By Michael Bacon, CFRE
This month’s “Real Mistakes Fundraisers Make” focuses on the all too-common practice of becoming overly familiar with a donor or a prospect simply because you’ve had the opportunity to meet them on behalf of your nonprofit.
We call it “Inappropriate Contact.” In the example I cited at an AFP-San Antonio meeting in June, I highlighted a real fundraiser who, after having met a prominent donor, went home that evening and asked him to be friends on Facebook.
Talk about making a big assumption!
As a nonprofit professional, it’s important to maintain a cordial and friendly relationship with potential supporters of your nonprofit. But it can be risky to “step over” the proverbial line in assuming that they want to know the intimate details of your personal life, and you theirs. If and when a personal relationship develops, then “friending” a donor on Facebook could become an appropriate means of communication.
Stay tuned for more “Oh No You Didn’t!” mistakes next month.