What happens when your annual giving donor is hidden in monthly giving?

Dear Diary,

The potential of annual giving – donors that establish giving patterns, feel strongly connected to an organization and the mission, provide restricted and unrestricted funding, and mold sustainability – is relevant and necessary in all organizations stemming from those who have established annual funds to those who do not have an individual giving program or annual fund.

But, let’s dive deeper and talk about the hidden gems, the donors that support our organizations every month (commonly referred to as monthly donors), that could increase their giving and have the capacity to be annual fund donors, and receive little to no engagement or stewardship – yes, let’s think about the experience of unknown annual donors who feel invisible, bubbling with potential.

Imagine wanting to give more, and never being embraced or considered for the opportunity to increase your gift and support your organization for more impact.

I am grateful to Tavia (a data management professional working in Higher Education) for the following conversation around her experience with her alma mater.

Can you describe the demographics that you fall into?

I am a black, middle-class woman, between the age range of 25-30.

Do you think these demographics have an effect on how you are stewarded?

Absolutely. I think that many organizations tend to overlook us, because they don't think that we have the capacity to give or that we don’t care to support their mission.

What made you decide to give to your alma mater, and what have they done to keep you motivated to give to them?

I give to my alma mater, simply because I feel that it’s the right thing to do. Once I started learning more about the importance of giving back and the impact that it has on students, that’s when I made the decision to do so. Although I’ve started planting small seeds, the goal is to eventually establish an annual scholarship specifically for women exploring the field of Computer Information Systems. Unfortunately, they have not done anything to keep me motivated to give. I’ve most recently started receiving solicitations in the mail, but I have never received an email/newsletter to keep me updated on what’s going on or even if I was interested in increasing my gift amount.

Currently, what do you give to?

Outside of the various annual fund and general scholarship fund campaigns, I give to the Computer Information Systems Department. 

At what amount do you give, and why do you think donors like you matter to organizations?

On a monthly basis, I give $20.13. I think donors like me matter because we are the gifts that you can actually count on month after month.

Would you be interested in increasing your giving if you were asked? Is there a way to ask?

Of course, I would be interested in increasing my giving. Before asking, research should be done. The solicitor should mention that they've noticed my consistent giving over the years and see if I'm interested in moving to another giving level.

As much as I conduct research on major donors (6-8 figures), I also think small dollar and annual giving donors sustain the longevity of an organization, but many organizations tend to incorrectly steward these donors or don’t see their importance. And you work in fundraising, so you have a dual experience; When organizations are chasing the shiny people, how does that make you as an annual donor feel?

It makes me feel like my gifts are not important. Sometimes I question if they truly want my gifts, or if I should move my donations to another organization that has made me believe that they care.

How can organizations show you they care?

I think organizations should reach out to their donors on a consistent basis. I shouldn't only hear from you when you've launched a campaign and are trying to reach a goal in x amount of time. I should receive monthly e-newsletters informing me of what's happening at the University, at a minimum.

Thank you Tavia.

What strikes a chord for me as I learn from Tavia’s experience is how she wants to increase her giving and recognizes her ability/capacity to advance her giving from monthly to annual to major gift donor that establishes a scholarship. Is this not the transformative impact and growth we want for our donors? Is this not important?

We need to learn from Tavia’s experience, because, how many more annual fund donors masked in monthly giving are we going to ignore before they eventually decide to move their donations to another organization that makes them feel cared for?

Until next time, September 15th!