9 Useful, Proven Strategies to Get the Major Donor Visit
“If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there” – Lewis Carroll
When we simply engage in incidental cultivation and stewardship – a meeting here, a party there – the only place we get to is the meeting or the party. Is that our goal? If at the end of the year you’ll be happy if you’ve hosted six house parties and sent out holiday cards to your donors – yet have seen no increase in numbers of gifts or average gift size – then perhaps your time hasn’t been wasted. But I’ll wager that status quo is not your goal. So, how do we move from a random series of unconnected activities to a purposeful, systematic, coordinated approach that is part of an overall solicitation plan?
Cultivation and stewardship can be defined as the strategic “road map” to effective solicitation. The coordinated series of planned “actions” or “touches” with the prospect/donor that we put in place along the way can be viewed as the stopping points we take on the journey towards our destination. Sometimes we stop to refresh ourselves (and our prospects). Sometimes we take in a view (i.e., show our donors the results of our efforts). Sometimes we need to refuel (and re-engage our donors’ passions). If the journey is a pleasant, enriching, rewarding, enlightening and enjoyable one — as opposed to one where we merely wander around, never sure where we are or where we’re going — then reaching the destination is a natural culmination.
Keep in mind these 6 tips to ensure cultivation efforts are not wasted:
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- Cultivation can be general (for a group) or specific (for one prospect)
Focus should be donor-centered, offering opportunity to learn about the organization, and concentrating on the impact of investment on fulfilling your mission. Indicate to the prospect/donor that they are valued partners with you in providing community services. Remember that not everyone wants the same type of cultivation/recognition. Some want to “belong”. Others want to see the impact of their gift; go “behind-the-scenes”. Some want to transform the world.- To work “smart” we must focus and channel our energies towards a goal
Risk of random cultivation is “burn out” of staff and volunteers – not to mention a too high cost of fundraising (e.g., parties without follow-up; people leaving without increased knowledge of the organization). Good follow-through includes: (1) getting names/addresses of attendees and adding to mailing list; (2) sending thank yous; (3) phone calls; (4) plan for next steps.- Cultivation must have a point. It’s a means to an end; not an end in itself
Not only is continuous cultivation without an “ask” pointless, but it can also be annoying to prospective donors who expect to be invited to join in your mission.- Cultivation is a partnership with board, volunteers, donors and staff
Staff plans and participates in opportunities for volunteers to meet and talk with prospective donors. Volunteers make themselves available for planned events.- Cultivation requires a budget and assigned personnel
It costs money to raise money. Take care that your efforts are not so lavish that it appears you do not need the contributions you seek. But remember that nothing comes from nothing.- Bottom line: Cultivation is about building lasting relationships
You’ve got to be in this for the long haul. If you’re not: debriefing staff and volunteers; recording ‘actions’ in your database; viewing and analyzing reports; focusing your efforts on an articulated goal, and planning your next “moves” as part of a systematic plan, then forget about it entirely. It’s a waste. - Cultivation can be general (for a group) or specific (for one prospect)
Cultivation is a terrible thing to waste.
Think about your last cultivation event or strategy. Did you make the most of it?
If you squandered your resources, where did you go awry?
What would you do differently next time?
If you feel your time and resources were not wasted, please share what was successful.
9 Comments
Great post, Claire!
Excellent points. It's way too easy to get busy with cultivation activities — cultivation busywork — instead of planning for real solicitations, real asks. On an organizational level it's like cleaning your desk instead of settling down to work.
Thanks for the comments guys!
Here's a thought from another discussion, where someone objected to the term "cultivation" as applied to people. I too used to feel a bit queasy about the term. So I looked up the definition:
cul·ti·vate (klt-vt)
tr.v. cul·ti·vat·ed, cul·ti·vat·ing, cul·ti·vates
1.
a. To improve and prepare (land), as by plowing or fertilizing, for raising crops; till.
b. To loosen or dig soil around (growing plants).
2. To grow or tend (a plant or crop).
3. To promote the growth of (a biological culture).
4. To nurture; foster. See Synonyms at nurture.
5. To form and refine, as by education.
6. To seek the acquaintance or goodwill of; make friends with.
If we think of definitions 4 – 6 we won't go wrong, at least with our purpose. But isn't our purpose BEYOND making friends? We also want our friends to become donor-investors. And this is where we can go awry. Because too often we believe that respecting our friend's preferences means never asking for the gift (aka never harvesting the fruits of our labors).
In a garden, what we do depends on our end goal. If we just want the foliage to look pretty, we just cultivate. If want to pick the flowers or harvest the fruit, we take the next step.
Oh yikes! I'm a Development Director, and I've been working from definition 1 here — no wonder everybody looks askance at my bringing a shovel to all my cultivation activities!
Funny! Of course, it's appropriate at a groundbreaking ceremony…
This is such a great reminder that business for the sake of being busy never gets you anywhere. It can be challenging to find the time to sit down and plan – make sure there is a vision, big picture goals, objectives, strategies and tactics (and then accountability) – before you move into implementation. But without that step – you can be really busy and just be spinning your wheels. Hamsters run really hard – but the wheel doesn't go anywhere! 🙂
Thanks so much, Claire. I am currently working with a nonprofit client that has not done significant cultivation with their donors. This is a great, concise reminder and I am going to share it with them. BTW, this group of volunteers so believes in their great mission that "motivating" them is almost not necessary! It is so nice to be working with such a great group needing guidance, but not needing to be connected with their vision/mission/objectives.
You're reading my mind Julia! I often use that hamster analogy. We not only must work hard; we must work smart.
I appreciate the comment Duff, and I'm so happy for you that you've got such a great group of volunteers with whom to work.
It's always good to pause, take a step back, and consider how we're going to close the loop and recapture all the good energy we've put out into the world. What we're hoping to create is an infinite loop of giving and receiving; not a one-way flow of undirected energy.
All the best! Claire