3 Things Donors do not expect from Board Members

As discussed in the last blog post, donors have a specific set of expectations relative to board involvement in the solicitation. Equally important are the things that donors do not expect. The degree to which board members are prepared to meet donor expectations will help signify a successful outcome for the solicitation. If board members clearly understand expectations, they can rehearse to those expectations and develop a corresponding comfort level.

What donors do NOT expect:

1. Although a strong trend in the last decade, research indicates that donors do not expect board members to make the ask. They do however, expect the board member to be present, physically and emotionally, when the ask is made. Of interest, research indicates that at key benchmark points of two weeks, two months and two years post-solicitation, donors believe that the board member actually made the ask if he or she was fully present at the time of the solicitation.
2. Donors do not expect board members to have full knowledge of all programs, projects and endowments within the organization. A successful solicitation is ten percent fact and ninety-percent passion.
3. Donors do not expect board members to have a full and working command of IRS regulations related to charitable gifts. Board members can and should encourage donors to seek counsel in this area prior to finalizing the gift.

A knowledge of donor expectations will be reassuring to board members and will ultimately and positively impact the success of the solicitation.

5 Key expectations donors hold for board members

1. At least two compelling reasons why you joined the board and why you choose to devote your time, talent and resources to the organization.
2. An ability to articulate why the donor's money is important to the organization and why this funding will make a difference.
3. A thorough explanation of how you (and the rest of the Board) will take care of the donor's money, as evidenced through stewardship principles, strict accountability and oversight.
4. Thank you notes, emails and phone calls or other appropriate expressions of gratitude - as a means of communicating both appreciation and commitment to a long-term relationship.
5. Participation in organization-sponsored events and community activities with collateral commitment to ambassadorship for the organization.

Stay tuned for next week's post, which will discuss what donors do NOT expect from a board member!

Color Psychology & Importance of Presentation

Color psychology centers on the idea that particular colors can evoke a specific mental or emotional response. While it is most commonly used in marketing practices, its presence in the donative and philanthropic market is growing.

First impressions and the way one presents themselves in front of a donor can have a significant impact on the ask or campaign as a whole. In an effort to combine professionalism and the science of color psychology, the following points have been provided to help you:

·         Closed-toed shoes must be worn by men and women, regardless of the season.

·         National-level research indicates that it is always better to wear more clothing, rather than less. Women should be 90% covered in fall, winter and spring and 80% covered in the summer.

·         Your clothes must be conservative and well-fitting. If needed, have your clothes tailored.

·         The color of your clothing makes a significant impact on the presentation. Most commonly, the following colors are associated with:

o    Purple: religious affiliation or intent

o    Navy blue and tailored: historical or military

o    Green: ecology or environmental

·         The following colors and associated meanings and emotions are particularly important to note:

o    Black: authority, strength, power and intelligence

o    Gray: sincere, neutral and timeless

o    Green: growth, natural, environmental, harmonious

o    Blue: calmness, wisdom, truth, loyal and focused

o    Purple: royalty, wealthy, religious/spiritual, sophistication and prosperity

o    Brown: stable, reliable, warmth, comfort, natural or organic

·         Recent studies suggest warmer and darker colors are more professional

·         Someone in the group must wear “sincere gray”

·         When asking for $1 million or more, the attire should match the color of the presenter’s eyes.

Value Propositions

Donors have specific areas of interest and expectations, relative to their involvement with nonprofit organization - and national research indicates that their giving patters closely follow these value propositions:

Baby Boomers:

• Education, Social service, Environment
• Participation in programs
• Charitable financial control
• stewardship

Entrepreneurs:

• Education
• Efficient use of time
• Strong case for financial support
• Investment vs gift

Women:

• Social change, new projects, enhanced partnerships
• Value alignment
• Tangible management results
• Opportunities to learn
• Collaboration

Executives:

• Education and "doing the right thing"
• Peer-to-peer board relationships
• Business Orientation
• Networking Opportunities

Successful engagement depends on the match between donor expectation and the values and bold dreams of the organization.

Why Americans give & will continue to give

In ongoing donor surveys and aggregated donor profiling, the following are identified as the basis for philanthropic behaviors. Percentages overlap as respondents cited several reasons:

·         66.6% to help those less fortunate

·         47.3% personal satisfaction

·         44.1% give back to society

·         7.2% community recognition

·         5.8% maintain family heritage of philanthropy

·         1.4% tax considerations

And, Americans will continue to give for the following reasons:

·         Participate in the use of charitable dollars

·         Control philanthropic assets

·         Manage societal changes

·         Teach children the importance of philanthropy

·         Create community partnerships

·         Witness a return on the gift

As donors follow bold dreams, grand plans and great adventures, the successful solicitation matches the opportunity with the reason for giving.

How to send the best personal thank you to a donor

As mentioned in the previous post, thank you letters are critical in creating and maintaining successful donor relationships. Failing to thank a donor properly may harm your reputation so drastically that you will never truly recover. In an effort to avoid this, the following post is designed to help you construct the perfect thank you letter.

·         A thank you note should be kind in nature and filled with expressions of gratitude and appreciation.

·         It is ideal to send thank you notes on what is deemed “social stationery”. Social stationery is high-quality notepaper in either ivory or white, with either a monogram or name on the front. Though it may seem appropriate, notecards with an embossed ‘thank you’ are not suggested.  

·         Handwritten notes portray a stronger sense of warmth and personal gratitude than the business-style typed letter. Given the time, money and commitment the donor is graciously giving, a handwritten thank you is most appropriate.

·         Sending electronic thank you notes is not appropriate as they lack class, warmth and generosity.

·         Your salutations and closing will be determined by your relationship with the donor. “Sincerely” or “Cordially” are best for a warm and personal gratitude. When signing, always use your first and last name.

·         Tips for writing a business thank you:

o    Make it personal – use the pronouns ‘I’ and ‘you’

o    Be yourself – make the letter conversational and friendly, while also keeping it polished and professional

o    Avoid clichés and use personal phrases in place

o    Use correct spelling and grammar

o    Be specific

How to thank a donor

The most important thank you to any donor, in any setting, in any situation, is this: “Thank you so much for your time”.

Donors believe that their time and availability are more important than their money. Research indicates that no matter how many times a donor is thanked (including post commitment and post gift) the only thank you they remember, with any degree of clarity, is “thank you for your time” – and they will return to it time and again in the course of the relationship. This thank you values the donor more than the money and honors the relationship above all else. This thank you best occurs immediately and certainly within, the first ninety seconds of a cultivation or solicitation meeting.

Following a commitment, the donor must receive a thank you and acknowledgment in writing. This confirms and validates the commitment. It begins the paper trail toward the ultimate culmination of the gift.

In a post-gift setting, the donor must be thanked three times:

·         Once as an official acknowledgment of the gift – with copies to all appropriate parties and a receipt for tax purposes

·         A warm and gracious hand-written note from a member of the board or senior staff, indicating how much the gift truly means to the organization.

·         A note, again hand-written, from an ultimate beneficiary of the gift – a student, teacher, victim of domestic violence, patient, etc. – as this is, the communication that tells the donor that he or she made a difference.

The most important priority in development is to say thank you. The second is to raise money.