Are your fundraisers taking advantage of your donors? Do you see donors as a means to an end, only loving them for their money? Here are a few tips to make sure you are building positive relationships with your donors that will keep them involved and active in your mission for the future!

People give to people. That sage fundraising advice is referred to time and again in fundraising circles. It encapsulates the notion that a donor does not want to give their money to a building. They want their money to help people, or in the case of an animal rescue, to help animals. The building that may need funding serves as the location where all the great helping will take place.

The “people give to people” adage shows two sides of the issue. Yes, the donors want to relate to the project they give their money to, but is your group relating to the people where the money comes from? This should be a two way street, with people being treated well on both sides. Are your donors being treated like bottomless ATMs where your group can withdraw cash at a moment’s notice? That ATM will quickly dry up if your group abuses the situation. Your goal is to create a relationship with donors, providing them with up to date knowledge or your activities and in depth details of your progress and successes! Your donors want to see the results of their donations at work. Be sure to create a bond with your donors so they are able to feel personally connected to your nonprofit group.

Here are a few tips to help your nonprofit group continue to see your donors as people.

• Make regular contact with donors, through newsletters, personal phone calls, hand written thank you letters, along with your group’s other regular mailings. Many fundraising campaigns ask the board members to personally call donors to thank them for their contributions. Other nonprofits take things a step further and conduct an annual Thank-A-Thon to personally call every donor and thank them for their generous donations during the past year. This personal touch builds a great relationship between the donor and the organization and paves the way for further conversation.
• Be sincere in your recognition. Use sincerity in your voice when calling a donor. Choose heartfelt words in your handwritten letters. Your sincerity will speak loudly and go a long way with donors.
• Be prompt in your thanking. Research shows that donation levels to a nonprofit group will actually increase from a donor who has been promptly thanked for their previous donation. It’s also respectful to acknowledge a gift quickly, within 3 days of receiving the gift. Kim Klein, a fundraising guru, coined the phrase “thank before you bank” to remind nonprofits to take care of the thanking before the money is ever sent to the bank.
• Create special opportunites for donors to interact with your board and staff members. This could be an informal behind-the-scenes tour of your facility followed by a picnic, or a more elegant reception hour prior to a major function. Either way, the personal interaction is what is important. Allow time for donors to interact with the board members and ask questions about your programs. The event does not have to focus on the ‘royal treatment’ of your donors; rather, focus on an ‘exclusive opportunity’ for donors, which will help keep costs down but still create a special event. For more low cost recognition ideas, read these tips for Thanking Donors on a Dime.
• Survey your donors to see what type of recognition they would enjoy. Some would be thrilled with having an animal named after their beloved pet. Others would be excited with low cost recognition programs to allow more money to be spent directly on the group’s mission. Some donors would like their large donation to remain anonymous. Get a feel for your donors through informal sampling and questionnaires that will help your group create recognition programs designed to fit both your group and your donors.
• Utilize your current donor database system to create data fields for more personal information. You want to know more than just their name, address, and donor history! Include special notes such as number of animals they live with, any animals they’ve adopted or sponsored from your group, and some of their other favorite causes. These bits of details will help you tailor your asks for a program that is perfectly matched for them. It also helps create a more well rounded picture of your donors, allowing your staff members to be able to interact with donors on a level deeper than a mailing label can provide.

Effective donor recognition creates loyalty and engagement with your group. These relationship building techniques will keep your donors involved and giving more to your organization. By ensuring that your donors are truly informed about your group’s mission, your progress, and your stewardship, the donors will feel connected to your group, and not be as concerned with seeing their names on a plaque.