Make Your Last Days of the Year Count
It’s ‘The Little Things’ That Can Cement Donor Relationships

By Jennifer B. Furla, Senior Vice President
Jeffrey Byrne & Associates, Inc.

Recently, I had the chance to reconnect with a donor who had been a client of mine in a past job. The donor knew I was planning to meet with him but, five years since and out of context, did not connect my name with our past business dealings. Immediately upon our greeting, the donor – who is a man of some maturity – said: “My! The last time I saw you, you were climbing the stairs at [our university] football stadium to deliver a gift to me. Do you remember what that was?”

Of course I remembered the past client, and I remembered the instance he was describing. I also remembered generally that I was delivering a special music CD we had discussed in a previous meeting. I did not, however, recall the specific music selection. He helped me out.

“We had talked some weeks before about a party I attended many years before that [your boss] hosted. It was quite an affair. [Your boss] did things right and had the Glenn Miller Orchestra there – with Tex Benecke. That was quite a memorable evening. I loved Tex Benecke and hadn’t heard his music in years. You went out and found a Tex Benecke CD and gave it to me that day.”

I was thrilled and somewhat embarrassed, at the same time. I had the excuse of a career change, dozens of new client relationships, a baby (now five) and the lightning speed that time passes helping that baby grow into an active little boy, hours of volunteer work, a few pleasure trips and a household move. But he had recalled with great clarity that small gesture that day.

I recalled with great fondness my past encounters with the donor. I had looked forward to seeing him again. That gesture five years before was a bridge that spanned those years and immediately reconnected us.

Our exchange formed a deep impression. In the hours I spent driving back from our meeting, I mused over other past exchanges – the small acts of appreciation, the thought that goes behind them and the impressions we leave – intentionally or unintentionally -- with the clients, business associates and donors we connect with.

With the holiday season and the year end upon us, what are you doing that will create impressions for your donors that will span weeks … months … years to create a bridge that will keep you keep you connected with them?

It’s the little things that count.

That CD wasn’t terribly expensive. Sure, it took a bit of doing to find a nearly-out-of-circulation music selection from the client’s favorite performer. Maybe it made a stronger impression that the gift was delivered briskly amidst a college football game with the crowd noise so loud that there was little in conversation to accompany it.

I can’t be self-congratulatory. I must take responsibility for remembering the client and the instance, but not the specifics. I failed to stay in close contact over the five years since (but that’s another article). But my gesture was sincere and I was happy he remembered.

At this time of year, we have already made our holiday card lists and maybe have even made plans for some personal calls and visits. This kind of appreciation is always appropriate and welcome. But what can you do that is special and personal that shows you listen, remember and really care about your donor?

Maybe it’s a music CD. Maybe it’s a framed photo of an important moment. Maybe it’s a home-made treat that harkens back to a shared recollection of childhood memories.

Make your last two weeks count. For that matter, make any day of the year count. Give thoughtful consideration to your donors’ passions, to their families, to their history, to the stories you’ve shared. What, from those conversations, no matter how small the gesture, can you offer that will show your donor that you value their relationship and that it is deeply meaningful to your organization?

Remember, it’s the little things that count. With a chance meeting, that lesson was brought home to me in just a few brief words. I won’t forget it. I hope you’ll remember, too.