What to do when you receive a substantial nonprofit donation without the donor’s contact info . . .
You know those mystery donors who mail in substantial checks but you don't have an email or phone number for? How can you engage them in stewardship?
To answer this, you've got to ask my client, Michelle...
Her org had recently received two very generous surprises. An older woman had sent in two five-figure checks within a couple of months! Usually, Michelle would pick up the phone, but those mailed-in checks didn't come with any contact information beyond Sally's postal address.
My advice to Michelle?
Send the most authentic, warm thank you letter possible. Maybe even a Hallmark card. But, keep it short. Michelle did, and here's the big thing: with her letter, she included HER phone number and invited Sally to give her a call so she could thank her in person.
She didn't know if she'd hear from her or not but figured it was worth a try.
IT WORKED!
The donor called her back, they chatted and connected, and she's planning to come to tour the facility.
The biggest lessons here:
❤️meet your donors where they are
❤️be your authentic self
❤️be patient
❤️look for the next step to bring donors closer
It doesn't have to be complicated, it just has to be human.
How about you? Were you ever surprised by a phone call you never thought you'd get?
Whenever you’re ready, here are THREE things you can do next:
👣 Follow me on LinkedIn where I share insider info daily — the same lessons I teach my clients about attracting larger gen-ops dollars and diversifying revenue.
🍎 Grab FREE Guides + White Papers — download robust resources you can use to push against the sector’s misconceptions, equip your board, and shift your team into High-ROI fundraising.
📈 Work with me to diversify revenue & secure the gen-ops gifts you need to grow. If you’re a business-minded nonprofit CEO with big growth plans but need to make charitable revenue from investment-level donors a bigger part of your budget, you can apply to work with me here.
