Make 2023 about transformative change—by making a plan for connection
As nonprofit fundraisers, our key metric for success transcends how much money we bring in. It even transcends the impact we, as an individual organization, can make using that money. (Read this article for more.) We know we are successful when the community we serve is thriving.
When we view our work as transactional, we lose track of the purpose of our work: to build a more just and equitable world. That requires transformative change—and transformative change happens through connection.
Our relationships with donors should reflect those priorities. We cannot measure our success in dollars—and therefore, donors are not our customers. Donors are our partners. So, what does that mean?
We should approach donors authentically—both valuing them beyond the money they can contribute to our mission, and being honest and transparent with them in how they can best partner with us to strengthen our community.
We should broaden our understanding of who, as fundraisers, comprises our network. Our donors, our colleagues, and the community we serve are all partners in this work.
With just a few weeks left in 2022, now is the time to set intentions so that you can hold yourself accountable to transformative change in 2023. Take a few minutes today to make a plan—that you will stick to as we wrap up this year and head into the next.
How will you connect with your donors?
How will you connect with your colleagues?
How will you connect with your community?
Connect with your donors
An easy trap for fundraisers to fall into is spending so much time making our case that we aren’t in true conversation with our donors.
At the end of the day, donors don’t give because of the persuasiveness or artistic quality of your appeals. They give because of a connection with the community you serve—with your organization’s transformational vision for that community. The most effective and meaningful way to cultivate those connections is through human connection.
Donors are people too. Like the rest of us, they are craving conversation, interaction, and purpose as we face overwhelming problems in an increasingly isolating culture.
As we carve out time to connect with active, loyal supporters, we must be prepared to make those conversations impactful.
Now, make your plan:
Block out time to spend with donors.
Make a list of projects and tasks that can wait.
Communicate your intentions with your leaders and your colleagues, explaining why it matters to use your time in this way.
Make a list of people to focus on, combining typical year-end donors, lapsed donors, and recent donors (including event and direct-response donors).
Spend the remaining time this/next week to request all of the meetings you want to have in the next month.
Finally, make a list of questions that you will ask the people you speak with that will help you connect to them. Keep them open-ended:
This has been a challenging year for everyone. How have you and your family had to adapt? How are you feeling about the coming year?
I want to thank you for your loyal support. Share with me what has inspired your involvement with our organization?
How are you thinking about your philanthropy in this changing landscape?
Connect with colleagues
Building connection at the pace outlined above is tough work—not because the work is particularly difficult, but because it requires a lot of courage:
The courage to make a big list
The courage to say no to distractions
The courage to disappoint people
The courage to pick up the phone, not knowing what is to come
The courage to be vulnerable with a near- or complete stranger
The courage to represent your community
The courage to talk about sensitive issues
The courage to openly talk about money
The courage to do it all again after you get ghosted, or a no
To stay brave and to stay healthy while spending so much time out of your comfort zone, you will need support. Who are those fundraisers in and beyond your organization who understand what you are going through, support you no matter what, celebrate successes with you, and help you bless and release failures?
Take time today to coordinate calendars with them. Despite how busy you all are, now is the season when you need each other more than ever. Make a plan so that it doesn’t fall off your list of priorities. (Feeling alone? Don’t hesitate to use this community of fearless fundraisers as a resource. Feel free to book a free session with us anytime, or join one of our upcoming small-group, conversational events.)
Connect with your community
To realign the vision for our own work, we must recalibrate our goals to the bigger picture. What is the transformational change we would like to see in our community? What are the related systemic problems preventing our community from thriving in that way?
Effective fundraisers bring that vision to life for donors and inspire them to be part of that transformational change. Representing a vision, and the community behind it is a great responsibility. We must listen first, openly and humbly, to the needs of our community.
In the holiday rush, it’s easy to retreat into our usual appeals and taglines and message maps. Those are useful tools.
It’s also critical to make space to connect back to the why behind your work. Make a plan of connecting with your community as you enter the new year—yes, right in the heart of peak fundraising season. Maybe it’s a volunteer opportunity. Maybe it’s a conversation with a stakeholder, a community volunteer, a partner organization. Get it on your calendar. And get ready to listen.
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Connection can feel like an ephemeral goal, but as fundraisers, we all know it when we see it. And the great news it, with intentionality and rigor, we can create opportunities for it, putting ourselves in the driver’s seat of our fundraising programs. The more and more real interactions we have, the more connections we will experience—and the more opportunities we will uncover for lasting, meaningful partnerships with supporters of our mission.
Don’t wait another minute to make your plan and get going. ‘Tis the season!
