Steier Tips

Strategies for Success
Part Three: The Importance of Successful Donor Evaluation

Before soliciting prospective donors for your organization’s capital campaign, it is important that proper planning and research take place to set a specific request amount. The request amount should challenge the donor to make a sacrificial gift, which puts your organization at the top of the donor’s charitable giving priorities. However, the specific request amount should not be so aggressive that it surpasses the donor’s willingness or ability.

With this in mind, it is vital that a concerted effort is made to evaluate donors so that the request is challenging and rewarding for the potential donor. The following resources are all important to the donor screening and evaluation process:
     • The donor’s past giving history
     • The feasibility study information
     • The donor’s charitable giving to other organizations
     • The donor’s ability to make a gift
     • Leaders’ and volunteers’ knowledge of the donor

The donor evaluation process involves research, planning and discernment before beginning the actual solicitation process. When donor evaluation is done properly and your request amounts challenge your donors, your organization will be well on its way to achieving the campaign goal!

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Other Steier Tips articles:

Ask Amounts
Creative Campaigning
Getting Read
Development Doldrums
Getting to Goal
Selling the Mission
Preparing for the Feasibility Study
Volunteer Involvement
Striking Out in a Campaign
New Year's Resolution
Preparing for Campaigns
Past Donors
Strategies for Success: Job Descriptions
Strategies for Success: Leadership Recruitment
Strategies for Success: Solicitation Training
Strategies for Success: Communications
Strategies for Success: Efficient and Effective Databases
Strategies for Success: Thanking Your Volunteers and Donors
Tax Provision a Great Benefit for Donors
"Challenge" Your Campaign
Hosted Events in Capital Campaigns
Are You Ready for a Capital Campaign?
Strategies for Success: The Tortoise and the Hare
The Importance of Personally Visiting Foundations
Make Summer Special
Post Campaign Strategy
Continuous Cultivation
Staying in Front of "Seasonal" Donors
Assessing Your Organization's Year-End Giving Program
Differences Between Development Audit and Capital Campaign
Identifying the Right Leaders
Campaign Communications
Assessing Your Organization's Campaign Readiness
Recruiting and Training Volunteers
The Magic Words
Donor Evaluation - Setting the Request Amount
Consistency in your Development Efforts
Keeping Your Donors Involved
Keeping the Excitement Alive
The Ask
The Importance of Hosted Events
Back to the Future
The Internet: Taking Advantage of the New Normal
The Importance of Recognizing Your Donors
Getting Off to a Good Start: The Importance of the Feasibility Study
Volunteer Training

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