The Importance of Donor Experience

I don't know about you, but I'm already over this winter weather. I'm looking forward to Spring for so many reasons, but the main one is that I have so many in-person/outdoor events coming up! Our "new normal" seems to be figuring-out ways to be comfortable coming together at events, and it's interesting to see so many creative ideas coming out of that.

Beyond messaging around the Covid protocols, for your organization, it's important to be thinking about the donor experience now more than ever. My background, working inside nonprofits for so many years, always brings me back to that central point. Events should be about the attendees, not the organization. While it's important to tell your story (in a compelling and interactive way) it's also important to consider how your donors experience their interactions with you.

The last 20 months have taught us many things, and while I'm sure people will be looking foward to going to events again, their feelings about leaving their homes has shifted. We all value our health above everything else, so if we are going to attend an event, with a large number of people, we want to know that safety is a top consideration as well as a good use of our time.

When I talk about donor experience, the best way to think about it is to put yourself in the shoes of your donor, and consider what you'd like your experience to be. Do you want to be inside a hotel ballroom for three hours eating a chicken dinner? I think we would say "no" in most cases. The days of filling 10-top tables are over (in my opinion), and I think that was the case before the pandemic as well. Funders have always struggled with these types of events, and organizations are filling rooms with people that don't care about the mission at all.

So how do we plan events that engage our donors in unique and immersive ways? Consider connecting with your donors outside of your events. Build relationships with them, get a better understanding of what they're passionate about and how your organization can be a part of that. Not all events need to be fundraising events, in fact, it's a lot to ask that so much be put into one night.

Think of events as opportunities for stewardship and engagement. Ask for gifts to support your organization, and invite your donors to events to thank them as well as give them an opportunity to learn more about where their money is actually going. This is how you grow your donor database, by actually connecting with them. Events should be the springboard for follow-up and further connection, not a means to raise a huge dollar amount.