Donor management software can help turn asking contributors for funding into a much more refined and successful process. It’s often hard to know what donors want or how they perceive a nonprofit’s request for money and time. Software that can better inform charities about their constituents’ preferences and actions can make the experience better for everyone.
Frequency
Get Fully Funded stated that today, donors do not enjoy being asked constantly to provide funding to their favorite organizations. They want to feel good about donating; they do not want to experience a guilt trip or be hounded repeatedly to increase their gifts. Better Fundraising for All recommended that nonprofits make large asks between six and 12 times per year. Monitoring data over an extended period of time to see how much funding is accrued and how many donors give multiple times is a strong indicator of whether a charity is asking too much or too little.
Contributors need to hear from nonprofits that their funding is being put to good use.Clarity
If donors can’t immediately understand what it is the nonprofit is asking for and how they can contribute, the ask will go unanswered. Being vague won’t help the cause. Being direct and honest about the challenges organization is facing and offering the exact ways in which constituents can give is appreciated. It lets donors know the nonprofit understands their busy schedules and doesn’t want to waste their time.
“Contributors need to know whether their gifts are having an effect on the mission.”
Updates
The Denver Post outlined five common questions that donors ask themselves before deciding to give routinely to a nonprofit organization. One of those questions is whether the charity offers regular, timely updates on the organization’s activities. Contributors need to know whether their gifts are having an effect on the mission. Again, it’s enjoyable to know their efforts make a difference. These updates can certainly be tied into the organization showing appreciation for donors. Either highlighting key contributors in a newsletter, or using strong storytelling tactics to demonstrate how the past month’s contributions added up.
Communication
It’s important that charities are able to not only send out messages to contributors, but that they are also willing to receive feedback. Reaching out to constituents to find out what is working on their end of the relationship helps build trust and strengthen connections. If donors feel they are not heard or included in the organization’s success, they’ll pull back and give less. This is often where nonprofits feel themselves teetering between contacting supporters too much or not enough. While the same formula will not work for every donor, establishing a consistent communication rapport will, at the very least, let donors know what to expect when it comes to working with the organization.
Donor management software not only provides nonprofits with the tools necessary to establish meaningful relationships with donors, it helps personnel better interpret data accumulated from campaigns and fundraisers over time. Contributors can also set up their own donation profiles to further personalize their experiences with a nonprofit.