They're Out There

3. Talk to your highest-ranking and potential high-level donors. Listen to what they have to say about your cause and how they feel about being part of the solutions you offer. Remember, your donors are giving to accomplish your mission, not to support your organization. If you don’t know the difference, call me for a little chat.

4. Based on your findings, design a focused communications program for these best-of-the-best donors that blends several special touches into your existing communication efforts. Your goal is to provide your donor with opportunities to relate on a more personal level with what they want to accomplish.

There are many ways and means for you to do this. A special thank-you note after the next gift. A phone call reporting on a specific project the donor supported. A special report about progress being made toward a specific goal. An invitation to attend a briefing or special event that would interest the donor. Perhaps even a personal visit over coffee or lunch. The idea is to create dialogue and offer opportunities for participation.

Remember, the more control and choice you give your donors, the more likely they are to perceive their own roles as stakeholders in accomplishing your mission.

5. With just a few weeks remaining in the year, it’s also important to take one final step. Compare your best donors’ giving this year with last year. Highlight those donors who are giving less than they gave in 2005. Many of them won’t be aware of their reduced giving. Contact them and have an open conversation about their support, their degree of satisfaction and their intentions about year-end giving. Provide them with a significant giving opportunity tied to their interests. Connect their beliefs and passions with your year-end needs and, by doing so, watch their giving increase to match or surpass what they gave in 2005.