Most of the time organizations offer donors reciprocated value. They send thank you notes in response to donations, preprinted labels in the hopes of receiving a donation, tickets when purchased, or other tangible things received either in response to or in anticipation of a donation. This isn’t bad, but it’s very reactive. It assumes the organization has a quid pro quo relationship with its donors.
To start thinking proactively, it’s important to work on non-reciprocated value. This is something that you can offer to your donors for free without asking for a donation or any other consideration. When it holds real value for them, it becomes memorable.
There are two ways to think about non-reciprocated value. The first is to make it very personal, such as discovering two donors whose businesses complement each other and introducing them. While this is very small scale and can take a while to reach a large number of your donors, it’s also very effective at creating value without the “ask”.
The other way is to make it a more public event, but no less valuable. A free seminar or event with a well-known speaker from your area will be seen as a welcome offering and will help those in your area think about your organization in the future.
It may seem to be counter-intuitive to create events or value without the “ask”, since we’ve been conditioned to always include an appeal in correspondence; however, often the event without the “ask” will generate a powerful response.
Think about the ways in which you can begin to create value for your donors without including an appeal. This may be a new way to reach out to them, and in turn, help ensure that your organization is known for a place which creates value within the community.
To learn more about how FundRaiser can help you keep track of donor details that helps you connect with them in memorable ways, register for a tour or if you are already a FundRaiser user, contact FundRaiser Technical Support at Support@FundRaiserSoftware.com or 800-543-4131.