Three Things You May Not Know About Your Top Donors

It’s no secret that maintaining a strong relationship with your organization’s top donors is paramount to long-term sustainability. It takes intentional effort to ensure those relationships extend beyond a mere exchange of money. Wouldn’t it be helpful to know their thoughts and attitudes about your organization, their resources, and the factors that bring the two together?  

Thankfully, U.S. Trust and the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy have produced a biennial report, starting in 2006, that gives you a peek into the minds of your largest donors. As you peruse their findings, the results can be motivating.

For instance, in the 2014 report, people with high net worth were asked, “How would you respond to a decrease in government funding to a nonprofit organization you support?” Nearly a third (32.4%) said they would respond by increasing their own support, while just 1% indicated they would decrease (pg. 82). Meanwhile, when the question was reversed, “How would you respond to an increase in government funding to a nonprofit organization you support?,” the results showed 11.9% would actually decrease their giving in response (pg. 83).  

As non-profits consider the benefits of eschewing government funding (greater freedom, greater authenticity), these findings suggest your organization can move away from it and still thrive. When major donors believe in your work, a significant portion of them indicate they will step in with more funding as government money decreases. Conversely, you risk losing over 1/10th of your major donors if you pursue more government money going forward.

Here’s another finding from the same 2014 report (pg. 84) and the 2016 report, too: When it comes to addressing societal problems, most high net worth donors have much greater confidence in individuals and nonprofits (91% in 2014 and 87% in 2016). Those getting the least of their confidence? Governmental agencies at every level, from federal to state and local.

Adapted from the chart on pg. 84 of the US Trust Study of High Net Worth Philanthropy; https://www.privatebank.bankofamerica.com/publish/content/application/pdf/GWMOL/USTp_ARNTCJF5_2015-11_v1.pdf

This information should both inspire and focus your organization. Let their vote of confidence inspire you to press on in your ministry and seek innovative ways to make the kind of personalized impact impossible for government agencies. 

And let it focus your organization, too. While still at the top in the minds of high net-worth donors, confidence in individuals and non-profit organizations did experience a drop from 2014 to 2016. Measure more than the outputs of what you do by also measuring the outcomes of lives changed, and those confidence numbers will rise for your organization. 

Here’s one more from the 2016 report that drives that last point home: Over half of these top donors (53.4%) don’t know if their giving is having an impact (pg. 74). And barely one- third (35.7%) of these top donors will always be motivated to give simply because they gave to your organization last year (pg. 68). Meanwhile 79.2% of them gauge the impact of their giving by what you tell them (pg. 76). 

So, don’t assume the partnership. Instead, diligently share stories of transformation—and couple them with measurable outcome totals that demonstrate those stories are not anomalous. Do these well, and your top donors will keep investing in your work.

You can look deeper at all of these studies online. The biennial reports range from 2006 to 2018, and there’s plenty to digest. Insight into the thoughts and attitudes of your top donors will help you maintain and strengthen top donor relationships for your organization.