Without donors, it would be impossible for most nonprofits to make a real difference in their communities. Ideally, your NFP will actively cultivate its relationship with individual and corporate donors to encourage greater interest in your nonprofit’s work in the long term. Sometimes, despite everyone’s best efforts, misunderstandings can occur that damage that relationship and jeopardise this valuable source of funding. The following is a list of behaviours that NFPs should avoid.

Remaining Silent

Your supporters want to know exactly how their donation impacts their mission. Therefore make a point to communicate the difference that each donation makes in your messaging. Each ask, expression of gratitude and other communications should clearly demonstrate in human terms, how donations overall, as well as at specific levels, help your nonprofit move its mission forward.

Spam

Whether it comes to one’s inbox or through the traditional post, no one likes to be bombarded by unwanted communications. While you do want to keep in touch with donors on a regular basis, don’t send it so frequently that it becomes a nuisance.

Confusing Donation Forms

Does your online donation page load quickly? Is the form simple to understand and complete? Can users check out with their preferred payment method easily? If not, you might be turning off your potential donors. Another thing that many prospects find off-putting about some NFP donation forms is the suggested gift range. Does your donation page include a variety of suggested donation amounts? Do you rank them from highest to lowest, or lowest to highest? Believe it or not, but how you rank the suggested gift amounts does matter. Start out with lower amounts and allow your range to climb higher to avoid giving would be donors the impression that you don’t value smaller gifts – every donation counts!

One-Way Communications

Are you still using your social media channels to alert your members to important information, without taking the next step, and creating actual conversations? Talking at your donors, rather than participating in active dialogue is a sure-fire way to turn them off. Use your social media to connect with donors on a more personal, genuine level. Don’t just thank them for their comments, but actively listen, and consider them. Ask some probing questions of your own to keep the conversation going and increase your insight into your donors’ expectations and needs.

Share Your Vision

Donors typically support a nonprofit because they have some personal connection to a specific cause. They want to feel a part of a team that’s making progress at achieving real change. Help your donors to be able to visualise your NFP’s ultimate vision and goals. What will the world look like? How will things be different when you achieve your mission? Sharing your vision is an essential part of helping to build support for your nonprofit. There are so many needs in the world, that it’s easy for giving fatigue to set in. Help your donors to be able to distil larger problems into smaller ones that they feel that can be solved with their donation. Sharing your vision, showing how their donation can help solve one specific part of a larger problem, helps to build morale, and encourages them to continue their involvement in the long term.