How Soon Do You Need the Donation?

Now would be a great time for a donation. There are always bills that need to be paid. However, what is the real urgency? How do you make the urgency personal to the donor? It is a rare donor who is thrilled to pay to keep the lights on. Most donors want to see the mission move forward. Paying to keep the lights on is management's responsibility.

When a donor asks, "When do you need the donation by?", we often hear responses like these:

It is the annual campaign and we have a goal to reach by...We are currently having a cash crisis and your gift will be a big help. The roof is leaking and we must do something before more damage occurs.

If donors prefer to give to the mission, the preceding responses fail to resonate with the donor's desires. In addition, the last two actually undermine one's confidence in the leadership (board and administration).

Most high-value donors are sophisticated and knowledgeable people. Are they going to give according to their ability or are they going to give something to end the conversation when confronted with the preceding responses?

What do those responses say about the commitment to the mission? One hopes they say nothing about the commitment to the mission. However, some listeners might assume that the mission is less important than money.

It is important to always have a mission-driven response ready for any size gift. An example is, "We have three children who need our help but we are unable to accept them until we have..." The piece missing from the end of that sentence is something tangible (books, chairs, transportation, etc.) rather than money. The donor will convert the item into money or ask you how much money it represents.

If they ask for the conversion to money, you know that they want to make the gift. If they tell you the price is too high they are telling you to work with them to find a reasonable fraction they can give. In any case, you have made a strong connection between the gift, the mission, and their participation. It is easy for them to understand their importance.

Without a plan for each gift, one is just soliciting money rather than building mission.

Next Step:

Before meeting with any donor, be prepared for many possible questions. Always have a mission driven response to the questions the donors ask. Be more concerned with connecting the donor to the mission than collecting the funds, without regard for how urgent the need for funds.

Time after time, our clients have proven that they can collect more money by talking about the mission than talking about the need. There are three parts to their success. First, they are able to attract more donors. Second, each donor gives more. Third, the donors remain loyal longer and are less likely to reduce their gifts during periods of economic decline.

It is okay to talk about the urgent needs of the clients and the mission. It is suboptimal to talk about the urgent need for money. The most difficult time to remember this is when there is a crisis.

Remember, when the mission is the first priority sustainability is at its highest.

Don and his partners started Mission Enablers (http://www.missionenablers.com/) in 2001 to help nonprofits increase their capacity to serve those in need. Mission Enablers is one of several successful businesses that Don has started. He has also served on a variety of for profit and nonprofit boards. His primary focus today is helping schools (private, parochial, Christian, and faith-based schools) increase enrollment, develop strong leadership teams, improve their governance, and increase their fundraising effectiveness. When away from the office he enjoys spending time with his daughters' families, grandchildren, and working in his gardens or cooking.