For generations charitable causes have depended on donations to do good work. However, connecting resources with a charity is becoming more challenging due to a concept called “Donor fatigue.” Donor fatigue simple means that we all get tired of being asked to help. (Or at least we get tired of being asked to help charities that we don’t know or have an affinity for.)
What if the future of charities depended upon moving donors up a ladder of engagement, and wasn’t just the zero to sixty proposition that many charities seem to think it is? What would that ladder look like in this new environment of social media, and advancing connectivity?
Step one – Eavesdropper: Next generation donors will likely want to eavesdrop on your media outlets to see what you’re all about and what values you are living and espousing. This means they’ll follow you on Twitter and Facebook without ever engaging, but they are paying attention. As non-profit leaders, we need to encourage this activity.
Step two – Fan: Once someone knows what you’re all about, they start to become a fan. This may not mean they’re giving and supporting your cause, but it does mean they appreciate and associate with what you’re doing.
Step three – Volunteer: Once people believe in your cause, their next step is most likely to be volunteerism than it is a financial gift. This means that your volunteer connection needs to be the strongest possible impact on the fans of your organization. Otherwise you risk losing all the goodwill you’ve built up with your fans.
Step four – Donor: Once people are totally invested, they’ll donate their resources. This progression is time consuming and frustrating for the charity, but I think this is a likely metamorphosis that is happening due to our hyper-connectivity and the growth of donor fatigue.
What do you think of this philosophy of progressive donor engagement? What steps are missing and what ideas do you have to fight donor fatigue and build relationships with donors?
David Curry
