Fundraisers Who Fade Away

Patrick Williams, The Selling Sherpa, recently posted a riff on what it takes to be #1 in your market. For the past few days I've been turning three of his points over in my mind. They are:

• [Your customers] want you to really listen to them and not just blab on and on about you or what you sell.

• They want to know you really care about helping them solve their problems.

• Finally, they want to know you’ll not fade away as soon as you’ve cashed their check.

These three points relate poignantly to a local organization running a major fundraising campaign for a project I was interested in supporting. From my perch as a donor, I endured a lot of blabbing about their needs, their needs, their needs. The solicitations were top-down pleas, with no conversation about how this project relates to "my problem" of why I should give, and why I should genuinely care. Worst of all, the organization completely disappeared after the check was cashed, save for the expected "thank you." It's obvious to me that there is no plan of action for ongoing dialogue or communication to keep donors involved and engaged. They completely ignored the most powerful tool for building sustained future support.

Pity is, I use my own expertise to offer advice to this organization on why it is so crucial in this day and age not to just fade away. I use Patrick's words, and the words of other marketing experts, to underscore the importance of genuine, ongoing conversation with their "customer base." I explain that this kind of ongoing interaction is how non-profits "stand behind" their "product." We discuss how relatively "easy"  and cost-effective it is to continue this contact by using various web marketing tools. I encouraged them to offer donors the opportunity to opt-in to a monthly e-newsletter. No traction or action on even that simple step. I tell them it's still not too late.

Many non-profits are entrenched in the old ways of doing the business of fundraising. It's too bad, because with the devoted supporters they already have in hand, a few shifts in thinking and action would help ensure a vital and secure future.

Here's the link to The Selling Sherpa's complete post. Patrick will be adding other suggestions to the list at the end of March. Log on and send him your thoughts.

Photo by Anam Cara.