Your Most Valuable Quality at the End of the Year by Shelley Cochran

Focus on the end of the year

The year-end giving season is a busy time when development staff are working fast and furious to keep donation processes running smoothly. It’s only fair that you focus on strengthening data entry processes, resolving payment processing issues, updating website pages and changing addresses. These processes are critical.

What is most important

But the reason these changes are important is because behind every transaction there is a person volunteering their financial resources to support your work. So when a donor comes to you with a problem – even at the busiest moment of your work day – are you tempted to quickly solve their problem? . . or do you take the time to LISTEN?

Listen carefully

These connections are important because your donors donate out of a desire to make the world a better place, and they choose to do so through you. So take the opportunity to listen. Listen. Listen to the man whose wife is angry that he donated and demands that he get his money back; or one who fears being relegated to the lost category and forgotten. Hear the story of a 9-year-old girl who planned a hot chocolate fundraiser to help children, but her mom didn’t know who to name as the donor when she sent in the check.

Make time

Take the time, despite your busy schedule, to listen to their stories, their hearts, even when handling a complaint. Because, in truth, you demand the same from your donors with every appeal you make. While you’re making dinner, checking on Grandma, trying to reschedule your orthodontist appointment for the third time, your connection comes and interrupts them – and you ask them to drop everything to give a gift. They may not make it youbut how often do they find the time anyway?

So yes, make every effort to ensure your systems serve donors well. But be intentional when taking everyone the ability to listen while you serve them.

Because listening leads to understanding, and understanding strengthens donor relationships. Thriving nonprofits have strong donor relationships.

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Shelley Cochran is vice president of strategic partnerships Douglas Shaw and Associates. Shelly leads their sales force in evaluating prospect fundraising programs to identify gaps and recommend solutions as the first step in developing partnerships with prospects.

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