Opening Day for Major League Baseball is March 28th, and club managers are making final
selections of who will bat in what order. Similarly, gardeners nationwide are choosing their
seeds and plants to take them through a successful growing season.
For nonprofit organizations, it’s been a tough winter—for several years. The Fundraising
Effectiveness Project, Giving USA, and the Association of Fundraising Professionals all paint
a sobering picture of the current state of philanthropy. We have witnessed a significant
downturn in the generosity of major donors—the lion’s share of total gifts. Moreover, the
number of new donors and their contributions is also declining.
As personal disposable incomes shrink and individuals become more discerning with their
charitable contributions, the most successful development professionals will adopt agile and
innovative approaches to stand out amidst a crowded philanthropic landscape.
Reconnect with Mission and Vision Statements
Can you recite your organization’s mission and vision statements? Can your CEO? While
most organizations have mission and vision statements, they may not have revisited them
for years.
Rediscovering and realigning with these statements—and updating them if necessary—will
ground your organization in its core values and purpose. Fostering a shared understanding
of the organization’s mission can inspire a renewed sense of unity and direction among
stakeholders, driving more focused and impactful fundraising efforts.
Craft a Compelling Case for Support
A compelling case for support is essential. Otherwise, your fundraising will be a case of
“Ready, Fire, Aim!” An updated case for support will articulate your organization’s mission,
impact, and funding needs in a compelling and persuasive manner. By investing in
professional case writing and distribution, nonprofits can inspire greater donor confidence
and investment.
Open Your Doors
Get your donors’ and prospective donors’ boots on the ground! By showcasing your work in
person, you offer donors, community leaders, and influencers a firsthand look at your
impact. Giving informative behind-the-scenes tours will deepen donors’ understanding of
your mission, foster emotional connections to your cause, and inspire greater generosity.
Make sure that you conclude your tours with a presentation from your CEO that reinforces
your case for support. Doing so will underscore the importance of generous contributions
and show people how they can make a difference.
Put Your Board Members in the Game
Board members, especially the ones who make major gifts, can be your best advocates.
Presentations held in board members’ homes are the best way of recruiting new supporters
and reengaging existing ones. These intimate gatherings provide a platform for personal
advocacy, where board members can passionately share their commitment to your
organization’s mission. Compelling storytelling and dialogue—springing from your case for
support—inspires attendees to engage further and contribute to your cause.
With an average of 15 board members per nonprofit, conducting just one briefing per month
will drastically expand your coverage over a year. Empowering your board members to serve
as advocates within their high-worth networks amplifies your organization’s message and
expands your reach, attracting new donors and increasing support.
Prioritize Building Relationships with Donors
Set ambitious targets for donor meetings, ensuring consistent and meaningful interactions
with prospects. Document these interactions meticulously in your database, facilitating datadriven decision-making.
Personalize those direct interactions with individual donors. Face-to-face meetings, prioritize
personalized engagement and direct interactions with donors. Successful fundraising is a
contact sport, and personal connections are crucial for fostering deeper relationships and
securing major gifts. While digital communication tools like email and social media have
their place, they often lack the personal touch necessary for meaningful donor engagement.
Therefore, it’s essential to supplement digital outreach with in-person interactions whenever
possible. Your CEO should set a goal of having breakfast and/or lunch with at least one
major donor or major donor prospect a week. Key volunteers and board members can also
play a crucial role in donor relationship building by making personal calls to donors, thanking
them for their gifts, and expressing appreciation for their ongoing commitment.
When you foster a culture of philanthropy that involves every member of your organization,
from the CEO to volunteers, you can ensure that everyone contributes to donor engagement.
Successful fundraising is all about personal relationships. Your organization’s collective
effort demonstrates appreciation for donors’ contributions, provides personalized
stewardship, and solicits feedback to drive future strategies.
Making You the Most Valuable Player
The Huddleston Group is right now helping our clients overcome the current downturn in
giving and acquisition of new supporters. We take pride in seeing nonprofits increase their
donor engagement and retention. Greater donor satisfaction and loyalty leads inevitably to
bigger gifts—and to greater success for development professionals and CEOs.
Give us a call today at (877) 831-0472 or write to [email protected]. We’ll help you
prepare for a season of growth and success in fulfilling your organization’s mission.
Ron Huddleston, CFRE, FAHP
President
The Huddleston Group
