Southeast Donor Relations Conference Was Excellent, Yet Again!
Last week Robin and I had to divide and conquer. I went to the Southeast Donor Relations Conference in Charlotte sponsored by the Association of Donor Relations Professionals while she attended the Georgia Association of Development Professionals annual meeting in St. Simons. She got the beach . . . but I got the brains (which is all right by me)! This group is smart and fun-loving. As is the case every year, they are raising the bar for what donor relations means as a distinct and necessary part of their organizations. Continue reading »
Filed under Anne Manner-McLarty, Donor Communications, Social Media, Stewardship, Think Before You Thank | Tags: Best Practices for Donor Recognition, Capital Campaign, Communications, Development, Fundraising, Naming Opportunities, Social Media, Stewardship, Think Before You Thank | Comment (0)“Buying Legacy”: Donors RARELY give for self-serving reasons!
A recent Bloomberg article blew my mind! It’s titled, Getting Your Name on a Building Gets Cheaper as Non-Profits Compete. The article considers the possibility that donors may be able to negotiate gift amounts for naming opportunities during this economic crisis. True enough. Yet it also calls the act of giving “the price for immortality,” claiming that donors “buy” recognition. Nowhere in the article is there any mention of the basic tenet that donors give out of passion for a cause and that they do so to advance the mission of the organization. I’m offended on behalf of all philanthropists and fundraisers. I can only hope that the fundraising consultants mentioned in the article were misquoted to serve the author’s sarcastic premise. Continue reading »
Filed under Anne Manner-McLarty, Donor Communications, Donor Recognition Programs, Philanthropy | Tags: Capital Campaign, Donor Recognition, Fundraising, giving, Naming Opportunities, Philanthropy, Think Before You Thank, Trends in Fundraising | Comments OffNonprofits: Link your Thanks to your Brand
Communicate with your public that philanthropy is a core value to your organization. It is imperative to do so in today’s competitive fundraising environment. Link those branding messages through the use of traditional marketing approaches of content continuity and unity when you thank. Continue reading »
Filed under Social Media, Think Before You Thank | Tags: Branding, Capital Campaign, Donor Recognition, Fundraising, new media, online giving, Philanthropy, Think Before You Thank, Trends in Fundraising | Comments OffUnintended Messages in Thanking!
This picture is the result of an actual donor complaint. An elderly donor drove by the building named for her husband in order to show it to a friend. As soon as she returned home from her “drive-by”, she called Institutional Advancement. Her exact words to the Stewardship Manager, I did not overhear, yet I can imagine her chagrin. Suffice it to say that she felt that this building represents his legacy and in the past she found great comfort from seeing his name on it. And I do know she very pointedly asked questions as to the importance of his legacy to the university! It was, I was told, a difficult phone call to manage.
