Milestone Thinking

It’s important to impress donors because they talk, and they talk to one another.

Acquiring new members or donors is one of the biggest challenges in the fundraising world – and typically the most costly. The second most difficult task may very well be getting these new supporters to renew their commitment for a second year.

To improve performance, non-profits should pick out key pieces of data from each of their departments and review them regularly at staff meetings. 

Looking at important data regulary helps organisations stop making decisions based on hunches and identify potential problems early.

Don’t rush out and do surveys without ensuring you can follow them up, record the results and actually use the data in communications with donors.

In donor communications, untrained opinions are not only worthless, they’re dangerous to your non-profit’s bottom line. In a professionally run operation, the chief fundraiser will have full, autonomous control over all donor communications.

Speak from the heart. Sometimes, a sincere message that gets to the point is more convincing than any other approach. Write your letter as though you were having a conversation with someone.

Make building and maintaining good relationships with donors a greater priority than asking for money. First gauge a potential donor’s interests, and when it’s clear that the interests of the donor and the charity overlap, don’t be timid about asking for support.