I travel each week. I am a creature of habit. I mostly take the same flights, I usually sit in the same seat on the plane, and I try stay in the same hotels. Things are pretty routine. Because I stay in the same hotel, I am surprised each week when I receive the same welcome note, hand signed by the same manager. I now know the note by heart. It’s nice to receive the note from the manager each week – please do not get me wrong. But, I am wondering why the hotel does not switch up their customer care treatments in the same way we need to keep our donor care treatments fresh in the nonprofit sector.
I encourage clients to, at a minimum, refresh their donor thank you letters at least quarterly. Cash donors, who give more than once in a year, deserve a new thank you letter than they might have received five months ago. You don’t want your donors to “check into your hotel” and get the same welcome letter from the manager!
Stephen Mally brings over three decades of fundraising and non-profit consulting experience.
Having served as a fundraiser in the United States, Stephen transitioned to consulting in Asia-Pacific, Europe, and North America in 2008. He is the CEO and Director of FundraisingForce, a boutique consulting firm based in Sydney, Australia and Rancho Mirage, CA. As a consultant, he has worked with thousands of schools, universities, and charities gaining a vast amount of exposure to diverse organisations and fundraising programs. Stephen acquired his Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) credential in 2011.
Stephen was named a Fellow of the Fundraising Institute Australia (FIA) in 2017. He served on the FIA Board for six years and currently serves on the CFRE International Examination Committee and, also, the CFRE International Board as its Chair. Additionally, he serves on the board of Pink Elephants Support Network in Australia.
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