06/08/2022
How well do you treat your donors?
I’m all too often amazed at the lack of recognition and gratitude after I make a charitable gift to an organization important to me. If you’re unsure how you or your organization is doing, perhaps it’s time to do an internal, fundraising audit. Begin by asking these simple questions.
1. Do you thank your donors within 48 hours after they make a donation? An automated response is not a thank you, it’s an acknowledgement that you received the gift.
2. Do you respond to all inquiries about making a gift with 24 hours?
3. If you are set up to receive automatic online monthly contributions, how often do you thank these folks? (My biggest pet peeve. Too often these regular and generous donors are overlooked or taken for granted.)
4. Is there someone within the organization who is responsible for building and fostering relationships with your best donors?
5. How often do you send printed material or email updates to your donors showing them the impact of their gifts?
6. How many hand-written thank you notes do you send out every week? Who doesn’t appreciate getting a personal, hand-written note?
To quote Meg Ryan in You’ve Got Mail, “Whatever else anything is, it should begin by being personal... It’s just not personal to you”.
Make it personal!
