Alignment


February 7, 2008 / Issue III
This being the month of Valentine's Day, maybe it's time we pay attention to our other love interests...our donors! At the very, very beginning of a friendship lies the acquaintance stage, where you begin to find some level of interest and some degree of commonality between the people involved. This is the same process that launches a donor relationship. As that acquaintance gathers steam and everyone starts to find more in common, we enter the friendship phase-a phase of our relationship where we begin to show more of ourselves, risk telling our friends a little more about what makes us tick, and ultimately building a social covenant...a social contract of sorts. From a dictionary point of view, a covenant is a promise. It's a trusting understanding, like a vow between two friends, that is made public so everyone can see the elements of the relationship. People don't just jump into friendship-based covenants in a cavalier fashion. They dance awhile, test the proverbial waters, and then head in cautiously. Donors act in this same fashion. First they test you. Then, if all goes well, they come back for more. What's your organization's covenant with your stakeholders? What do you promise your donors in return for their support? How do you initially communicate this to your new donors? And most importantly, how do you maintain your promises, keeping them in a constant state of use? You can't just answer by saying, "Our mission is our covenant." That won't work any longer. Certainly, your mission is important. But what about your vision as well? Is that something that is refreshed and in constant use? How about measurements and impacts? Do you have them? Do you share these with your donors? When you have challenges or setbacks, do you also communicate them to your donors? Why not? You'd share personal challenges with your friends, so why not build a social partnership with your donors as well? Do you send a list of your promises to your brand new donors? Do you share your covenant? Do you often check in with your existing donors to inform them of your progress? (How often do you call your friends?) You know your friends' favorite foods, but do you know your donors' favorite programs? Is your primary communication style one-way? Do you tend to use newsletters, email blasts, and other one-way communication tactics? Do you mis-spell your friends' names? How often do you mis-spell your donors' names? Would you treat a friend that way? How about the give-and-take, the dialogue, the sharing of your joys and successes, as well as your challenges and setbacks? Do you celebrate your anniversary of the date that your donor first gave you her first donation? How about cards on other special occasions? Do you thank them for no other reason other than being supportive of your organization in the community? Dare I suggest that we are missing the boat when we don't treat our donor relationship like we would a cherished friend? Put forth our covenant, our promise, and build from there. Mario Capozzoli

February 7, 2008 / Issue III

This being the month of Valentine's Day, maybe it's time we pay attention to our other love interests...our donors!

At the very, very beginning of a friendship lies the acquaintance stage, where you begin to find some level of interest and some degree of commonality between the people involved. This is the same process that launches a donor relationship.

As that acquaintance gathers steam and everyone starts to find more in common, we enter the friendship phase-a phase of our relationship where we begin to show more of ourselves, risk telling our friends a little more about what makes us tick, and ultimately building a social covenant...a social contract of sorts.

From a dictionary point of view, a covenant is a promise. It's a trusting understanding, like a vow between two friends, that is made public so everyone can see the elements of the relationship. People don't just jump into friendship-based covenants in a cavalier fashion. They dance awhile, test the proverbial waters, and then head in cautiously. Donors act in this same fashion. First they test you. Then, if all goes well, they come back for more.

What's your organization's covenant with your stakeholders? What do you promise your donors in return for their support? How do you initially communicate this to your new donors? And most importantly, how do you maintain your promises, keeping them in a constant state of use?

You can't just answer by saying, "Our mission is our covenant." That won't work any longer. Certainly, your mission is important. But what about your vision as well? Is that something that is refreshed and in constant use?

How about measurements and impacts? Do you have them? Do you share these with your donors? When you have challenges or setbacks, do you also communicate them to your donors? Why not? You'd share personal challenges with your friends, so why not build a social partnership with your donors as well?

Do you send a list of your promises to your brand new donors? Do you share your covenant?
Do you often check in with your existing donors to inform them of your progress? (How often do you call your friends?)
You know your friends' favorite foods, but do you know your donors' favorite programs?
Is your primary communication style one-way? Do you tend to use newsletters, email blasts, and other one-way communication tactics?
Do you mis-spell your friends' names? How often do you mis-spell your donors' names?
Would you treat a friend that way? How about the give-and-take, the dialogue, the sharing of your joys and successes, as well as your challenges and setbacks?
Do you celebrate your anniversary of the date that your donor first gave you her first donation? How about cards on other special occasions?
Do you thank them for no other reason other than being supportive of your organization in the community?

Dare I suggest that we are missing the boat when we don't treat our donor relationship like we would a cherished friend? Put forth our covenant, our promise, and build from there.

Mario Capozzoli