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"Best & Lost Donor Debriefing Self-Assessment Questions" by Charles B. Maclean, PhD - PhilanthropyNowÔ 1. Do you regularly conduct written and verbal "donor satisfaction evaluations?” · It is much easier to salvage a donor when they are moderately upset versus trying to recover a donor after they have slammed the door shut and won't return your calls. 2. Do you have the courage to ask your could-be-donors up-front…"What might cause you to discontinue giving that, together, we can make sure doesn't happen?" · Few fundraisers ask their donors about their "conditions of satisfaction/dissatisfaction" up front and only learn of them after it's too late. 3. Do you know exactly how your major donors want to be acknowledged and do NOT want to be acknowledged? · Developing a formal "acknowledgement profile" for each major donor for each major campaign and having it in your database is essential to honor wishes for both anonymity and selective acknowledgment that is as personal as their thumbprint. 4. Do you have a formal job description for your board of directors and volunteer fundraisers that includes the expectation of making referrals of peers and asking them face to face about their satisfaction with their giving? · Board unwillingness to take these actions may be a sign of unclear expectations/personal discomfort/discontent. 5. Do you formally and informally debrief each major lost donor within 30 days of loss and do you even know when you've lost a donor? · The longer the time between emotional donor divorce and debriefing, the deeper the discontent and the greater the likelihood that the lost donor will tell others who will tell others who will . . . 6. Do you have a method of allowing lost donors to give you anonymous feedback? · Fear of embarrassment, avoidance of conflict, attempts to be nice, and fear of liability, all can get in the way of fundraisers getting the feedback they most need to reduce their vulnerabilities and make continuous improvement. 7. Do you really want to know why your major donors have left you? · If you can't afford to hear the answer, don't ask the question. You must be big enough to hear tough love messages and be willing to experience embarrassment, anger, shame, sadness, and fear in order to grow. 8. Are you committed to taking positive remedial action based on the feedback you hear? · If not, lost donors may be even angrier if you ignore their candid feedback and don't respond to reasonable requests for change. You may not be able to salvage the lost donor . . . but you can prevent making the same costly alienating mistakes again, and again and again. 9. Do you know how much a lost major donor costs your organization in terms of annual and end of life gifts, loss of referrals, negative comments to other potential donors, dampening of staff morale, and cuts in programs and services for those you serve? · Computing average direct and indirect lifetime loss per lost major donor will guide your decision making in budgeting for preventive and remedial action. 10. Do you know your own personal "prouds" and "do betters" in terms of major donor relationship building skills and do you have a plan and timetable for self-improvement? · If not, why not? If not now, when? Without one, you and your organization are at risk of operating in a vacuum.
This giving support tool may be reproduced as long as it is copied in total and distributed at no cost. Comments to: 503.297.1490 or Website: www.philanthropynow.com Reprinted with permission from the Tool Kit For Accelerating Giving June 3, 2002 |
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©2002, Charles B. Maclean,
PhD, All Rights Reserved |