DO YOU WANT TO SOLVE THE SAME PROBLEMS?
Just saw this wonderful graphic on http://www.queerideas.co.uk/my_weblog/2015/10/the-fundraising-paradox.html and had to share!
It is so important to ‘walk a mile in your donor’s shoes’ and to listen, really listen to what they tell you! That way you’ll know what problems they want to solve!
So many Development Directors/fundraisers have an idea and a ready presentationfor the donor’s donation that they don’t take the time to consider if it that problem makes a true difference to the donor! Often even after the donor tells them what is important or close to their heart about the organization it’s not noted or goes unnoticed. Donors need to be heard;they are the lifeblood of the non-profit.
Very recently, a donor, someone close to me, went to a non-profit she loves and gave a meaningful year-end gift. The donor went in for a specific reason/cause close to her heart and left that day thinking she was helping that cause. In fact, she was assured her donation would be used for the cause close to her heart, but when she got the thank you letter a few days later, the letter indicated that her donation went for another cause, a project that the organization chose.
The donor is goodhearted and doesn’t want to cause a stir but I think that that will be the last large gift this organization gets instead of the first of many. The nonprofit will probably never know this donor is disappointed, but the sad thing is they should know. The donor told them but no one was listening! They solved different problems didn’t they?
