In the commercial world, communication is increasingly automated or robotised. But the opposite is needed in fundraising, because donors crave personal contact. They don’t want to talk to a chatbot, but to a real human being. With the emergence of AI, it’s more important than ever to realise this and incorporate this in your contact with donors. Mail and the phone are your best friends.

Direct mail is therefore more relevant than ever to build and maintain real, personal relationships with your donors. Send personal letters with a PS, photos, cards, and hand-written post-its.

Our tip: read the updated edition of ‘Relationship Fundraising’ by Ken Burnett.

Thank your donors. This is not an expense or something you remember to do once a year, but one of the best ways to invest in a valuable relationship with your donors. This relationship, in turn, is essential for your fundraising. A proper, fast and warm thank you has proven to be effective. Time and again, we see that it leads to better results: donors support for longer and with higher amounts. And this has always been true over more than 30 years that we’ve worked with charities.

Our tip: Read Lisa Sargent’s new book ‘Thankology’. This contains a treasure trove of examples to thank your donors warmly and authentically.

Research shows that fewer and fewer people give, but those who give have started to give more. Therefore, it is increasingly worthwhile to invest in your best and most loyal donors. Previously, you could assume that 20% of your donors contributed 80% of your income. But we can see that this is shifting. Now, 10% of donors are good for 90% of your income. Cherish these valuable donors with authentic, personal contact and thank them. Send a handwritten letter or card, and call them regularly. These are LTV (life time value) investments that are going to give you more value in the longer term.

Are you paying enough attention to estates? If not, it’s time to start this year. Because you are currently missing an opportunity for a lot of revenue.

Yes, it is becoming more expensive to recruit new donors via direct mail. But it’s still the greatest source of acquiring new estates. That makes it more than worth the investment. You have to be able to see past the ROI. Inheritances have great potential, so this is mainly a longer-term investment.

Philanthropic psychology is a new development in our field. This field shifts the focus from why someone gives, to a person’s identity: Who are they in their role as giver?

Our strategist Bas van Breemen has completed the training programme at the Institute for Sustainable Philanthropy. He explains: ‘When donors feel that their donation is meaningful and reinforces their self-image (I am a good person), they start giving more and for longer.’

AI can no longer be ignored in our (working) lives. But if you use it to recruit donors and source donations, it’s crucial to use AI in an ethical way. In our view, these are the two possibilities for AI in fundraising:

•  You can automate certain processes, for example to identify potential major donors, thus making your fundraising campaigns more efficient and effective. But it’s not a miracle cure. If your database is not properly organised, automation will cost a lot of time and money, but it will have little impact.
• You can apply advanced techniques to predict donor trends and behaviour (predictive analysis). This will help you determine the best time to approach a donor and which approaches will be most successful. Of course, you consequently approach these donors with personal communication.

Physical events are back. But virtual and hybrid events, such as webinars, will remain popular. During the US elections, these were used very successfully to raise donations (think White Dudes for Harris).

Through webinars,  you can reach and engage more people with your charity at low cost.

Many organisations are currently preoccupied with themselves: their role in society, their relationship with government, their identity. All these things are of course important. But the donor is sometimes forgotten as a result, which can make them feel estranged.

Don’t forget that your donors are special, kind people that can’t wait to fix something that’s broken. A positive story about your organisation and what you do is great. But in your fundraising, you have to give your donor the opportunity to solve a problem. If there’s nothing for them to help repair, then they don’t have to do anything. And they will be less inclined to give.

Assign your donor a role in the solution.

Many people are entering our wonderful field (welcome 😃). It’s important to invest more in the knowledge of your new fundraisers. Fundraising is an art. And it’s not the same as communication.

Successful fundraisers understand that our field is about:

• direct response
• how people read
• why they respond
• what a good donor offer is
• and how to build valuable relationships with your donors.

That knowledge of the craft can fortunately be found everywhere. For example, in books by Ken Burnett, Jeff Brooks, Tom Ahern, John Lepp, Lisa Sargent.

Or check out our page of whitepapers with proven fundraising knowledge. And follow the webinars our professionals host regularly.

We hope that you surpass all your fundraising goals. The world needs you.

Team Mindwize