Relationships Matter! – Part 1

Relationships Matter! – Part 1

With a recommended 75% of donor revenue contributing to your organizational budget, nonprofits need to tug at the strings of donors through heartfelt client testimonies posted on social media and on the website. These stories tell about the impact your programs are having in the surrounding communities and show the donors where their dollars are being spent. An example of a mother holding her baby and her saying “without X nonprofit organization, I would not have been able find housing for myself and my child and afford diapers and formula”, or another one of a family of four receiving a weekly food box full of proteins, vegetables, fruits, bread, dairy and non-perishables saying “thank you” as they wave goodbye in the drive-thru line. Maybe you serve a target population such as Veterans and you make a video to post on your website that shows your organization replacing smoke alarms for home bound and disabled veterans.

Donors where the heart mattersAll donors like to receive recognition for their hard-earned dollars that they contributed to your nonprofit programs, because they want to be part of the solution in solving the challenges of surviving and living in today’s world. Donors can be recognized on your website, in newsletters, annual reports, social media and special events. Always be sure to obtain the permission of the Donor first. If you do recognize them on a shared or public posting, make sure to spell their name correctly and only post approved pictures. It’s always a good idea to ASK the donor “why did they donate” and either record their statement on video or print.

Thank you letters and note cards are so important to your Donors, whether sent via email, text or handwritten. Some” thank you for your contribution” are generated on-line after the donation is posted. While I think a short thank you message is fine, a longer thank you telling me the donor how my dollars will be spent is much more meaningful and could lead me to donate again at a higher amount. For more tips on how to extend a heartfelt thank you check out the link here- https://fundingforgood.org/the-art-of-the-handwritten-thank-you

>>READ MORE…Relationships Matter Pt. 2