Organizational Priorities a Must

I was onsite with a client recently, beginning their journey for grateful patient philanthropy. Throughout my time with them there was constant discussion about organizational needs… or at least the lack of specific details in this case.

I seem to spend more and more of my time working with non-fundraising leaders, helping them to better understand donors don’t give any more to the idea of “unrestricted gifts,” at least in large donations. Philanthropists have become wiser and more sophisticated. They want to know what their money is going to go for and, most importantly, what is it going to do to make the organization or its efforts more successful. And they want proof, or data, to show it.

I think COVID-19 has made this situation, the lack of understanding by non-fundraising executives, more prevalent. I’m hearing more and more about the organization needing revenue to apply it where it believes it’s best to go. While I completely agree that’s a great theory, that’s not how fundraising works. Sure, you can get a whole bunch of $20 donors who will give you that money and let you choose where it should go. But if you want a $1 million gift from someone, they’re going to ask the specific questions necessary to meet their level of need regarding knowledge of use and outcome.

Another client, and their CEO, just asked recently why they’re not getting 100% conversion from “ask” to “gift” with their solicitations. He seemed incredulous that someone would turn them down.

We must, as soon as possible, mobilize mass education efforts for non-fundraising professionals, in particular at the executive leadership level, to better understand what donors are telling us and demonstrating with their actions—donors will more likely give to something specific they believe will make a marked difference on people or the community.