There is no better way to expose donors to the good works your organization does than by having them visit your facilities, or than by taking them to another location to see the results of a project or program of your organization. We call these events site visits and when donors are on site:
- You have their undivided attention.
- They can be shown exactly how contributions are being used.
- You can introduce them to key staff.
- They can meet individuals benefiting from the organization.
- They ask questions, the answers to which may allow for additional contact.
- They acquire information that they will share with others.
- They end up feeling good about being a donor.
Another way to bring donors to your organization is to comp them to events or performances you host. This is easy to do if you are an arts or education organization. However, other organizations also have events. There is always the annual meeting. Make sure donors receive an invitation and make it a “special” invite.
Look through the organization calendar and see if there aren’t events that you may think of as internal or professional, but to which donors could be invited. If your organization does have performances, lectures, seminars, etc., from which you derive earned income, always be ready to invite donors as your guests. Yes, the kind of donors we are talking about here can afford to buy tickets. But if they aren’t, make sure you invite them to a few events each year.
No matter what the event, give attending donors something extra—a reception to meet the speaker, performer, or artist for example.
To learn how FundRaiser can help you evaluate your donor base for a capital campaign