END OF YEAR GIVING
It was two days before we were leaving for London, and I wouldn’t be back until the 29th. It was time, past time, to make my end of year gifts. I printed out a sheet that had my 2022 giving, which was going to help guide what I gave in 2023.
What struck me, as I looked down the list, was the number of organizations I had been giving to for a pretty long time who never during the year reached out to me in any meaningful way. Some hadn’t reached out for longer than that. Many never even bothered to ask for another gift. And then there was the organization I apparently gave a monthly donation to, and I never heard from them. I suspected I would when my credit card expired, but until then…they figured they had me and didn’t have to do a thing.
Given all this, is it any wonder than individual giving is way down and that fewer families are making charitable gifts?
I’ve long believed that fundraising begins with gratitude. Letting the donor know how important their generosity is—and what it means to the organization, its clients and/or its cause.
Gratitude is more than saying thank you—though for many organizations, that would be a step in the right direction. It is showing someone that their actions have meaning. It is connecting with the person and building a relationship.
As a donor, I want to feel that I make a difference. Otherwise, why bother? I have kids and grandkids who would all be happy to relieve me of the burden of making charitable gifts. And the fact that I too often find it a burden says so much about what nonprofits are not doing to make giving joyous.
Joyous is the right word. Giving—of yourself or providing financial support—is one of the things that make people most happy. But if it feels like it goes into the black hole of nothingness, that happiness erodes quickly and you are left feeling, well, used.
As more and more organizations are depending on technology to do their fundraising, that feeling gets stronger and stronger. I make a gift. I get a thank you. Then I get message after message after message, asking me to make a gift. And I think, If you don’t know that I just gave, does it make sense to give? Not, mind you, that there purpose of my gift is recognition. But when you ask me for something I’ve just done, it feels a lot like what I did doesn’t matter. And if it doesn’t matter, well then, there are those kids and grandkids.
As we enter a new year—one that will be noisy with elections and pleas from politicians for support-put yourself in your donors’ shoes. What would you want? How would you want to be treated. And then, before you ask for another thing, think about how to make your donors feel that the gifts they made have been appreciated. Think about ways to show them how important they are. Make a big deal all year about their generosity—and next year, when it is time for them to make their end of the year gift, I an guarantee that will happily, joyously give again and, if you’ve really done your job, give more than they gave at the end of last year.