By - Ramon Garcia
Initiating relationships online could be difficult. No. Stop. I am not talking about a dating relationship. What I refer to, are those relationships that will continue to sustain your mission as a non-profit. Non-profits have the privilege, and the challenge, of addressing social problems across their service area. This would set you up to have a well established relationship with an individual donor who cares about the social well being of their communities. Unfortunately, it is not that simple. As organizations that carry the duty to restore some aspect of society, non-profits also have to give something to those who would support them.
Long term relationships with donors have to be established, maintained, and enhanced so that then they could be materialized into support, whether it be financial or voiced. The foundation of a good relationship is to have a promise of fulfillment. Yes. Everyone in the relationship, including the donor needs to feel that they will get something out of giving. Most often, what donors that look to support a cause, are looking for a good feeling. However, it is not enough to give a good feeling, they also want communication. They want to know how their actions impact the well being of society. How can you know exactly what your donors want if you are not listening? Luckily we have social media that puts non-profit in a position of listening.
How do you start?
1. Share information. Tell everyone what you are doing in a way that appeals to them. Make it about your audience, the work that you do should raise their levels of empathy to the work you do. Donors have to understand what you are doing to improve the quality of life of their communities.
2. Give experiences. Make their stay at your site, social media, or any other channel a pleasant and memorable one. Do things that make it easy for them to donate, like taking credit card transactions. Don't put too many restriction on ways they can contribute to your cause. Make it fun with animations, automated thank you notes. etc.
3.Collabotate. Guide them through conversations that enhance their reward for giving. Listen to what they think and give feedback realistically. Ask for their opinion on your next big fundraiser. Involve them in some decisions. Collaborate with them on things that are related to your cause and you can fulfill.
These three pillars of will help you make long lasting relationships with your stakeholders. Everyone wants to understand, experience, and collaborate.
Ref: E-Marketing 7th Edition.
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