Our firm is based in Colorado and not only do nonprofits in our state have to navigate their year-end appeal around #GivingTuesday, they also have Colorado Gives Day, which for the past six years has been somewhere in the first 10 days of December.
This is clearly an opportunity in some ways. Organizations are reporting success in attracting new donors and re-engaging lapsed donors through Colorado Gives Day. Both #GivingTuesday and Colorado Gives Day have grown substantially over the last few years, making it even more necessary than ever that fundraisers take giving days into account.
Major gift fundraisers are no exception. In fact, one of the issues that has yet to play out with giving days is how they affect major gift fundraising.
Do giving days bring in new major gift donors? Do they excite major donors so that they give more? Or are they taking the place of thoughtful conversations about giving at year-end and actually depressing major gifts?
We’ve seen both, but if you’ve had a recent influx of donations from a giving day and you have a major gift program, you may want to consider these three critical groups as you look through results:
New major gifts that come out of nowhere: If you have donors that have “popped up” with a gift into what is considered a major gift for your organization, you want to connect with that person right away. Don’t just do the regular thank you note or call. Dig deeper. You want to know how they found out about your organization and what inspired them to give.
Many of these “out-of-the-blue” major donors will have a personal connection with a board member or another donor. Re-enforce that connection right away and get that board member or donor involved in bringing the new donor into the fold.
Maybe it’s a personal meeting or a group call with both the donor and connection. Lead with the personal link. Whatever tact you take, this new major donor is going to need some immediate attention if you want them to stay!
Lapsed major donors that come back at a lower level: Another reason to look through your giving day participants is to spot former major donors that give on those days. They may not be easy to spot as many might not come back at the major gift level.
These donors definitely deserve a special message. “Welcome back! We’re so glad to see you” comes to mind.
Contact these donors immediately and let them know that you’ve missed them and see if they want an update on what the organization has been up to. This is not a solicitation of any kind, but more of a show that you know your big supporters and welcome them at any level they choose to support the cause.
Gifts from current major donors that are not what you’d hoped for: This is one of the trickier things about a giving day that lands at year-end.
Here’s the scenario – you have a long-time donor that you have sent a proposal for an increased gift for a specific project (or maybe just unrestricted) in October. You’ve had a conversation with that donor and you’re pretty confident that they are interested. Then, they give a gift that is less than what you had expected on #Giving Tuesday or Colorado Gives Day.
What do you do?
Again, you are going to have to reach out directly. Of course, gratitude is critical, but what you want to know is – did they find your proposal compelling or were they more inspired by the giving day? Or both? What really made them give on that day?
If the gift is considerably below what you expected or what they normally give, consider raising the proposal with them to see if it’s still something they are interested in. Some donors will give to both initiatives.
But some won’t, and there are donors who are inspired by the excitement of a giving day and want to give that way. These donors may be good prospects for matching gifts or other kinds of incentive giving, whether it be online or through events.
In all three of these scenarios, they key is immediate and clear communication. It’s not about getting more out of your donors, it’s about establishing clear and authentic conversations about what they want from you and how they want to be involved.
So, take a look through your #GivingTuesday or Colorado Gives Day gifts. You might find a major donor that needs a call right now. Don’t wait!
