How to Be a Donor Engagement Artist
You want strong donor relationships, right? Of course you do. You are probably doing all the actions recommended for that end: sending emails, hosting events, sending newsletters, and so on. Check, check, and check.
No matter what you check off your list, however, donor relationships are not something that can be counted as done. Relationships are organic. It’s about people, human beings, who interact with one another and change because of that interaction. Each action causes a reaction, in a never-ending loop.
Relationships are more like art, which is the central message of Seth Godin’s book The Icarus Deception. Godin urges us to see ourselves as artists at heart and uses the tale of Icarus to inspire us to “fly free” with our creative work. This quote really hit home for me:
“What’s scarce is trust, connection, and surprise. These are three elements in the work of a successful artist.” —Seth Godin
How can we use these three elements to be better donor engagement artists? Here are my suggestions!
1 Be trustworthy.
A recent study found that only 57% of Americans trust NP orgs. The cause? Misbehavior of the NP staff. Misuse of funds, poor management practices, and even low compensation for and investment in the team all signal trouble to donors that this is not a safe space to be.
Being trustworthy, therefore, is the hallmark of a donor engagement artist. Your integrity, compassion, and generosity directly impact the trust people have in movements, organizations, and humans.
2 Connecting is everything.
We are all drawn to places where we belong and can make a meaningful difference in the world with others. And by world, I mean the everyday spaces where we live and move and have our being in: where we work, get coffee, buy groceries, send our kids to school, etc.
As a donor engagement artist, you get to facilitate personal, meaningful connections as people work together for the common good.
3 To surprise is human.
Daring to be real is what makes you a donor engagement ARTIST. Humans are not robots! Dare to be a real person with your donors. It will be a breath of fresh air, a welcome surprise. A double surprise is when you dare to see your donors as real humans. They are your friends, partners, and co-creators of the world you both long for.
When you know your donors personally, it leads to organic, unscripted—human!—connections.
Being as human as possible in your donor engagement strategy will set your org apart from others, especially in this age of tech and AI. People are looking for what’s real, what’s organic, what’s human. Donors will notice and be drawn toward your mission!
Ready for more? Here are two ways Erin can help you make your mission irresistible to donors:
1. Connect with me or follow me on LinkedIn.
It’s where I talk about donor strategy ideas like these. Join the convo!
2. Work with me.
Over 12 months, I guide NP teams to fund their mission with effective, frenzy-free donor engagement strategies. ✴️ Donors fund irresistible missions… is yours? Let’s get started! Schedule your 15-minute Change Chat here and share about your nonprofit and how you’d like to improve your donor strategy.