Practical strategies for building a fundraising program that lasts — stronger donor relationships, smarter operations, and transition-ready systems. In your inbox, every other Wednesday.
Everyone's invited (and that's the problem)
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Here's a pattern I see way too often: Organizations that send the same generic messages to everyone. And invite everyone to everything. Donors. Prospects. Random people still on the email list from 2015. Sometimes this is a data issue – contact info is missing or gift entry is inconsistent. You can't segment what you haven't tracked. (If that's you, fix this first.) But sometimes? Organizations are just afraid to seem exclusive. They don't want to 'waste' an opportunity by not inviting everyone. But here's what they're missing: while they're worried about finding new donors, they're actively losing the ones they have. A few weeks ago, I got a postcard from an organization we've supported for several years. Milestone anniversary celebration – everyone's invited. Plus, would we make a birthday gift? Beyond post-gift thank you letters, nothing we've received from the organization has recognized us as donors or partners in the work. Same open house invites. Same mass emails. Same everything. We'll keep giving because we believe in the mission. But it made me wonder: Does our financial partnership actually change how they see us? If you take a look at the numbers, it’s clear I'm not alone in asking that question. When everyone gets the same experience and the same generic messaging, you're unintentionally communicating: Your gift doesn’t change the way we see you. Donors don't need fancy. But they do need different. Why? Because they've opted in. They've said "I'm aligned with your mission" when they made their gift. That's a partnership. 4 ways to treat donors like partners: 1. Offer experiences just for them 2. Create space for deeper conversations 3. Layer your messaging 4. Acknowledge giving changes The result? Donors who feel seen and valued don't just give again. They increase support. They volunteer. They bring others in. That's what partners do. Everyone gains when donors have a different experience. How are you showing donors they're partners - and not just names on a list? |
Built to Raise
Practical strategies for building a fundraising program that lasts — stronger donor relationships, smarter operations, and transition-ready systems. In your inbox, every other Wednesday.
We know the fundraising cycle. Identification, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship. It's the backbone of how we think about moving donors from first impression to lasting partnership. But as I was writing this week's email for you - committed to talking about three principles that build stronger donor relationships: curiosity, authenticity, and accountability - I realized they align with the cycle we're already following. Here's a fresh way to look at it. Authenticity is how we cultivate....
Curiosity. Authenticity. Accountability. Three elements that help turn transactions into meaningful donor relationships. And my plan was to dig into what these look like in action... until a client coaching call reminded me that the first step is actually making room for them. Which is often the the bigger struggle for smaller fundraising shops. Because teams are busy. Planning the next event. Writing the annual report. Preparing for the board meeting. And somewhere in all of that, the phone...
Quick question: If one of your campaign donors called asking for details on their pledge form from three years ago, would you be able to answer that request right away? Or would you have to call them back so you could search for it? If the answer is anything other than "of course, it's attached to their record in the CRM" - you've got a documentation issue. I see this on repeat as I dig in with organizations as an interim. Pledge forms saved as hard copies in campaign folders. Check images...