How to Establish Authenticity in Communication

How “polished” does a touch point need to be? Or “finished”? Or even “personal”? All good questions. And all relate to being authentic in your communication.

First, let me start by stating what may be obvious: When something isn’t “polished” or“finished,” it doesn’t mean sloppy or unprofessional. You still want spelling and grammar rules to apply.But you’re not waiting for the “best” photo to be selected or an organizational video to be edited. Or the final project report. Or an Annual Report wrapped in a bow.

Second, they are often written in the moment. Still, that doesn’t mean unplanned.

I’ll give you a few examples:

• A donor had attended an “End of Summer Camp” day for several years in a row. This year it coincided with his milestone birthday and he couldn’t attend. The relationship fundraiser knew that. One of the final activities was a foot race for the children. So, he placed himself at the finish line and took a few photos on this phone. Afterward, he immediately sent them via text to his donor with a quick note: “Hope this helps you feel the magic of the day! Thank you for your support to help children in XYZ.”

• While visiting a program site, you heard some statistics rattled off. No need to wait for the formal accounting; send a quick, informal note, email, or text: “Susan, I was at the food bank on Sunday. They served 300 people meals in one afternoon. Thanks for your partnership in making it happen. [if you have a photo to enclose or a link, include it] Regards, Dan.”

• You recently talked with a donor and learned more about their interest:

“Joan, again, thank you for your recent gift to support the new food program. I saw this today [link to it] about food waste and immediately thought of our conversation. Two hot topics in the food world grew even hotter last year, converging as companies across the globe sought better solutions to stem the tide of food waste and get more food to the people who need it...The work we are doing is making a difference for the people in our community.” - Mary

• You’re hosting a program that a donor helped fund. Just before it begins, take a short video using your phone, pan the room, and email or text it to the donor (or one by one to several donors) with a short note: “We’re just about to start. Thank you again for making it possible for these teachers to get this critical training.”

   

These are all real (but slightly edited for anonymity) touch points that relationship fundraisers I know have used. That last one generated a response back with a commitment to $150k MORE for the program.

What they have in common is the feeling that the relationship fundraiser genuinely had the donor in mind. And then connected with them to bring them into the moment.

When I was working at a University, every Friday morning I blocked time to think about 5-10 donors and refreshed my memory on their interests. This prepared me for the next time I was walking across campus. And then I kept my eye out.

If I saw a named room or building and I knew the donor, I took a quick photo and texted it with a note along the lines of: “Your investment in the XYZ room is still paying dividends now, 10 years later. Thank you!” I did the same when attending sporting events, student presentations, or student art galleries.

As you get the hang of the “softer” side of touch points, you’ll find it becomes more and more natural. But remember, natural does not mean unplanned.

Think about your donors, know what they care about, and connect back on that. And be sure their contact information is on your phone so you can do it as close to real time as possible.

If you’re ready to take it one step further with a proven step-by-step system to deepen donor trust, raise more revenue, and lead with confidence sign up for our next Major Gift Certification Cohort.

This blog is part of a series about touch points:

Part 1: Why Do You Need Touch Points?

Part 2: What Is Your Touch Point Objective?

Part 3: How to Make Touch Points Personal (And Sound Like a Real Person)

Part 4: How to Tailor Your Touch Point to Your Donor

Part 5: A Friendly Guide to Using Digital Touch Points with Donors