The value of thinking long term

If you’re in Development, you probably get a lot of pressure to focus on money. Bring it in NOW. Get the gifts. Make the asks!

A board member or even your Executive Director may push you to have events – lots of events. “They bring in the money. “ “They build the donor base.” And when donor retention is down, they blame you.

Okay, time to teach. Help the board, the administration, and the staff understand the difference in raising money and building support. It’s the difference in thinking short term and thinking long term.

Yes. There are times when you need the money NOW, and that’s usually because the organization has been thinking short term.

Here’s what I mean. You had a gala, a golf tournament, a 5K, and a peer-to-peer campaign. Your raised money. It looks good, but now you are on the hamster wheel. You’ll have to keep having LOTS of events, because you raised money, but you didn’t necessarily raise support. You may have bumped up the donor numbers, but are they committed? Do they know who you are, what you do and why, or did they just have fun, give because Aunt Suzie invited them, brother John asked and they gave, they don’t really know to what.

Let’s look at the best practices. Data does show one signature event is best – one that clearly shares your mission and has donors leaving delighted to be part of something so important. You have the best chance of gaining real support -people who give and give again, because it matters to them.

Best practice shows that taking time to build relationships has a greater long-term benefit. So, think long-term. You want support - long term support. You want people who are glad to be partners, who are with you because they care, because they know they are needed and appreciated. They are not giving to get a prize, or to get their name on a list or even a building. They are giving because your mission matters to them. They are giving because they know they are part of the mission’s success.

This is where long-term comes in. It means taking time to know what matters to your donors, sharing stories and data that matters to them. It means taking the time to call, to write the personal note, to send the picture that shows the result you know they care about. When it’s safe, it means making the visit, having coffee, having them come in to see what they care about.

It also means giving them the opportunity to share their skills and talents as well as their cash. Ask that Marketing Professional to give you feedback on your website. Ask the graphic designer to advise you on your branding. Ask the English teacher to proof your appeal. Ask that person who loves to entertain to host a small group gathering.

It feels good to give.It feels good to do good. It feels good to be noticed. It feels good to be recognized. It feels good to matter. And we all want to feel good.