Surveys and asking people for their opinion can be a helpful tool but they can also be very misleading. Especially when it comes to fundraising.
First off, understand that your donors really want to give you truthful and helpful answers to your questions. After all, they like (love) your ministry and they want to help. Trouble is, what they think they will do and what they actually do can be very different – especially in these 5 areas.
- “You don’t need to thank me for my donation. Giving is its own reward.”
Nope! If you fail to thank your donors, you will lose them. You need a way thank them fast, sincerely and, if possible, in multiple ways. Send them an email right away, then follow it up in a day or so by calling them on their phone or sending them a text message.
- “Remind me to donate once a year and I’ll make my donation then.
Nope again! This might sound true, especially coming from someone who already regularly gives every year. But if your ministry is invisible to a donor except for one time in the year it is very likely to stay invisible when that one reminder is sent out.
- “Save your money and send me an email once a year instead of paying to send a letter.”
Emails are cheap, letters cost money. But emails don’t see the responses (in number of people or value of donation) that an old fashioned letter receives. Now I realise that letters might not be something you can do in your country so you might need to get out and shake hands with people. Emails have their place but response rates are low so have them in your plan but don’t have them as your plan.
- “No need to tell me about how my gift is going to work. I trust you.”
Your donor might trust you, but you still need to report back on what their gift has achieved. Telling donors about what they have done is a foundation to a strong and long-term relationship.
- “I don’t need to read a sad story to persuade me to give. Just give me the facts.”
If you want people to respond then present them with an urgent situation and a way they can make a difference. Forget statistics. Tell the real story of one person who has had their life changed.