Episode #228
What happens when you change your thinking around donors?
When Sara Morris, the CEO of the Alliance for Education, changed her thinking, her organization blew past their major gifts goal.
In today’s video, Sara shares how her organization is now treating donors. In the second half of the video, she tells you about a simple stewarding event they now do. It may give you an idea of something you can do to deepen your relationships with your donors.
If you have any stories or advice on deepening relationships with donors, please share them in a comment box under the video. Your nonprofit friends will appreciate it.
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If you have any stories or advice on deepening relationships with donors, please share them in a comment box. Your nonprofit friends will appreciate it. Thanks! 🙂
This was very helpful. I am director of generosity at a church and thinking of our donors as partners is especially important because our goal is to always bring more people to a relationship with Jesus. It’s not just what we as the church staff do because the people in the pews are the church, too. Involving them in what we do can help them grow in faith and in giving. Thanks for sharing.
Lovely video. Bravo Sara for your shift in donor relations. I love to see stories like this which show how donors are really partners in making a better world. That view changes everything.
On a more personal scale, I find that life gets better when I think of myself as connecting with others in partnerships of all kinds. I woke up today wondering who I might reach out to for mutual benefit. Just asking that question seems to open new pathways.
Thx for making the video, Chris and for sharing your story Sara.
Great thoughts. Thank you.
We hold 2 Open Houses every year…spring and winter. We do not regard them as fundraisers…we tell people we want them to come and have fun. See what we have accomplished, meet some of our feline residents, in the spring check out the garden area
While we do accept donations at the events, it has never been our main focus
I think it help answer the public’s questions of who and what we do
What we do…special need kittens and cats; senior cats
Newest project…because we had the land space…Haven Garden
The garden is used to grow produce for a local women’s shelter
Sara really nails the importance of going into events with a very different mindset. I’m looking forward to attending one of her Living Room events!
I find this inspiring as well. However, our donors are spread out across the country as we are a national association. So I am always challenged on how to engage them in our student program. We already engage some of our members as mentors, as advisors, etc. But translation into gifts has been limited. Are there other ways I might think about donor relations?
this is really helpful and really make the difference
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