Connect to Inspire Giving

Two things you NEED TO KNOW TO INSPIRE donor GENEROSITY

Nothing makes a fundraiser happier than a generous donor. And nothing inspires a donor more than to know their gifts will help their favorite causes.  How do you inspire your donors? Understand them. The better you know your donors, the easier it is to make an emotional connection. When you reach their hearts, they become generous donors. The two most important things you should know about your donors are the capacity (money) and affinity (motivation) to give generously. Know those things about your donors, and you can deepen their bond with your cause. Then you can ask for what they will happily give.

HOW DO I KNOW IF A DONOR OR PROSPECT HAS CAPACITY?

It’s all in the data. Your donor’s visible wealth is the strongest indicator of gift capacity.  We studied over $5 Billion in giving to 400 nonprofits and found these four strong connections between wealth and philanthropy:

A chart of wealth data showing capacity.

HOW DO I KNOW IF A DONOR OR PROSPECT HAS AFFINITY?

You can easily determine a donor’s affinity if they’re already giving–both to you and other causes. 

Data graph showing affinity

WHAT CAN YOU DO WHEN YOU KNOW YOUR DONOR’S AFFINITY?

You can answer your burning questions:  How do I find new donors and inspire them to give generously?

FINDING NEW DONORS

  • Discover potential major gift donors.
  • Identify connections that can influence a donor’s decision to donate. 
  • Prioritize who you engage with first.

INSPIRING THEIR GENEROSITY

  • Engage with prospects who care about similar causes.
  • Feature the work you do that will speak to their hearts.
  • Determine an ask amount that they’ll gladly give.

When you know your donors’ capacity and affinity, you’ll know how to inspire their generosity.

Lightbulb inside a comment bubble

Did you know?

We give you the capacity and affinity data you need to inspire your donors to give in each screening, including RFM scores & net worth estimates.

Want us to show you your donors’ capacity and affinity? Click Get a Demo.

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Additional Resources

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