How can you improve your fundraising through relationship building?
“Why aren’t there more people who listen well and ask good questions?”, my daughter exclaimed. Her and I were talking the other day about how rare it is to have good listeners in your life. A lot of people like to talk and some especially like to talk about themselves. Fewer people really like to listen.
I have found that one of the most underrated, yet game-changing skills a leader can utilize is the skill of listening. If you want to improve your fundraising, you will want to start with building stronger relationships. Strengthening your relationships starts with listening.
Listen First
When it comes to interacting with donors, I believe one of the most important gifts you can give to a donor is listening to them. Really listening. Good listening, like any other skill, is something you can learn and get better at over time. It starts with asking good questions.
How do you know what to ask? Start with the person’s story: where they are from, what they did for their career, whether they have a family, whether their kids live nearby, and what they like to do. These questions will open up new areas to explore and potential “connection” points with your own story.
Most of all, by intentionally listening, you are starting to build both rapport and trust with your donors. Nothing replaces trust in relationships.
Move from being transactional to relational
The second aspect to building relationships with donors centers around your perspective, specifically if your perspective is transaction-centered or relationally-centered. In other words, a transaction-centered relationship with a donor is all about the “ask” and the “amount”. Whereas a relationship-centered fundraising approach places the donor’s story, values, and experience at the heart of your strategy and every conversation. Instead of asking “How do we get more money?” the core question for you and your organization becomes “How do we help this donor live out their generosity in a meaningful way?”
Once you make this shift, you will not only develop a stronger relationship with your donors, most of the time, you will also see a tangible financial impact. Research has shown that organizations investing in personalized, relationship-based approaches see higher retention, larger average gifts, and more frequent upgrades over time. In other words, prioritizing connection is not a “soft” strategy; it is a disciplined pathway to long-term revenue growth.
Keep your communication consistent and regular
No one wants to hear from a friend only when they need something from you. This is true with fundraising just as much as it is with friendships. Keeping consistent in your communication with your donors without always having “your hand out”, needing something from them as you ask for a gift, is critical towards building a trusted relationship with your donors. When was the last time you did a quick audit on your donor communication? Asking questions such as the following. How often do you communicate to your donors? Do you communicate with the same amount of frequency to each donor regardless of their donation size? Do you only reach out when you have a new campaign or an ask of some type? Are you reaching out to your donors “just because” with no motive other than to truly connect with them and see how they are doing?
Start today by implementing a donor communication audit. Next, create a communication calendar for each level of your donors, in order to be more intentional and in the end, more effective with your communication. When you do, you will discover not only will you genuinely deepen your relationship with your donors, but you will also see more financial gifts to your organization.
Interested In Coaching?
If you resonate with these ideas, and want to talk more, feel free to reach out. You can simply email me at Rob@RobHarter.com. I’m happy to provide a free Coaching session to talk about fundraising, strategic development or leadership development. Find out more here at RobHarter.com.