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When we conduct our Vital Signs Assessment, looking for indicators of fundraising success or struggle ahead, one data point stands out far more than any others – the number of donors who have given 20 years or more.
The greater the number of donors in that cohort, the more probable it is that that organization will:
So how many organizations have established this as a benchmark? I know of none but I hope some of you will reassure me that you are pointed in this direction.
Why is this metric so sorely missing? Well, you tell me.
Is it because:
But here’s the problem. Organizations are now losing 4 out of 5 first time donors. The vast majority of those we analyze lose donors retained after the first year within the next two years. Philanthropic seeds are not taking in their soil because it is so thin and nutrient deficient. The obsession with money has leached mission from it. The short-term metrics they have been using have proven damaging to the most important metric of all.
Oh, and as many of you know, that 20 year donor usually starts with small gifts. With each passing year they are more likely to give generously within their means and/or steadily lay in store a much greater contribution that will be realized at their life’s end.
We’ve lost complete sight of the ratio of sowing to reaping.
Jim Langley is the president of Langley Innovations. Langley Innovations provides a range of services to its clients to help them understand the cultural underpinnings of philanthropy and the psychology of donors and, with that knowledge, to develop the most effective strategies and tactics to build broader and more lasting communities of support. Jim has authored numerous books including his most recent book, The Future of Fundraising: Adapting to New Philanthropic Realities, published by Academic Impressions in 2020.
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