By Ann C. Fitzgerald, President, A.C. Fitzgerald & Associates

Several years ago, around the holidays, a woman called a charity and wanted to make a gift of stock valued at $25,000. This woman had made only small donations in the past, so this was an amazing gift. What was more amazing was that this charity wasn’t her first choice—or even her second—as recipient of this money. The charity was her third choice. She had called two other organizations first. The one never returned the call. The other had no idea how to accept a gift of stock.

That charity was lucky that day, not because they had done anything special in soliciting the gift, but because (1) someone answered the phone, and (2) that person knew how to accept a stock gift. In short, they had done the basics well.

To persevere through these challenging times in fundraising, here are ten reminders on some basic actions you can take to make your program more effective.

1. Thank your way to the next gift. Fundraiser and noted author Jerry Panas often remarks that the first step to receiving the next gift is through the thank-you letter. Review the content of your thank-you letters and the process for mailing them. Do you send thank-you letters within 24–48 hours after receiving the gift? Are you providing IRS receipts when required? Are your letters personal and related to the program that the donor gave to? Or do they read like form letters?
2. Report back. Don’t assume that your donors know what you are doing or what you have accomplished. Make sure you are communicating your effectiveness through regular letters, newsletters, or e-mail.
3. Answer the phone—there’s a $100,000 donor calling. Just think how quickly you would pick up the phone if you knew the person on the other end could donate $100,000 to your organization. The reality is that you probably have received calls like this—you just didn’t know the capacity of the person on the phone. Make sure you answer the phone and promptly return every call.
4. Empathize with irate donors; don’t just explain. When you receive a complaint from a donor in person, on the phone, or in a letter, don’t try to simply explain—or worse—justify the problem. Empathize by saying, “You have every right to be upset with us.” Then bring the donor into the solution: “Let’s get this taken care of right now.”
5. Acknowledge address changes. When you receive an address change, send the donor a pre-printed postcard at his or her new address to acknowledge that the information was received. It’s an inexpensive way to communicate, and you’ll be surprised how many letters of thanks you will receive as a result.
6. Mail to yourself. Make sure you are on the list to receive all the mailings your donors receive. Then, with each mailing, ask yourself: Is it personal and emotional? Does it tell a story? Are the images and brand consistent? Are we mailing too much to donors? Is our message getting lost?
7. Make new friends, but keep the old. Review what type of materials you send to new donors. Make sure they include information on your key programs, how to get more involved, other giving levels, and whom to contact with questions. At the same time, pay attention to your current supporters. We all know that it is less expensive to keep a donor than to acquire a new one. So ask yourself: Are we doing the best job in communicating and building relationships with our donors?
8. Solicit less; build relationships more. Many donors—especially those who give through direct mail—complain that they get too much mail. What they probably mean is that they get too many requests for gifts. Think of the way you feel when you get a special card or note in the mail from a friend. If we have a good relationship with our donors, they should feel the same way about correspondence from us. That may mean that we ask for fewer gifts throughout the year but continue to mail pieces that build the relationship, such as reports on our progress, birthday cards, inexpensive postcards, etc.
9. Technology can be your friend. Use technology to be more effective in communication so that everything a donor receives from you is personal, relevant, and anticipated. But avoid thinking about your donors as numbers in a database. Remember: Every donor is different and needs to be treated as an individual, because every one is an individual!
10. Don’t give up. Recently, one charity had a great deal of success in reactivating donors who had not given in more than 10 years. Some former supporters hadn’t realized they stopped giving or had been wondering why the charity stopped writing. Go back to your “lapsed” supporters and try to reconnect with them.