Donor-centric fundraising is outdated.
We all hear a lot about donor-centric fundraising and the
importance of nurturing donor relationships, of having a customer-service
attitude when it comes to financial supporters and volunteers. The problem with
this attitude is that it’s outward facing. Donor-centric fundraising keeps
supporters at arms-length, in essence telling them that they are apart from the organization. Though many
of the same ideals of donor-centric fundraising apply, there is a better way.
Community-centric fundraising builds on the best practices of donor-centric
fundraising, but makes supporters part of
the organization, rather than apart from
it.
Let’s admit it: we often don’t want our supporters too close
to our work because we don’t want to have to listen to their ideas and
criticism with a smile. What we often forget in the daily grind is that we
likely couldn’t continue our work without these supporters. We forget that they
are just trying to help because they care
about the work the organization does and they see us as their teammates in
meeting the mission goals. Community-centric fundraising turns supporters into
teammates, growing the bond between them and the organization, all while
creating sustainability, generating revenue, and lowering operating costs.
Just like donor-centric fundraising, community-centric
fundraising begins with an attitude shift to viewing every contact with every
supporter as an opportunity to strengthen the relationship. You’re not after a one-time
donation, you’re after a lifetime of contributions. Those contributions don’t
only come in the form of money. Volunteers and people who will spread your
message are as vital to the mission as financial contributors.
Remember to update your supporters as often as possible.
Newsletters are a great way to communicate longer pieces of information, but
using social media like Facebook, Twitter, and HuTerra to share news puts your
message in front of supporters with little effort on either part. Don’t wait
for the big announcements. Let your supporters know what the organization does
daily to work for the mission. Small daily updates provide transparency, and
make supporters feel like they really know the organization and the people who
work for it.
Get to know supporters by name, and get them to learn the
names of the people working at your organization. Donors give more when they
make a human connection, and volunteers are much more likely to show up if they
feel welcome. An empty smile when they come in and a mumbled thank-you when
they leave does not create a sense of community. Take your time and nurture
these relationships—you’ll get more from supporters for the effort.
Perhaps even more important than individual contributions is
turning supporters into advocates for your organization. You want them to know
about the organization and the work it does so that they can spread the word.
Educate supporters on the data so they can answer questions. Prepare them to
speak on the organization’s behalf, then ask them to help you spread the word.
You can use social networks to ask for help. Offer your
supporters some information about the organization, like a great infographic,
and ask them to share it with their friends and families. Ask them to share
their testimonials about the organization. Ask them to take a few minutes to
fundraise on the organization’s behalf.
Too often, we focus on asking the individual donor for
money. We should also ask them to share links to the fundraisers.
Community-centric fundraising goes beyond that. It gives supporters the tools
to get imaginative and create fundraisers that support the organization.
Enabling existing supporters to fundraise on the organization’s behalf, in
their own way, gets your mission message out to a much larger audience than the
one your development director can access. It also creates revenue with little work
on the organization’s behalf.
By making supporters part of the organization, rather than
apart from it, you mobilize an untapped workforce for the cause. Free onlinefundraising tools allow supporters to create their own fundraisers for you
organization, and they never have to touch the money. That means that the more
your supporters fundraise, the more donations show up, and the more resources
you have available for building donor relationships so more supporters will
fundraise on your behalf.
