Although a Director of Development position is often viewed as a sales and marketing position, creating and maintaining great donor relations is just as important as securing donations. That’s why successful nonprofits subscribe to the idea of 360° of donor engagement. This means that as the director of development, the way you interact with donors should include more than simply securing a contribution— it should be an ongoing attitude of philanthropy that permeates and drives every aspect of donor engagement.
There are three steps in the cycle of engagement: cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. Each step is necessary in the process in order to create a strong network of donors, and while you may understand the steps, it’s critical that you also understand how the steps work together.
Cultivation
The first step to creating a strong donor network is cultivation. This refers to the process you use to engage your donors and encourage them to become passionate about your organization. Donor cultivation also refers to the strategies you would use to build relationships with donors. It includes how you might make initial contact with a donor, and the plan for how to sustain the relationship once it’s created. However, the overarching focus of this step is creating that relationship— it’s the step that will connect a potential donor with your organization, and will inspire them to become involved.
Solicitation
This step in the cycle is often the most difficult for directors of development— it’s also called the ask. While many directors of development are comfortable building relationships with donors, it can be intimidating to actually ask them to support your cause. However, asking donors to give is an integral part of your organization, and if you’ve created that relationship with the donor, he or she should be happy to support your mission.
Stewardship
What happens after a donation is made is just as important as the actual asking. Donors want to feel appreciated, so it’s essential that you continue the relationship after the gift is made. This can be through sending a newsletter, making a phone call, or inviting a donor to an event. For truly great donor stewardship, you should stay in contact with your donors, without asking them for money every time. When your donors feel appreciated, they’ll want to stay involved with your organization.
Creating and retaining donors depends on the three steps of the cycles working together. Without one of these elements, you may increase the risk of donor drop off, and you will be less likely to create lifelong donors. Instead, focus on maintaining the cycle, and you’ll be able to forge true connections with donors who are deeply passionate about your mission, and who are excited to support it year after year.
To a new development director, actively embracing each one of these steps can be overwhelming. However, your job can be made easier with your donor management system. A great system can help drive your 360° engagement and will help you stay connected to your donors all year. You can use the system to keep track of donor’s gifts, and set reminders for when you need to contact a donor again. Your system can also help with donor cultivation— you’ll have the ability to link your donors’ social media profiles so you can see other causes they care about, and whether they might be interested in yours.
If you need help with 360° engagement, or with your donor management system, we’d love for you to get in touch. Let’s do good together.