How to turn your mistakes into fundraising gold

Your organization makes a mistake and a donor complains: catastrophe, or opportunity?

I hope you said opportunity. Because it’s an excellent chance to deepen your relationship with a donor who wants a relationship. (Think about it: A donor who’s apathetic would be unlikely to complain. The complainer wants to work things out.

Here’s some help on responding to those complaints from MarketSmart, at Why mistakes are awesome and what to do about them:

1. Be glad they called.
   
2. Respond promptly.
   
3. Apologize profusely and mean it! Be real!
   
4. Bend over backwards to make it right.
   
5. Make sure you made it right.
   
6. Thank them for allowing you the opportunity to make it right.
   

Suppose a donor complains about something you did that was not a mistake? Like sending “too much mail” or printing a photo she doesn’t like.

Pretty much the same as above. Except for this: Don’t apologize as if what you did was a screw-up. Apologize that it wasn’t right for her. And make it right for her.

Don’t go and change everything for everyone because you got one complaint (or two, or ten…). That’s a quick way to fail!