What day is it? What does a hybrid world look like for major donors?
Teresa remembers the days fondly when she could treat a major donor to long lunches or meet for hours at a coffee shop or enjoy long, leisurely dinners at a nice restaurant. She enjoyed personally interacting with them at their annual gala.
That was 2019. Today is not that day. Never to return in the same form.
Then came the year that was marked forever by COVID-19.
The year 2020 was the year of phone calls. Endless Zoom meetings. Lots of personal handwritten notes. Virtual events.
As 2021 emerged, so did a new day. A day of mixed-together in-person meetings and events coupled with virtual options and a variety of other giving opportunities.
Teresa is the Director for Advancement for a mid-size non-profit organization that provides medical care to children-in-need globally. The vision to help children in developing countries was clear and motived many people to give on multiple levels. Of course, her organization thrived on the support of major donors.
She is good at her work. Her outgoing, extroverted nature shines in the meetings with donors. She shares personally and passionately about the needs of the children their nonprofit has helped in life-changing ways. She tells detailed stories of how families are changed after children receive treatment and healing begins.
So now what? As 2021 has reached mid-year, Teresa wonders what the days ahead will be like. Like 2019? 2020? Both? It was time to relaunch planning for their postponed annual gala and to schedule appointments with donors again. What approach should they take in this post-COVID-19 world?
Because she loved to make lists and see in print the pros and cons, Teresa labeled a heading:
“This is NOT the day …” Underneath, these thoughts randomly emerged:
· To be stuck in the past.
· For unreasonable expectations.
· To assume we know what the donor wants.
· To think we have all the answers.
Teresa began unpacking the term “Hybrid.” What did that mean for them? She knew hybrid is “a thing made by combining two different elements; a mixture.”
She did some research to gain new insight into what the word meant for nonprofits. She clicked on several helpful articles like this one:
But before she made the next list, she wondered, what DO our donors think about giving in this new day? How would they prefer to interact with us now?
First, Teresa reminded herself of how to connect with those donors who have given generously. https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/engage-major-donors-foundations-list Then, she pulled a list together of the top four donors and contacted them via phone or email. She asked them specifically how they prefer to engage with their nonprofit during this new season.
The answers she received were varied:
· Don and Ann-- “We want to stay informed often about how my contribution is specifically helping. I am open to attending in-person meetings and events.”
Teresa made a note: Contact Don and Ann to set up a date and location for dinner.
· Mae – “I love seeing the photos of the children on social media and reading a brief story. Can you send more stories so I can share them with my family? We still want to meet with you but let’s continue to meet virtually for a while longer. I love that things are so interactive now online. It’s easier to get my kids more engaged.”
Teresa made a note: Connect with the communications team concerning Mae’s request.
· Stan and Lisa – “Our commitment is even stronger now to this work. We’ve seen the need to help children in so many ways. We would love for you or your staff to visit with us and several families to share the vision. Can we schedule a coffee date in our home soon?”
Yes! Teresa added the note to her list of meetings to arrange.
· Amber – “We’ve pulled back on all our giving this past year. But as the economy rebounds, we will reassess. I hope that means increased giving. And I hope that means we can see you at the 5K event in the fall!”
So… there it was. That feeling of optimism welling up again.
She made another heading on her list and this time took the positive approach:
“This IS the day…”
· For virtual fatigue. Time to add back some in-person events.
· To make sure technology works seamlessly for our hybrid meetings and events.
She jotted an extra note – “It is important to think about how live programming can translate to mobile viewing and how to leverage technology for both an in-person and virtual donor.”
· To do what the donor needs or requests.
· To communicate our vision clearly on all platforms. It is our mission that matters.
She added another note: “How are we doing this well now? How can we improve?”
· To tell more impact stories and tell them well.
Teresa knew that new stories were slow in coming from international locations due to the constraints of the virus. Another note: How can we overcome this communication barrier?
· To adjust.
· To adapt.
· To be creative.
· To create and offer hybrid options.
· To prepare for the unexpected.
· To diversify our approaches.
· To understand that we have more choices to offer our donors than ever before.
Teresa made one final note: TODAY IS THE DAY to realize we have great donors on every level and they will continue to follow us because they believe in our cause.
She circled and highlighted that note. She was eager to share her insights with her team at their next meeting.
What about your major donors? How do they prefer to interact with you and your organization in this post-COVID-19 world?