Ask donors for all of their gifts

Mal Warwick, in his latest newsletter urges us to look at donors as more than sources of money. His article, Six gifts, looks beyond the obvious three gifts donors can give -- money, time, and gifts-in-kind -- at another three:

• Information: ranging from market insight to specialized professional knowledge.
  
• Voice: the ability to speak for you in many ways.
  
• Influence: the ability to help things go your way.
  

Any of these things can potentially be worth more than money. But you're not going to get them if you act as if your donors are banks, and your appeals are withdrawal slips.

If you want full value from donors, you need to engage them in relationship and conversation.

And here's the magic of it: When you treat donors this way, they give you the gifts they have to offer -- and often more money too. Because making the world a better place is important to them. And giving is a great pleasure.

Treating donors as human beings. There's a concept.

Technorati Tag: donor psychology

Comments

[Steve Bridger]

Yeah! Great find, Jeff. I'll blog this later. Thanks for sharing.

[Adrian Melrose]

Jeff- I couldn't agree more. The more charities engage supporters they more that support will grow. Communicate WITH, not TO/AT them and they will become a personal and persuasive voice for you.