It is the coldest Minnesota December we’ve had in many, many years. And what warms me up is hearing about organizations who are reaching out to their donors and key volunteers right now, and generating huge gifts — even in this economy!
Yes, the largest portion of many annual budgets are generated in this final quarter of the year, and yes, giving may be down for some from years past but if you are only sending out mail appeals and not doing something with warmth to connect to your donors you will likely not be one of the success stories I’m hearing about.
- Two weeks ago, on a Friday afternoon, a human service organization I work with received a check for $1.2 million from a donor they have been working with and cultivating for 2 years.
- In the past week a colleague solicited six different donors for the quiet phase of a capital campaign and received a yes from each one. The campaign has generated more than $300,000 in the last six weeks!
These gifts are arriving because the development staff and board have paid attention to their donors all year long.
And so, I ask you: when a contribution arrives via your website or the mail is someone on your team rushing to the phone to warmly thank the donor?
How are you putting the warmth into this time of year?
Happy holidays!
