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In this module i have learnt couple of things which i can say have improved my fundraising skills. Notably knowing 9 Nos and their interpretation this is something i really appreciate because i do receive a lot of "Unfortunately" feedback and of course like any other preson you will feel unwell and what i could do was letting it go that way. but after sometimes i said no if they give this kind of feedback why can't i even thank them for their time. so i develop a kind of behaviour where i could only write THANKS FOR YOUR FEEDBACK thi is what i was doing whenever i get "Unfortunately" feedback. but after taking this course i know i can still follow up and find out why the Unfortunately feedback and take up opportunities if any. Thanks a lot.
I have previously received many "nos" while fundraising. From this course I have a clearer understanding of how to decide which "nos" are really "no" and which ones require changing the ask, timing, person I'm asking or looking for other solutions. In the future I will review the different kinds of "nos" before making an ask and be ready to asses the responses I get in the moment and adjust accordingly.
One thing I have learned in the past from getting a no is that sometimes I'm not the right person to ask. I have to approach donors with humility and understand that someone's someone else's personality, communication style, or experience will connect with a donor better than I can, and that is ok.
I agree! active listening is the best tool we have for figuring out which type of "no" we are receiving and adjusting our conversations with donors accordingly.
I learnt that a No is not always a rejection, it sometimes gives you the opportunity to approach in a different way or in a different time.
Sometimes a No is just not a good time for a donor. We have to be more persistent.
If we get time frome someone it is already a form of donation and appreciation
I should try and understand why the no and when I do respond appropriately
I totally agree
A positive note also helps the donor see that you respect them and can help build a relationship for future support
A positive note also helps the donor see that you respect them and can help build a relationship for future support
I have never fundraised before but I'm really glad i got the exposure to all these knowledge and I know when my time comes i will be all set and for that i'm greatful
I have learnt that a no is not the end of the world. Always ask if you can keep them on the emailer list and use another opportunity to approach and ask for something different
It is very interesting how many types of 'no' exist! I have learnt to identify the type of 'no' by asking relevant questions, and by following through according to the donor's response.
Getting a no is part of fundraising, how we get up and move forward from that 'no' is what really matters. Asking the right question is key in developing the relationship with the donor.
what l learned from the topic is that, getting a No from the donor is not the end of everything,you have to reason why the donor is saying No and if possible correct the mistakes for the good of the future.Some times today's No has a great meaning for the future "Yes".
I totally agree Martha. I have had many "no" responses, but as many yes responses. The no response has helped me become stronger in the ask. I agree - asking the right questions is so important. So true - a no is the nature of the game, and we just hold true to our values and relationship building and move forward. Have a great day!
I too have many moments when I have not listened well enough or I am already thinking on my response. These modules helped me better realize that a moment of silence is good.
Agree Savanna, A no can bring a new donor in the picture and especially by us asking "Do you know of someone our entity might be important to?" You have an ally in them and it makes their "no" still profitable.
This course prepares me to be rejected, to get a NO, and to have disappointments in all forms. I keep in mind all the lessons for my incoming fund raising.
This course prepares me to be rejected, to get a NO, and to have disappointments in all forms. I keep in mind all the lessons for my incoming fund raising.
I have learnt that receiving a 'no' from a potential donor is not the end of discussion. First of all, I need to determine which type of rejection it is and address it appropriately. Trying again using a different approach will address that concern. The active listening skills taught comes into play.
I learnt to handle such moments in a meeting and to always have multiple donors
When you get a NO from a donor, it does not imply that the donor has totally refused to fund your project. it might be due to the donor having too many responsibilities and they are simply asking you to be patient. Hence you should always try to be understanding
I've learnt that a "No" can help me find a way to a "Yes". Also, that when a donor says "No" they are often rejecting on circumstance out of many, I'll figure out what the donor concerns are and how I could arrive at a request to which he/she can say yes. Asking for referrals to other organizations that will be willing to assist, and prioritizing on other things the donor will be willing to assist with asides given a cash donation.
Absolutely SaniAliyu
Rightly Said
Rightly Said
You're right Martha, a No will definitely be part of Fundraising
It's better to be patient with donors
Hi, i am having trouble on finding and partner so i had to dress up and concern on my own using the key questions in order to develop the essence of the answers.
A really interesting course. i learnt how to admit my mistakes when i make one with Donors funds and I through this course, i am realizing that everyone is a potential donor.
By leaving or forgetting donors because of negative response, we forget that we are sitting on umtapped gold reserve. An initial no response has more potentials to yield positive result than a brand new donor becuase we can gain valuable information to turn it to positive. More so, familiarity and possible cordial relationship has been created by the engagement.
Yes, I have found that one way to learn is to have a look at who/what they say yes to so that I can modify my next ask accordingly.
I received a no from a donor when asking if they would increase their annual gift. They said that we were not in their top 3 organizations. This was a great way for me to learn more about the donor's priorities and find out why we were not in their top 3, and how we could be. This helped me for my future solicitations. Knowing that even a "no" from a donor could still be valuable to me helped take some of the pressure off of asking for a gift.
@badofuhenry said in Module 3 Discussion: Incorporating Donor Families and Dealing with Disappointments:
By leaving or forgetting donors because of negative response, we forget that we are sitting on umtapped gold reserve. An initial no response has more potentials to yield positive result than a brand new donor becuase we can gain valuable information to turn it to positive. More so, familiarity and possible cordial relationship has been created by the engagement.
I agree! In my experience I have also been able to deepen a donor's relationship with our organization by turning negative feedback into a positive outcome. Showing we care, and appreciate their oppinions, etc.
Even thought the donor rejection, we have to be very smart and good listener to make these disapointment in great oportunity because the donor could gave a good feedback to do better, built a better relationship in the future and get to the point when the donor contacts us for donation not the other way.
If you get a "no" try to find out where the problem is and if possible, try to invite them for your upcoming events.
Even though the feeling of getting rejected is based, try to find out why the no was uttered. Often, after understanding the no,you have a better idea of how to talk to and possibility win over the donor. Once you're both on the same page, understanding will come.
I learn to adapt after getting a no.
I have learnt that when the donor rejects a proposal I should take it bad faith instead a postponement or link for future project as well as an opportunity may be redesign my approach and project.
@Gibril_fuad said in Module 3 Discussion: Incorporating Donor Families and Dealing with Disappointments:
If you get a "no" try to find out where the problem is and if possible, try to invite them for your upcoming events.
The rejection is lesson to rethink and re-plan depending on the kind of No received.
The donor rejection is opportunity to train yourself on hospitality and respect which you can apply to other donors. Which means there are also benefits in the rejection.
I meant you should not take it personal and in bad faith
This was an eye openers course which changed my view of no to mean yes and also not to give or get demoralized.
before when I was living a non from a donor it made me disorientate to the point that I underestimate myself and I give up but the content of this course has just raised too much ambiguity in my head
many thanks to Tom and the whole Phylanthropy team
I have learned to be more persistent, and I have learned that every time I receive NOs I should find out the reasons behind these NOs, as they could be the best lessons learned and they can help me next times avoid same mistakes.
I totally agree on what you stated. By knowing the nine well known NOs in fundraising, the ways you have to proceed are clearer and you realize you can still be in contact with the donor who initially refuse to donate to your organization by asking simple questions who can help you better understand your potential donor intentions.
I have learnt that persistence needs to be exercised when a proposal for a fund is rejected by a potential donor.
The art of presentation is what I have learned from the experience of rejection. To be successful, I learned how to listen to their interests, aligned our interests to theirs & when a no was given, quickly determined what type of no I was given and asked for a different type of support.
Agree! Find out the reason behind the no.
Always remember to invite them to donate at a later time
There are different types of no's.
This is so true. Sometimes, uncovering the reason for the 'no', can lead to bigger and better outcomes than we envisaged.
One of the biggest mistakes we make is to sometimes internalize the 'no' and consider it a failure on our part. This is so far from the truth. The fact is, the process of uncovering the reasoning behind the no, and proffering solutions to donor concerns is to me one of the most rewarding parts of the entire fundraising process.
I learned here that when they say "no" I can turn it into a "yes" or get other help from this potential donor. I also learned how to deal with the "no" without taking it personally.
It is true, we must not take "no" personally, we must find solutions
It's real, I think this can also be done when the potential donor is better known
Thanks to this module, I have learned various mechanisms for raising funds, involving donor families, and dealing with possible "no."
I have not been fundraising long enough to have experienced a rejection. But I imagine that if I did, I hope I'd learn more about the different types of "nos" and be able to figure out what my next steps would be based on the response I received.
Great point--the negative feeling can be so uncomfortable, but we have to see beyond the hurt and figure out why and how to move ahead.
Most of the times I received "no" but the times O got "yes" were a so awarding experience to me.
Perfect! Yes, you get to know what the donors want and expect from us.
I have had a silent no. So next time I would approach the donor in a different manner. Talking less about the organisation i'm working in.
I have had a silent no. So next time I would approach the donor in a different manner. Talking less about the organisation i'm working in.
I have had a silent no. So next time I would approach the donor in a different manner. Talking less about the organisation i'm working in.
I have had a silent no. So next time I would approach the donor in a different manner. Talking less about the organisation i'm working in.
I have had a silent no. So next time I would approach the donor in a different manner. Talking less about the organisation i'm working in.
I have had a silent no. So next time I would approach the donor in a different manner. Talking less about the organisation i'm working in.
I have had a silent no. So next time I would approach the donor in a different manner. Talking less about the organisation i'm working in.
When trying to raise funds for my start up project names ''End hunger together'' I used to have a ''no at this time''. The lady explained by saying that she had other obligations that took her money out. But he said that by the time she doesn't know he could honor her engagement. I was very thankful to her and kept good relations. After 4 months she was able to send .$30 US.
I would suggest you to be persistant not pushing. Next time if you listen well to him, you may find the reasons he was silent or get right answer you were expecting for.
Ask the donor why no and how I can improve as an organization to get more donors. You can always learn from rejection.
I experienced disappointment after rejection from donors when I was raising fund to support our project .That was the hardest moment I was confused and failed to decide what to do.However,this course has inspired me that even the moment when the answer is no extra steps can be taken to convince donors
I experienced disappointment after rejection from donors when I was raising fund to support our project .That was the hardest moment I was confused and failed to decide what to do.However,this course has inspired me that even the moment when the answer is no extra steps can be taken to convince donors
Contextualize the 'No'. If the donor is capable of donating and his goals and objective are a match to your organization, try to understand what went wrong in the meeting with the prevented the grant from taking place.
It the way you approach donor.
You need to make them feel that they are gaining a lot from their contribution and it is as meaningful for them as it is for the organization.
les types de non face à un donneur est une leçon à apprise
The grace with which you respond to a "no" can impress the donor and at the very least, leave him/her open to the future possibility of working with you or your organization. Expressing disappointment or having poor body language can be off-putting. It is important to remember that it is a business decision to choose not to donate, and it must be respected. Just because there isn't a deal to be made in the moment, doesn't mean there can't be one later on.
Do you believe that you can overcome a "No" based on the purpose of your organization, by expanding upon its purpose and perhaps re-framing it in a way that the donor may find more appealing? Or would you see these efforts as wasteful - and your time best served by simply going in a different direction?
I learned some great suggestions for things I can say when a donor says "no" or "I don't know" and I loved this quote from the article "How to identify and respond to fundraising NOs": "Understanding [the nine] fundraising NOs isn't so much about changing someone's mind as it is understanding how they can and want to help." Therefore, rather than awkwardly try to respond to rejection, we can actually focus on listening better to what the donor is really trying to say, and let that logic guide our next question (if it's 1-8) or statement (#9 No, Go Away).
I learned how to deal with no and what to do once we get rejection.
What is one thing I have learned from the experience of rejection or getting a “no” from a donor is to expect it. I know that regardless of how I ask or the project or the amount, donors will say "no" and that doesn't mean the project is less important or that I am a failure, it just means the donor made a choice they felt was best for them- whatever the reason. Understanding this fact and learning to distinguish the difference in the "no", can help me be successful in the future, by understanding when to be persistent in discovering the way a donor is willing to say "yes" and when to thank them for their time and walk away (for a time).
I agree 100%
Note that, understand the type of NO.
I figured out, that fundraising, as a team sport, should not hear "no" anyway and there are many ways to drill your donor untill you hear yes. Besides I learned a lot with the stories.
I guees this is the question of the last "no". I would say no to myself only if they say go away!)
We had a donor who agreed in advance to give on a specific day using a third-party fundraising platform during a period when it was offering matching funds on all donations up to $2,500. Half way through the matching period, he still had not donated and I emailed the link again as a reminder. The next day he said he had logged on during the match period and was prepared to give the full amount but the organization that runs the platform automatically added a very large additional "donation" for itself and you had to disable this option in order to not be overcharged, which he thought was manipulative so he decided not to give. I had not been aware that the platform was set up this way and apologized to him and told him that I agreed and understood his decision. I wrote to the organization to explain that their system damaged our relationship with a major donor and asked them to reconsider auto-enabling this additional donation/fee for themselves because they already retain a percentage of every donation and it makes donors feels like they are being duped by an airline or insurance company that is trying to trick you into paying for additional services you did not want. I learned that if we do a similar campaign in the future and direct our organization's regular donors to another platform, we actually risk losing donations unless we inform donors in advance that they should disable this additional donation/fee and that may simply be too complicated for certain donors to be worth asking them to participate.
One thing I have learnt from this module is that a No is an uncovered yes depending on how one deals with it.
That's right. Particularly when the donor is involved in the process
This is true. It take pleasure at meeting donors to tasks about their expectations and our pitfalls in the process. It always helps to refine our approaches the next time
I learnt that getting a no, can help me reflect back and do better
Learn from it.
I have learned that I can strategize to interact with donors better.
One of the greatest challenges of being a development professional is dealing with rejection. The fact is, you are going to hear the word “No” a lot. But the best fundraisers know not to take it personally and get right back on that fundraising horse. They also learn that sometimes a No can help you find your way to a Yes. While many of your fundraising NOs will be passive (e.g., an unopened email or tipan ignored CTA), having a personal conversation with a donor or corporate representative allows you to listen to them in real time and possibly learn what is holding them back from committing to your cause.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t exactly love rejection. I am just about over my dating experiences of 38 years ago. In fact, rejection is such a huge
issue that most of us are extremely wary of major-donor solicitations. I can’t say that I love it when a potential donor does not come across with an
enthusiastic “Yes!” but I do have some tips on how to nd out what the issue is and make reluctance work for you.
I have learnt that you need to be persistent to get the reason for the "no" . This would help me know what things I can do better next. But the major point is persistence, of course not pressure on the donor.
You are right.
Absolutely right. I gree with you, it simply needs persistence but not pressure of course.
When I received no from a donor I tried in probe into why he has said no. I will thank him and even pray for him. I do not usually feel bad because I belief a better time will come. I have experienced it and later the donor still come back to donate towards the program. Meanwhile, at the time when one said no I will search for other prospects to make up.
Abdulkariim , you need to know things are not always rosy. There are might be many reasons why a donor will say no. May be he is going through some trauma or financial problems among others. There are some technical ways you use to get noticed to let the donor continue to have you in mind.