To Change a Donor's Mind … Get Your Mind Right

• Published date: 01 July 2019
• Date: 01 July 2019
• Author: Benjamin R. Case
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/nba.30622

JULY 2019 NONPROFIT BUSINESS ADVISOR

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© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company • All rights reserved

DOI: 10.1002/nba

Fundraising

To Change a Donor’s Mind … Get Your Mind Right

By Benjamin R. Case

A donor responds with no to your request for a gift

increase. Another donor calls to express their deep

unhappiness with a recent decision by your nonprot.

Then comes an email from a donor who is offended

by what was written in a recent solicitation sent by

your nonprot—and that donor is the chairperson

of your board!

Arguing with donors is probably not going to build

the understanding necessary to grow and expand your

relationships with them. Vehement disagreement with

donors usually does not get the answer you want—yes

to your request for additional funding—or resolve

issues that caused the donor’s unhappiness. Telling

the donor what you really think might get you red.

To help these donors change their minds, nonprot

fundraisers, managers and leaders must rst set their

own minds straight. There are four attributes a fun-

draiser must have to approach an unhappy donor

with an appropriate mindset and maintain a helpful

viewpoint. Before contacting the donor, a fundraiser

must get their mind right!

• Attribute #1: Commitment. It is best for a non-

prot to keep donors happy and retain them. New

donors are expensive to acquire. Unhappy donors

are not good for a nonprot’s reputation. A happy

donor is the best prospect for future and increased

gifts. A fundraiser’s work is to help donors maximize

their impact; unhappy donors won’t do that. It is

therefore worth the time and energy to do everything

reasonably possible to keep donors happy and help

unhappy donors change their mind. Listening to

unhappy donors and solving unmet expectations can

be hard work. It requires steadfast commitment to

donors and the nonprot the fundraiser represents.

• Attribute #2: Humility. In order to help a donor

change their mind, we must be willing to listen and

learn from it. Humility is freedom from pride and

arrogance, both of which must be left behind to truly

empathize with an unhappy donor. When a fundraiser

approaches a donor with a pedantic attitude, they will

never truly hear or discern everything that needs to

be heard. An attitude of arrogance or insisting we

are right is not conducive to positioning the donor

where we want them to be. It is correctly written that

when pride comes, a stumbling follows, then disgrace,

but an attitude of genuine humility brings wisdom.

• Attribute #3: Empathy. Knowing the cause of

a donor’s unhappiness is important. Understanding

what a donor feels and putting ourselves in their place

enables a fundraiser to have true empathy with the

donor. Empathy requires a fundraiser to be sensitive

to the feelings, thoughts and experiences of a donor.

This requires asking thoughtful questions and listen-

ing to the donor’s answers. Yes, there are actions to

take that will shift a donor from unhappy to happy or

change a no to a solicitation to a yes, but a fundraiser

must rst have the right mindset.

Knowing, understanding and empathizing with

the donor helps a fundraiser provide the best solu-

tions—not only to solve the problem, but also to

address any emotional concerns a donor may have.

• Attribute #4: Reason. Fundraisers cannot get

wrapped up in their own feelings, but rather use both

intelligence and empathy to work with the donor (and

sometimes the nonprot) to nd a reasonable solu-

tion. The solution must work within reasonable and

necessary limits. The solution should be proposed in a

reasonable manner and a reasonable amount of time.

Letting problems fester does no good for anyone. It

is up to the fundraiser to make the solution happen.

Applying the attributes of commitment, humil-

ity, empathy and reason to solve donors’ concerns

enables fundraisers to effectively serve their donors.

Practicing these attributes improves the performance

of nonprot fundraisers, managers, and leaders, ulti-

mately helping them raise more money.

Donors become condent their concerns are heard

and are more likely to continue their support. Hearing

the justied concerns of donors enables a nonprot

to strengthen its important mission and work. ■

For more information

Benjamin R. Case is chief executive ofcer and senior

counsel for Focused on Fundraising Inc. In his 40-plus

years in fundraising and nonprot management, he has

worked with and helped nonprots raise over $4.8 billion.

He is the author of the Amazon international best seller,

21 Tips for Highly Successful Fundraisers. For more infor-

mation, visit https://www.focusedonfundraising.com.