When someone donates to your cause for the first time, there is a critical piece of information they have that you need.
This information is so important because it will actually help you get more donors in the future!
- It will help you understand what truly motivates people to give your organization.
- It will help you develop donor profiles and donors segments.
- It will help you write better copy so that others will be more motivated to donate.
- It will help you develop more effective fundraising campaigns.
This question is also the easiest question for your donor to answer…
What made you donate to our organization?
Once you understand what you did right that caused them to act, you will do more of it!
Now, because this is such an important question you don’t want to simply get their answer via e-mail. The best way to get a sincere answer to this question is to call them on the phone and simply ask.
Obviously you might not be able to call every new donor, but you won’t need to. Just call as many as you can until the reasons they donate smacks you right in the forehead.
Thanks John for this reminder! The various answers to the question “what made you pick our organization to donate to” will not only tell you what drove the donor in making their contribution, but also what tools of fundraising worked or didn’t work. And I agree, a phone call is a nice personal way to reach out to the donors.