This document provides an overview of key factors for attracting, growing, and developing donors. To attract donors, organizations need to increase awareness of their issue and organization as well as ensure positive perceptions. To grow donors, organizations must communicate the impact of contributions, demonstrate effective use of funds, thank donors, and ask for support appropriately. Developing donors involves meeting or exceeding expectations across donor experiences like impact, use of funds, acknowledgment, and overall satisfaction. The document recommends assessing these areas to strengthen donor relationships at different stages. It concludes by thanking readers for testing their understanding of donor experiences.

1. Attracting and Keeping Donors
What You MUST Tell Your Donors

2. Overview
Overview
Donor
Development
Attracting
Donors
Growing Donors
g
Developing
Donors
Simple Plan
Conclusions

3. Perspectives Consulting Group
Perspectives Consulting Group, Inc.
Since 1987, providing information
and planning that make th
dl i th t k the
difference for:
• Nonprofit Organizations
• United Ways
y
• Religious Organizations
• Governmental Organizations
• Educational Institutions

4. Donor Development
Using Research
Attract
Grow
Develop
e e op

5. Attract
Perspectives Consulting Group, Inc.
New donors
contribute to
organization

6. Perspectives ConsultingGrow Inc.
Group,
Donors
contribute on a
t ib t
regular basis
Donors increase
the amount of
their gift

7. Develop
Perspectives Consulting Group, Inc.
Donors bring
g
other donors to
organization
Donors
contribute to
special requests
Donors
advocate for
organization

8. Attract

9. What Donors Need to Know to be Attracted
1) Aware of your issue
2) Perceive your issue to be important
3) Aware of your organization
4) P
Perceive th t your organization
i that i ti
addresses the issue effectively

10. Issue Awareness
Are you familiar with needle exchange programs?
70%
60%
55.0%
50%
40%
30%
20% 20.7%
18.3%
%
5.5%
%
3.0%
10%
0%
Very Somewhat Not very Not Unsure/NA
familiar Familiar familiar familiar at
all
*** Telephone survey of city residents

11. Issue Perception
60%
50%
The county has
40%
41.7%
sufficient arts
40.7%
30%
activities and
20%
cultural events
9.3%
5.0%
3.3%
10%
0%
Strongly Disagree Agree Strongly Unsure/NA
disagree agree
*** Telephone survey of county residents

12. Organization Awareness
Have you ever heard of an organization called _____?
?
43.7% Yes
50.3% No
6.0% Unsure
*** Telephone survey of area residents

13. Organization Awareness
Have you ever heard of an organization called _____?
?
*** Telephone survey of area residents

14. Organization Perception
Help/Assistance
Help
H l people (8 respondents)
l d t)
Helpful (40 respondents)
Helping the community (2 respondents)
Positive/Compliments
Caring (2 respondents)
74.0% Words
Good organization (2 respondents)
21.8% None
Honesty & putting back into the
3.5% Unsure/NA
community
0.8% Have not heard of
Negative/Concerns
Bad experience
Crooks (4 respondents)
Never seen them help anyone
Not good (2 respondents)
Spend too much money
Yuck
*** Telephone survey of county residents

15. Organization Perception
Good place to go (19 respondents)
Treatment (17 respondents)
Helping/helpful (14 respondents)
Cancer (11 respondents)
Friends have gone there (10 respondents)
Great place (7 respondents)
Wife went there (6 respondents)
Very good (6 respondents)
Wonderful place (6 respondents)
Pretty good (5 respondents)
*** Telephone survey of county residents

16. Organization Perception
Cancer Facility Positive Words Good/Great Miscellaneous
Cancer (11 respondents) Big beautiful building Helping/helpful (14 Good place to go (19 resp.) Fundraising (3
Cancer treatment (3 respondents) Excellent facility respondents) Great place (7 resp.) respondents)
Specialize in cancer (3 respondents) Good facility Wonderful place (6 Very good (6 respondents) Hope I don’t have to go
Cancer center (2 respondents) State of the art respondents) Pretty good (5 respondents) Hospice
Breast cancer Nice place (5 Good thing (4 respondents) If needed, they’re there
People with cancer Family/Relative respondents) Good service (2 Just know it’s there
Friends have gone there (10 Hope (3 respondents) respondents) Never been there
Care/Treatment resp.) Help (2 respondents) Good to have it around (2 personally
Treatment (17 respondents) Wife went there (7 respondents) Okay (2 respondents) resp.) Never been, heard good
Caring (4 respondents) Dad went there (3 respondents) Outstanding (2 Do real good job things
Excellent care (3 respondents) Family (2 respondents) respondents) Good Not just for elderly
Good care (2 respondents) Husband (2 respondents) Best place Good collaboration Option for people
Care center Brother-in-law had treatment Best thing I’ve been to Good idea Precaution
More than physical - but total health Ex father-in-law went there Excellent service Good job Research center
care First wife Exceptional Good job at advertising Research program
Take care of patients Friend said it saved her life Fabulous Good results Was told to visit
Grandmother Friendly Great Where to go when
Services Mom died of cancer Glad it’s there Great place to volunteer referred
Radiology (3 respondents) Mother volunteers Go there Wish it had been there 60
Blood transfusions Mother/brother Healing Negative Words years ago
Checkups colonoscopy Positive results on parents Health Not satisfied (3 respondents)
Chemotherapy Saved father-in-law Kind Death
Coffee Second opinion for daughter Lots of good stuff Does not go there
Cookies Took care of mother who survived Love them Fear
Radiation Wife went there Peace Not crazy about it - lost friends
Positive experience Not happy - been lied to - husband died in their care
Staff Location Quick Not happy - wife died there
Amazing staff Downtown (4 respondents) Relief Political
Doctor Dunn Convenient (3 respondents) Support Sad
Dr. L Park Street (3 respondents) Survival Sick people
Staff West Michigan ( respondents)
g (2 p ) Thoroughg Too far to walk
Very nice people Another great place in Kalamazoo Trust Unsatisfied - couldn’t get wife in for 2 weeks
Very nice staff Goes to Detroit Very compassionate Yuck
Know location Very pleasant
Wonderful
Wonderful attention
*** Telephone survey of county residents

17. Awareness and Perception Machine
Issue Awareness
Issue Perception
Organization
Awareness
Organization
Perception

18. What You Need to Know to Attract Donors
• What is the a areness
awareness
of your issue?
• What is the perception
of your issue?
y
• What is the awareness of your organization?
• What is the perception of your organization?

19. Relevance
Relevance:
- relation to the matter at hand
- practical and social applicability
Your success attracting donors will b b
Y tt ti d ill be based on
d
how relevant your issue and organization is to
donors.
donors

20. Grow

21. What Donors Need to Know to Grow
What did you accomplish with my contribution?
Did you use my contribution effectively?
y y y
Did you thank me?
Did you ask nicely?

22. Accomplish with Contribution
80%
70%
Donors were 60%
64.5%
asked about 50%
19.4%
40%
communicating
2.5%
30%
1
12
20%
3.6%
%
the impact of
th i tf 10%
their contribution 0%
Exceeded Met Did not meet Unsure/NA
expectations expectations expectations
*** Mail survey of recent donors

23. Use Contribution Effectively
Donors rating % Respondents
the effectiveness
Very effective 46.6%
of the
Somewhat effective 44.4%
organization at
g
Neither effective nor ineffective 5.0%
addressing
Somewhat ineffective 1.4%
community
Very ineffective 0.0%
needs
Unsure/NA 2.5%
*** Mail survey of recent donors

24. Did You Thank Me?
% Total
Respondents
Respondents
were asked to
Thank-you letter 61.3%
Receipt for tax purposes 52.0%
indicate their top
No thanks necessary 50.6%
choices of ways
Annual recognition publication 8.9%
they would like
y
Lapel p
p pin 7.9%
to be thanked or
Thank-you phone call 7.9%
Small gathering reception 3.6%
recognized for
Recognition lunch or dinner
g 3.3%
their
th i
Small gift 1.1%
participation as a
Other 2.9%
Unsure/NA donor
*** Mail survey of recent donors
* Responses total more than 100% as respondents were able to name up to
three ways they would like to be thanked
*** Mail survey of donors

25. Building a Relationship -Ask Nicely?
Did You Asking
Respondents
R d
were asked how
% Respondents
satisfied they
Very satisfied 41.6%
were with the
Satisfied 26.7%
fundraising
Neither i fi d
N i h satisfied nor di
dissatisfied
i fi d 22.3%
22 3%
process and how
Dissatisfied 3.5%
they had been
Very dissatisfied 5.0%
5 0%
asked to
Unsure/NA 1.0%
contribute.
*** Telephone survey of county residents
*** Mail survey of recent donors

26. 2007 Charitable Giving & Volunteerism Survey
Perspectives Consulting Group, Inc.
5.2% of
Michigan
households
h h ld
said they had
financial
resources
available to
donate to
charity

27. Donor Communication
Perspectives Consulting Group, Inc.
What to say
How to say it
When t
Wh to say it
How often to
say it

28. What to Say
Most important factor when deciding to give to a
nonprofit/charitable organization
2006
Statistics about results of the charity 37.3%
Information about the trust and accountability of the charity 26.0%
Stories about the impact of the charity on people's lives 25.0%
Unsure/NA 11.7%
*** Telephone survey of county residents

29. How to Say It
Where do you get information about the district?
Sources Parents Community
School newsletters
hl l 85.5% 73.5%
Children 59.8% 7.1%
Newspaper 40.2% 53.4%
Parent-teacher conference 40.2% 4.6%
District Web site 38.5% 11.7%
Neighbors/Friends/Relatives 34.2% 42.0%
School staff 28.2% 11.7%
Meeting/Presentation 21.4% 7.1%
Television 10.3% 11.0%
Radio 7.7% 7.1%
*** Telephone survey of district residents

30. When to Say It
When would you prefer to receive information about
yp
the 2006 Gilmore Keyboard Festival?
% First-time % Out-of-state
attendees attendees
About six months ahead (November 2005) 29.7% 46.1%
About three months ahead (February 2006) 42.8% 36.3%
From t months to two weeks ahead (M h/A il 2006)
F two th t t k h d (March/April 20.7%
20 7% 7.8%
7 8%
Less than two weeks ahead (Mid-April 2006) 0.7% 0.0%
Unsure/NA 6.2% 9.8%
*** Mail survey of festival attendees

31. When to Say It
United Way donors were asked when they decided
y y
the amount of their donation to United Way
% Respondents
During the campaign 61.0%
61 0%
Before the campaign in July or August 15.5%
Before the campaign in January, February or March
January 12.0%
12 0%
Before the campaign in April, May or June 4.0%
Unsure/NA 7.5%
7 5%
*** Mail survey of donors

32. Communication - Frequency to
How Often Say It
Donors were
60%
asked how often
50%
45.9%
40% they would like to
30%
receive information
25.1%
%
20%
24.0%
%
2.9%
on the impact and
2.2%
10%
results of their
0%
Monthly Quarterly Twice a Annually Unsure/NA
contribution
t ib ti
year
*** Mail survey of recent donors
*** Telephone survey of donors

33. What You Need to Know to Grow Donors
Do donors understand what you have done with
their contribution?
Do donors think you used their contribution
effectively?
Do donors feel adequately thanked?
Do donors feel you asked nicely?

34. Consistency
Consistency:
Consistenc
- agreement or harmony of parts or features
to one another or a whole
A consistent response to donors about
p
their contribution, asking appropriately,
and thanking donors is essential
for
f growing donors.
id

35. Develop

36. What Donors Need to Know to Develop
This organization meets or exceeds my
expectations

37. Key Elements of the Donor Experience
Impact of contribution
Effectively using contribution
y g
Thanking
Asking
Overall giving experience

38. Test Your Donor Experience
Thank You!

39. Test Your Donor Experience
Communicate the impact of your contribution?

40. Impact of Contribution
80%
70%
Donors were 60%
64.5%
asked about 50%
19.4%
40%
communicating
2.5%
30%
1
12
20%
3.6%
%
the impact of
th i tf 10%
their contribution 0%
Exceeded Met Did not meet Unsure/NA
expectations expectations expectations
*** Mail survey of recent donors

41. Effectively Using Contribution
80%
Donors were 70%
60%
66.3%
%
asked about how 50%
40%
effectively the 30%
organization was
i ti
%
27.2%
20%
3.6%
2.9%
10%
using their 0%
Exceeded Met Did not meet Unsure/NA
contribution expectations expectations expectations
*** Mail survey of recent donors

42. Thanking
70%
60%
Donors were
57.3%
%
50%
asked about how 40%
30%
4.1%
they were
y 20%
6.5%
%
34
2.2%
thanked 10%
0%
Exceeded Met Did not meet Unsure/NA
expectations expectations expectations
*** Mail survey of recent donors

43. Asking
90%
80%
Donors were 70%
71.3%
%
60%
asked about the 50%
22.2%
40%
solicitation or 30%
fundraising
f d ii 20%
3.2%
3.2%
10%
process 0%
Exceeded Met Did not meet Unsure/NA
expectations expectations expectations
*** Mail survey of recent donors

44. Overall Experience
90%
80%
Donors were 70%
%
76.3%
60%
asked about 50%
their overall 40%
19.4%
30%
experience with
i ith 20%
3.2%
1.1%
10%
the organization 0%
Exceeded Met Did not meet Unsure/NA
expectations expectations expectations
*** Mail survey of recent donors

45. 2007 Charitable Giving & Volunteerism Survey
Perspectives Consulting Group, Inc.
11.3% of
Michigan
residents said
they had time
available to
volunteer

46. What You Need to Know to Develop Donors
What are donors’ expectations?
donors
Are you e ceed g their e pec a o s
e exceeding e expectations?

47. Power
Power:
Po er
- ability to act or produce an effect
Providing donors an opportunity to maximize
their power is the key to developing donors.
p y pg

48. Donors Expect
Perspectives Consulting Group, Inc.
Relevance
Rl
Consistency
Power

49. Simple Plan
Understand your
donors
Focus your
efforts
Create the donor
experience

50. Understand Your Donors
What is the awareness and perception of your issue?
What i th
Wh t is the awareness and perception of your
d ti f
organization?
What are donors’ expectations and are you meeting
those expectations?
p

51. Focus Your Efforts
Attract
Grow
Develop
e e op

52. Create the Donor Experience
Communicate i
C i impact of contribution
f ib i
Effectively using contribution
Thanking
Asking
Overall giving experience

53. Conclusions

54. Conclusions
Attract
Grow Relevance
Consistency
Power
Develop

55. www.perspec.com
E-mail: info@perspec.com
Phone: (269) 657-5400 or (800) PCG-9994