“The Hokey-Pokey of Fundraising”
Whether it’s a Corporation, a Foundation, a prospective Major Donor or the recipient of a mass solicitation, they’re not going to write you a check if the process doesn’t satisfy their needs.
Getting a Corporation to want to give to a non-profit organization (NPO) is a simple matter of learning, understanding and acting on the needs of the corporation and those of its decision makers. Will giving to your NPO help the corporation’s marketing efforts and increase its revenue? Will supporting your NPO and espousing your cause make the corporate leaders look good?
Foundations give based on their mission and the needs of the foundation leadership. Do you solicit foundations whose leaders feel strongly about your programs/activities and about the people you serve? Do you know who those leaders are and what is important to them?
To get an individual (potential) major donor to want to give, you have to know that person well enough to know what is important to him. You have to know/understand her priorities.
Why would someone put a coin or bill in the can-on-the-counter if doing so didn’t satisfy their need?
Just because a NPO does wonderful things in a cost-effective manner doesn’t mean that potential donors will want to give to it.
Getting people to want to give, and corporations and foundations are run by people, is about learning, understanding and appealing to their various needs.
“That’s What It’s All About.”
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Have a question about starting or expanding your fundraising? Email me at AskDCA@Major-Capital-Giving.com. With over 30 years of counseling in major gifts, capital campaigns, bequest programs and the planning studies to precede these three, we’ll work to answer your question.