Event recap · Building fundraising resiliency: Building real relationships
Amidst the turbulence of the present and an uncertain future, nonprofit organizations play a crucial role in providing stability to the communities they serve. But uncertainty affects nonprofits too, complicating everything from strategic planning to service delivery.
For fundraisers, the demands are high: raise funds today—and deliver the growth for tomorrow. A broad, diverse, and engaged coalition of donors can fuel a mission year over year, even through crisis or uncertainty—but donor loyalty doesn’t happen automatically.
In the first of three panel discussions co-hosted by Aperio and the NYU SPS George H. Heyman, Jr. Program for Philanthropy and Fundraising, esteemed philanthropic specialists explored the ways in which organizations can secure a diverse coalition of loyal donors and build organizational resiliency:
What does it take to build real relationships with donors?
What inspires donor loyalty and ongoing investment?
How can lean teams expand their reach?
Watch the full event recording on YouTube.
Moderator
Cheryl Gentry (she/her), Adjunct Instructor, NYU SPS Center for Global Affairs
Panelists
Kristine Templin (she/ her), Chief Development Officer, Meals on Wheels America
Sara Lipsky (she/her), VP, Philanthropy, Shatterproof
Kate Landon (she/her), Executive Director, Ban Ki-moon Foundation
Janet Kingsbury Warren (she/her), Senior Managing Director, Dartmouth College Fund
Building real relationships: What does it take?
The panelists introduced themselves and their organizations by sharing the strategies their organizations have adopted to leverage relationships in fundraising. Kristine Templin, Meals on Wheels America’s (MOWA) Chief Development Officer, explained the 50-year-old organization’s recent shift in its approach to relationships. In this “test and learn phase” of a (relatively) new Major Gifts/Annual Giving program, MOWA prioritizes understanding “what kind of relationships donors want to have with [MOWA], and what kind of relationship [MOWA] can offer [donors].” Her team collects and analyzes donor responses to different approaches—from email open-rates to donor survey responses—and uses the information to implement best practices.
National advocacy nonprofit Shatterproof’s Vice President of Philanthropy, Sara Lipsky, shared the similar journey her team is navigating as the organization formalizes an advancement program. As an organization that drives systems change, Shatterproof’s team continues to test and iterate how ‘long-term investment’ messaging resonates with and retains donors.
Kate Landon, Executive Director of the Ban Ki Moon Foundation, emphasized the Foundation’s focus on cross-generational relationship-building. 8th Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki Moon’s achievements yield supporters from his personal network who are ready to continue honoring his work. What does it mean, then, to ‘pass the torch’? New, younger donors who remain inspired by his legacy “want to be able to continue that leadership in their own…new ways on [the] same issues.” The Foundation’s approach to leveraging relationships relies on donors seeing their values reflected—seeing themselves in the work.
“People give to people, but there are a lot of people and a lot of meaningful causes to give to,” said Janet Kingsbury Warren of Dartmouth College Fund. Fundraising efforts are successful when teams connect donors to something “real, right, and meaningful.” Annual and prospective donors alike require an intentional approach “where they feel gratitude and see a place where they can make a difference.”
Resiliency through relationships
Creating unrealistic expectations of the relationship organizations can build with their donors, especially in its initial stages, breaks a core element of philanthropy: trust.
All four panelists agreed: to build trust and the relationships that come from it, fundraisers should act as a reliable and credible resource for their donors. Kristine Templin cautioned that fundraisers are often trained to be solely driven by the moves-management formula. Relationships with donors, like any other relationships, demand consideration of “[a donor’s] feelings, motivations, timelines,” Templin continued. “Donors will reward your authenticity, and most importantly, your honesty with their loyalty.”
While donor relationships are crucial to building resilience, Kate Landon brought attention to the “ecosystem of relationships” across an organization. Donors invest in and place their trust with the people that make up an organization, its number one asset. From volunteer to board member, Landon expressed that “the best nonprofit leaders…spend a lot of their time paying attention to, listening to, and improving the relationships [within] an organization.” These are the relationships that sustain an organization’s programs through difficult times and deserve to be attended to.
A note for event-based fundraisers
Use an event an as an opening act, not the finale. Sara Lipsky highlighted intentionality in strategy—conduct research on attendees ahead of time, assign staff/board/volunteers to engage attendees based on that research, and prepare and assign follow-ups. Having a strategy in place for cultivating event attendees into long-term donors will yield far more than the funds raised at the time of the event
Scenario planning
Even in the best of times, development teams should scenario-plan. Kate Landon encouraged teams to set aside time to “project out on the trends in [the] political, social, economic landscape” that will ultimately affect their organization. Being prepared to shift donor engagement strategy and the messaging that follows will save teams from crisis management.
“Don’t be afraid to plan ahead for all scenarios,” Kate said.
Institutional donors: One-size doesn’t fit all
Relationships with institutional funders can often feel transactional and inaccessible. Kristine Templin of MOWA reminded us that companies have a diverse set of assets beyond the monetary and are not devoid of positive impact. Development teams can identify mutual goals by understanding a company’s social and business objectives—think employee engagement and retention, marketing, and sustainability. Do more with less by finding alignment in these areas.
For both private companies and foundation donors, development teams should start viewing these relationships on two levels: 1) with the program officer or contact person and 2) with the funding institution (organization-to-organization). Fundraisers can maintain a funding relationship with the individual officer as they transition to other institutions, but the organization must also maintain a funding relationship with the institution—ideally with its leaders—to build resilience over time.
Building resilience through lean teams
You can’t do it all—and you can’t do it alone. Inspiring donors to assist in the work—to become mission champions—can free up essential capacity for small shops. Sara Lipsky also notes that the prioritization of revenue driving activities, and setting expectations of those activities, is key to success. While it may be tempting to veer from the strategic plan or annual goals, having the ability to say “no” or “not right now” is equally impactful.
Real relationships require real, intentional people. By staying prepared and strategically connected, consistently showcasing the tangible outcomes of donors' contributions, organizations can instill a sense of trust and engagement that stands the test of time.
About the author
Michelle has had the privilege of connecting donors and institutions of various sizes to the organizations that are championing solutions across a number of community issues. Raised in the Pacific Northwest, it was especially meaningful to Michelle advocate for the protection of regional lands and to promote sustainable urban development at Forterra NW.