If you work in fundraising long enough, chances are you will come across a donor who is upset with you or your organization. Whether it is a misspelled name, lack of acknowledgment for a gift, or soliciting too much, fundraising is not immune to constituents voicing their displeasure. So what do you do when it inevitably happens?
When handled correctly, this can actually be an opportunity to grow a relationship with a donor. Research has shown that customers who have complaints promptly and professionally addressed are more likely to purchase again (or donate in this case).
As a former Telefund manager for a university, it was not unusual for me to come into the office and be greeted by a few voicemails of alumni who were frustrated for one reason or another. And to be honest, it was always a little scary to call them back (some were more upset than others!). Here are the things I found helpful when working with frustrated donors.
First, pick up the phone and give them a call. I found most people were pleasantly surprised that this step was taken. Most importantly, it creates room for dialogue (which is much more difficult via email) and allows you to engage in the next step.
Listen to what they have to say and acknowledge their concerns. Like most things in life, people just want to be heard. Give them time voice their concerns. When they are finished, repeat their concerns, feelings, or frustrations back to them. Although this may seem a little elementary, it lets them know you were listening and understand their concerns. If you are having trouble understanding the issue, politely ask questions to probe a little further and get to the root of the problem.
Finally, offer an apology and to the extent you can, suggest a solution. People will appreciate that you are taking a proactive step to ensure the problem does not happen again. It is important to weigh these solutions against the needs of the organization and the number of upset donors. If one donor calls frustrated about the number of mailings they are receiving, it would be best to simply remove them from the mailing list rather than decreasing the number of mailings. But if you are getting hundreds of calls or emails about the number of mailings, perhaps you need to rethink their frequency.
Take comfort in knowing that most donors just want to be heard and have their concerns acknowledged. Simply ignoring them will likely mean a donor is lost forever, but by engaging them you have the chance to grow the relationship and create an even more loyal supporter.