The Hispanic Child Support Resource Center Nuestros Hijos, nuestra responsabilidad
Funding
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Relationship Building

Consider the following as part of your approach to relationship building:

  • Prospects: Find out about them and their interests.
    • When you meet a person who you think may be interested in the issues surrounding child support, concentrate on learning about that person and his or her interests. Find out what motivates this person, what he or she values, what he or she needs, and why your organization is important to him or her.
    • Concentrate on having conversations, not on talking to your prospect about your organization. Instead, listen well. Smile and make eye contact. Ask questions. And make a formal note of the answers; record this information at your organization.
    • To learn more about a group of prospects, conduct research. Send out a survey or hold a focus group. Ask about interests, motivations, and values to see if there is a match between any of those people and your mission.
    • Let your prospects know what your organization is doing and how it can benefit them. Share your passion for your organization’s work.
    • Hold a reception for current and prospective funders. Be clear that you will not ask for donations at this event; the purpose is strictly to interest people in your organization, to get to know them, and to see if their interests and goals fit with yours.
    • If there is a fit between their goals and yours, see if they are ready, willing, and able to help you.
  • Current and Past Funders: Nurture the relationship.
    • Continue the conversations so that you know what is on your funders’ minds.
    • Meet with current and past funders to find out what they are thinking. Invite a funder to lunch or set up a focus group with several funders to receive feedback.
    • Make sure your funders feel a personal connection to you and your organization, and ensure that they understand you genuinely appreciate their support. Show your interest in them as people and as partners that help your organization fulfill its goals, not simply as sources of income.
    • Build honesty and trust with your funders. Encourage a relationship in which each party knows—and values—what the other can contribute to the project.
    • Concentrate on building a strong partnership.
    • Keep them informed as to what your organization is doing—how it is benefiting families and children and what its next steps are.
    • Put your funders on your mailing list, invite them to events, and stay in touch personally. Hold a reception to get to know them even better.
    • If your organization has bad news, share it with your funders before it appears in the paper.
    • Document your project’s success and share those positive outcomes with your funders; make sure they are aware of the many ways in which their contribution helped others.
    • Recognize all donations—publicly, and gratefully.
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Last Update: March 26, 2009 3:00 PM