What donors wish nonprofits knew about them

Maybe you've seen the top-selling book by the inimitable Dr. James Dobson: What Wives Wish Their Husbands Knew About Women. Men who were persuaded to read it often did so with jaws dropping: That explains everything!

Maybe nonprofits need a similar book to enlighten them about donors. Until someone gets around to writing it, here's a short list of a few of the things donors wish we know about them:

Donors wish nonprofits knew their name. It just doesn't feel right when someone gets your name wrong, does it?

Donors wish nonprofits knew they gave. Duh. Yet far too many nonprofits fail to acknowledge gifts. That tells the donor either her gift didn't matter, or that you're sloppy (which, if you're not receipting, you are).

Donors wish nonprofits knew they're capable of making smart decisions. They get choices in other areas of their lives; they should get it in their giving. Let them designate, undesignate, partially designate, choose programs, choose communication channels and schedules. Donors know what works for them. They'll reward you when you respect that.

Donors wish nonprofits knew what they really care about. They tell us what matters to them by what they give to. You need to keep the topics they respond to in front of them.

Donors wish nonprofits knew what they don't care about. It's smart to offer donors the opportunity to become more deeply involved with what you do. It's stupid to insist that they do so.

Donors wish nonprofits knew they don't need to be "improved." "Donor education" -- i.e., making donors more like ourselves -- is a pernicious force in many nonprofits. Donors are fine the way they are. Attempts to re-make them in our own image are unnecessary -- and futile.

Understanding your partner matters in marriage. It also matters in fundraising.

Technorati Tags: fundraising, philanthropy

Comments

[Jeff Brooks]

The businesses that have chosen to focus on their customers know that sometimes they have to "fire" customers who abuse their customer-centric policies. If you have a donor who's doing your organization more harm than good, you should politely but firmly get rid of them. The businesses that don't get it are busy trying to protect themselves from bad customers, and failing to serve the good ones. Not the right lead to follow.

[MD]

Sorry to post this anonymously.

I want a donor like Holden! What I have is a donor who has decided not to make a donation in cash, but instead wants to buy the things we need as he can 'get a better price'. I guess it's better than getting nothing, but terribly inefficient in terms of tax, so in fact, we won't be getting better value from the gift.

As someone who finds a lot of this blog both useful and refreshingly honest, I do sometimes wonder if the focus goes too far towards the donor. Of course my donors are important, but ultimately, I'm here for the people I'm trying to help.

How about a "what non-profits wished their donor's knew about them" too?

[Holden]

And regarding my name, I couldn't care less if nonprofits know it. It doesn't pertain to their ability to do what I'm paying them for. They aren't serving my needs, they're serving others'. Sure, there's a basic competence issue here, but if I can trade knowledge of Holden for knowledge of the people who need help, I'll take that trade all day.

[Holden]

This donor couldn't disagree more strongly with this post - specifically, the parts about designating our money to specific programs, and the part about not wanting to be educated.

These are complex problems we're trying to solve. We are trying to take a few hours from our everyday jobs to give the fruits of our labor to solving them. We are giving those fruits to people who spend their entire lives working on these problems. In that context, does it make sense to say "I know how to accomplish your goal better than you do, and I don't want you telling me otherwise?"

I want exactly the opposite. I want to know exactly what charities are doing to address problems, and why it makes sense. I want my misconceptions and distorted beliefs corrected. I want to become convinced that the people I'm talking to understand everything I do and more, and know better than I do how to spend my money. It's too rare that this happens, but when it does, I want to give those people the power to spend my money without being micromanaged.

[Xian]

Brilliant Post! This is so overdue. As an expert in usability and user research employed by non profits, the weight of my duties has gone from informing the client on user interaction and reaction to the non profit's offerings, to a more generalized reaction of Donors to the mission or The Ask. Furthermore, my sell has gone from the benefits of usability to addressing the audience needs as opposed to pushing the organization. (Ala Seth Godin's pull v. push marketing in Permission Marketing)