The Power of Gratitude Enlightened philanthropy We know it costs seven times more to acquire a new donor than it does to keep the one you have. More and more, the work of donor-relations is becoming the core of effective and sophisticated fundraising efforts. I often start my clients on simple journeys of gratitude to show the power of an attitude of gratitude. When I survey donors, time and time again, the one thing they want more than any other communication, is a thank you note from the recipient of their generosity. I believe it is essential to begin every Board meeting by having all Board members write five hand written thank you notes to donors. This practice instills a culture of gratitude and helps retention greatly. It also shows Board members that for those who don’t want to ask for money, thanking donors for their generosity is just as important. Do your Board members do this? It’s a great activity for all involved. The ultimate goal of enlightened philanthropy is to pair the donor’s needs and their desire to do good in the world, with your organisation’s fundraising priorities. To do this in a heightened manner, two things are critical: the donor’s desire and the organisation’s priorities. In that order. It doesn’t work if you’re constantly trying to shove your funding initiatives upon an uninterested party. The same bodes true for donor relations. We need to match our donor’s desire for gratitude, accountability and recognition with our offerings. That’s a donor focused program. It’s difficult to make an individual fit into a system that wasn’t built for them. What I see a great deal is donor relations work that relies on process and policy and not to the highest philanthropic aims. Donors tell us time and time again they want three things: access, information and experiences. How do we provide them with the memorable? How do we demonstrate for them the impact of their philanthropy on our organisations? In some cases it can be easily accomplished, othersallowustheopportunitytostretchourskillsconsiderably. The ultimate in donor relations and engagement usually surrounds having a donor meet the recipient of their generosity or see their money in action. This type of interaction tends to leave a lasting impression on both parties involved and directly connects donors to their dollars. When I want to convey this message to leadership, I usually ask them to close their eyes and remember a time when they were really grateful at a certain time and place. Usually they can recall it vividly. Then translate that to your donors. What do we do to go above and beyond, to surprise and delight them? One of the key factors I look for in a great donor relations professional is that somewhat elusive “attitude of gratitude”. I find that it is very difficult for someone who isn’t grateful and thankful in their daily lives to be a wonderful fit in donor relations. You have to be a giver, full of gratitude and ways to share that with others. Donors innately sense this. They know when the thank you is sincere and when there is an ulterior motive. Gratitude is a lifestyle, so how do we as donor relations professionals make this gratitude infectious? Transmitting this to others is just as important to our career as metrics and numbers, plans and strategy. Fundraising is about relationships, multiple relationships over time built on trust and a mutual desire to change the world for the better. These relationships can be expressed in a myriad of ways, from transactional to transformational giving. When executed properly, there are no limits to the influence that these relationships can produce. Greatly sacrificial giving for the donor includes stretching themselves beyond a place they are sometimes comfortable with. Far too often nonprofit organisations end up resistant to change and this discomfort, which limits the donor experience they can provide for those who have decided to be generous. It’s not the product they are paying for, it’s the experience. In this world of ‘on demand’, one click convenience, everyone has had to increase their experience in order to compete in the economy. The not-for-profit sector must do exactly the same. The rise of donor relations in the past 10 to 15 years comes as no surprise to many of us. My first job was working at Disney World, masters of the guest experience. Not a day goes by in my current profession that I don’t use one of the principals taught to me at the Disney Institute. At Disney they make it all about the experience and the relationship, making the little acts of magic add up. Our work is dedicated to understanding the donor experience, the components of it and what makes it so important to the work we do each day in fundraising. LYNNE WESTER PRINCIPAL AND FOUNDER DONOR RELATIONS GURU, USA WWW.DONORRELATIONSGURU.COM 6 0 6 0