Hidden Treasure

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I’d be willing to bet that one of the most valuable features of ResultsPlus (or any donor management system, for that matter) is also one of the most under-utilized. I’m talking about constituent-relationship management:  the fields in your database that allow you to define, record, monitor, compile, analyze, and report on your major donor cultivation progress.

You’ve heard all the experts say that fundraising is all about relationships, right? Well that concept is never more important than with a strong major-donor program, and a good CRM or donor-management system will help you manage those relationships. Here are some of the things you will be able to do using ResultsPlus:

  • Assign a solicitor to each major donor prospect
  • Associate cultivators with your prospects – other people who can help in addition to the primary solicitor
  • Record a cultivation strategy for each major donor, including rationale, goals, and objectives
  • Assign a projected giving amount – the amount you will eventually ask for
  • Keep track of every contact you make with a donor – calls, visits, emails, conversations, notes, event attendance, solicitations, etc. Every touch point can be documented
  • Schedule future contacts for each donor, complete with pop-up reminders

Once you’ve begun using these features in your ResultsPlus CRM, you’ll then have access to reports and graphs that will help you record your progress and analyze your performance. In the Solicitor category of the reports menu, you’ll be able to run reports that summarize scheduled contacts, display notes, and analyze giving for your major donor prospects. On the Performance Tab you’ll find several graphs showing a birds-eye view of your major donor program pipeline.

Utilizing these features can also help you manage volunteers involved in the process – people like your board members, campaign committee members, and others outside your development staff. You’ll be able to associate them with a given major donor prospect, then send them reminders about upcoming calls or updates on gifts that have come in from the prospects they are assigned to. Providing regular feedback on the results of their efforts can help them stay engaged and enthused in your development program.

To learn more about using ResultsPlus to cultivate your major donors, check out the topic called ‘Developing Major Donor Relationships’ in the ResultsPlus help system. There are also a few tutorials there, including one called ‘Implement a Cultivation Strategy.’ Or, logon to YouTube to view the introduction to the ‘CRM for Major Gift Development’ ResultsPlus.tv course. Let one of these paths lead you to uncover some valuable new resources to help you be more productive in your fundraising efforts.