Funding for Charities – Good Donor Relations

Marc Pitman, aka The Fundraising Coach and I got together to talk about funding for charities and common mistakes charities make in their relationships. What I love about Marc’s approach is the humanity he brings to his work – and that he asks of each of us to bring to ours too.

I can imagine that the $10 test Marc talks about in the video, where he and his colleagues each send 10 $10 donations to charities to see how they respond, has a few of you wondering how you could possibly put resources and time into responding to a donation of $10.

My mail is filled with solicitations for donations from organizations I’ve never given to. And never will. Someone who has bought from you or donated to you is 20x more likely to buy from you again. That’s a qualified lead – one that’s much better to have some kind of return than someone in some neighbourhood somewhere who’s front porch is filling up with junk mail from charities she will ignore ever more.

So figuring out how to thank all donors, no matter how small, is not only doing the polite thing; it may actually be pure self interest. Want to learn more from Marc or hire him to help your board, staff or volunteers learn how to ask without fear? Check out his site, The Fundraising Coach.