Respecting the Donor’s Time as a New Measure of Success
Fundraisers: Respecting the Donor’s Time as a New Measure of Success
I recently came across an excellent post on LinkedIn from Lauri Thompson. Her message:
The biggest opportunity you have for major donor fundraising is giving introverted or private people a way to see both the numbers and the emotional impact of your work - without having to meet in person.
Her insights stopped me in my tracks, because they surface a tension I see every day in our sector: our sector's preoccupation on getting meetings versus our responsibility to serve donors well.
For too long, in-person meetings have been the gold standard of “major gifts productivity.” We count them. We celebrate them. We’re evaluated on them. Sometimes we even tie our value up in how many in-person meetings we get.
But if we step back and see things from a donor’s perspective, that metric suddenly feels… extractive.
Think about it: time is a donor’s most precious and non-renewable resource. And yet we constantly ask for it.
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We want to meet them.
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We want to know more about them.
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We want it sooner rather than later.
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We usually have the time.
But do they?
What Donors Really Want
Lauri offered five pieces of advice that every fundraiser should take to heart (summarized here):
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Create a “What We Do” video (5 minutes) and post it on your homepage. Share the big picture, your impact, what would happen without your work, and an emotional story. Make giving and connecting easy and responsive—no phone call required.
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Add a “Financial Transparency” tab to your website. Share basic proof of responsibility: balanced budgets, reserves, fair wages, and spending that aligns with your goals.
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Give donors options. For hard-to-reach supporters, ask: “You likely get many requests; how can we make this easier for you? Would you prefer email or Zoom updates or something else?”
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Be direct. Instead of, “Would you like to catch up over coffee?” say, “We are fundraising for next year’s work. Here's what we have accomplished this year. we accomplished. Can I share next year’s plans - by coffee, email, or whatever works best for you?”
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Don't overcommunicate. Depending on the size of the gift, a two-paragraph update can be enough. Send one 3 and 9 months after a gift is made, in plain language, talking about your achievements and real challenges. Real is better than polished. It will build trust in you and your work.
As she reminds us: wealthy donors want to be part of meeting the mission. They just may want to do it from the privacy of their own homes. Our job is to make that possible.
Where Fundraisers Slip Up
Here’s where I add my coaching perspective. Too often, we unintentionally deliver poor service by centering our needs over the donor’s experience:
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Long, dense emails that bury the ask.
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“Getting to know you” coffee requests that feel like fishing expeditions.
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Updates that only come if and when we meet.
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Messaging that’s all about what we need to say, not what the donor needs to hear.
A Few Shifts to Try
If you want to reach donors more effectively and serve them better, try this:
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Keep emails short and clear. Assume they’ll be read on a phone.
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Skip long intros. The “from” line already signals who you are. That’s enough and it isn't about you.
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Offer value right away. Share a quick story or update in your outreach email itself. Don’t hold back everything for a meeting.
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Lead with curiosity. Ask questions that uncover values, not just opportunities to pitch.
Fundraising as Service
At its heart, fundraising is not about extracting time, money, or attention. It’s about creating a relationship of trust, connecting values, and mutual purpose.
When we treat donors’ time as sacred, we demonstrate respect. When we offer options, we demonstrate flexibility. When we are direct and real, we demonstrate integrity.
That’s the kind of service that builds long-term generosity. And that’s the kind of fundraising our sector needs more of.
