15 Marketing Essentials for Major Donors and Legacy Society Members

If about 80% of your revenue comes from approximately 20% of your donors, you should be spending an exorbitant amount of time and money on your marketing for that audience.  Here are MarketSmart’s 15 essentials to help you do that well.
1. Make them feel special— like V.I.P.s.  Create a special club just for them.
2. Show ’em that you know ’em!  Personalize everything.  Not just with their name but also with highly relevant messages.  Never treat them like a mass mail target.
3. Meet with them face-to-face as regularly as they would like.
4. Invite them to special events.  Even if they don’t go, they’ll appreciate the fact that they were included in the invitation list.  Events could include remote GoToMeetings, Webinars, and conference calls or in-person galas, golf tournaments, tours, and any other possible engagement opportunity.
5. Arrange special private meetings.  Help them connect with your board members, executives and especially with people that have benefitted from their gifts.
6. Ask for their feedback.  One-to-one conversations work best.  But surveys and polls are great too.
7. Connect with them on LinkedIn and Google+… and follow them on Twitter.  If you haven’t done this with every single major donor, you’re missing a big opportunity to keep up with their career and life.  Connect with them on Facebook only if it seems appropriate.
8. Send them a certificate of appreciation.  Make sure it’s personalized with their name and hand signed by your leadership.
9. Send them exclusive printed updates and digests.  Make sure they are easy to read— like an executive brief.  Don’t make them look too pretty.  Ditch the fancy foil stamps, full color printing and embossed emblems.  Instead, include personal, hand-written notes on yellow sticky squares.
10. Include their name in listings.  But get their permission first.
11. Report results.  Be transparent by giving them access.  And be prompt about it.  You can even take pictures and videos from the field and send them out in real-time.
12. Explain why.  Don’t just ask for money, explain the problem/need and empower them to make an impact.
13. Encourage gift customization.  Allow them to craft their own special way to give.
14. Say thank you!  But be genuine and sincere about it.
15. Ask for another gift.  It isn’t begging.  It’s your job.  Major donors want to feel like they are needed.  So don’t forget to ask again or at least ask when they might be ready to consider giving again.