Tag: donor relations

Understanding Nonprofit Donors’ Preferred Types, Qualities and Sources of Information

~ penningink ~ 1 Comment

I was happy to speak to a sold-out crowd of 60 nonprofit professionals last week about how to reach out to potential donors based on the information they are interested in, not just what nonprofit organizations want to send them.

Discussing nonprofit donor information preferences at
the GVSU Johnson Center for Philanthropy.

The presentation was at the GVSU Johnson Center for Philanthropy, as part of its “Brown Bag Lunch and Learn” series.

I was sharing data and information from my chapter “Nonprofit Financial Communication: Donors’ Preferred Information Types, Qualities and Sources.” The chapter is included in the recently published Handbook of Financial Communications and Investor Relations. The study of the information nonprofit donors seek is an extension of my research on individual investors when they are considering purchasing a stock: “The Value of Public Relations in Investor Relations: Individual Investors’ Preferred Information Types, Qualities and Sources”.

Attendees were interested in the results of my survey of a sample of 173 donors to a large community foundation. The book chapter includes a lot of statistical analysis of results (which can be read if you acquire the book via the link above). In the presentation I hit the high notes of practical take-aways about the types of information (i.e. content), qualities of information (ranging from length to tone and more) and the sources of information (meaning the people or communication tactics). The brief results are as follows:

Top preferred types of information:

  1. Mission of the organization
  2. Impact of the organization and the donations received
  3. Where money is spent by category
  4. Location of organization (local, regional or national)
Top preferred qualities of information:
  1. Personalized appeal
  2. Focused on organizational need
  3. Stressing a specific giving opportunity versus general gift to organization
  4. Focused more on results of organizational work vs its need for support
Top preferred sources of information:
  1. The organization’s web site
  2. The organization’s newsletter
  3. Other donors (i.e. word of mouth)
  4. The organization’s annual report
  5. Conversations with staff of the organization (ie interpersonal)
It is interesting to note that the news media does not rank highly in the responses of donors as a source of information for donors to nonprofits. Media relations and publicity are helpful, but it turns out not the most persuasive form of communication strategy when trying to gain attention and raise funds. The news media was valued, but came in after other sources of information when donors were asked what was the “most useful” source of information and presented with people and organizations, not tactics. Their response in order of preference was:
  1. The nonprofit organization itself
  2. Other donors
  3. A charity expert (such as a financial planner)
  4. The news media
When so many people confuse “PR” for publicity, it is important to note that the strategic communications and relationship building aspects of public relations–the real root of the profession–are most effective in the minds of donors.
In my study, and to a degree in my Johnson Center presentation, I went over the association of variables. In other words, when donors are looking for specific types of organizations, they look to specific sources. I also explained that when they want certain qualities of information they favor specific sources. These are illustrated in the latter slides in my presentation, which is available on my Slideshare page.
The room full of nonprofit pros had a good variety of questions and observations. In the end, the discussion showed that public relations, and nonprofit public relations and fundraising, is far more sophisticated and strategic than “getting the word out” or “just raising awareness.” Nearly everyone said they left with something specific they could apply back at the office, which made me more motivated when I got back to my office.