2 Ways to Lose a Donor
1. Don’t thank them.
If we fail to thank people, we can rob them of the joy of giving. Donors who are not thanked can easily feel forgotten and some might find other ways and places to give their funds.
2. Don’t update them.
Donors are investors, and any wise investor wants to know what is happening with an investment. In the financial world, an investment is merely a financial transition. In the Christian setting, giving is an investment in the Lord’s work, and donors need to know how their gift is making a difference.
2 Can Be 2 Many
Scenario: You have set up an appointment to ask a person for a gift and when you arrive for your appointment you find they have invited other people to attend.
What do you do now?
Normally under those circumstances it is very awkward to ask for the gift. Your best bet is to share your ministry and as you leave, indicate to your donor or prospect that you will be back in touch with them. Your follow up call will allow you to reschedule or if that is impossible you might review your request with them and ask for the gift.
If All Else Fails, Get Them Giving
Sometimes we are overly concerned about getting people to pledge to our ministry or project. We like to be able to count on their committed support whether it comes in monthly, quarterly or annually.
But if they are not able to commit regular pledged support, if all else fails, get them giving. In other words get that first gift and then thank them and give them updates as to what their money is doing. Give them the satisfaction of giving, and they will probably give again.
2 Fundamental Concepts
1) People tend to give when they are asked.
2) People tend not to give when they are not asked.
Be Careful What You Request
For the sake of stewardship, there are times you need to clean up and purge your mailing list. The typical approach is to send out a letter and invite people to remove their name. Be careful what you request. I certainly would not ask that of those already supporting my ministry. Why in the world would you want a donor to stop giving? It is the non-donor of whom you might make this request, but be careful what you request.
Lack of Interest or Lack of Time?
Scenario: You are attempting to call a very busy person and you have tried on numerous occasions to reach him or her. You tried mornings and evenings and simply can’t successfully make contact. On several occasions you leave a message and your call is not even returned.
The normal reaction is to draw the conclusion that the person simply is not interested. Be careful what conclusions you draw. In many cases the person can be very busy, on a fast track and hard to catch up with. It is not lack of interest but simply lack of time.
Shorter Can Be Better than Longer
When it comes to the frequency of our communication with our donors, many times shorter can be better than longer. There are times we postpone preparing and sending a letter or a newsletter. We just don’t have the time it takes to invest in a full-fledged piece of communication. The result? We simply do nothing.
Be careful to not neglect your donors. Keep in mind your goal is to stay in contact with them and many times this could be handled through a simple note or email. In these cases shorter can be better than longer.