We know there’s a LOT to remember for face to face fundraising.

We’re not just talking about remembering to wear your waterproofs when it’s raining or your tablet to sign up donors. And we’re not talking about all the information about your charity.

We’re talking about some key things that all great fundraisers do as standard.

But it takes a while for these things to become second nature, especially when a fundraiser is just starting out.

A great way to try to get it to stick in the memory is to use an acronym. And what better than the word that represents everything about the role of face to face charity fundraiser :

D.O.N.A.T.E

Let’s dive in…

Donor centric

Always make it about the donor. That means knowing exactly who you’re pitching to so you can personalise your pitch to them. That’s the best chance of that ‘yes’.

The only way you can truly learn is by asking questions and listening intently to everything they say (and noticing what they don’t say!).

Make the first minutes of your pitch about gaining as much info as you possibly can. Use that knowledge as the direction to go for the best result.

The key things to find out are:

How are they doing today? (This simple question tells you about their mood and may give you some nuggets on how to move forward!)
How much time do they have? (Are they rushing to get somewhere or are they milling? You should always aim to be succinct and not take up too much time, but sometimes you need to be super speedy!)
What do they already know about your charity? (Do you just cover the basics, or if they are aware of your charity, what do they know – how do they feel about it?)
Do they have any experiences related to your cause? (Have they or anyone they know benefited from the charity?)
Are they showing signals of empathy and care about your cause? (Look at facial expression, body language and tone – if they just don’t care, save your energy and politely end the conversation)

Shape the pitch around what they want to hear - NOT just what you have to tell them.

Fundraisers should let donors know:

Why the charity is still relevant
About how the donors money will make a difference
About how donating a bit less is better than not donating
About why it's the right decision to give and how proud they should feel if they do

Learn more about what donors want to hear

Objection prepped

To fail to prepare is to prepare to fail right?!

New fundraisers just hear the no’s, but zen master fundraisers know when and how to dismantle the no!

Fundraisers should look for repeats and patterns in all the interactions you have – you’ll notice the same reasons come up time and again.

Next step is to have a few succinct come backs for each objection… Always align with the donor and try starting your answer with ‘I agree’.

This neutralises any sense of conflict and shows understanding.

The vast majority of people feel misunderstood, so finding someone that ‘gets you’ and what you’re saying is a great way to gain trust and likeability.

Another great tip is to answer an objection with a question. This keeps the conversation going and invites the potential donor to explore their own reasoning.

Sometimes our gut reaction isn’t what we might feel after thinking about it a bit more. It also gives the fundraiser a chance to better understand the problem and if there are solutions.

For example, if the objection is ‘I don’t have the money’ – a fundraiser could say ‘I totally understand, it’s really tough at the moment. Does a pound a month sound doable to help save this dog Buster’s life?’ – By making reasonable adaptations and finding solutions you’re breaking down barriers.

If objections are more ‘practical’ – for example people keep saying they’re in a rush, perhaps consider picking a different time to make sure you’re only speaking to people who have got time to stop and chat.

Read more about objection handling

No Negativity

There’s a ton of reasons why fundraisers must always do their best to be as positive as possible. Sometimes that’s a tough call when you’re talking about serious issues and people or animals in dire need.

But the focus needs to be about hope and solutions.

Being positive includes:

The way they attract attention (smiling and welcoming)
The initial introduction (pleasant and optimistic)
The way they interact (optimistic)
The ask (without any pressure or desperation)
The thank you (even if it’s not the result that was wanted)
The goodbye (wishing the person well and smiling)

Fundraisers should never try to ‘guilt trip’, judge or shame potential donors into giving. Apart from being against the fundraiser code of practice, it just doesn’t work! Nobody is going to buy from anyone that’s negative, unpleasant or aggressive

Donors need to feel good about giving and that should always be a fundraisers main intention.

Aim high

Aiming high is about managing our OWN psychology and reactions. Think of it as rising above any negativity that’s pulling you down.

Knowing that fundraisers have to make around 80 connections (literally a form on interaction not just a knock on the door) just to get a single yes means fundraisers should be aiming for the stars and expect to put in the work.

Over time, experienced fundraisers learn the best times to show up, the times to lock down and really focus and the times to accept things are going to be tough – like a rainy day.

But the bottom line is not to be defeated and to stay in the ‘human brain’ (Logic dominates; thinks before reacting) rather than the ‘chimp brain’ (Emotions dominate; reacts first, thinks later).

Learn more about the chimp brain and how not to let it destroy your mood, or your day

Type of donor

The ‘type’ of donor means to work out what it is that might make them want to give. The reason for supporting charity is different for everyone, but broadly speaking they all fit into one of a few categories. Finding out the donor type let’s fundraisers pitch specifically.

Here are some great examples:

Altruism - a person who wants to do the right thing usually just needs to have the cause explained and then asked. So look for signals they’re a moral person – wearing a crucifix, is helping someone else, expresses concern when you tell them about your charity

Egosim - when a person feels really good about themselves for giving. Top tip is to ask if they have ever supported charity and notice the response when you compliment them for it. Drop big hints about how amazing supporters and how appreciated they are. If they’re glowing / smiling / nodding and have open body language, continue down this route before making the ask

Social dynamic - This is the need for peer group approval and uses humans natural need for herd mentality. Fundraisers can try approaching friends who are together. Encourage them to agree on matters to do with your charity and look for tell-tale signs they’re supporting each other. Chances are, if you can get one to agree to sign up, the other will too! You can also use FOMO techniques by emphasising how fantastic it will feel if they donate and hopefully others will want a piece of that too!

Relatability – This is when people donate because they’ve been in a similar situation it’s a strong driver for wanting to help others who are going through the mill. They understand how it feels and can empathise. Fundraisers should ask open questions inviting the donor to share about situations they or someone they love have been in that are similar.

Impact – People want to know that they’re specifically making a difference and how. The impact donor likes to see that their money will help individuals. By telling the stories of the beneficiaries of the charities, fundraisers are building up the idea that the donor has real power in their hands and by acting, can use that power for good.

Learn about different types of donor and how fundraisers can use psychology to help with their pitch

Emotionally connect

You can tell when someone cares about what they’re talking about. They gesture and speak with passion and it makes you want to feel that same thing.

Charity fundraisers definitely need to care and emotionally connect to their cause.

Fundraising is a wonderful opportunity to make people feel things; to connect to their own humanity and compassion and to feel an incredible sense of pride and comradery.

Fundraisers should remember how there’s something very special and powerful when people feel united; just think about when a crowd sings together at a concert, or when Queen Elizabeth died. That sense of sharing brings out the best in people and that’s what fundraisers to be aiming to create.

Don’t forget to show your donor that you care about your cause tell the stories of the beneficiaries as if you personally know them – your passion will be infectious.

Donating and giving is actually proven to release the reward, bonding and love hormones –dopamine and oxytocin – and we could all do with more of that.

Learn more about how much emotion is a good amount in our blog

So there we have our DONATE Acronym