Often, we’re too quick to jump into the solution with our donors and we fail to connect the donor, meaningfully, to the problem we’re working to solve. When done properly, getting your donors close to the need, in human and emotional terms, can have a massive impact for that donor and your organization.

In this podcast episode, Richard and Jeff share why bringing donors close to the need is such a core part of our fundraising philosophy. They focus on specific tips that will help you draw yourself and your donors closer to the problem your organization is committed to solving.

Learn more about connecting your donors to the need in our FREE White Paper, “Transporting Your Donor to the Scene.” You can download your copy here.

Read the Transcript for this Podcast Episode Below:

Jeff Schreifels 

Have you gotten your donors close to the need? I mean close enough that they feel it deeply in are emotionally connected to the work you’re doing. We often get wrapped up in sharing about the solution and the results of what we hope to accomplish, and forget to really share about the problem we are all working to solve. And today’s podcast, Richard and I share why talking about the need is critical in your work as a frontline fundraiser, and give you tips on how to do it effectively, so that you will have highly engaged donors.

Recorded 

Welcome to the Nothing But Major Gifts podcast from Veritus Group, featuring Richard Perry and Jeff Schreifels. Twice a month, we bring you the latest and best thinking about major gift fundraising so you can develop authentic relationships with your major donors. Here are your hosts, Richard and Jeff.

Jeff Schreifels 

Welcome to the podcast today. I’m Jeff Schreifels. And I have Richard Perry with me, and we’re going to discuss how to get your major donors close to the need. Remember, Richard, we did a webinar once, where we had a picture of a malnourished child in the presentation, and one person on the webinar objected to the picture state. Wow, that’s just so horrible. Why do you have to show that picture? Do you remember that?

Richard Perry 

Boy, I sure do. Jeff. And you know what? We have been around this topic so many times. Yeah. You know, where, you know, people in general, and folks who manage major donor case lows are just they’re just not comfortable with talking about the need. I mean, that’s the bottom line. And it was funny, because when I heard this person’s comment, I remember thinking well, okay, good. The reason we’re showing this picture is because it’s true. Yeah, that’s why we’re showing it? Or could it be that kids are suffering here in our country, as well as overseas because of the injustice of the systems they’re in? Are you? Or could it be that this kind of truth is so hard to take that we just don’t want to see it? Well, of course, it is. It was an… it was an interesting thing to hear that comment. And it sort of kind of started to get me angry, really, because I, I felt like asking the person you know, Sir, have you ever been in the presence of a starving child? Have you done that? Because I have in Bangladesh and in Africa, and with the garbage pickers of the Philippines, and in South America, I mean, I’ve actually been there in their presence. I’ve sat with them. And Jeff, you know, this, it just rips your heart out, it rips your heart out. And it’s a very, very difficult thing. And it’s not like, Oh, this is just a lot of fun. I mean, it’s dark, and it’s disturbing, and it makes you angry. And, and, you know, the memory just keeps you up at night. I mean, here’s the thing is being in the presence of need, is powerful, and disturbing. And it’s one more thing. It’s true.

Jeff Schreifels 

It is. I mean, the fact is that cancer is a devastating thing. So it was being homeless, and being put in prison unjustly and not having an education is hurtful, and having a polluted lake or an abused animal. Yeah, I could go on and on through every cause of every nonprofit. And the fact is, is that the needs addressed by nonprofits run the range of sad and needless to devastating, but that’s the nature of need.

Richard Perry 

I know. But you know what, it’s funny. We just have to put it up, don’t we? I mean, Jeff, why don’t you talk about how the insiders pretty up to need?

Jeff Schreifels 

Well, I mean, they say things like, don’t use the word extreme to describe poverty, or what. And if it is extreme poverty, how should we talk about it, then? They were suffering from a little poverty, nothing serious. It was just a tiny bit of poverty really, or don’t use underlining, underlining or bold to accentuate words like in copy. I mean, it makes things look too urgent. Or, or Oh, so what you’re doing is isn’t urgent, the need can’t wait and they couldn’t then he could wait until next year. I mean, really, for don’t show an image of the problem. We want to focus just on the solution. Ah, I mean, that’s really messed up. So you’re telling your major donor that the thing is already taken care of. Don’t worry donor we’ve had we got handled, no need to bother you with the need or the problem. I know it’s embedded in your heart and spirit as something you want to address. But we’re not talking about you the donor right now. No, it’s really about us. And we feel uncomfortable about the need.

Richard Perry 

That’s really to say, No. And there are so many more examples. I mean, Ah, man, it’s it’s a fatal disease that many authority figures and fundraisers have. And, frankly, we just don’t understand why these folks are even in the nonprofit sector. I mean, if you think about it, a non-profit is where you band together with like-minded folks to solve societal problems. I mean, that’s what it is. Yeah.

Jeff Schreifels 

Now, we should step back a second here. There’s another side of this that we want to mention here. That’s issues around what our industry calls poverty poor. This is where nonprofits and organizations use exploitative imagery to gain empathy and contributions. And now there’s this fine line between showing the true need and problem your organization is working to address to donors who deeply care about being part of the solution. And being manipulative with the need. Something that gets lost in these extreme depictions of the need is a broader conversation and awareness of those factors that are causing the problem and a clear, believable solution.

Richard Perry 

That’s an important point, Jeff, I mean, so regularly checking in to ensure that your organization isn’t abusing the people and communities you serve. I mean, that’s, I mean, that that’s an important part of creating a believable solution. Yes, donor can support I mean, you know, without a partnership with people living the experience, you’ll start to create a, you know, a life impacting solution. Okay, so one of the things Jeff, and I want to emphasize, is that we don’t expect you to do or what we don’t expect you to do is we actually get comfortable with the need that your nonprofit is addressing. So we’re not saying, you know, it’s just a need when we expect you to get to that place now. I mean, Jeff, you and I believe that you should never, ever get comfortable with need. I mean, it’s not a goal or a value. I mean, the need should always bother you. Yeah, I mean, that’s the nature of needed sits there. And it cries out for a solution. And that’s why she, by the way, you should never get comfortable with it. But you should get comfortable with talking about it. Truthfully. Here’s why. Because it’s that’s your job. You represent the problem truthfully and faithfully to the donor, and then kind of ask them to solve it. You really shouldn’t forget this. I mean, this is a critical point, it’s critical to your success. And even more important is what your case of donor needs so that you’re the person that’s talking truthfully about what the problem is exactly what needs to be solved.

Jeff Schreifels 

That’s so right. So okay, here’s a question. Why is it so important to get your mid major or plan gift donor close to the need?

Richard Perry 

Well, I think it’s because the donor’s primary interest is in solving societal problem, a societal problem. Yeah. So the donor, I mean, that’s the whole point of fundraising is like, let’s deal with this thing. And the donor needs to not only understand it, that’s the intellectual part. But also feel it. That’s the emotional word. We have the same information tells the intellectual part. Yeah, he motions cells, as the motor, you know, that’s that whole part of feeling. So we’re driven to make decisions by a combination of both emotions and feelings and empathy, driving the decision. I mean, that’s just how it works. That’s right.

Jeff Schreifels 

Now, it is possible to train ourselves to focus on the need when visiting program sites. why? It’s because the right fix on the knee drives everything we do in fundraising. So there’s three points I want to I want to talk about and it and this thing drives three things. It’s a clear understanding of what the problem is in human and emotional terms. So don’t forget the whole point of a nonprofit is to solve problems, all kinds of problems. When you focus on the need, you gain a very clear view of what you’re trying to do. Yep. Secondly, the ability to remember what the main point is. It’s amazing how quickly route forget the major point of our work. When an NGO or a development director or any fundraiser is asked to define his or her job. The response is usually something like my job is to raise money or it might be my job is to manage the fundraising communication and marketing agenda. We very rarely hear that the mains person, the main person’s job is to solve a problem or address a need. Right, the right fix on the need, reminds you what that main point is? Yeah, that’s brilliant. Yeah. And thirdly, a proper balance of head and heart. A fix on the need, keeps your heart engaged. And that’s really important. Too many of us stay solely in our heads, with all the logic, the planning to do list the numbers, the statistics, and our hearts are cold. We know from experience, that a cold heart and fundraising is a major block to success. And the way you keep it warm, is to be up against the need all the time, because it keeps you focused, balanced and properly aligned.

Richard Perry 

Right? So right, Jeff? That’s so right. So that’s how you use that’s okay. That’s how you stay close to the need. Now, here’s what Jeff and I believe you need to do in your everyday practice of helping your donors stay close to the need. So what Jeff was talking about is how you stay close to the need. Here are the points that we believe you need to practice in your in your everyday work to help your donors stay close to the needle. So number one is when you’re communicating with your mid or major or planned gift donors about the need, be sure you stick to describing the need don’t get into solutions just yet sellers start with a need and stay with the need. Yeah. Secondly, describe the need in human and emotional terms. Why? Because you’ve got to keep yourself in that sector of in that phase of the discussion, or the narrative, and the end to be careful of head language. In other words, what does it feel like to be a human in this situation? And you tell stories to kind of personalize an A, so that’s the second point third, then you talk about the cause of the need, you know, why is this happening? Yeah. Then here’s some additional two important points. The fourth point document what will happen if the need is not addressed. And then now you tell the donor, what you and the donor going to do about the need, and then you solicit their engagement, these are the critical five points in getting the donor close to the need.

Jeff Schreifels 

Alright, so let me go through those points again. One was, when you’re communicating with your mid major or planned gift donors about the need, be sure you stick to describing the need. Just stay with the need. Then describe the need in human and emotional terms. And be careful that head language, it goes back to what does it feel like to be human? And that’s to tell stories to personalize the need and talk about the cause of the need? Like why is this happening in the first place. And then document what would happen if it’s not addressed. So if we don’t address this need, this bad stuff is going to happen. And then finally is then tell the donor what you and the donor are going to do about the need? Who Alright, that’s good stuff, Richard, it is. Hey, before we go, I just want to make sure you’re aware of our white paper called “Transporting Your Donor to the Scene.” Everything we just talked about plus a step by step plan on how to do this is in this white paper and just go to veritusgroup.net and on our homepage, there’s a button to click called resources. When you click that resources, you will see white papers and you’ll see this white paper right there transporting your donor to the scene. That’s at veritusgroup.net. Well, here we are at the end of our time and thank you for joining us and we’ll see you next time. See ya.

Recorded 

Thank you for joining us for the Nothing But Major Gifts podcast from Veritus Group, Richard and Jeff also write an ongoing blog that you can subscribe to for free at veritusgroup.net. Please join us again next time.