We do not work on a commission basis. Nor will we work on a no-win-no-fee basis. There are lots of reasons for that – it is frowned upon by our sector body, it offers temptation for poor practice, it exploits the weak, it misunderstands the fundamental team effort that is fundraising.
Say thank you. Regardless of what the donor says. And listen hard for what the donor means when they say “no need to thank me” in case they mean “don’t make a fuss” or “don’t tell people” but would love for you to say thank you!
Being heard is a vital element of feeling comfortable in a relationship – and that includes the relationships we talk about with our donors in fundraising.
no, but… is a conversation killer. The only come back is to disagree and that isn’t going to build a useful conversation.
When we hire a fundraiser we are responsible for choosing the person who will succeed for us. We can’t afford to benchmark against the candidates who turn up for interview, we must know the benchmarks already so that we know what success looks like before it walks through the door and introduces itself.
Big Gift, Major Gift, Major Donor – call it what you will – Fundraising isn’t defined by a set gift amount. It is defined by its approach – taking the time to develop a relationship with a person over time in order to ask for a commitment.