[Question Marc] The way to re-engage a hard-to-reach main donor

Query: How have you ever efficiently re-engaged a significant donor who was difficult to achieve?

Nice query. An enormous factor is to maintain mixing up the communication. Usually I discover fundraisers favor one type of communication. Or possibly two. They’ll e mail and e mail and e mail. Then resolve that the individual is tough to achieve. Actually, they might solely be onerous to achieve by e mail.

So name, e mail, textual content, message by way of LinkedIn, DM in Fb, discover out what conferences they’re at and present up. (I had one shopper who weekly “simply occurred” to be across the staircase a frontrunner was strolling down after his workers assembly!)

Because the individual has given prior to now, it’s additionally necessary to proceed sharing gratitude. Particular gratitude. Not simply “your reward made a distinction” but in addition “right here’s a narrative of 1 individual helped.” You’ve got nice tales.

If that doesn’t work, I’d additionally look to your board and different donors to see how might need a relationship together with her.

Lastly, don’t hand over. I known as/texted/emailed one donor every week for six months earlier than lastly connecting. After we related, he thanked me and apologized to me!

So don’t develop weary in doing good.