February Foundations

The Golden Rule and Gratitude Month

I have a few not-so-secret-secrets to share with you that are rarer than they should be in the fundraising world:

Secret fundraising sauce: Love = Loyalty.

Taking time to love your donors engenders loyalty.

During February, I advise all of my clients to completely focus on loving their donors. No asking, no appealing, no upsells, no crisis messages, no rally-cries. This is a month to storytell, using an approach I refer to as “wrapping the story” around your donors. After the push of the year-end campaign, you want to make sure your donor team feels filled, not emptied. Yes, a spring campaign will come. But first — pour into your donors. Do the work of thoughtful storytelling, personal connection, and making sure your donor can find themselves right in the middle of the mission.

More secret fundraising sauce: the Golden Rule.

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Last time I checked, gratitude is the key to, well, basically all of life. Remember how your Mom made you write a thank-you note for a gift asap? It’s kind of like that.

You’ve just finished asking, inspiring, appealing, connecting, and then inviting some more. It’s time to say thank you in a deep and personal way in February while the emotional energy of the big year-end campaign is still hanging in the air. It will mean so much more to your donor.

For those of us entrusted with sacred gifts intended to do good, our break comes after the absolute MOST IMPORTANT part of fundraising: gratitude.

Happy Gratitude Month!

P.S. » My tribe who has subscribed to The Zion Model 52-week SMART Plan Playbook will find January and February below the paywall in case you did not already find it in the archives made accessible to you. And if you need to schedule a private consultation,