Does a Bad Economy Hurt Fundraising? Part 4 of 4

A recent client of mine, R. Hatter, sent me an email asking what the appropriate response would be to a key donor who had expressed irritation at the increased number of requests for contributions and the steady flow of information from that charity to his mailbox in recent months. "What can I tell him when he complains that we send him too many appeals and too much information?"

My response was this: On the guy who says "too much" -- I suspect the reason he's saying this is because his commitment to your charity is faltering a bit. He sounds like he's out of touch, hopefully only temporarily. What I would suggest is that you get him directly back in touch with "the kids." Let him touch and feel the urgency that these young lives contain, let him get back in touch with the urgent realities of their situation. And the reality is that the reason we ask more often, ask more people, and ask for more money is that the costs of keeping these kids moving towards being fully participating citizens (in a society that otherwise would just dump 'em in the garbage) is getting more expensive each year.

Let him see a "life on the mend," so to speak. Let him see that while "God don't make no junk" it's really generous and self-giving human beings who provide sustenance for the lives of these abused and neglected kids. Let him see that little girl's face, let him read the poem she wrote or see the video or view the new invention that was born in that young child's mind as a result of his past gifts. He's out of touch. That's all. And you can fix that.

My further suggestion is that you really don't need to answer his more "obvious" objection, having to do with mailings, and asking too much. That's not where the issue is. And arguing the "facts of the case," such as the number of mailings, etc., in the terms in which he has couched the discussion, won't really get anywhere because he will just continually come back with the same answer. His question sets it up that way. The increased efforts of your staff in fundraising can only encounter objections among those who haven't seen, felt, touched the power of these young lives. Because, for any of the rest of us, there is only one answer -- "ask more, get more, use more, save more kids."

Another thing to consider is whether all those mailings he's receiving and objecting to have been written as creatively as possible; whether the way you state your case for support is truly compelling and motivating, and whether you have the ability to capture peoples' imagination in your fundraising letters. Maybe his eyes have glazed over once too often when receiving your letters, and maybe he's really telling you he doesn't like what you're writing.

What would your response have been to this question, dear reader? Let us hear from you! Get in on the dialogue.