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by Barlow T. Mann
Motivation is a critical
element in the charitable
giving process. You can
identify those who are likely to give
for one or more reasons, but what
finally motivates an individual to
make a particular gift?
During the post-Hurricane
Katrina period some charities
experienced a boost in giving while
others faltered. A similar pattern
was observed during the fall of 2001
after the economic disruptions that
occurred in the wake of the events
of September 11. At that time, we
observed a number of key factors
that seemed to most influence charitable
giving during periods of crisis
and uncertainty.
This year has seen turmoil in the
financial markets characterized by
some observers as “once in a lifetime.”
Many nonprofit development executives
are understandably concerned
about how this will affect their fundraising
efforts in the last few weeks
of 2008, in 2009, and possibly beyond.
Experience reveals that now, as
always, to enjoy maximum effectiveness
in their fund development efforts,
nonprofit organizations and institutions
should strive to be “near,”
“dear,” and “clear” to their donors.
Stay near to donors
Many charitable organizations,
especially those that are national
or international in scope, may have
trouble achieving the goal of being
near many of their donors. Some
organizations have countered this problem by establishing local chapters
or affiliates around the country
or opening regional offices. But this
is not an option for many groups,
and may not be necessary for others.
If your organization is not
physically close to many of its
donors, it is important to take steps
to make it seem that the organization
is closer to them. This can be
done in several ways—ongoing
communications efforts such as
newsletter updates, phone calls,
and personal visits when possible
are all good ways to bring your
organization “closer” to your donors.
Many colleges and universities
sponsor alumni dinners and other
events in various cities, for example.
Other types of organizations reach television commercials and other
mass media. Web sites can make an
organization seem nearer and more
accessible as well.
An effective strategy for keeping
your donors continually informed
about your work can help ensure
you will not be “out of sight, out of
mind,” and donors will feel closer to
you no matter what your address
happens to be.
Are you dear to them?
Something that is dear to you
probably didn’t become dear to you
overnight. It took time and serious
interest for an emotional attachment
to develop. It is rare, for example, for a donor who has not been
involved with an organization for a
significant period of time to include
it as one of the charitable interests
named in his or her will.
During times of economic distress,
some donors will decide to more tightly
focus their giving and concentrate
their efforts where they feel the
greatest attachment. Since time is
required, “dearness” may be the most
difficult of the three goals for charitable
organizations to achieve.
How to become “dear”
In our experience, almost any
type of nonprofit entity can form
strong ties to donors. For example,
many alumni donors to educational
institutions have traditionally felt
their college years were among the
best of their lives, and their gifts
arise from that sense of nostalgia.
Faith-based organizations and
institutions are often dear to their
supporters because of deeply felt
spiritual motivations. These can be
based on personal experience or a
desire to further the mission of the
organization as it reaches out to help
others. Charitable activity in our
society, as elsewhere in the world, is
rooted to a large extent in religious
teachings and it is important to
understand and respect the tie this
can build to any number of types
of causes.
Cultural institutions can also
become “dear” to their donors. A
development officer once told the story of a woman who visited her
zoo every day when the weather
permitted with an attendant who
helped her traverse the grounds in
her wheelchair. When asked why she
came each day she stated that she
had lost her son in an accident some
years before and her best memories
were the time she spent with him
as a child at the zoo. A short time thereafter she passed away and left
a significant sum to the zoo to fund
an endowment in memory of her
son. This is just one of the many
examples of how an organization
can become “dear” to those it serves.
Donors to health-care providers
were often patients themselves or
had a family member who benefited
from treatment or from research
conducted. They want to do all they
can to help a cause they believe saved
their life or that of a loved one. In these cases, “dearness” also comes
from deep emotional attachment to
an organization and its mission.
Rising costs of healthcare may
compete against other motivations,
so it is imperative that charities
continue to make their case, even
with those who appear to be most
dedicated.
Those involved in charitable
gift planning quickly learn that,
in most cases, a prerequisite for the
completion of bequests and similar
gifts is a powerful emotional or
other attachment that sustains
the donative intent necessary to
elevate a charity to the status of a
close friend or family member. With
estate tax savings now a non-factor
for more donors, this is especially
true.
Make your mission clear
Would you feel comfortable
giving to an organization if you
weren’t quite sure what it did,
whom it served, or the nature of
its mission? Probably not. It is
imperative that the mission of your
organization is crystal clear to your
donors and potential donors.
Just because your organization’s
mission is relatively
specialized or even unique doesn’t
mean that there aren’t donors out
there who are willing and able
to support it. Every charitable
organization exists today because
someone supported it and believed
in its mission. So, from the most obscure to the most well known
charity, the goal is to state your case
clearly in order to attract and retain
donors who know what their gifts
will be supporting.
Without a clear and understandable
mission, an organization
may find itself floundering due to
confused donors, or worse, lack of
donors. This is especially challenging
for organizations that have in years
past acquired older donors based
on one mission focus and are now
attempting to change that focus to
acquire a younger base—without
losing the clarity of mission that is
required to maintain the existing
donor base.
Final thoughts
In light of economic events of
this year, the continuing war on
terrorism, the recent presidential
election, and other changes, many
Americans are reevaluating their
charitable interests. In some
cases donors may be newly drawn
to the issues your organization
addresses—or drawn back to a
core interest from which they had
strayed in recent years.
Now may be an especially opportune
time to stop and return your
focus to the basics of fund development—
making certain you are as
near to your support base as possible,
you nurture and respect the
relationships that keep your institution
dear to donors, and make sure
you are conveying messages that
make your mission clear to those
who may choose to act through you
to employ a portion of what could be
scarcer monetary resources for the
benefit of others.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated
from the original, entitled “Are You Near, Dear,
and Clear?”, published in the November 2001
issue of Give & Take.
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