Comments on: Self-portrait of a donor.

By: Gayle Gifford

Gayle Gifford — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:48:37 +0000

Thanks, Pam.
I agree. Stewarding donors always seems like an afterthought, rather than a critical ingredient to fundraising success. If fundraisers analyzed their giving programs and put their first dollars and energy where they would see the greatest return, it would be in stewarding the donors they already have.

I sensed that there were many reasons we were so sympatico… sounds like our quest for equality and social justice is another.

Will add the Cialdini book to my nightstand.

By: Pamela Grow

Pamela Grow — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:36:34 +0000

This is a very insightful post Gayle!

Both of your pet peeves, quite naturally, fall into the category of stewardship – an often neglected area of fundraising. In my work with smaller organizations I’ve often found that stewardship falls through the cracks simply because no strategic plan has been created for it.

I enjoyed, too, seeing my feelings about private colleges echoed here. My donations tend to go to causes and to organizations that create opportunities for equality and justice.

One of my favorite books, and one that you might enjoy if you haven’t read it is Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini.

By: Gayle Gifford

Gayle Gifford — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 14:36:10 +0000

Thanks for your comments Jeff. And thanks for your cautionary reminder — my giving is uniquely about me. One of our challenges as fundraisers is to understand how our own organizations fit (or don’t fit) into a donors “complex puzzle of philanthropic life.”

Best wished for the new year.
Gayle

By: Jeff Brooks

Jeff Brooks — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 00:34:21 +0000

The important thing to take away from this is that fundraisers shouldn’t look at donors in a vacuum: Your donors are doing a lot more than just giving to you! You are just one piece of a very complex puzzle in any donor’s philanthropic life.

The danger of self-portraits is of overgeneralizing. Something that’s true about any one of us isn’t necessarily true about most donors. (The lack of a house of worship among your charities is extremely unusual for someone as charitably active as you, Gayle.)

Thanks for this interesting look at real life.