Not listening to donors [Mr. Yuk Fundraising, part 3]

A series about four common fundraising problems that can poison your work and flatten revenue. I wish I could put a “Mr. Yuk” sticker on those practices.

Effective fundraising is a relationship between the organization and a donor.

Donors are not machines. You don’t get money from them by entering a code.

You get it by nurturing a relationship.

And like all relationships, one of the key activities is listening.

Finding out who they are, what they care about, what gets their attention, how their values connect with yours.

Active, one-to-one listening

This is how you get rich, specific, individual information from donors. Most donors aren’t likely to do this, but those who do are usually your best, most-engaged donors. This is where you act as human as you can, not like a faceless organization.

• You make it easy for donors to connect with a real person by phone or email.
• In your communications, ask for advice. (Remember the old saying, “Ask for money and you’ll get advice; ask for advice and you’ll get money”? It often applies with donors!
• Actively solicit comments and questions. Frequently.
• Do donor surveys that explore their values and attitudes. A well-built survey can give you incredibly valuable information. And donors who complete surveys often become more connected when they do so.

Observational listening

This is as much “watching” as it is listening. It is paying close attention to what donors actually do. It’s more about your donors as a group than as individuals. And what you learn is often counterintuitive. Sometimes even upsetting.

• Watch donor behavior. What do they respond to? How many keep giving? Upgrade their giving? Downgrade?
• Test if you can. Testing in fundraising can really fine-tune your observational listening. (Here’s a series that can help you understand and maximize your testing: Smart testing for nonmathematical fundraisers.)
• Learn about fundraising. Pay attention to what our profession knows about donors. Sure, your donors are unique, but they are more like than unlike donors in general.