When we talk about our relations, most people think of their family (for better or worse!).
As a fundraiser, this word can have a much broader meaning for your nonprofit.
Individual donors and representatives of corporate and foundation funders who have given you money in the past have a network of relations that include family, friends, and colleagues.
How much do you know about them? What you don't know could limit your fundraising opportunities significantly.
Let me tell you a true story about a nonprofit community arts group.
For many years, a local bank had sponsored this group's annual fundraiser with a donation $7,500.
This donation was one of the nonprofit's larger gifts.
When the group hired a new development director, the chairman of the board took her to meet the bank president.
Being an experienced fundraiser, this new staff person knew the importance of learning what interested donors.
She noticed a vibrant landscape painting behind his desk.
She asked about the painting and learned that the president's wife was the artist.
Pursuing this conversation, the development director learned that the president's wife had a family foundation which gave grants to arts groups in a neighboring state.
Why had this information never come up in the ten years that this bank had supported this arts organization? Because no one took the time to ask the banker questions beyond his business.
This new staff person asked the question and then used what she learned.
First, she made sure to extend a personal invitation to the president's wife to be a guest at their upcoming major event.
The development director then sent her a thank you note and invited her to attend a small gathering of artists.
The wife attended and was so impressed that she went to the next meeting of her family foundation and convinced the trustees to expand their geographic boundaries so that they could help the arts group her husband's business had supported for years.
Within six months, this foundation gave the arts group a $10,000 grant to sponsor a children's art program.
The next year the arts nonprofit received a larger grant and the following year, the president's wife agreed to serve on the board of directors where she can help the nonprofit with her contacts at other family foundations.
How likely is it that a similar situation could happen in your organization? In my experience, most nonprofits have donors who could connect them with people who may be future supporters.
Why doesn't this happen more often? I think it is because people don't take the time to ask questions and learn more about their donors.
Fundraising is a relationship business and so it's important to make the time to get know as much as you can about your donors.
A good question could lead to a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow...
or at least a small donation that could be the first step in a new donor's journey to becoming a major contributor.