Fundraising Basics: What To Do When They Don’t Respond

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Typically, when you make a solicitation, you hear one of three responses: “Yes,” “No,” or “We need more time.”
There are generally accepted strategies to deal with each of them. But a genuine quagmire can be when you don’t hear back from the donor prospect at all.
This is like a fundraiser’s Bermuda Triangle.
No doubt, you’ve encountered this dilemma on numerous occasions. I sure have in my 30 years as a practitioner and several years as a fundraising trainer/consultant to a wide range of nonprofits.
In the world of fundraising there is a fine line between persist and pester. And where that line lies is different for everybody you will be working with. Treat them with respect, because, again, you don’t know what’s happening in their worlds.
I remember working with a corporate decision maker on a $250,000 request. After several failed attempts at following up by email and phone, my campaign committee members got nervous, and told me to submit a revised proposal of $125,000. Guess what happened? The next week I finally heard back from the corporate decision maker who apologized for getting caught up in other matters and failing to respond, and joyfully reported that we were approved for the full $250,000.
In the world of fundraising when you take the high road and embrace best practices, there are happy endings every day of the year.
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