Simple Ways to Learn About Your Donors

I love it when I’m asked the question “How do I know what my donors are all about?”. I love it because the answer — at least the first, high-level answer — is so simple. The answer is?“Just Ask Them”.

When I suggest that answer, I often get a confused stare, and sometimes I watch the fundraiser start to break out in a cold sweat. Why does this happen? It happens because some fundraisers believe that donors are alien creatures who are unapproachable, cranky, condescending, and generally not so pleasant to be around. The truth, of course, is that some donors are those things, but the vast majority are ordinary people who are approachable, kind, and giving for the right reasons.

In soliciting donors, we’re dealing with a subset of the population, and in looking at our database, we already know a few things about them.

1. We know where they live, what they do (or did) for a living, and maybe a bit about their family members.
2. We might know “where the money came from” — although not always.
3. We know that, according to our research or personal knowledge, they have the resources to make a substantive gift to our nonprofit.
4. Depending on the research we have, we might know their political party, religion, and maybe what boards they’re on.

That’s a great start. But here’s the rub. None of those pieces of information tell us anything about them as individual human beings. None of that tells us much, if anything, about their hopes and dreams and what they care about.

For fundraisers looking to build a relationship (and I hope all of you are!), there’s not much in this “data” that helps us when we’re about to have a one-on-one conversation with a prospect.

There are?two things you can and should do?right now?— before you go into a conversation with someone you might be a bit intimidated by.

First, do what I call a “Five Minute Google Search”. You should be doing this on all of your prospects to learn more about them as people. This is not about corroborating your data — it’s about getting a sense of what they’re about as human beings.

Second is the part that in my opinion, that’s the most important.?You ask them these four questions.?(The method of asking doesn’t matter so much — but I recommend an online “Survey Monkey” type survey that will take you well under an hour to create. And the cost is minimal if anything.)

1. How do you like to be addressed??(This usually refers to name tags or a mailing — something written.) Everyone knows what makes them the most comfortable — the traditional “formal” approach, a more casual approach, Mr. or Mrs. or Doctor or Professor (or none of the above) — just ask them and they will tell you.
2. How do you prefer to be communicated with??This is pretty straightforward, and has been used in most doctor’s offices for years — but for some reason is rarely asked in nonprofit’s communication. Answers are simple and multiple choice: phone (with a subcategory of mobile or landline), text, email, snail mail, etc. Give them an “any of the above” option, too.
3. How often would you like to know about our impact??Choices are also multiple-choice, including “annually”, “quarterly”, “monthly” or “as good things happen”.
4. How do you like to be thanked??This one is rarely asked of donors — and fundraisers often just assume that a donor would appreciate a thank you in a certain way. The truth is that donors differ greatly in how they want to be thanked. If you get it wrong, you’re likely to turn the donor off completely. Permanently. Instead of guessing, then, just ask! Note that the continuum of choices can run the gamut from “keep it anonymous” to “send a marching band with banners in my name”. Most will fall somewhere in between those, and this is also the place where you can find out who loves a handwritten thank you note, who prefers a phone call, and who is just fine with an email thank you — as long as it comes quickly after the donation is made. In this category, it’s also important to note that many people aren’t comfortable saying what they want out loud, so you’re much more likely to get an honest answer when they’re filling out the survey.

You can add whatever additional questions you like, but keep it short and simple.

The best thing about these surveys is that they provide an invisible, but extremely important, benefit. They “telegraph” to the donor that you see them as an individual, and that you will act on their survey preferences as they have communicated. (Do not ask them any of these questions if you aren’t prepared to follow through on doing what they’ve asked.)

One of my clients told me, after sending out one of these surveys, that he got notes to the effect of “thanks for asking — I didn’t know you cared.” Really.

Do these surveys on a regular schedule to reinforce the “I see you as an individual” message. And once you convey that message, your donors will be much more open and comfortable with you, and you will be much more comfortable talking with them about their hopes and dreams.

-Lisa