I take this from here?”

Every gift is an opportunity to generate excitement for the future. I know fundraisers who have received transformational gifts from their donors and almost felt let down afterward. You’ve climbed to the top of the mountain – what next? I’ve got news for you - just because they’ve made a 7-figure gift to the organization, doesn’t mean they’ll never make another big gift again. In fact, if you do your job well, they’re even more likely to make another big gift. There is always another mountain to climb.

We talk a lot at Veritus about how important it is to be reporting back on the impact of a donor’s gift (and it is). That is key to making them feel that their gift has been used to make a difference in the world. But remember that your communications plan is meant to be a healthy mix of cultivation and stewardship – so you should also be communicating about additional needs. Even something like an impact report or an annual report can be used to remind donors of future need with the right personal note. “Sally, I was so touched by the story of John in this report – thank you for helping to change his life. We know that there are so many other people like John out there who still need help, and we’re grateful to supporters like you who continue to support us as we tackle this ongoing problem in our community.” As you’re building out your annual plans for your donor for the rest of the year after their gift – look forward, think ahead. How are you laying the groundwork for the next step in your relationship?

Most fundraisers are results-oriented achievers – you like to get things done and get results. It’s part of what makes you great. But my challenge to you is to never be fully satisfied. Don’t get complacent in your donor relationships. Always be looking for a way to grow, to go deeper, to learn more about them, or to bring them closer to the work or the need. Don’t give yourself a mental finish line with your donor –remember there should not be an end game.

Best,
Theresa

Theresa is a Veritus Client Experience Leader