You can dramatically impact your year-over-year results just by shifting the way you approach and nurture relationships with donors. Pursuant fundraising experts Rebecca Segovia and Curt Swindoll unpack the proven strategies that drive donor commitment and encourage them to upgrade their giving.

1. The Nuts and Bolts of
Relationship Fundraising
How to Apply the Strategies in Your
Everyday Fundraising Efforts
with Rebecca Gregory Segovia
& Curt Swindoll

2. INTERACT WITH US TODAY!
@pursuant
#pursuantwebinar
GoToMeeting® Chat

3. Pursuant Resources
Download all four Relationship Fundraising
volumes plus additional related resources at
pursuant.com/relationshipfundraising

4. YOUR PRESENTERS
Curt Swindoll
Executive Vice President
Curt.Swindoll@pursuant.com
@CurtSwindoll
Rebecca Gregory Segovia
Executive Vice President
Rebecca.Segovia@pursuant.com
@GoConnectServe

5. Why Does Relationship
Fundraising Matter?

6. Relationship Fundraising is the Answer to the
Challenges We Face in Fundraising Today:
➢ Acquisition is difficult and expensive.
➢ Retention rates are declining.
➢ Millennials are wary of overt asks.

7. What is Relationship
Fundraising?

8. The Donor Journey
“Everything we know
about how to build a good
relationship as a parent
or friend, we can apply
to fundraising.”
AWARENESS
EXPLORATION
EXPANSION
COMMITMENT
DISSOLUTION

9. TRANSACTIONAL
FUNDRAISING
vs.
How are they
different?
RELATIONAL
FUNDRAISING

10. TRANSACTIONAL
FUNDRAISING vs.
RELATIONAL
FUNDRAISING
Single Gifts
Immediate ROI
Short-term
Response
Little Emphasis
FOCUS
KEY MEASURES
TIMESCALE
ORIENTATION
DONOR SERVICE
Donor Retention
Lifetime Value
Long-term
Relationship
Major Emphasis

11. Shifting to a Relational Approach
Requires a Radical Change in:
➢ Mindset
➢ Goals
➢ Alignment
➢ Communication
➢ Metrics
➢ Expectations

12. The Donor Journey Has Key Steps:
01 |
02 |
03 |
04 |
05 | SUSTAINMENT
CONVERSION
ENGAGEMENT
CONNECTION
AWARENESS

13. EACH STAGE HAS DIFFERENT NEEDS
EARLY STAGE
Immersion &
Intense Arousal

14. EACH STAGE HAS DIFFERENT NEEDS
LATER STAGES
Deep Trust &
Satisfaction

15. How Does Relationship
Fundraising Work?

16. DONORS NEED A BENEFIT
Source: Accelerate Your Acquisition
OPEN LOOP
ORGANIZATIONS:
DONOR ORG BENEFICIARY
SUPPORT IMPACT
BENEFIT
CLOSED LOOP
ORGANIZATIONS:
ORG
BENEFICIARY/
DONOR
IMPACT
SUPPORT

17. GIVING MATURITY
MANKIND
MINE
ME

18. What donors wantDONORS: THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE
NonprofitDonor
Donor
Donor
Donor
Donor DonorImpact
Impact
Impact
Impact
Impact
Organization’s View:
“Help us do…”
Donor’s View:
“Look what you did!”

19. Donors Want an
Emotional Benefit in
Exchange for Giving
to Your Organization

20. Donors Fuse Their Identity With Your Cause
By the
way,
thanks
Aren’t
we
great
We did
that
We did
this
Who do I
identify
with
Who do I
trust
How can I
make a
difference
I care
abouta
cause
WHAT
YOU
THINK
ABOUT
WHAT
DONORS
THINK
ABOUT
How do we find language that captures the role of the
donor and recognizes they ARE us?
GIVE

21. Where Do We Get Started Applying
Relationship Fundraising?

22. Relationship Fundraising Must Be
Applied Everywhere:
➢ Copy
➢ Digital
➢ Design
➢ Donor level
➢ Analytics

23. Design an Intentional Experience
1st
MONEY BOMB
Donate
NO
Name
Acquired
Thank You
Mission
messaging
with social
push
@@
Tell-a-
Friend
Campaign
Update
Mission
messaging
No
Gift
Thank You
❑ $35
❑ $75
❑ $250
❑ $500
SEEDSOURCES
x5
Stan
d..Shar
e…Do
…
Viral Acq. #2More info
Mission
messaging
with
reminder to
Vote
Thank You
Mission
messaging
with social
push
@
Campaign
Update
2nd
MONEY BOMB
Donate
❑ $35
❑ $75
❑ $250
❑ $500
x5
Mission
messaging
Thank You
@
Campaign
Update
No
Gift
More info
Mission
messaging
with
reminder to
Vote
With some suppressions
for Money Bomb #1 Donors
@
Campaign
Update

24. What makes good relationship fundraising copy?
✓Are you “talking at” donors, or speaking to them?
✓Are you involving donors in past accomplishments?
✓Is the copy more heavily weighted towards process or outcomes?
✓Is the ask “help change the world!” or is it “help us change the world!”?
✓Who owns the mission/vision?

25. Copy Reflects Donor Centric Relationship
Because you were there...
Email: Direct mailing:

26. Donor-Centered Digital Experience
@@
Tell-a-
Friend
Campaig
n Update

27. Donors Want a Two-Way Dialog

28. Relationship Fundraising Looks Different
Across the Donor Pyramid
Major
Mid
General
Many organizations think they have good
relationship fundraising with their major donors.
However about 80% or more never make a second,
larger gift.
Use analytics to identify people with the
potential to upgrade their support. Bring more
personal contact earlier in the relationship
and at lower giving levels.
. Create meaningful educational
experiences from the beginning.

29. Analytics also change
in a relationship
fundraising model.

30. Donor LifeCycle™ Approach

31. Measuring Relationship Impact

32. Measuring Relationship Impact

33. QUESTIONS?

34. Mapping the
Donor Journey
Coming Soon:

35. Pursuant Resources
Download our latest fundraising resources at pursuant.com/resources

36. Intelligent fundraising.