The Art of Nonprofit Donor Cultivation

Welcome to your first lessons on donor cultivation!

Donor cultivation is the means of converting a non-donor to a donor. It may sound simple, but it is actually a very complex process in which we engage with several psychological processes in the donor…and in ourselves!

In this badge, we’ll dive into a broad look at what donor cultivation is, taking an approach that recognizes basic principles of fundraising psychology. We’ll go on to explore why this topic matters, and how we can develop skills to become more effective in our own donor cultivation. We’ll wrap up this badge’s lessons with a look at what effective donor cultivation looks like and how we can assess our efforts.

Let’s jump in!

*Note that a transcript of all audio is available for download on the lessons to come, as well as an audio-only version of the lessons. You can always turn on closed-captions on the video player settings above.

In this lesson, we'll jump in on an overview of what donor cultivation is and what it looks like in your non-profit.

Be sure to download the transcript to begin building your reference library, and also feel free to use the audio-only download below for on-the-go learning.

Now that you have some basics about donor cultivation, let's take a look at why it matters.

Remember, you can download the transcript for this video below, and can also turn closed captions on and off for your convenience.

In this lesson, we'll look at the five skills needed to build up your capacity to cultivate donors. Remember: skills can be learned, practiced, and developed over time, so if you feel that you have a little (or a lot of!) room for improvement, know that you're on the right track!

Be sure to download the transcript to begin building your reference library, and also feel free to use the audio-only download below for on-the-go learning.

In this lesson, we'll bring together our learning on what effective donor cultivation looks like, and how can we measure it.

Be sure to download the transcript to add to your reference library, and also feel free to use the audio-only download below for on-the-go learning.

Our donor cultivation efforts, when done effectively, ensure that we are showcasing our prospect's identities and personal goals through a gift to our nonprofit.

In this lesson, we'll explore a few categories of measurement.

Remember, you can download the audio and transcript for this video below, and can also turn closed captions on and off for your convenience.

You now have a good sense of what donor cultivation is, the skills that you can work on to support your donor cultivation efforts, and what it looks like when it’s effectively done. We’ll now turn our attention to how you can put this knowledge into practice.

In the lessons to come we are going to dive deeper into what psychology is at play in our donors when they decide to give a gift. We’ll look at how you can use donor identities to activate your own abilities to cultivate the relationships you have with them. We’ll then explore how you can build up your donor practices at your nonprofit through an approach that optimizes donor decision-making. And we’ll close out our silver lessons with a focus on goal psychology to set personal and organizational goals to improve this important capacity in your nonprofit.

Let's jump in!

*Remember that a transcript of all audio is available for download below on the lessons below, and you can always turn on closed-captions on the video settings above.

Let’s start with how to activate donor cultivation abilities and go beyond the focused skill-building we talked about in our bronze lessons. We’ll look at more deeply exploring your motives for improvement, managing innovation, and understanding others.

Be sure to download the transcript to review your learning.

Now that we have a little bit of foundation in your donor cultivation efforts, let's think about how we can apply this to your organization.

Remember, you can download the transcript for this video below, and can also turn closed captions on and off for your convenience.

In this lesson, we'll look at how to put donor cultivation efforts into practice with a look at how to build and enhance it in your nonprofit.

Be sure to download the transcript to review your learning.

In our consideration of how to build up your own capacity in developing and supporting effective donor cultivation at your nonprofit, we’re going to consider the principles behind goal-setting.

Be sure to download the transcript to review your learning.

Setting goals to improve your nonprofit’s overall donor cultivation strategies looks and feels different than setting goals as an individual.

Remember, you can download the transcript for this video below, and can also turn closed captions on and off for your convenience.

You now have a good sense of what donor cultivation is, the skills that you can work on to support your donor cultivation efforts, and what it looks like when it’s effectively done. We've also considered some of the deeper concepts of the psychology surrounding donor cultivation.

Let’s now turn our attention to how we get and stay motivated to put our learning into practice. We’ll also consider some team-level exercises to help your entire nonprofit join forces in better understanding how your donors connect with your organization. And we’ll wrap up with a review of this topic and the opportunity for you to complete your personal learning plan.

Let's jump in!

*Note that a transcript of all audio is available for download on the lessons to come, as well as an audio-only version of the lessons. You can always turn on closed-captions on the video player settings above.

In this lesson, we'll look at how motivation can be supported in building donor cultivation efforts in your organization.

Be sure to download the transcript to not only review your learning but also to see the research references used in this lesson.

In this lesson, we're going to discuss how we can inspire others to get personally motivated about nonprofit donor cultivation efforts, especially those who may be resistant.

Remember, you can download the transcript for this video below, and can also turn closed captions on and off for your convenience.

In this final teaching lesson on donor cultivation, we're bringing together all our learning into a capstone video on how we can grow from everything we've covered thus far!

Be sure to download the transcript to not only review your learning but also to see the research references used in this lesson.