Last week I had a birthday. Yep, I’m getting old. What I found amazing is that I received four birthday cards, handwritten, by local folks I do business with. I received a card from my dentist, my doctor, the car dealer where I bought my car and a local restaurant I often have dinner at.
All of these cards were hand-addressed to me personally and had a hand-written card inside wishing me a happy birthday. Now, being a “savvy” fundraiser/marketing type you would think I would be jaded, but I actually felt touched that someone took the time to hand-write a card to me, even if they weren’t close personal friends.
Personal touch matters.
Also, I recently viewed one of Chris Davenport’s Movie Mondays (which if you haven’t subscribed to, it would be a really good idea if you did). He has a series of videos from actual major donors telling us a memorable time they were thanked as a donor. All three donors he talked to said it was some kind of personal note.
Really? Just a personal note was the greatest thank you they ever received? Wow! Over and over again I’m reminded how a simple personal note, call or even an email can be so meaningful to someone.
This is why at Veritus Group, when we help create strategic plans with the MGOs we manage, we make sure there is a series of personal touches throughout the year that connects with the donor.
You really need to understand the power of the personal. You have such an incredible opportunity as a major gift officer to connect with each of your donors in a very intimate and life-changing way. Great MGOs understand this and take time and effort to figure out how they can serve each of their donors in a unique and personal way.
Think about it – we are bombarded with mass-market messages each day. We have become jaded by Internet marketing that looks and feels personal, yet we know it’s some algorithm in the background, watching our every keystroke.
Actually receiving something which took someone a lot of time to sit down, think about you, write it out and send it to you can be really touching. It can be life-changing for some folks.
Are you doing this? Do you want to do more? Here are some practical ideas for you to make that personal touch with your donors:

1. In your strategic plan for each of your donors, create at least four personal touches a year in your plan. This tells the donor you are serious about creating a relationship with them.
2. Create at least two of those touches to be personal notes of either “thanks” or “look what you have done to help our mission.” The other two can be phone calls of thanks or appreciation.
3. Know something about your donor that is personal. What kind of hobbies or interests do they have? For example, one of your donors loves tennis. Read Tennis Magazine and find something interesting, tear it out and send it to your donor with a sticky note saying, “here is something I thought you would find interesting. I hope you’re getting a lot of time on the courts!”
4. Know life events of your donors. Like me getting those cards from businesses, you need to send cards for birthdays, anniversaries, and significant dates in the donor’s life that show the donor you remember. And they have to be hand-written.

Those are just a few ideas that can help you “make it personal” for your donors. The point is that whether you like it or not, you are in competition with a lot of other non-profits vying for your donors’ attention. Doing the “personal thing” will help you stand out and bond you to your donors. Give them amazing attention, and you will see great results.
Jeff