Who Are You Visiting Today? Relationships Need Measuring, Too

It is important to be metrics-driven in fundraising. Yes, fundraising is relationship-based, but it is vital that metrics, including the number of visits and the number of asks, be included in goals and performance reviews. This is not just for accountability—it is a very useful tool of focus for the fundraising professional.

Be sure, however, that the metrics also include the profile of the prospective donor or donors you are visiting and asking. In a recent campaign, we continually had to coach members of our client’s staff to be cultivating not just prospective donors, but top prospective donors. Resources were limited, and it was not possible to reach everyone. The campaign required a new focus on identifying and reaching out to the very top prospects.

The New Year is a great time to review your portfolio of prospective donors, and if you are in a supervisory role, the profiles of your team members.

How about including volunteer contacts with prospective major donors in your metrics? I serve on a foundation board and I am attending a board meeting this week. I have time allocated with the development director for us to review and update the portfolio of prospective donors I’ve been asked to assist in shepherding as a volunteer.

If each of your board members doesn’t have three to five prospective major donors they are asked to help nurture a relationship with year-round (not just at annual fund time), then you are missing a great opportunity.

Relationship-building is essential. Measure to ensure that it is happening—and that it is effective!