How can you build strong relationships with funders and project partners through email communication?

In my experience, it's important to personalize your email communications to partners where possible. Form messages read like form messages! Adding photos, details about projects you've collaborated on together, and messages from members throughout your organization can increase the chance that the email will be relevant to your funder and well received.

Build strong relationships through personalized, clear, and concise emails. Regularly update on project progress, express gratitude, and invite collaboration. Share success stories, offer recognition, and be transparent about challenges. Seek feedback, tailor updates to their preferences, and consider in-person meetings when possible.

By being responsive and direct. I find that email conversations are somewhat hard to keep going and often migrate to other platforms. If so, follow! But, most of all, make sure that your emails are kept short and to the point, and if there are several topics, issues to share, suggest a phone call to clarify if anything is unclear.

- In my experience, building strong relationships with funders includes connecting the dots across strategic imperatives. Realize that funders are also on a quest to fulfill a mission and vision and thus are funding projects that align with their priorities - In your emails/comms, don’t make the mistake of being self- or organization-centric. Ask deep questions about their commitments, their aspirations and goals, and cater your storytelling and impact outcomes communication to fit in with their “narrative arc” - Don’t just report to report. Reporting is a critical moment to showcase your project wins, while emulating their goals and strategies. Reporting is as much storytelling as it is a compliance exercise. Especially private funders

Well said. It’s also important to remember that decision makers get in some cases, hundreds of emails a day that require their attention. Be patient. There is no silver bullet to email communication but stick at it. If you know the value you can bring and it fits the need of the person you’re contacting, keep trying. Be different. Stand out. Stay persistent.

1. Use AI and other tools to improve the grammar of your emails. There's no shame in using digital tools that help with clarity and precision. I'm a writer and am using Grammarly even as I write this. 2. Get to the point. No one wants to read your novel in an email. The point of the email should be to encourage the recipient to ask for more information or, even better, a meeting.

Be Clear and Concise In a world inundated with emails, brevity is your ally. Clearly articulate your message without unnecessary jargon. Make your emails easy to read and understand. Funders and project partners appreciate communication that respects their time and gets to the point efficiently.

I cannot stress this enough. Short and clear mails are a must. You don't need proper littérature to get the message delivered. Make it understundable in one glance

Project partners and funders are busy people! Keeping your communications concise and to the point will keep communication barriers down, and projects moving in a forward direction.

While you want to be concise and respectful of your funder's time you also want to provide enough information to ensure they understand the context surrounding your request. For example, say you have a question regarding the funding opportunity. Note that you have already read the opportunity and have a question about a specific requirement that you were unable to find an answer to in the guidelines or on their website. Without this context, your funder may assume that you missed something in their written documents. This will give them the unintended perception that you did not take the time to look, and they may think you are wasting their time and yours, which is not the perception you want to give them.

Respond quickly. Following up on an email as soon as possible is important. If the query requires some time to collate information, just let them know. Provide a date/time that they could expect the requested information.

Express Gratitude Sincerely Gratitude is a powerful connector. Whenever relevant, express your appreciation sincerely. Whether it's acknowledging a funder's contribution or recognizing a project partner's efforts, gratitude fosters a positive relationship. Be specific about what you're thankful for to make your expression authentic.

What I believe that emails make concise. However refresher calls and meetings atleast in a month would gives better understanding and feasibility of any project.

In addition to this, respect comes in the form of at least acknowledging communication, even if you are unsure of an answer right away. This keeps the person on the other side of the communication engaged and informed.

Provide Regular Updates Keep your funders and project partners in the loop. Regular updates, even if brief, showcase transparency and commitment. Share progress, milestones achieved, and any challenges faced. This not only keeps them informed but also makes them feel like integral parts of the journey.

Be concise,precise utilise funds effectively keep contact alive on emailc or otherwise,monitor the progress regularly.motivate the people involved and hope for the best positive

Once funded make sure to keep communicating with your funder, and not just at the expected times such as during reporting. Be sure to share successes as they occur in real-time. Your funder loves hearing that their contribution is creating a real impact.

Building strong relationships with funders and project partners through email is an art that requires genuine effort and a human-centric approach. By personalizing your communication, expressing gratitude, providing regular updates, and inviting collaboration, you transform email exchanges from routine communication into meaningful connections.

Record a quick Loom video (or similar) and embed it in your email! Cover the same points that are in the body of your email (the text is a good record for both parties to refer back to), but the video is a window to a more personal experience. And - ask what questions they have, what they’d like to see more or less of, and include a short statement about what you’re excited about tackling next. Enthusiasm is infectious!

To build deeper connections, it is also good practice to make personal connections with people. Check in on them without a specific need or “ask”. Share a positive story or just check in to see how they are. We get so busy with our work that we can easily forget so show genuine interest and care for others. People remember kindness.

Building relationships with funders is a multi-approach process. Written communication is just one approach. Remember those funding you are your fellow humans and to create a truly meaningful relationship you need to connect on a human level. Rarely will this be accomplished only through your written communications. Whenever possible video calls, phone conversations, and in-person meetings will help your funder see that you are a truly passionate person who promises to do great things.