Take a good, hard look at what you and your organization think your donors are thinking when they make a gift.
Do you think they are supporting your organization, or do you think they are trying to help one of your beneficiaries?
Most organizations misinterpret a donation to mean that they have a “supporter.” But most donors think of their gift as ‘helping someone’ much more than they think of it as ‘supporting’ your organization.
Here’s where the rubber meets – or doesn’t meet – the road. If you think you have a “supporter” then your donor communications will probably tell the person more about the organization they are supporting. However, your donor is FAR more likely to be interested in knowing how a beneficiary’s life is better today because they made a gift.
You will raise more money – and keep your donors for longer – if you think of your donors as people who are helping your beneficiaries. This means that your donor communications should be all about your donors and your beneficiaries, and very little about your organization.
