6 Essentials for a Successful Major Donor Programme
To run a successful major donor programme, there are six things every charity needs in place. These aren't nice-to-haves, they are the foundations on which everything else is built. Get them right, and you have the infrastructure to build lasting, high-value relationships with donors. Skip them, and even the most skilled fundraiser will struggle.
What are the 6 essentials of a major donor programme?
You should have:
1. A genuine programme plan
how are you going to address the need, with specific outcomes and costs?
2. A donor-centric culture
meeting the needs of donors
3. A leadership culture that understands major gifts
across all key departments – imagine if you were the donor, who would you want to talk to?
4. Sound and accessible financial project information
expect to be asked difficult questions, so be prepared
5. Sound donor process
IT, data, record keeping, thanking – all essential for donor stewardship
6. Measurable outcomes
what impact will you tell your donor that their gift made? – put yourself in the shoes of the donor
All of these take time and effort to get in place. Expect resistance and apathy, but do not be disheartened. You are far better investing energy and resources into the top 20% of your donors than the remaining 80%.
Building a compelling fundraising proposition
When it comes to asking donors for money, remember the ask is not just about fundraisers talking about an emotive cause. A powerful fundraising proposition requires:
Clear vision and goals
Clarity on the problem
Proposed solutions with benefits and evidence
Urgency
Action Plan
Reporting of outputs, outcomes and impact
Where do you start?
Begin with an honest assessment of where you stand against each of the six essentials. It is unusual to find all six fully in place, and that is fine. Knowing where your gaps are is the starting point for building a plan to address them. We recommend sharing the checklist with your senior management team and asking each person to rate the organisation independently, without comparing notes. The differences in how people score your readiness are often more revealing than the scores themselves.
Make sure you have these elements in place, but don’t let that be an excuse not to ask! Like all things worth the effort, practice and patience, followed by more practice will take away all fears.
Ready to put the right foundations in place?
We help charities get the fundamentals right so that they are building a successful major donor programme on solid foundation.