Giving Forward

We all know you should only spend money you already have. Otherwise, you end up with a negative balance that can slip into debt and spell trouble. The same is true in your relationship with your donors. If you want to make a withdrawal by asking for a donation, you need to have some capital in your “account.”

As nonprofit organizations, continuously asking for money without “selling” anything or giving anything back can (and should) make us uncomfortable. A real relationship should be balanced.

Yes, people get the satisfaction that comes with supporting a worthy cause. But that’s not enough. You can amplify that feeling and add to it by giving to them.

What to Give: Gratitude, updates about what you’re doing and how their money is impacting the cause, thought-provoking material related to your field, inspiring content, personal messages.

How to Give: Give regularly, consistently, authentically, spontaneously

And remember, don’t just give back, give forward – in addition to thanking for a past gift, engage your audience by focusing on a shared vision for the future as it relates to the causes they care about. If people are proactively receiving, you can flip the script and spur them to give back.