By Alan Sharpe, CFRE
Have you upset one of your donors recently? Just how mad do you suppose they are at you, on a scale of 1 to 10? Take this quiz and find out.
1. Your major gift officer met a donor for lunch and ordered five martinis and spaghetti. 5 points
2. The folks in gift processing mailed a donation thank-you letter but it took over a month to arrive. 5 points
3. You spelled the donor’s name incorrectly. 5 points
4. Your donor asked for no fundraising appeals by mail, but your annual giving officer thought Christmas was an exception. 5 points
5. Your donor asked your office not to phone her, so your receptionist phoned her to say OK. 5 points
6. You asked for a donation in a donation thank-you letter. 5 points
7. Your donor’s spouse died and left you a six-figure bequest, but the folks in direct mail kept addressing your appeals to Mr. and Mrs. 5 points
8. A major donor asked your fundraising coordinator to send him your audited financial statements, but she was busy uploading a photo of her kittens to Twitter and forgot. 5 points
9. Your donor requested that you not acknowledge his gift in your annual report, but you did. 5 points
10. You told a major donor you would follow up in a week, but your Great Dane ate your day planner. 5 points
11. You engraved your wealthiest donor’s name on your donor wall but put it under the wrong giving level (a smaller one). 5 points
12. Your folks in gift processing duplicated the donor’s name in your database. You mailed two appeals to the same person at the same address until asked by the donor to stop. 5 points
13. Your donor has supported you for 10 years but your appeal letters still address her as “Dear Friend.” 5 points
14. Someone put your major donor on hold and made her listen to the local radio station playing, “Give a Little Bit” by Supertramp. 5 points
15. You wrote to Jean Bradshaw as “Mrs.” He’s ticked. 5 points
16. You wrote to Sam Carling as “Mr.” She’s livid. 5 points
17. You wrote to Penelope Bradshaw, 21, as “Miss.” Please hold, an officer from the Canadian Human Rights Commission will be with you in a moment. 5 points
18. Your organization asked for another gift before thanking your donor for the last one. 5 points
19. Your donor attended last year’s gala but was not invited to this year’s gala. 5 points
20. Your new major gifts officer sat next to your most generous supporter at your silent auction, and remained silent. 5 points
How Angry is Your Donor?
Add all your points.
0 points = put on your wings
5 – 15 = blush a little
20 – 40 = blush a lot
45 – 70 = update your resume
75 or more = make sure your last will & testament is current
Need help with your direct mail program?
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Mail Superiority: How to Run a Profitable Annual Direct Mail Fundraising Program.
