Are you creating a culture of philanthropy? Are you focused on the donor?

Pamela Grow was at a major nonprofit helping them out. This compelling story tells what it is like to lose focus on the donor. The experience made her cry. She cried for the donor and she cried for the nonprofit. It is an amazing story. Will you cry?

Every week, I receive calls and emails from readers – many who are in-the-trenches fundraisers, trying to do right by their donors.  They know the statistics on donor

attrition and they work hard at their profession.   But creating the lasting change, the culture of philanthropy necessary for exemplary donor service, cannot be done alone.  It starts from the top down.

Where does your organization stand? Remember, as the development director (or executive director), you are primarily responsible for building a culture of philanthropy. Don’t ask for permission to lead. Take the reins, and be prepared to lead your organization’s staff, board and, yes, even your executive director.

I cried for the donor | Creating your organization’s culture of philanthropy | GuideStar Blog

What are some ways she suggests you can begin to lead?

1. Ask a program staff member his or her advice on your appeal letter or email campaign. People love it when you ask for their advice, and it’s a lesson in the importance of story gathering. (Please note that I didn’t advise you to necessarily take their advice).
2. When you receive special “thank-yous” from clients, copy them and send them on to board members.
3. Keep a desk drawer full of cards — birthday, anniversary or “just because” — to send to your board members.
4. Schedule thank-a-thons, where your board members make thank you calls or pen thank-you notes to donors. Make it a fun experience by scheduling 20 to 30 minutes within the course of a board meeting, serving refreshments.
5. Spend one-on-one time with board members getting to know them individually.
6. At every staff and board meeting, share your latest “story,” whether it’s about one of your agency’s clients, a donor or even a recent visitor to your organization. Encourage staff members to share their stories as well.
7. Shadow a member of your program staff for several hours or even a day.
8. Think outside of the proverbial box. I recently attended a United Way branding workshop on behalf of a client. Among the participants, I was delighted to see that one organization had sent program staff in lieu of marketing or development staff. I spent some time chatting with the program staffers, and it was clearly an eye-opening experience for them in terms of how they could better share their own work with their development department.
9. This tip came via my friend Andrea Kihlstedt, principal of nonprofit consulting firm The Kihlstedt Group. Create a habit of celebrating every little success. When you reach 100 percent board participation, celebrate it — perhaps with a pizza party at your next board meeting or by breaking out a bottle of champagne! Has a board member brought in three new donors? Send a thank-you gift or present a token of your gratitude publicly at your next board meeting. Celebrate what you want to see more of!