There’s a Fortune in the Follow Up
What’s your next step? Perhaps you just had a fundraising event, where you had a number of great conversations with loyal donors. Or you several people filled in the checkbox on their receipt insert asking for more information on how to put your organization in their estate plans. Or maybe you just sent out a marketing piece about planned giving opportunities.
What now? If the planned giving fortune is in the follow up, how should you do that?
Do your research. Find out as much as you can about the person before you contact—what do you know about their job, family or interests? Does anyone else in your organization know them personally?
Make the call. The “call” could be a quick phone call or a one-on-one meeting. It might even be an email conversation, depending on the particular donor. Remember, these are people who care about your organization and have already invested. This is about building relationships—you are an expert in that!
Begin the conversation. Be transparent. Let them know why you’re meeting—you want to thank them and to know them better. Ask them how they came to know about your organization.
Make the ask (or don’t)! Ask them about what they value, what they want their legacy to look like. Ask for their input on the organization’s future. Tell them a story of another donor who has been important to the organization. If the relationship isn’t rock solid, consider saving the ask for a future conversation when you have a good handle on your donor’s hopes and desires.
Wrap it up. Thank them for their time and input. Make a plan to see them or talk again. Leave them with some take-aways if appropriate.
You can do this! We’re always here to help. If you’re not sure where to start, check out some of our free resources.