through nonprofit eyes: Report on Major Donors' Motivations for Giving

There are two questions you should always be exploring with your constituents to determine whether or not you are delivering the proper message to your audience:

Why do your donors financially support your cause?
Why don't your non-donor constituents financially support your cause?

There are certainly more detailed questions that branch off of those, such as "Why do or don't previous donors renew their support?" Those are also important to explore, but for this posting we will focus on why major donors in Australia make the gifts they make. Relate Partners provides these insights in a recent report/promotional piece. It explores why 14 major donors 'down under' give, what annoys them about interactions with non-profits and other insights.

An executive summary from Pro Bono Australia is below. The full report can be found here.

Australia’s major donors give because they believe they have vital contribution to make, but feel underutilized by charities who only want their money, according to a new report. The report found that the most inspiring environment for giving by major donors is with charities who engage them in a well contextualised relationship, shaped by candid conversation.

From the face to face discussions, the group of major donors say they give most to causes that impact people in need, to charities that can leverage their giving, and when personally asked by a well informed representative in an appropriate way.

Director of Relate Partners, Steve Gleeson, says major donors typically ask the very basic question, “How can I best contribute to help address this need?”

Major donors say they are sceptical and tired of direct mail and do not respond with their biggest gifts to this solicitation method. Whilst they all prefer to be asked clearly, directly and personally for their major gifts, they don’t expect it to be the CEO. These high capacity donors say they generally need contact with someone who knows the work, can inform them well, be clear about what they want and is prepared to ask for it.

Allowing major donors to inform the method of engagement and communication, by hearing directly from them, is a real positive towards expectations being met, and their giving being maximised.

Nic Capp, founder and director of Relate Partners, says as they spoke one-on-one with these major donors, it was clear that they were buoyed by talking about how to improve their giving experience. Capp says they want to be better engaged because they want to help as best they can.

Major donors acknowledge they have disproportionate capacity to resource charities and they often want to give more than money. Typically highly skilled, vastly experienced and well networked, major donors say they feel underutilized by charities who only want their money.

The report says when these high calibre people ‘buy in’ to a purposeful endeavour, they want to contribute well and often are willing to contribute beyond financial donations. Their life and business skills and experience can not only be invaluable to a NFP in an advisory or board function, but when utilised they can be extremely motivating to the major donors in their resourcing capacity.