How can you build relationships with grantors remotely?

Whether it's through remote communication or in person, it's essential to remember that grantors are individuals with their own motivations. Begin by articulating your own purpose (your "why") and then craft a compelling case for why your mission should resonate with them, ultimately making it their own.

Send them industry related memes! Make funnies around programmatic struggles. Send random emails with cool and outrageous ideas even if you know they may not be possible. Send them little thank you boxes filled with local maker goods. Invite them out to a local event that your org is hosting or helping. Keep them aware of what their money / inkind is helping to achieve. Include pics and personal stories. Just be you and let them be them. Understand what y’all are trying to achieve and understand shortcomings. Make a field trip and make it a training that your grantor can participate in! Again… send contextually appropriate, funny (maybe slightly irreverent based on your relationship) memes.

Building a remote relationship with grantors involves effective communication. Articulate the purpose of the grant, outlining a well-structured budget that demonstrates fiscal responsibility, and defining achievable goals that align with the grantor's objectives. Regularly provide updates and progress reports, and showing how their funds are making a positive impact. Utilize virtual meetings, email and digital platforms to maintain open lines of communication, actively listen to their feedback, and adapt as necessary to meet their expectations. Personalized interactions, showing appreciation for their support, and demonstrating a commitment to the project's success will help build and sustain a strong remote relationship with grantors.

I find it really helpful (and courteous) to ask funders what their preferred channels and frequency of communication is (which may take some deep-diving first to understand what *your* communication preferences are). For new funders, you may want to offer some options which are achievable for you e.g. quarterly virtual catch-up and emails or phone calls for pressing matters or updates in between. Be clear on what you're going to report on, how frequently, and make sure you raise any barriers to this early and honestly with your funding partner. Share human stories that connect to the heart, and use meaningful organizational and program metrics to communicate your wider impact.

Keep it straightforward and authentic; nobody enjoys a sales pitch. Share your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and openly discuss the obstacles you face in reaching those targets. Funders appreciate your honesty and can empathize with your challenges, so be genuine in your communication.

Sharing numbers about your impact are important, but don't forget stories are important, too! Try to focus on one story about one person per communication so that grantors can get to know the people your organization is serving and imagine the further impact they can help you achieve.

Your organization can send out personalized cards during Christmas / New Years with a short recap of the work your organization has been able to do because of them. For a holiday gift, I recommend reaching out to funders to see if they are interested in receiving that gift (I.e. a branded notebook or water bottle) that way your organization doesn't spend extra funds on the materials and postage if not necessary. I also recommend sending regular personalized funding emails if there are any big events or occurrences happening that might not necessarily be mentioned in a report to them.

A handwritten note can go a very long way! I also suggest photo books as a thank you gift. We include quotes and photos of our clients so the grantor can see the impact they're having on our organization. You can usually get them on sale for about $15 at Walgreens or CVS, so it's a great way to create a custom, economical gift.

In-person engagement with existing events is a great way to bring grantors into the fold and the energy of your organization and mission.

Doing a little bit of research about an individual will always help with deepening levels of engagement. Being able to reference interest such as sports for example will allow you to frame asks in a common format they would be accustomed to. Opening the door for further development of a relationship which is not face to face

Many grantors have a section on their application and reporting documents that ask if your organization thinks they may need any additional staff support to carry out the projects in the grant and then asks what challenges your organization encountered. Always value grantor thoughts on potential programmatic or performance improvements, because if the issue remains and becomes a prevalent problem, they may choose to no longer fund your program. If your organization has the capability, prioritize meeting with the funder at least once a grant period to touch base and request feedback.

Grantors are often previous nonprofit leaders and have a wealth of knowledge they can share with you, or at the very least, they have a network of other nonprofit professionals that they also support. If you have a challenge that they might able to provide guidance on, don't be afraid to ask for advice or connections! Come to the conversation with some ideas and share the ideas with them to get their thoughts. They'll likely be very happy to help your organization in another way beyond their grant.