Comments on: All Donors as Major Donors

By: MissaMarie289

MissaMarie289 — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 00:23:03 +0000

Hoping for some advice. I am the web developer for a non-profit and I have been asked to list the sponsors and vendors that give large discounts, separately on our site. We have a current button titled sponsors and within are all of the business that have donated monetarily or donated items. I have been asked to add a button for “supporters”, that would include vendors that are giving us very gracious discounts on items we are renting or purchasing for our main event. I am having a hard time deciding on a title for this section/button. I think that the wording supporters is too close to sponsors and the sponsors appreciate the stand alone recognition. Thanks in advance for any advice!

By: Changing Our Terminology

Changing Our Terminology — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 14:05:35 +0000

[...] skated around this topic in some different capacities in the past. Much of my thinking in the All Donors As Major Donors section connects with the philosophy that every donor has value. Upon reflection, I’m not sure if [...]

By: Never Bite the Hand That Feeds: Donor Relations

Never Bite the Hand That Feeds: Donor Relations — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 04:20:44 +0000

[...] all donors are important; without their money, your organization would likely not exist. On the ‘A Small Change’ blog, Jason Dick points “A $500 gift costs more for someone who makes $50,000 a year than $1,000 [...]

By: Rene Bouchard

Rene Bouchard — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 22:17:50 +0000

This is why I like to talk about giving a meaningful gift. If a donor gives my organization $25 and walks to work instead of taking the subway for a week in order to do so, that is a profoundly meaningful gift. Another donor may give us $2,500, and believe me, we appreciate it, but that gift is truly no greater than the smaller gift that was so deeply felt. I spent about 45 minutes this morning hand writing a letter to a donor who gives my organization about $40 a year, and included some materials I knew she would find interesting. This is the same level of attention I give to my major donors. I knew I was spending my time well, but this article really affirms that. It’s a good message.

By: All Level Relationship Management

All Level Relationship Management — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 14:01:26 +0000

[...] }); // This may sound familiar to some of our discussions on the topic of All Donors as Major Donors. We do a great job of cultivating and planning strategically with our major and principal donors, [...]

By: PlanoPride

PlanoPride — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 03:23:51 +0000

Probably one of the strangest things human beings do is to work really hard for their paycheck and then turn around and give it away.

What is Major to one is not to another. I found that recognition is a much more powerful tool than one would think. This is part of human nature. When we say “Your gift will be recognized as a Major Gift because it is $XX,XXX dollars”, most donors will say. “Thats not important to me.” but when you say “We are going to recognize all donors of $1,000 or more on an alphabetical plaque, and we wanted to recognize the generosity of your family. ” Chances are you will maximize the likelihood of getting a gift close to what is being asked.

I raised money for a rural hospital once and we had a prospect who was a widow of a farmer with no heirs. We asked for a gift of $25,000. She said, “The last campaign in 1956 we gave $500, I dont think I can do much more than $1,000″

The hospital had to either count it as a turndown or accept it graciously. We said “Thank you very much”… When she died three years later , she left the Hospital a gift for $2.5 million in her estate.

To her the $1,000 was significant and was a Major gift in her mind. This shows that it is the RELATIONSHIP that matters…the two are inseparable.

Other examples include Latino craftsmen making “gifts in kind” to a catholic church building campaign. The gift of stone carving and concretework would have been prohibitive to pay for, yet these “small” gifts made a tremendous difference in the final product.

There is no such thing as a small gift and all of them deserve recognition!

By: Organizing Your Donors

Organizing Your Donors — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:01:46 +0000

[...] much as I wish we could treat all donors as major donors, we have to take a targeted strategy with different donor groups. Even if you are just a one-person [...]

By: Thom Griffin

Thom Griffin — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 14:26:39 +0000

I agree with your observations. A few years ago, my little town was raising funds to restore a covered bridge. I didn’t have much money at the time, but gave what I could. The next week, the fundraising committee announced that “major” donors would have their names listed on a brass plaque on the bridge. My reaction was that 1. Why spend money on a plaque? and 2. Why not put all the names on a wooden plaque that could fade with time, just like we, as humans, do?

I’m in the middle of a fundraising campaign, putting together a silent auction for an opera group. The chairman wanted $250 donations. I’m getting $25 donations. It’s all money. Of course it takes more time, but it also builds a great sense of community.

By: Peder

Peder — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 16:46:37 +0000

I think this goes to the value of people. If an organization only values large contributors, it affects the entire self-perception of the organization. At that point we are for sale. This can deeply affect the mission, to the point that we loose our reason for existence.

I do Communications Outreach for nonprofit communities and it is very powerful to see an organization reach out with a clear message of hope and gratitude for all people. It gives all of us a reason to donate to them.

I do also think there are many forms of donation: time, ideas, connections and encouragement are also gifts, priceless at times.

University Place, WA

By: Mike N.

Mike N. — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 22:07:58 +0000

It seems like a lot of people are doing a lot of good things for a lot of good causes.

Singer/Songwriter Elyse Bruce has compiled an album called “Countdown to Midnight” which raises funds and awareness for autism. Word is songs like “The Mad Hatter”, “Somewhere in Detroit”, “Say you’ll wait for me,” and “Late Night in the Borough” have already made it to radio in some venues.

Everyone is equal when they download a song or buy an album, and everybody is family when they all sing the tunes together.