Want to know how to get under your donors’ skin? Ask them to do something small after they’ve made a big commitment, as in:
- “Could you also commit to the annual fund?”
- “Oh, to qualify for that, you have to make a separate gift.”
- “That’s only for people in that particular giving society.”
- “We need $50 for that event.”
When someone makes a big commitment, waive all the other fees and check-the-box obligations. Give them a pass to anything they want to attend for a full year. If they say, “No, let me pay for that,” that’s great, but don’t ding them for little things.
Yes, I know I will hear from some saying, “But these are separate programs, each with its own funding sources and fundraising objectives.” Others will insist that asking donors to give for different reasons and different pots is a way of asking them to rise to a larger set of organizational objectives. I don’t buy it. I say, a big gift is a big pass for all the small stuff.
Twice in my career, after my office sent 1,000 letters to our most loyal donors (years of giving irrespective of amount given in any year), over 300 of them responded by noting the missing years and asking if they could “buy them back.” My immediate response was “of course.” Some members of my staff countered:
- “But shouldn’t they have to pay a tax for the missing years?”
- “How are we supposed to alter our records?”
I said to them what I will say now to those who challenge my notion of waiving the small stuff for big donors.
Just make it work. It’s the right thing to do, and it’s the smart thing to do.
Make giving easy. Don’t confuse donors with different giving options. Don’t make them ask, “Now what do you want me to do?”
