I was surfing the crazy, fantastic wave of letters, numbers and funny moving pictures we call The Internet when I came across a great non-profit advice column by Joe Garecht of The Fundraising Authority. He was dispensing some sage wisdom, so I’d thought I’d share it with our small, faithful (some might argue barely existent) audience!
The gist of Joe’s advice was simple: if your non-profit isn’t meeting with its donors face-to-face as early and as often as possible, you’re likely leaving valuable fundraising dollars on the table. And we’re not just talking in-person meetings with major donors (though they are, of course, vital to your success), but we’re talking about the long-tail of your donor chart: the medium-to-small donors who support your cause but haven’t committed large dollars yet.
The key word being yet.
These smaller supporters are important for several reasons. For one, when you add a large number of small donations up, that can equal a large donation pretty quickly. That basic math is obvious. But what might not be so obvious is Joe’s next point: this pool of small donors is likely your richest resource for new major donors. After all, you know these individuals already support your cause. Seems natural that some of these small donors may be willing to extend themselves further. And you’ll never know for sure until you ask.
So what are you waiting for? Start expanding your face to face meetings. Foster human connection in the real world. It could help increase your fundraising potential in a big way!
