Has your organization been around for at least 10 years? If so, you have prospects—people that you once served—either when they were students, patients, homeless or, well, I’m sure you get the picture.
That makes them potential donors. These are people who are familiar with your work, have had a legitimate relationship with your cause, and probably have a pretty good understanding of the work you do.
Being able to identify those prospects who have a passion for your work can be challenging for any number of reasons, including the fact that any allegiance they may feel towards you may be in competition with many other causes vying for their share of support.
Can we agree to call these individuals potential donors who are likely to be open to a meeting with you?
How can Rescigno’s help? We can sort your alumni into categories such as “may give” and “not very likely to give.” By this simple step you can then do some focusing.
By focusing on 3 things, you can really begin to hone in on those most likely to give:
Focus on their experience – When your alum think of you, is it in a positive or negative way? Were they going through a tough time in their lives when they were with you? Maybe they had a really great experience. If so, they may consider working with you to further the cause.
Focus on why they were involved with you – If it was because of their affinity for you rather than because a friend asked them to get involved, your chances of having a relationship increase.
Focus on their values and philanthropic interests – If they’ve moved, they may want to give to local institutions. Can you broaden your message so that your alum can fit it into their investment “areas of interest?” If not, it’s probably best to resist focusing on them.
From your perspective, it’s only natural to want to find donors who are alumni. After all, they benefitted from the good work your organization did for them and they may be ready to give back.
While yesterday may inspire the occasional reunion gathering, donors today are looking to solve current, as well as, future needs.
Yes, you do have to look back to find alumni, but you can also look to now to help those alumni fulfill their philanthropic goals.
Our data experts can provide you with accurate, actionable information that identify your best major gift, annual fund, and planned giving prospects.
We’ve done it for others, let us do the same for you. Call us today at 708-974-2600, x105.