Walk a Mile in Your Donor's Shoes

Have you ever stopped to wonder how your donors see their relationship with your organization? Spoiler: it’s often very different from how you categorize them.

I bet your lapsed donors don’t know you consider them “lapsed.” They may not even realize they’ve missed a year.

Many (if not most!) of your “major donors” probably don’t think of themselves as “major donors.”

Your stakeholders don’t understand why you sometimes ask for an annual gift and a capital campaign gift at the same time. (And how are those gifts different anyway?)

Your community may wonder why your organization is relatively quiet all year, but then bombards them with mailed appeals, Giving Tuesday emails, ask emails, newsletters, and a ton of social media posts in November and December. (Those who like to make gifts at other times of the year are especially perplexed by this onslaught.)

The real problem? Too often, we forget to walk a mile in our donor’s shoes.

As a development professional or nonprofit leader, you use certain lingo and categorization methods to think about your stakeholders and relationship-building activities. But your donors likely do not think of themselves in the same way.

What Are Your Donors Thinking?

Instead of focusing on categories, ask yourself: what’s actually on your donor’s minds? Your donors may be thinking about…

• How they want to make the world a little better by supporting your organization’s work.

• How frequently (or infrequently!) they hear from you about the impact of their gift.

• How your organization listens (or doesn’t listen) to their preferences about communication and relationship development.

• How responsive you are when they have a problem with their gift or a question about the organization.

• How much time you’ve spent getting to know them as a person, not just as a funding source.

If you’re not in the practice of regularly asking your donors what they’re thinking —in different ways and at different times—your organization is missing a golden opportunity. You might consider:

1. Ask directly. Build thoughtful questions into your discovery visits.

2. Poll occasionally. Send short donor polls to check in.

3. Survey in the moment. Use quick tools (like QR codes) at events.

4. Listen actively. Treat unsolicited feedback as valuable data, not background noise.

Donor Journeys

Many CRMs (donor database software) are using the term “donor journey” more frequently. This is a timely reminder to audit our fundraising communications and activities from the donor’s perspective. As you prepare for your year-end asks, make sure you consider how your tactics might be received by each donor segment. What changes might you make to be responsive to your donors’ preferences?

Walking a mile in your donor’s shoes is a daily practice. The more you listen, the more your donors feel seen, understood, and connected. And that’s what keeps them walking alongside you for the long run.

Here’s to advancing the greater good, together.