Personalizing interactions with donors is one surefire way for a nonprofit organization to create lifelong supporters of their mission. Interactions that target a large audience do have their place, but tailoring them to appeal to individuals or groups of donors allows nonprofit leaders to build and maintain lasting donor relationships.
Rather than focusing on the benefits the organization can derive from its donors, striving to act in a way that helps donors feel seen and appreciated can go a long way. To further help, 13 members of Forbes Nonprofit Council offer tips on the best way for nonprofit organizations to create truly customized donor experiences.
Members of Forbes Nonprofit Council share how nonprofits can customize engagement with donors.
Photos courtesy of the individual members.1. Seek To Understand Donor Expectations And Desires
Great program or process design begins with seeking to empathetically understand the needs and desires of the constituency served. Creating a customized donor experience starts by listening to donor expectations, uncovering what interactions or recognitions are meaningful and understanding what a donor seeks to achieve or feel as a result of their engagement. Insights then shape plans and actions. - Betsy Chapin Taylor, FAHP, Accordant
2. Be Transparent About Their Impact
Be yourself, be transparent and be honest. Talk about your values and connect with your donor starting from there. Show them the impact their generosity is producing, but also show them the extended impact. Sometimes the help goes beyond what your eyes can perceive. Is their help producing a ripple effect? Connecting with those who form your community creates a unique experience. - Pablo Listingart, ComIT
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3. Stay Consistent In Your Strategy
Let the vision be bold enough to attract the donor. Also, let your team's exceptional customer service develop the relationship. Trying to develop too many customized donor experiences may lead to unmanageable donor relations. Perceptions may become changed if someone receives recognition of greater value than another. Keep sponsorship opportunities consistent as this will ensure credibility and integrity. - Aaron Alejandro, Texas FFA Foundation
4. Place Donors On The Board
Donors are a major part of any nonprofit organization as their support can bring a lot of change. The best way to customize a donor’s experience is to put them on the company's board so they can be well informed when the company makes important decisions. It’s one way of appreciating their commitment, and it will also add a lot of credibility toward the company. - Amina Wattoo Kasuri, The Lighthouse
5. Showcase Work On Social Media
Social media can be a great tool to personalize your relationship with your audience and connect with them in an environment that they have cultivated. For example, when we reunite a military working dog with his or her former handler, we document the journey from the overseas base to the new home on all of our social channels. This shows where and how the money donated is spent in an efficient and cost-effective way. - Robin Ganzert, American Humane
6. Speak With Donors
Talk to your donors directly. Have conversations to learn about what they hope to get out of charitable giving. Don't just talk to them through emails and social media. - Andrea Schwartz, Dear Jack Foundation
7. Harmonize The In-Person And Online Giving Experience
Make sure that the personal relationship is matched by the online giving experience. Too many times, the personal relationship is not matched by the online giving experience, so remember that they go together. - Bill High, The Signatry
8. Audit Current Technology And Information Systems
It starts with the challenging work of getting your technology to work together. If you have information in different systems, you cannot get a complete view of your donor and make sure you're speaking to them as an individual. Do an audit of your tools, including customer relationship management, content management systems, vendor management systems, etc. How does data pass between them? How can you better automate it? Once these questions are answered, you can then start to communicate more effectively. - Amy Sewell, Douglas Shaw & Associates
9. Create Engaging Donor Communications
Ask this question: Can all of our communications be personalized? Also, ask whether all of your communications allow for dialogue and engagement beyond giving. People want to be known and people want to be invited. Giving comes from the engagement with the charity, so all email and direct mail need to be personalized and allow for engagement. Also, all social media needs to include engagement. - Patrick Coleman, GiveCentral
10. Cultivate Transformative Relationships
Shifting how we think about donors is critical. Donors are, above all, partners in our mission. We should begin the personalized interactions by shifting our mindsets to think of these relationships as transformative rather than transactional. That shift in our thinking sets a different tone for working with donors, opens doors and sets the stage for long-lasting transformative relationships. - Jennifer Thompson, National Association of Social Workers New Jersey/Delaware
11. Prioritize Listening
Listen first! Don't go in with a defined agenda and start with getting to know a prospective donor. As the old saying goes, there is a reason why we were created with two ears and only one mouth. - Jono Anzalone, The Climate Initiative
12. Build Personal Relationships
As one wise leader said to me, "It's all about relationships.” The best way to create a truly customized donor experience is to build a personal relationship with the donor. Spend time with them, learn their story and truly listen to what they are passionate about and want to achieve. Once you build a real relationship, you can develop a stewardship strategy that serves the donor’s needs. - Albert L. Reyes, Buckner International
13. Aim To View Donors As Humans
While not all donor interactions can be customized, there will always be a segment of your donor base that is prioritized based on giving potential. Cultivating those relationships requires an understanding of these donors as humans. Our development team integrates constituent lifestyle with their love language for the most effective outcome with these important connections. - Sarah Evans, WellBeyond
