The Elements of a Good Touch Point

You’re creating a plan for the qualified donor on your caseload. You need some good touch points – effective and compelling – touch points that will make the donor feel known and appreciated. But what should they be? How do you know that the touch point you are thinking about is a good one?

We have compiled a list of the elements behind good touch points – attributes and characteristics that, if followed, will help you create relevant touch points that connect with your donors!

Here’s what a good touch point looks like:

(You can choose to focus on just one of these elements, or build a touch point that includes a combination of the below.)

1. It has more to do with the donor than your organization.
   You know this already. Your touch point is about the donor. Not your organization. Not you. The donor. Keep it that way.
2. It has something to do with the donor’s interests and passions.
   This one is not surprising, given that Jeff and I, and our Veritus team, are constantly harping on it. We keep saying it because it is central to your success as a frontline fundraiser – helping fulfill the passions and interests of donors.
3. It tells the donor that their giving made a difference.
   Right behind passions and interests is this one – telling the donor their giving made a difference. If you don’t do this right, you will lose the donor very quickly.
4. It proves to the donor that their giving made a difference.
   Whereas #3 above is about TELLING the donor the difference they are making, this one is sharing outside information that a difference is happening. It’s one thing for someone inside the organization to say it – but that insider is an insider. What else would you expect them to say? You see what I mean? Here I am talking about an outsider talking about the difference the organization is making. It could be a news article, the association the organization belongs to, another leader in the sector or even another donor.
5. It’s thoughtful and respectful.
   It shows the donor you know them – that you are aware of the details of who they are – not every little private detail, and that would get close to stalking. I’m talking about those bits of information that prove to the donor that they are unique to you – that they are special and matter.
6. It celebrates an event in the donor’s life.
   It could be a birthday, an anniversary, a professional or personal achievement – those celebrations that tell the donor you knew about it and your noticed and took the effort to celebrate.
7. It gives third-party information about the work your organization does.
   Similar to #4 above, but different in that this point is about good outside information about the organization from a third party: a sister organization, a civic group, a government official, a thought leader in the sector, a news article, an investor, a celebrity, etc.
8. It gives the donor another opportunity to invest.
   Every good donor plan has a “giving” opportunity in it – in fact, there may be several. Many frontline fundraisers tend to shy away from this point, wrongly thinking that it is intrusive and bothersome to the donor. Nothing could be further from the truth. When you are talking to a donor about something THEY want to do – something they REALLY CARE about – when you do that, that donor is interested, thankful, and engaged. You have given the donor a bit of information on what more they could do. And that is good. Do not forget to put these in your touch point plan.

There you have it: the elements behind good and effective touch points. Notice that most of them are donor-focused and are focused on the good that’s being done generally, as well as the good the donor is specifically accomplishing.

Keep this list handy as you create touch point plans for your qualified donors.

Richard