When your donors visit are things spic-and-span?

 

“Spic-and-span” from the 1600’s, means, “spotlessly clean and well looked after.”  It’s associated with words like “immaculate, impeccable, unsullied, and untarnished.”

Attention to appearance is a key factor in donor satisfaction and repeat investments.  Appearances – short and long term – matter as much as impact.

Think about having your name on something where everyone sees it.  Or perhaps it’s the name of your beloved, deceased spouse, parent, friend or child.  Or perhaps it’s the name of your business, organization or group and represents the entire staff and membership, past and present.

Now consider that you partnered with these folks to create these spaces because there was a real need – a real purpose is being served – people will find shelter, lives will be saved, research will be conducted, gatherings of all sorts will be held, food will be served – basically those daily activities that produce the impact we created the space for in the first place will happen! Bravo!  We WANT this – and LOTS OF IT!

We want physical spaces that are worthy of the important work and people that inhabit them.  But unless we are vigilant, overflow storage will pile up in the corner, gashes will show up in the wall, bushes will grow and GROW, the paint will fade, and stuff will break. Hey, we’re USING the place!

Donors notice.

A donor I was privileged to work with, Irwin Smith, named the DC Smith Greenhouse after his Dad. He lives in another state and only occasionally returned to campus. On one visit he mentioned that he walked through the greenhouse and it was strewn with plant material, dirty and unkempt.  Faculty countered, “Hey, it’s a greenhouse!”  But how does it look to the eyes of a visitor? Does this appearance make your work impressive or questioned? Does it make your donor proud this is where he created a legacy?  The place looks great now and it makes a difference.

Nancy Gerard, Director of Development at the Georgia-Cumberland Academy in Georgia, and currently my VIP Coaching client, shared the transformation in giving that was accomplished by focusing on routine maintenance that had been neglected for years. Everyone – students, staff, parents and external constituent – noticed.  On a campus tour, she pointed out a memorial plaque to share a donor story with me.  We could hardly see the plaque due to the brush overgrowth. She asked the grounds staff to give the spot a haircut and it was completed before I left.  You see, she walked by it every day and hadn’t noticed, but my visit….seeing this through my eyes, prompted her action.

Here’s a picture of my kitchen wall. My perfect, precious, adorable two kittens scratched at the wallpaper seam until they managed to pull it up. I grabbed the first tape I found to thwart future damage temporarily.  Took this shot today…the “kittens” are approaching two years old. Honestly, I almost don’t see the blue tape on the wall but I bet you would when you come to my home.

Do your donor recognition pieces still bring honor?

In the Mead Residence Hall, there is a mural with all the key donor names.  It was designed to last – even in a place used to house outdoor research scientists, grad students, and visiting researchers….their big boots and all-weather gear – the place is used!  When I reconnected with Andy and Barbara McEachron, key donors to the project, I knew we shared pride in how the place looked.

 

Appearances matter.  When we look at what I call the most important part of the cycle, “Invoking the Grateful Recipient” a big piece of our thanks and impact is making sure physical places remain a source of pride for our donors. Are we keeping our promises?  Are we doing what we said we would do to honor our donor’s investment? Take a look around.  Better yet, bring someone who has never been there to take a look around. Ask their impressions. Then, take action to be sure your major giver is eager to invest again!