Help fundraising bloom

By keeping your fundraiser connected

I recently caught up with a friend who has a similar relationship/donor management role for a large non-profit and we compared notes on one important element of our jobs - keeping us connected. It was interesting to see that we had exactly the same challenges, despite differences in the size of the non-profits we work for.

Keeping your fundraiser connected sounds like a no-brainer… but the reality is more complicated. For straight forward campaigns where there is a well developed budget, a clear beginning and an end, there is limited complexity. For larger foundation grants or contractual (restricted) projects, the reporting schedule gives a good framework for your fundraiser to be engaged. But for those personal relationships, where the donors have specific reasons to be involved, with intricacies and interests that do not make it into the contracts, keeping your fundraiser close to what is happening is key. They are the bridge between the donor and the organisational needs. Getting the balance right is also tricky - let’s face it, most people in non-profits are doing a great impression of a Stretch Armstrong… so all meetings need to be worthwhile and at the right communication level.

Donor relationships take time to cultivate. The nature of giving is (hopefully) an ongoing, long-term commitment. Having worked with some of my donors for over 10 years now, it’s a personal relationship and I understand their interests. There have been times when a seed project needs to come to fruition quickly and I’ve been able to speak to a donor to provide support, usually because some incredible ocean creature has turned up and needs investigating immediately, aligning with the donor’s passions yet outside of my fundraising plan! There is also a significant amount of privacy and decorum required in representing donor interest within the organisation. This level of detail is hard to communicate outside of a handful of key people. No, you can’t drag your fundraiser into every project meeting. But continually sense check what they know and how they can be best engaged.