By Michael Bacon, CFRE
I recently presented a seminar for the San Antonio Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. The session focused on some common fundraising mistakes that we’ve all made from time to time. I’d like to highlight some of those mistakes in ongoing issues of our newsletter. Here’s is one that may be very familiar…
We call it the “Too Much Too Soon” mistake. Sometimes we get in too much of a hurry to close a large gift but haven’t built the essential relationship required that will inspire donors to move to the next level in their giving.
I shared a story from a real nonprofit that told one of its donors: “We really appreciate the two gifts you’ve given to the Annual Fund. Are we in your will?”
Talk about jumping the gun!
A credo in fundraising is the importance of relationship building, and a smart and savvy nonprofit development officer would not ask a donor who has given only two gifts to consider making a planned gift that early in the relationship. Instead, as the relationship develops between the nonprofit and its donors, and as donors make more and larger contributions, the timing becomes more apparent when to ask donors whether your organization is a part of their long-term estate plans.
Stay tuned for more “Oh No You Didn’t!” mistakes.