You Met With A Donor: What’s Next?

You finally did it. You had a great meeting with a potential big donor, you finally met up with that tricky-to-pin-down supporter, or you made a great first connection with a new donor. The work is done for now, right? Now you can sit back and wait until they decide to make a gift or until the schedule says it’s time to visit again.

Wrong. While successful meetings are worth celebrating, what happens after the visit makes or breaks a donor-fundraiser relationship. If donors only hear from you when you’re with them in person, setting up another visit, or asking for money, it’ll leave them feeling like an ATM.

Having a post-visit checklist is especially important for new fundraisers, but this tool can be equally helpful for veteran fundraisers.

First, regardless of the visit outcome, it is essential to send a handwritten thank-you note as soon as you can. (We at CG&A sometimes begin writing notes during flight layovers or start voice-to-text drafts while traveling.) Thank the donor for his/her time, and be sure to send any follow-up materials you promised at the meeting. Is the donor ready to make a pledge? Send a commitment card. Is he/she not interested in giving now but would like to know more about the nonprofit? Send helpful print materials with the note or videos and website links by text or email.

In this note, show that you paid attention to each donor as a person, not just as a donor. Did he/she express concern about a family member’s spiritual state, medical concerns, or excitement for an upcoming vacation? Show that you remembered these details and that you hope to hear about the outcomes in future phone calls or visits.

Second, whether a donor says yes, no, or maybe to a request, make your life easier and keep the relationship moving forward by tracking any decisions that were made at the meeting. CG&A provides two tools for planning and accountability (called the “Windshield” and the “Matrix”) that do just this. Enter some notes after each meeting, and refer back to the resources later on.

Third, when donors give as the result of a visit or direct ask, be sure to let them know how their gifts are being used. Send photos of the results or quotes from the people directly impacted by the gift.

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CG&A clients receive in-depth post-visit checklists for each type of visit, as well as side-by-side training on how to implement these checklists in a relational way. If you’d like to know more about what CG&A can offer your nonprofit, contact us to start the conversation.

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