By Bill Shiell, Senior Strategist at BrightDot Fundraising Advisors.
Every fundraising office has a superpower. You have the stories that inspire hope in your team and your donors. When was the last time you shared them?
According to a recent study from the University of Missouri, hope is the emotion that fuels a meaningful life. When setting goals, finding purpose, and moving forward, hope drives organizations and motivates donors. Hope is more significant than happiness, excitement, charisma, or love.
Why Donors Really Give
Why is hope so important? The needs of nonprofits and schools are greater than during the pandemic and the financial crisis of 2008. Major givers are more motivated than ever to give this year. Due to changes in tax laws, high-wealth earners can deduct 37% of their adjusted gross income. Over $251 billion is already sitting in Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs) waiting to be distributed to worthy causes. In other words, the money is already there.
Donors, however, rarely give meaningful gifts because the organization needs them. Donors rarely give because they should give. People don’t like to be scolded into giving. What motivates donors is the feeling that your organization offers a hopeful way forward.
The Building Blocks of Hope
Hope means three things:
1.) A better future for your clients and students
Hope is the picture that you have in your mind for your clients and students. What is the story that you tell to others that helps them imagine the future as a bright new day dawning?
2.) The solution(s) your nonprofit or school will deliver
Hope is the solution that you have developed to solve some of your clients’ biggest challenges. For instance, if you manage a food rescue organization, your team may have decided to purchase a new van or establish a community garden. As a school, you may have decided that launching online education will make education more affordable and accessible.
3.) The confidence you need to ask for gifts to fuel the solution
Hope is an emotional connection that you have to the solution. Hope bonds you to your donors and gives them a reason to believe and invest in your mission.
90 Days of Hope: 5 Things to Start Doing Now
Here are five ways to communicate and inspire hope between now and the end of the year.
1.) Start with people your organization already knows
Now is not the time to try to ask for major gifts from people you’ve never met. Wait until the new year. Instead, focus on people you’ve met this year, or who are already volunteering in your organization. These are the relationships you’ve already built, and they are your strongest assets for year-end giving.
I’ve asked givers, “If there was one word of advice you could give to fundraisers, what would it be?”
Their number one answer: relationship, relationship, relationship. Please don’t make an appointment and show them a donor pyramid. Share with them the hope you have for the new year.
2.) Schedule time over the next 90 Days
Hope doesn’t begin in a vacuum. We discover hope when we schedule time with ourselves and our teams to discuss possibilities, envision a better future, and consider our organization from the donor’s perspective.
Encourage your team, meet with major donors, and allow for feedback. What gets scheduled gets done. That means you’ll need to budget at least 2 hours each week to be in your hope space mentally. When you give yourself time to think positively, your attitude will affect others.
3.) Understand why the donor gives to your organization
Their stories and connections are what make your cause meaningful. Ask them questions, and learn their “why.” Send them short thank-you videos from recipients of previous gifts. This process will not only show your appreciation but also deepen your understanding of their motivations.
Take your board’s financial advisors to lunch, and ask them what wealthy people are prioritizing this year. Share your story of impact, and invite their feedback.
4.) Match your year-end request to their why
Communicate with one-page requests in bullet point format. You don’t need long case statements. Ask for the donor’s input, and invite their feedback.
Invite your donor to participate in a hands-on experience to meet the people who are impacted by their giving.
5.) Celebrate and party with your team
Recognize and appreciate their hard work. People enjoy asking when they have fun together. Inspire each other with joy. This celebration will not only boost morale but also strengthen the bond within your team.
A Bright Idea
Do you need to know who to focus on? BrightDot has a free tool that we’d be happy to share with you. It’s called the Fundraising Report Card, a tool that helps you identify potential major donors based on their giving history and capacity. We don’t see the names, but we can help you know who to contact. All information shared with us is confidential. Click on this link to get started.
