“We don’t have the right people in our database.”

“We don’t have the right people in our database.”

A Director of Development told me this a few months into a job.

Of course, I disagreed, so I started asking how many of their top donors he had met with.

This uncovered that he’d never met with the organization’s largest donor.

Of course, I recommended to go see him, but the director told me that that donor was angry at the organization because of a failed project he had funded.

I asked how he knew he was angry.

DD: “Well it’s just kind of obvious.”

Me: “So you’re assuming?”

DD: “No, the Executive Director told me he’s angry.”

Me: “How does she know?”

DD: “Well the board told her.”

Me: “How do they know?”

DD: “Well they just know.”

Me: “Ok, so everyone is assuming. Go schedule a visit with him.”

Four weeks later, he gets a visit scheduled and the donor gave the largest gift in the history of the organization.

Assumptions are killing your results.

If you didn’t hear it DIRECTLY from the donor, it is not true!

Who in your portfolio are you making assumptions about right now?

Go schedule a visit with them today!

Kevin Fitzpatrick is the owner of One Visit Away, a consulting business helping leaders of nonprofits schedule more and better visits with their benefactors.  Kevin’s goal is to help fundraising professionals constantly seek to deepen their relationships with their benefactors.  After all, you’re just One Visit Away from growing your mission and your impact.  

Related Resources:

• “One Visit Away” podcast
• Webinar: Scheduling Visits is Scary…but it doesn’t have to be that way.
• The simplest and most effective 5-step major gift and planned gift marketing strategy ever
• Is donor qualification more important than donor identification?
• 6 Simple Reasons Some Fundraisers are More Effective than Others

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