Stop Trying to Teach Goldfish to Juggle

The most common way non-donors become donors is they mature into it. Somewhere between age 50 and 60, the magic happens, and they start new lives as donors.

Finding these people at the moment of transformation and being there to put their generosity to work can be your growth edge.

There are two main places and times to find them:

● Around major news events. Things that capture of lot of media attention so they're top-of-mind for nearly everyone for a while can unleash an enormous amount of giving from non-donors. Things like natural disasters or the untimely death of a celebrity.

Many of the donations that come during such times are one-time acts. But some are the first gifts of a new lifetime of giving from newly minted donors. That gift is the key that unlocks the new behavior.

Be nimble and ready when major news events that connect with your cause come up. That's how you motivate that first gift — and all the subsequent gifts from new donors.

● Proximity. The non-donors you're most likely to reach are those who are like your donors. They consume the same media as your donors. Buy similar products. Subscribe to the same publications. They even tend to live in the same ZIP codes.

Wherever you're finding donors now, that's where to look for non-donors who are ready for the change.

Study your donors. Know their demographics and psychographics. Those soon-to-be donors are there, not someplace else.

Knowing the differences between those who give, those likely to give and those who don't makes you a truly savvy and successful fundraiser.

Jeff Brooks is creative director at TrueSense Marketing and author of the Future Fundraising Now blog. Reach him at jeff.brooks@truesense.com