Conversation?!
Don’t worry. You don’t have to be a great talker to have this conversation.
Today I heard from an excited client about an email. (I love getting celebration emails like this!) My client is a new theater here in Connecticut. And theater is where I started my nonprofit career… so I’m having fun.
We’ve been working on connecting with their small but growing group of donors. But we were staring at lots of money needed by year-end. So I suggested we start with a newsletter.
Yup. We’d sent an appeal earlier in the year. But their donors invested in a new thing. They deserved to know what was happening, especially before we asked again.
Money was tight, so we turned to Simone Joyaux’s “newsy letter.” Out it went.
And this happy email was in response. A lovely person took the time to write. He was so happy to hear about what was going on at the theater!
Fundraising is a conversation
It was a good reminder that fundraising isn’t an appeal. It isn’t a grant proposal or an event.
It’s an ongoing, growing, conversation with the people who care about your cause. So your job is to carry on your part of the conversation in a way that invites responses.
Solicit opinions as well as dollars
You’ve heard the old saying, right? “If you want money, ask for advice; if you want advice, ask for money.” It’s proven itself true too many times in my career!
You want people to feel that you welcome not just their money, but their thoughts, their feelings… them. Then they’ll feel closer to your work. And that’s when you begin a continuing conversation.
Make it easy to respond – and not just with a gift
Invite donors to use that envelope and form… even if they’re not sending a gift now.
Ask a question or for an opinion. Then invite people to respond by email or by using the envelope. It’s okay if every envelope doesn’t have money in it. Though often, the people moved to tell you something are the people who also give.
Make it easy to contact you
Long ago, I mentioned a bad experience with a large nonprofit. I sent a memorial gift. They thanked me and told me to alert the family. I’d never heard of pushing this important aspect of a memorial gift off like that.
I tried to get in touch with someone. But there was no contact information on their website! I finally found a phone number leading to an online call center. Eventually, my message made its way to the fundraising team. And the person who responded told me that they never asked donors to send the tribute card. I was holding the directions from them to do just that. (And then it happened again!)
Don’t make it hard to find your fundraisers. Even if they have a complaint.
When someone does get in touch, respond right away
This is them reaching out to you! It means something important. So keep the conversation going. Write back, call them… however they prefer to be contacted.
Let them know how much you appreciate hearing from them.
Arts organizations have a foot up
I’ll admit: nonprofits like this theater have an advantage. Their mission includes this kind of conversation. Every performance is part of it.
If you’re raising money for a theater, think about how you can let people feel connected. Is it a note on their seat when they attend? (You know where they’ll be sitting, right?) Or an open rehearsal? A backstage tour?
Could you share an interesting observation from an audience member? (With their permission, of course!)
How do you respond to suggestions? Does the artistic staff get prickly? Or are they open to a conversation? You don’t need to change artistic choices… but letting someone know they’ve been heard means a lot.
Arts or not, how can you keep up the conversation?
You can act as a gracious host and bring supporters together around your cause. (As a thank you, not as a fundraising event.) If donors can form relationships around your mission, that’s huge! They’ll reinforce each other’s love for your nonprofit’s work. Build community at every opportunity.
And think about whether you can invite people to see your work as it happens. Or to listen to someone talk about it.
Your goal is a long-term relationship
And once you think that way, raising money will be easier. What can you do today to nurture it?
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