From the Donor’s Perspective: Why Some Fundraisers Succeed While Others Fail

In order to get their valuable perspectives on fundraising, I interviewed more than 30 donors of the highest caliber who have given millions and millions of dollars to various charities, ministries, and organizations. I asked them why some fundraisers succeed while others fail.

These are the qualities and characteristics the donors felt made successful fundraisers:

• Sincere relationship — Above all, successful fundraisers are sincere.




• Personal integrity — Successful fundraisers are upfront, genuine, and always operate with integrity.




• Knowledge of their charity — Successful fundraisers are well informed.




• Clearly defined goals — Successful fundraisers clearly state the mission, needs, and opportunity a donor has to help accomplish the mission.




• Regular communication — Successful fundraisers keep donors in the loop.




• Assurance of cost effectiveness — Successful fundraisers show donors that their money is doing what was promised.




• Credibility — Successful fundraisers use donors’ funds for the intended purpose only.




• Matching gifts — Successful fundraisers think about lead gifts or matching gifts so donors’ gifts are multiplied.




• Deserving cause — Successful fundraisers help donors feel that they are making a worthwhile contribution to a worthwhile cause.




• Shared vision — Successful fundraisers seek donors who share the organization’s vision and want to make a difference.




• Passion — Successful fundraisers believe in their cause so much that they contribute to it themselves.




• Common interest — Successful fundraisers find donors who are interested in their mission.




• Enthusiasm — Successful fundraisers are enthusiastic about their cause.




• Quality presentation — Successful fundraisers present the charity in an enticing, concise, and articulate manner.




• Gratitude — Successful fundraisers must have an air of gratitude, no matter the amount of the gift.




• Persistence — Successful fundraisers are persistent without being offensive.

On the other hand, these are the qualities and characteristics the donors felt made fundraisers fail:

• Lack of personal relationship — One of the most common reasons that fundraisers fail is that they haven’t established a relationship with the donor.




• Negative characteristics portrayed — If something is said or done that runs up the “red flag” for the donor, the fundraiser will most likely fail.




• Lack of sincerity and belief — Failure comes when fundraisers are not sincere and do not have a strong belief in their charity.




• Poor communication — Failure is imminent for fundraisers who do not communicate, including communicating about the charity and keeping in touch with the donor.




• Lack of clear goals — Fundraising without clear goals leads to lack of balance and action.




• Lack of integrity — Any hint of a fundraiser’s lack of integrity, and the donor will slow down, back up, or demand answers.




• Perceived ungratefulness — Fundraisers who fail rarely give donors a personal thank-you for their gift or else they use it as a steppingstone to the next request.




• Desperation letters — Desperation letters are not effective, well received, or quickly forgotten.




• Pressure selling — High-pressure salesmanship is a serious turnoff.




• Lack of knowledge — Fundraisers fail because they cannot answer the questions that donors ask.




• Inaction — Many fundraisers fail because they are not getting the message out to enough people.




• Wastefulness — Fundraisers fail when they do not spend the donors’ money wisely.




• Lack of interest — Fundraisers who fail seldom do the homework necessary to know if the prospective donor is even interested in the charity.




• Inappropriate appreciation — Unsuccessful fundraisers don’t take the time or care to find out how their donors expect to be appreciated.




• Forgetting the obvious — If a fundraiser does not leave a donor with all the necessary contact information, the donor cannot give.




• Wasting time — Prospective donors do not appreciate when fundraisers are insensitive to their time and schedule.

Having a donor’s perspective can help make the difference between success and failure as a fundraiser!