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4 Nonprofit Strategies to Build Donor Trust & Lasting Relationships

woman holding man's hand for safety

Trust is Built By What You Do

 

In my last article, I wrote about why establishing and building trust should be part of your nonprofit and personal mission.

Because trust is the foundation of all lasting relationships.

If you don’t build trust, or if you somehow manage to destroy it, you’re going to lose your donor.

It’s an uphill battle, requiring a proactive approach.

Sadly, most nonprofits do a profoundly poor job of this.  By now you’re likely familiar with the stats on donor retention from the Fundraising Effectiveness Project.  The most recent report revealed only 13.8% of first-time donors renewed. Only half of all donors renew, which is still an appallingly low rate — but certainly speaks to the importance of securing a second gift..

If you want to improve on these retention rates (and you definitely can!), I’m going to suggest you develop a plan to build trust.

Trust is built not simply by what you say, but by what you do.  Not just once, but consistently over time.

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journey over rope bridge

How to Fuel a Donor Journey that Yields Major Gifts

journey over rope bridgeThe major gift journey is a synergistic one. You see, it’s both your journey and your donor’s journey.

If you want to follow along the most direct pathway to sustainable philanthropy, you’ll want to consider the two-fold nature of the expeditious endeavor known as major gift fundraising. Or, as I prefer to call it, passionate philanthropy.

First understand the pathway to passionate philanthropy is not just about the money;  it’s every bit as much about the experience.

Strive to become your donor’s favorite philanthropic journey guide.

If you do your job as guide well, they’ll find meaning, purpose and happiness being engaged with you.

  • Make the experience a joyful one, and your fellow traveler will become your donor.
  • Continue to make the experience joyful, and they’ll continue to travel the road with you by renewing and upgrading their support.

Major gift fundraisers, essentially, are in the happiness delivery business.

That’s right! It’s both  (1) a business, and (2) a donor journey toward joy.  You’ve got to treat it like a business if you want to make money. That means clarifying goals, setting specific objectives, planning strategies and tactics, and holding yourself accountable. Otherwise you’re just occasionally taking folks along for a stroll, without being thoughtful about what’s in it for both of you. And if you haven’t concretized what the benefits are, it’s hard to deliver on them!

Let’s take a look at the 6 steps you must take to build and sustain a winning major gifts program.

Expeditious Steps to Fuel Your Pathway to Passionate Philanthropy

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