Donor Engagement: Listen. Learn. Deliver.

Engaged donors are the backbone of your cause. Once donors connect with your organization, they are likely to contribute again if you continue to reach out and involve them in your work. And retained donors offer more than recurring donations. They can connect you with other fundraising sources and become strong advocates for your cause.

A long-term investment in strategic communications will pay dividends for your organization – particularly when it comes to your development and fundraising efforts. Strong communications can help you tell your story in a targeted way to key audiences, enhance your organization’s reach and reputation, make the case for bigger dollars, expand your donor base, and demonstrate the impact of your donor’s contributions.

Sound good? Read on to understand the basics of donor engagement and get started on this communications-driven path to success.

Although they are often used interchangeably, development and fundraising aren’t the same thing.

“Development” is the process of creating and enhancing relationships with donors and potential donors. It creates a connection between a donor and your cause or organization. “Fundraising” only addresses the giving aspect of the process and considers that people may be motivated to give for reasons other than a personal connection to your cause.

This distinction is important when you’re planning your donor engagement strategy. Whether you’re trying to attract new donors to your cause or maximize the donors you have, you’ll want to choose the right tools for the job. Development efforts should be strategic, expansive, and designed for the long haul. Fundraising is based on specific goals – both short and long term – and often requires a more tactical approach.

Relationships are at the core of donor engagement.
Often, in the madness of trying to reach our fundraising goals, we forget that donors are people, too. They have needs, desires, and concerns. And they want to hear from you sometimes when you’re NOT asking for money. Remember these steps in cultivating your donor relationships:

Know your donors.
Get to know your donors and program officers so you understand what is important to them. Be curious about their lives and what they value.
Listen to them.
The best way to get to know your donors is by listening to them. Donors want to share their passions and their vision for creating positive change.
Develop their trust.
Stay in touch with donors; stay connected. The rule of thumb is seven touchpoints before making an ask.

Remember, it’s not about you.
Donors have many reasons for giving, but typically, they’re not responding to your needs. Learn what they’re trying to accomplish with their gifts. Here are some things to think about:

People don’t give because YOU need money.
Donors want to know how you are making a difference; how the community is benefiting. Donors don’t give to “losers.” Why give to the cancer center? Donors want to help people live, cure a disease, or create a lasting impact.
People rarely give to meet YOUR goal.
Why should anyone care about your goal? Don’t talk about how much funding you need at the end of your fiscal year. Translate your needs into benefits and outcomes – what are you going to do with their gifts and why does it matter? What kind of impact will a gift have and how does that align with your donors’ goals?
Gifts/grants are an investment in your cause.
Donors want meaningful returns. Just like investing in stock, they can give for the short term and for the long term. And if their investment in you produces returns, they’ll invest again. Be sure to follow up: share stories and relevant metrics about the impact of your work.

Be prepared to communicate your impact.

Build your case for support.
How does your organization make a difference? Why are you relevant? What are you doing that others aren’t? What would happen if your organization went away? The answers to these questions are fundamental components of your communications strategy and demonstrate why your organization is worth supporting.
Deliver on your promises.
Donors want to see that you’re using their money on the programs and services you said you would. Establish your organization’s credibility and integrity, and you’ll develop enduring donor relationships that last for years.

Communications and fundraising are inextricably linked. Good communications can support your donor engagement and fundraising purposes, and fundraising campaigns can also serve as ideal opportunities to tell your story and develop new donors. Build the right strategies into your communications plan and you’ll succeed at both!

Pro Tip: To learn more about these topics, check out our expansive library of Tools and Resources.