Spring, Summer, Key Prospects
We are two weeks away from the first week of May. It is a very busy time in many people’s lives including your donors and key prospects. There is a seasonality to fundraising, particularly with major gifts, as you are dependent upon your donor’s and prospect’s schedules. Thus, planning the next few weeks into mid-June is important.
A good practice is to put yourself in the shoes of the donor and think about what most people have coming up. There are proms, graduations, college students coming home to be with their families, weddings, summer vacations and somewhat of a down shift in the busyness from the last few months. This is important because time is of the essence to get in front of key prospects to make a gift request. So, think ahead to those people you want to see and how “life” may be affecting them in the coming months.
Fundraisers used to say that the summer was a bad time to fundraise. That has changed greatly in the last 30 years because of how we communicate with each other. The coming months are good months for cultivating donors, getting input from prospective donors and planning for the last four months of the year. Depending on where you live in the country, the summer may be a great time to ask for a major gift. But if you live in the Southeast, we know a lot of donors head north to cool off, and if you live in the Northeast, many people spend time at the shore or the beach and take full advantage of the good weather. Seeking fairer climate happens all over the U.S.
So think about your key prospects and when you want to get some time with them. Be mindful of what is going on in their lives.
Are you starting to make plans for the spring and summer? How do your plans affect someone trying to meet with you to ask for something important? Would you put that conversation off to the fall? You are no different than any of your donors so plan accordingly.
“The most important thing in communication
is to hear what isn’t being said.”
Written by: Paul D’Alessandro
Founder and Chairman
