"In fundraising, cultivation can be a very slow process, but that's true in any relationship. You have to build that trust."
 - Dana Heiman, Brandywine Health Foundation

Cultivating Personal Relationships with Donors with Dana Heiman

Session 09

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ow can you make your relationship with donors more personal? Take notes from Dana Heiman, vice president of the Brandywine Health Foundation, as she talks with Beth about the “little things” that make donors feel appreciated and know that they are giving to a worthwhile cause. Dana writes handwritten notes on the backs of envelopes to event invitations and reaches out to the entire surrounding community to make sure everyone feels involved, or knows that they have the opportunity to get involved. She explains how she uses email and social media to make personal connections with donors and discusses the ways in which fundraising is very much a communal effort. It’s possible to create new organizations simply from realizing the needs of the community.

They discuss:

  • How email signatures can become more than just a tacked on “P.S.”
  • How can you make a donor feel valued and appreciated?
  • Why simple gestures such as handwritten notes and phone calls make such a huge difference
  • What does it mean to say an organization is an “incubator”?
  • How can you demonstrate to donors that they are making a tangible difference? And why should you demonstrate that?
  • How can recognizing the needs of the community create new organizations with the right leaders?
Resources:

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