Why the Best Fundraisers Are Donors

Imagine a restaurant owner who has never dined at his own restaurant. How can he create an excellent experience for his customers if he’s never been in their shoes?

The owner may have spent years working on a business plan, creating the menu, and hiring qualified employees. But he may not be aware that the hostess comes across as rude to guests when she’s stressed. Or that the servers are understaffed on Thursday nights. He might not realize that some tables get an uncomfortable blast of air conditioning, or that others are so close to the kitchen, it’s difficult to carry on a conversation over the clamor. If the restaurant owner took the time to be a customer at his restaurant, he would gain important knowledge that would allow him to improve his customers’ dining experience.  If the restaurant owner went to other restaurants as well, he would have pick up good ideas and see his own business in new ways.

The same sort of rule can be applied to fundraising: being a donor ourselves will help us become better fundraisers.

Some of the biggest lessons I’ve learned about what to do and what not to do in fundraising came from my perspective as a donor, not as a fundraiser.

I learned one of these lessons when I was just 22 years old. One Sunday morning, a speaker visited my church and laid out a vision for an exciting project he was initiating. The goal of the project was to build one thousand churches in rural Asian communities. The cost to build one church was just $4,000 and the impact that each of these churches could have in their community was inspiring to hear.

In fact, I was so inspired by his vision, that I wrote a check to fund the entire construction of a church in Thailand. As a 22 year old, a $4,000 donation was no small sacrifice. But I was intensely proud to part of such a meaningful project halfway around the world.

As time passed, I’d occasionally think about the church I had funded. I wondered how far along in the construction process the builders were. What the church might look like when it was finished. I imagined seeing the people who might congregate in the building for worship and the relationships they might form under its roof and how they might support each other while building their faith.

Sadly, I never learned any of these details. Because I never heard back from the charity’s fundraiser again after sending in that $4,000 check.

Although I got a photo of the church I sponsored, I never was personally contacted by the charity again.  I was a new major donor. I had a lifetime of giving in front of me. Yet no one bothered to develop a relationship with me and have me be engaged in the organization’s full mission.

Here’s the truth: Even though they hadn’t treated me like I mattered, I had played a significant role in realizing their vision and writing a four-figure check. But I was just one of the 1,000+ other donors who made the charity’s project possible and their fundraising team didn’t end up following up with me. I can't tell you what the charity is doing today, or if they ever finished building one thousand churches in rural Asia. But I can tell you they’ve never received another donation from me because they didn't honor my gift or engage me in their broader vision.

Had this charity followed up with me and kept me connected with their vision, I would have written another check. I might have written several more checks. But instead, they put the responsibility to follow up on me, and I became what we call a “one and done donor.”

I was a transaction and not a partner.

This particular experience as a donor taught me how fundraisers can unintentionally sabotage their own success and the importance of turning donors into lifelong partners. When I got into fundraising later in life, my perspective helped me avoid the pitfalls I’d experienced as a donor myself.

The best fundraisers are donors.

If you're not a donor, I challenge you to become one today. If you are going to ask people to write four-, five-, six-, and seven-figure checks to support your organization’s vision, you have to understand their mindset. And it’s difficult to fully understand the mindset of a donor until you experience what it’s like to be one of them. Then, take your insight from your newfound perspective to be intentional in honoring your own donors.

If fact, I would challenge you to be a major donor in a two specific ways: donate at least 10 percent of your gross income and give at least four-figures annually (ideally five-figures) to a charity that is not your church or synagogue.  You will feel great, fund some amazing work, become a better professional, and never feel like an imposter asking people to give when you are not significantly philanthropic yourself.

If you are already a donor, I challenge you to take some time to think intently about your experience as a donor for each organization you donate to. Write down five ways you wish you experience as a donor was different or could be improved.  Highlight three ways you have been treated well by a charity. How can you apply these ideas to your own fundraising strategy and partnership with your donors? Using this knowledge, create a detailed action plan that will help you avoid self-sabotaging pitfalls and turn donors into lifelong partners.