Strategic Fund Development: Building Profitable Relationships That Last, Third Edition

Summary

Constituency development is the third of four relationships that are critical to effective and productive fund development. Constituency development refers to donors as well as clients and volunteers, and other constituencies. Only by developing strong and effective long-term relationships will your organization have sufficient constituents to survive and thrive in the future.

You need many diverse constituents who will use your services, speak well of you, serve on your board and committees, help you fundraise, give charitable contributions, and open doors to new donors.

To develop these relationships, your organization has to benefit the constituent in a customer-centered, donor-centered, constituent-centered way. Then she or he may be willing to help you.

Unfortunately, constituency development receives little time and attention in many organizations, particularly those fighting for survival.

Too frequently, we ask people for money before they are ready to give. We ask current donors to increase their gifts before these donors are ready to give more. We invite people to join our boards before they are comfortable with our institutions. We even set the future direction of our organizations without engaging constituents in the dialogue.

Constituency development produces loyalty. Otherwise, why bother?

And what is the result in each of these situations? The organization does not meet the needs of the constituent, and the constituent does not meet the organization’s needs. ...