There’s good reason why Tom and I preach the importance of donor loyalty and commitment to anyone who will listen. In today’s philanthropic economy, there is no single engine that drives revenue growth more than truly loyal and committed donors.

Sadly, lots of folks pay lip service to the concept of donor commitment or loyalty, but few really grasp it, and even fewer in the nonprofit sector take any serious steps to do much about it.

The commercial sector long ago woke up to the economic importance of customer loyalty and commitment. A quick search of Amazon reveals more than 1000 books on ‘customer loyalty’ in the commercial world, but just 13 on ‘donor loyalty’ in the nonprofit space.

That’s why we welcome this month’s publication of a fascinating new book, 3D Philanthropy by Canadian fundraiser Fraser Green.

I’ve known and collaborated with Fraser over the years and he really understands the importance of commitment and how to build it. In fact, this book is really a donor commitment manual – full of practical tips and recipes to deepen donor connections and foster the loyalty that results.

Ken Burnett, who’s spent a long and distinguished career studying and preaching the importance of donor relationship management and commitment, says this about Fraser’s  unique book:

“Fundraisers, as Fraser Green rightly says, are better at understanding behaviours than motivations. This book sets out to rectify that, addressing the emotional and motivational dimensions of fundraising in more detail and better than any other I know. It contains more intimate pen-portraits of donors and more analysis not just of how they think and behave, but also of how they feel and why they respond as they do. It deserves a space on every fundraiser’s bookshelf.

“The author hopes this book will give you a new way to look at the good work you do and unlock some doors that you haven’t ventured through before. There’s a lot here for anyone serious about fundraising.”

And Tom Ahern, another of my heroes when it comes to understanding motvation and commitment, sums up Fraser’s insights:

“I’ve never seen a book like 3D Philanthropy. In this truly original work, Fraser takes you on a fascinating journey through the donor’s giving experience. You eavesdrop on the precise intellectual, emotional, and spiritual reasons behind the donor’s acts of philanthropy. This book will forever change your understanding of the donor’s mind — and your special role in helping donors reach their full philanthropic potential. If you’ve ever had second thoughts about your career in fundraising, read this book – and find your inspiration again.”

Building on a fascinating series of vignettes of individual donors, Fraser goes on to backup his theories with detailed survey research conducted by his fundraising firm, Goodworks with Canadian donors, then illustrates the importance of all this with easy-to-understand calculations of the value of donor loyalty and commitment.

The economics of fundraising is startlingly simple. Committed and loyal donors are the economic engine of any charity’s database. Donor loyalty must become the holy grail of fundraising. 3D Philanthropy is really a donor loyalty handbook. To understand ‘3D Philanthropy’ is to know how to build donor loyalty.

Fundraisers who do that right will be the ones who prosper.

Roger

P.S.  3D Philanthropy is available for $29 from Civil Sector Press. Fraser, until those royalties start piling up, you deserve a raise!