Comments on: Givers Or Donors? http://www.theagitator.net/dont-miss-these-posts/givers-or-donors/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=givers-or-donors Fundraising and advocacy strategies. Trends, tips ... with an edge Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:21:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Ken Burnett http://www.theagitator.net/dont-miss-these-posts/givers-or-donors/comment-page-1/#comment-27894 Ken Burnett Tue, 20 Jul 2010 13:38:19 +0000 http://www.theagitator.net/?p=1491#comment-27894 Hi Tom, A good point, to differentiate between the donor and the 'giver', Tom. But hardly a new definition. In my 1992 book 'Relationship Fundraising' (page 111 and page 156 of the current edition) I stress the importance of differentiating between the donor and what i called the responder – the one time giver. There really is nothing new Tom. To prove this, if readers of 'The Agitator' want to check out the latest in major donor functions i suggest they follow this link first. http://www.sofii.org/active%20site/Members%20area/FA258The1stmajordonordinner.html Hope you and Roger are enjoying a delightful summer. All best, Ken Hi Tom,

A good point, to differentiate between the donor and the ‘giver’, Tom. But hardly a new definition. In my 1992 book ‘Relationship Fundraising’ (page 111 and page 156 of the current edition) I stress the importance of differentiating between the donor and what i called the responder – the one time giver.

There really is nothing new Tom. To prove this, if readers of ‘The Agitator’ want to check out the latest in major donor functions i suggest they follow this link first.

http://www.sofii.org/active%20site/Members%20area/FA258The1stmajordonordinner.html

Hope you and Roger are enjoying a delightful summer.

All best,

Ken

]]> By: jay http://www.theagitator.net/dont-miss-these-posts/givers-or-donors/comment-page-1/#comment-27887 jay Tue, 20 Jul 2010 11:55:33 +0000 http://www.theagitator.net/?p=1491#comment-27887 So let's say the giver just walked in with a check for $100,000 and is sitting and waiting to give it to you. Also i the waiting room are a couple of donors, they have been very loyal giving the organization $5 in each of the last 3 years. I am not sure how you would prioritize who you would see first but if you have paused to think a bit you have just realized the actual lens to use to "refocus". You can not design your focus based on the past or what you call people. Focus will be a blend of past performance and future potential....Say I have an idea....let's say we start calling donors, givers, funders, whatever by their actual names....then again I could be off base regarding this very personal business So let’s say the giver just walked in with a check for $100,000 and is sitting and waiting to give it to you. Also i the waiting room are a couple of donors, they have been very loyal giving the organization $5 in each of the last 3 years.

I am not sure how you would prioritize who you would see first but if you have paused to think a bit you have just realized the actual lens to use to “refocus”. You can not design your focus based on the past or what you call people. Focus will be a blend of past performance and future potential….Say I have an idea….let’s say we start calling donors, givers, funders, whatever by their actual names….then again I could be off base regarding this very personal business

]]> By: Penelope Blackwell http://www.theagitator.net/dont-miss-these-posts/givers-or-donors/comment-page-1/#comment-27879 Penelope Blackwell Tue, 20 Jul 2010 07:55:59 +0000 http://www.theagitator.net/?p=1491#comment-27879 Hi Tom, I was so excited by the heading for your article - and then so disappointed by the content. Although I fully appreciate what you say about the cost of "one-off" gifts, I had hoped you were going to address the question of the use of the word "donor" (and thereby "donate"). Why do we use this (Latin)word, when we have a great Anglo-Saxon word: "give" (and the words people are always telling us to use the short A-S alternatives, not long Latin ones)? We give our love to people; we give our time; at Christmas we give gifts: why do we "donate" to charities? Why do our red website buttons say "donate now" (which reads as an instruction and not a plea)? Until I became a fundraiser, I'd never even come across the word. My vote is that we drop the donor/donate/donation in favour of giver/give/gift - it's somehow so much more personal, and less institutional. Hi Tom,
I was so excited by the heading for your article – and then so disappointed by the content.
Although I fully appreciate what you say about the cost of “one-off” gifts, I had hoped you were going to address the question of the use of the word “donor” (and thereby “donate”). Why do we use this (Latin)word, when we have a great Anglo-Saxon word: “give” (and the words people are always telling us to use the short A-S alternatives, not long Latin ones)? We give our love to people; we give our time; at Christmas we give gifts: why do we “donate” to charities? Why do our red website buttons say “donate now” (which reads as an instruction and not a plea)? Until I became a fundraiser, I’d never even come across the word.
My vote is that we drop the donor/donate/donation in favour of giver/give/gift – it’s somehow so much more personal, and less institutional.

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