Fundraisers, we know that you’ve mastered (or are working on mastering) the art of the ask. You’ve been honing that pitch for major donors, repeat donors, new donors and lapsed donors, highlighting your big annual event, appeal or campaign. We all know how important the ask is. However, have you ever stopped to consider the flip-side; the art of the listen?

So many donors have big dreams of wiping out disease, hunger, poverty and inequality around the world. And, while this is a valiant goal and vitally important, scholars and philanthropists are encouraging people to focus on local giving.

In our previous blog post, we discussed how millennials are changing the face of philanthropy and how they are impacting the nonprofit industry. And now that we’ve recognized how they’re shifting the industry as we know it, we want to talk about how to reach and connect with this generation.

There’s a lot of hype surrounding major gift donors. They are the ones who financially support your mission and whose contributions make a huge impact and we put a lot of emphasis on acquiring them and nurturing those relationships.

We’re not talking about just any old “thing,” we’re talking about the Internet of Things. From smartphones to smart refrigerators, the Internet of Things is making it possible for us to use connected devices to collect, share and utilize data. We’re thinking voice assistants, like Alexa and Siri that can tell you what the weather is, what the best Italian restaurant in your city is, and how much longer your cupcakes need to bake for. Today’s homes are even getting smarter and smarter. From smart thermostats that help people be more energy efficient, smart refrigerators that let you know when your produce is going bad and how much milk you have left (yes, this is a thing), and smart lightbulbs that automatically adjust based on the time of day.