Starting the relationship

What does it take for someone to progress from hearing about you for the first time to being a repeat major donor?

For most of your supporters, that journey will start off something like this:

1. They hear about you

2. They're interested in you

3. They care about your cause

4. They believe in your work

5. They seek out ways to help

6. They take action to help

That progression is a funnel that decreases in number at each step:

Of a thousand people who hear about you for the first time, something less than a thousand will be interested in you. And far fewer will make it as far as taking action to help.

So part of the challenge here is increasing the number of people who make it from one step to another.

What's even more challenging is this:

At those early stages, you probably won't even know who they are.

This above all else is the reason your communications must be crystal clear about:

• What you do

• Why to do it

• The difference you're making

• One or two bone-simple, "heck yeah," easy, no-commitment ways for them to stay connected (and to tell you who they are).

Because once you've got that, the real relationship can begin.

And without that, you have almost no way at all to help them take that next step.

All the best,
A.