Donor Cultivation: You Need to Share Your Nonprofit's Financial Need and Goals
Do you ever feel like you’re stuck in the friend zone?
Not in your dating life . . . but with a donor?
That’s exactly the challenge my client articulated to me recently. Here’s what was happening:
(For context, she attended a prestigious academic institution. And to this day her network introduces her to other alumni who they think would be interested in supporting the mission of her organization.)
☕They meet.
☕They share stories and shared experiences.
☕There’s mission / impact alignment.
☕There’s discussion of a shared network for further introductions.
☕There’s a desire to help.
☕There’s a desire to connect again.
But, after a few months it doesn't feel like this person is a donor. They feel like a friend.
Here’s the thing. You can’t ‘wing it’ in these meetings.
There must be an intention set for every meeting. For every step. Even when you’re just trying to build the relationship.
And more importantly, you’ve got to know how to move beyond your mission/impact story and into your financial story.
[crickets]
What happens when I coach fundraising teams how to have investment-level conversations? How to articulate the financial need during meetings? Explain how they're funded?
They don’t get stuck in the friend zone.
They get WAY BIGGER gifts. They get more UNRESTRICTED gifts.
Like 2X - 10X bigger.
I see it all the time.
Nonprofit Leader - It's your job to make sure your team is prepared to engage in deep conversations about the organization’s financial need and goals.
Major donors ARE DYING to know these pieces of information. And if your team is not comfortable doing this, you're leaving money on the table. Often, 7-figures worth.
Whenever you’re ready, here are THREE things you can do next:
👣 Follow me on LinkedIn where I give away insider info every week - the same lessons I teach my clients about attracting larger gen-ops dollars and adding 7-figures + to their bottom line.
🍎 Read my GUIDE! THE TRUTH ABOUT GIVE/GETS :: Top 5 Reasons Your Board’s Give/Get Is Leaving Thousands (Sometimes Millions) on the Table. See how limiting board members to the Give/Get model restricts gifts in so many ways and keeps your staff from reaching their full fundraising potential. Here to get it.
📈 Work with me to fund your organization’s Strategic Plan and scale your budget by 2 - 5X // If you’re a business-minded CEO already raising MILLIONS but still need more general-operating revenue from individuals and family foundations to invest in growth, you can apply to work with me here.
