If your organization performs any of its mission-driven work at your facility, then you should be using donor tours as a potential touchpoint in your plans. At Veritus, we often talk about taking the donor to the scene—and a tour of your facilities or programs is the easiest way to do this. But what makes a tour really great?
This year, I had the opportunity to receive a great tour of one of the non-profit organizations that I work with as a Veritus consultant. What struck me most about this tour is that had we never left the lobby, I still would have left in awe of the organization and their work. Because it wasn’t about what I saw on the tour; it was about the stories and the information shared by my tour guide.
Let's unpack this a little more. Every great donor tour...
Demonstrates Values of the Organization. A great donor tour ensures that everything you’re sharing on the tour ties back to the key values of your organization. There is nothing wrong with simply giving a donor a “behind the scenes” look of how things work. But a GREAT tour will also talk about why that thing, working the way it does, reinforces an organizational core value. If you have a key organizational value of collaboration, even something as simple as showing off a conference room can reinforce the importance of that value and how it impacts the work. In your tour talking points, make sure you’re finding those opportunities to demonstrate your core values.
Shares Stories to Remember. If you’ve ever done any training on interviewing for a job, you’re taught to have a story that you can tell to answer every question—even if you’re not asked for a story in the question. That’s because stories are more memorable and make you stand out. The same rules apply for a donor tour. Stories are always more memorable. I’m not saying you can’t share stats. You can—particularly if they’re impressive. But 99% of the time, it’s a story that will stick with a donor. That’s what they’re going to tell a friend about at a cocktail party. Just like prepping for a job interview, I encourage you to think about having a story to tell at every “stop” on your donor tour. (Even better if the story helps to demonstrate your core values.)
Provides Deeper Understanding. Ideally, you also want your donor to walk away from a tour with a deeper understanding of your work. So many donors only understand the surface level of what an organization does. A tour of your site is the time to educate them on the nuances of their work. Can you really help them understand all of the facets of your programming? Can you share stories that outline the compelling need that your organization’s programs solve? Particularly if you have a donor base that may not overlap with the constituents you serve, bringing them to the scene in this way can help them truly understand why your work is so necessary.
Now, while you’re doing a tour, don’t forget that every tour with a donor is still a donor visit. So as a gift officer, you should still be aiming to achieve some relational objectives with your donor during your time together. You don’t want to do all the talking.
On every tour, there are always a few “dead zone” spots where you’re walking from one location to the next. Think about those spots as opportunities to ask a donor a question about themselves, or engage in another dialogue to hear more of their opinions.
Think about your own donor tours. Do you make it a point to incorporate these elements? If your organization has standard tour talking points, I encourage you to review them and see where you could incorporate more of your key values, stories, and deeper understanding. And if you don’t have standard tour talking points, maybe this is a great opportunity to write some!
Whatever your tour looks like, take advantage of the opportunity to bring your donors closer to your work as often as you can. It’s one of the most powerful touchpoint tools in your fundraiser toolbox.