Woman showing "help" written on hand

Do You Assume Donors Don’t Want to Be Asked?

Woman showing "help" written on handAssuming people don’t want to be asked to make a philanthropic gift is one of the biggest misconceptions of what constitutes being donor-centered.

Or even kind, thoughtful and respectful.

Alas, when you spend all your time on cultivation, assuming folks don’t need a direct ask and will simply give spontaneously as a result of being passively asked, or even outright wooed, everyone loses.

  • You short-change your organization.
  • You short-change your beneficiaries.
  • You, especially, short-change your would-be donors.

Why?

FIRST: Donors want to be asked because they’re starved for the love that comes from voluntary giving and receiving.

Donors have love to give, but don’t always have an object towards which to direct their affection.

SECOND: Donors need to be asked because when they’re not, they don’t know how much you need their help.

Consequently, giving feels a bit like a crap shoot.  Empty, not meaningful. Donors want you to honestly tell them when and how and how much to give, so investing their money fills them with confidence it will be appreciated and do the most good.

Don’t make donors guess whether you truly find them worthy of loving you.

Donors are Love-Starved

One of my favorite songs is from the Jefferson Airplane:

When the truth is found to be lies
And all the joy within you dies
Don’t you want somebody to love
Don’t you need somebody to love
Wouldn’t you love somebody to love
You better find somebody to love

What are you, and all these people, doing with the gift of life?

Sure, everyone is busy, busy, busy.

But is all that busy-ness making folks happy?

Are people stopping to really think about what makes their lives meaningful?

Sometimes, yes.

Often, not so much.

You can help would-be donors stop and smell (and enjoy) the roses, so to speak.

Philanthropy is Love

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Blocks spelling YES

The Psychology of Yes: What Every Fundraiser Needs to Master

In 1984 Robert Cialdini wrote a groundbreaking bo, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, outlining principles of influence that affect human behaviors. Today these principles have been well documented. Trail-blazing research added by behavioral scientists like Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky supports and expands on Cialdini’s principles. No matter how much technology advances, the triggers behind human behavior and…

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Would You Donate to You?

Mirror image

Let’s flip the script. This week, you’re not the fundraiser—you’re the donor.

For five easy, eye-opening days, you’ll experience your organization the way your supporters do: what they see, how they feel, and what might be turning them off (or winning them over). It’s a chance to spark fresh insights, fine-tune your approach, and build a more donor-centered experience—without adding anything major to your to-do list. Let’s go!

Start Here: Map the Donor Experience

Before you can see your organization through a donor’s eyes, you need to know where they’re looking. Begin by making a list of all the ways a potential donor might interact with your organization. First impressions matter—and so do second, third, and tenth ones. Every touchpoint is a chance to build trust (or lose it).

To get you started, here are some common places your donor might encounter you:

  • Your website (especially the homepage and “Donate” page)
  • Email newsletters and appeals
  • Social media posts, comments, and replies
  • Event invitations, attendance or follow-ups
  • Thank-you messages (or the lack of them)
  • Confirmation emails and donation receipts
  • Voicemail greetings or phone interactions
  • Encounters a street fundraiser working on your behalf
  • Calls your front desk for information
  • Staff bios or leadership pages
  • Direct mail pieces (including brochures, catalogues, fliers from a program)
  • Internet search results (especially on Charity Navigator or Candid/Guidestar)
  • Online reviews or media coverage
  • Participation as a volunteer (direct service, committee or board)
  • Participates in a fee-for-service program
  • Has friends or family involved as participants

Jot down every possible entry point—even the ones that seem small.

These are the windows into your world, and this week, we’re going to peek through them all.

The 5-Day Donor Challenge

Day 1: The First Impression Test

Today, you’re a stranger—someone who just heard about your organization and decided to check it out. Open your website as if you’re visiting it for the very first time. What do you see? What do you feel?

Here’s your checklist:

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Curiosity Didn’t Kill These Fundraisers—It Made Them Unstoppable

Remember, behind all your work there are people. It’s your job to learn about them. One of your best tools is curiosity. One study published in Harvard Business Review, found curiosity builds trust and improves relationships in the workplace. It also builds trust between you and donors. Jon Simons, Executive V.P. of DBD Group, suggests curiosity is…

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Rocks, balancing.

Balancing Trick: You. Donor. Nonprofit.

Rocks, balancing.When the world feels wildly out of whack, it’s time to figure out how to bring things back into some semblance of balance.

Today I share a proven 1-2-3 formula for nonprofit fundraising success — even when the ground underneath feels shaky.

This is a time when keeping one’s balance is quite a challenge. But, if you use this formula, you can steady yourself, right your organizational ship, and bring meaning, purpose and joy to others in your community who share your values.

What I’m about to share is obvious. I know you know it. But… do you do it?

Just in case you need a little reminder.

  1. The first step is essential for success in anything.
  2. The second step is essential for success in any consumer-facing business.
  3. The third step is essential for success in reaching any fundraising goal.

Begin with Centering Actions: For Yourself, Others and Your Mission.

I’m talking about balancing self-love with donor-love with mission-love.

You’re no doubt familiar with the adage “You can’t help others unless you first take care of yourself.”

This is a truism you should carry with you throughout your life, and not just when the oxygen masks come down on an airplane. It’s never been truer than in the times in which we’re currently living, when there are new things about which to worry seemingly daily.

How do you lead the way forward, helping yourself and others navigate through the tough times?

I’d like to suggest you heed this 3-Step Formula to nonprofit fundraising success.

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