12 Ways to Grow Your Pool of Major Donors
Every nonprofit executive would love to have a free-flowing stream of major gifts. Here are some tips to help you grow your pool of major donors.
How to Inspire Major Donors
Here are strategies you can employ to create a new pool of major donors and to inspire your current donors to get further involved:
- Be visible. Go and visit your leaders, volunteers, and donors. Strike up a personal and fulfilling relationship. How do they want to make a difference and be remembered?
- Be genuine. Be yourself. Let them know who you are, and show them your real self. Create a relaxed and comfortable relationship and know that you are enough!
- Be honest. Do not tell people anything that is not completely true to the best of your knowledge. If you don’t have the answer, say so, and then go find it.
- Be determined. There is no finer quality, nor one that separates great people from the ordinary, than determination. Grit, determination, and persistence trump intelligence, physical ability, money, and many other determinants.
- Be available. What is more frustrating than someone who is out of sight, out of mind and unavailable when you seek them out? You are not fit to do your job if you cannot make time for your team, for your donors, and for your community service.
- Be passionate. Be energetic and enthusiastic! If your nonprofit leaders have a passion to solve the problems they are working on, this will draw donors to you.
- Be encouraging. Positivity instills motivation and enthusiasm in others, especially when asking for gifts. Donors, board members, and staff members all need encouragement.
- Be agreeable. We must work through many issues when we are collaborating with people to tackle things on scale. It is better to disagree kindly and respectfully rather than disdainfully and angrily.
- Be loving. People will appreciate you more once they know that you really care about them and what is dear to them. Show them that you are determined to look after their best interests, as well as your own and the good of the whole community.
- Be Patient. Don’t let some small inconvenience cause you to lose your serenity. You will be happier, and the people around you will be happier, if you determine to be joyful come what may—when it may!
- Be communicative. Proper communication can fix and address all problems. If there is an issue, simply let others know what you need. Creating an open discussion will lead to many positive outcomes!
- Be appreciative. Perhaps the most important thing you can do to draw donors closer, and to encourage them to give you more gifts and larger gifts, is to show them that you appreciate them and show them what they have empowered you to do.
Conclusion
If you apply yourself to your task and carry out your service to the best of your ability, and you employ these 12 strategies, you too will achieve success in growing your pool of major donors.
CDS has been a leader in nonprofit fundraising for the past three decades. Contact us if you need more intensive help with your major gift fundraising, strategic planning, or in preparing for a capital campaign.