Disasters, events, workplace giving and membership donors…everyone is trying to crack the code on how to turn these “transactional donors” into “transformational donors.”

I have the answer. But you are not going to like it. You’re not going to like it because while the code is easy to crack, it also takes a lot of work.

In other words, there is no secret sauce for how to “convert” these donors into donors that will behave like… well… regular donors. This is because the majority of these DEWM donors (pronounced DOOM, otherwise known at Disaster, Events, Workplace and Membership donors) typically make a transactional gift. No matter the size of that gift.

Yes, some are bought into the mission. But I’m saying typically here because they are terrible about making a second gift and becoming a regular donor for you.

But, let me say this very clearly: That’s perfectly fine. It’s okay. You are not going to change them. I equate trying to “convert” these donors to trying to change a partner of yours into someone you like better. It’s not going to happen.

Instead of trying to convert these donors into behaving like “normal” or “regular” donors, we accept these donors for who they are. They are not bad people. It’s just that most of them are not passionate about your mission or your organization.

But notice I did not say all of them. Most of them. What you want to find however, are the donors that want a deeper relationship with you that goes beyond their current motivation for giving… which, on the surface, feels transactional.

When a DEWM donor gives to your organization, the proven method (the cracking of the code) is to find out if they want a deeper relationship with you. That is, to qualify them. Don’t assume that a DEWM donor who gives a major gift is automatically a major donor who should be put into your portfolio.

And what we know anecdotally is that DEWM donors don’t qualify at the same rate as a “regular donor.” Regular donors, from the hundreds of clients we have worked with, qualify at a rate of 1 in 3. That means 2/3 of donors do NOT want a relationship with you.

Veritus Client Experience Leaders have told me that, in their experience, DEWM donors can qualify at a rate of 1 in 5. Or, in some cases, as high at 1 in 10!

That’s a lot of rejection!

But that’s okay. You are not going to change those donors. But, for the donors that do qualify and want that relationship, there is a very good possibility that they will become an incredible donor for you with the right cultivation, stewardship, and care.

Don’t fret about the DEWM donors. Instead celebrate that some of them do want a deeper relationship with you; they have bought into your mission and want to engage with you.

Now, here is why this is so hard. Qualifying takes time and energy, patience, and persistence. We have a 7-9 step process for you to make this happen. And it will take months to fill a portfolio with qualified donors. But it’s important you stick with it. Usually, you would give up at two or maybe three tries to connect to a donor.

Trust me, though. The reason we have 7-9 attempts is that we have found, for many donors, it takes that kind of persistence to connect. I cannot tell you how many fundraisers have come up to me at conferences to tell me how this process was the most important thing they have ever done as a fundraiser.

This is how you crack the code. No crazy strategy or some new tactic. Just hard work. In the end, you will only have donors that want to engage with you. Yes, you’ll go through a lot of rejection. But it will lead to your success and much more revenue for your organization.

Even from your DEWM donors!

Jeff