Looking to build individual giving? Write this down...

Lots has been written about individual giving - I'm certainly spent a lot of time writing and thinking and talking about it. It's the key to a sustainable and strong fundraising program - and it's often the type of fundraising that nonprofits shy away from.

I'll save my thoughts on the importance of a cultivation plan and a stewardship strategy for another post. This time, it's all about notetaking.

You might call them action items, or activity reports, or meeting notes, but it's all the same thing: taking time after a donor meeting to write down what you learned and what's next.

The ability to capture meaningful data after a donor meeting - and to record that data in whatever database your team uses -- is the skill that separates good fundraisers from great ones.

If you're not recording what you learn from your meetings, then did the meeting really happen? If your meeting notes are scattered across multiple emails or documents, how can you find and search though them?

Meeting notes are a key part of your fundraising strategy and your fundraising goals.

But here's the trick. An effective meeting note is not a transcript - or a link to a Zoom recording, It is focused on what you learned about the supporter and their relationship with the organization. It identifies any questions or concerns they have about the mission. It has a clear follow up plan baked in. A good meeting note also:

• Is written with discretion. Fundraisers are often privy to personal information about their donors - and need to be thoughtful about what information / how much information is going into the record. Write as though the meeting subject is going to read it

• Is a gift for the future. The long-term value of the meeting note is to give a future fundraiser (or anyone else reading the note) a sense of the donor's connection to the organization.

• Is current: You might not be able to get your thoughts and impressions from your mind into the database right away. But the longer you wait, the less accurate your thoughts are. Build a process that gets info into the database as soon as possible

I help my clients tackle fundraising systems like meeting notes - so they can raise more and do more for their mission. If you are looking for stronger post-meeting follow up, I can help!

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