Fundraising Framework (#2): What Really Moves Donors to Give

Tom Iselin
Sep 30, 2015
4 min read

Updated: Dec 13, 2025

Today you will learn tips on how and why donors "select" nonprofits to support. There are dozens of reason and motives, but knowing just six, the Super 6, will save time and money, resulting in more efficient and effective fundraising.

Fundraising Framework (#2):

What Really Moves Donors to Give

This is Part Two of my discussion on The Super Six—a simple but powerful fundraising framework that helps you focus on what actually influences a donor’s decision to give.

If you missed Part One, be sure to go back and read it first. It lays the foundation.

As a reminder, donors are influenced by dozens of factors when deciding whether to support a nonprofit. But over the years, I’ve learned that six factors consistently stand head and shoulders above the rest.

How a donor emotionally and mentally rates your nonprofit on these six factors will dramatically increase—or decrease—the likelihood they give.

Let’s quickly recap the Super Six, then dive deeper into the final three.

A Quick Recap of the Super Six

The six factors donors subconsciously use to evaluate nonprofits are:

Issues they care about
Missions they believe in
Organizations they trust
People they like
First-rate performance and impact
Outstanding donor relations and customer service

You should always be asking yourself:How are donors rating us in each of these six areas—and how can we improve our score?

Now let’s continue where we left off.

4. People They Like

This one is simple—and often overlooked.

People like to do business with people they like.

If you want to win a donor’s generosity, you must build friendly, professional, human relationships.

That means:

Spending time with donors in person when possible
Getting to know them like a neighbor or coworker
Learning about their interests, family, and passions

For smaller donors, this can happen through:

Social media engagement
Events
Informal conversations

Here’s the hard truth:You can have the best programs in your sector, but your fundraising will fail if the people asking for money are:

Dull
Grumpy
Rude
Unreliable
Or clearly uncomfortable asking for money

Who you choose to raise money matters.

Forget age, titles, or business backgrounds.Choose people who are:

Passionate
Personable
Interesting
Reliable
Willing—and excited—to raise money

5. First-Rate Performance and Impact

Donors have choices—and they like to back winners.

They want to know their social investments are making a real difference.

So ask yourself:

Why should a donor choose you?
What proof are you providing that your organization performs at a high level?

The nonprofit world is fiercely competitive. To earn donor loyalty, you must consistently and compellingly show impact.

This includes demonstrating:

Short-term and long-term results
Effective management
Wise use of funds
Organized, well-run programs
Engaged board members
Competent staff
A strong, credible brand

Show donors:

The lives you’re changing
The community impact you’re making
A clear vision and sound plan for the future

Remember:It’s often more impressive to show how deep your impact is than how big or fast you’re growing.

6. Outstanding Donor Relations and Customer Service

One of the strongest predictors of whether a donor makes a second gift is how they were treated after their first.

If you want to acquire and retain more donors, you must create a systematic approach to donor care—from the first interaction onward.

For major donors:

Regular phone calls
Coffee or lunch meetings
Invitations to special events

For smaller donors:

Thoughtful emails
Text messages
Social media engagement

For all donors:

Invitations to events and galas
Volunteer opportunities
Regular, meaningful updates
Personal touches that show appreciation

Consistency matters.Personalization matters.Meaningful contact matters.

Because if your touch grows cold, their giving will too.

Remember: You’re in the Customer Service Business

It’s important to think of your nonprofit this way:

Donors are customers.

They pay you to deliver programs and services—and they expect:

Respect
Gratitude
Responsiveness

Every time a donor:

Calls your office
Requests information
Sees you at an event
Runs into you on the street

They are giving you a customer service rating.

So ask yourself:

What score would donors give your organization?
What score would they give you?

If you want donor loyalty:

Greet donors warmly
Respond promptly
Follow through
Keep them informed
Go the extra mile

Key Takeaways

Donors evaluate nonprofits using the Super Six
People and relationships matter as much as programs
Donors want proof of performance and impact
Donor experience directly affects retention
Customer service is fundraising
Cold relationships lead to cold giving

Summary

You should always be thinking about how donors are rating your nonprofit in each of the Super Six categories—and actively working to improve your score.

If you do that:

You’ll win donor trust
You’ll build stronger relationships
You’ll raise more money with less effort

And yes—you’ll win the hearts, minds, and pocketbooks of more donors.

That’s a good thing.

Tom Iselin

Rated One of America’s Best Board Retreat

and Strategic Planning Facilitators

About the Author

Tom Iselin is recognized as one of America’s leading authorities on high-performance nonprofits. He has built nine sector-leading nonprofits and two software companies, written six books, sits on multiple boards, and has been rated one of America’s Best Board Retreat and Strategic Planning Facilitators. His work on nonprofit strategy, board leadership, and culture has been featured on CNN, Nightline, and in Newsweek.

Tom is the president of First Things First, a firm specializing in board retreats, strategic planning services, fundraising strategy, and executive coaching for nonprofit CEOs.

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If you’re looking for a board retreat facilitator or strategic planning facilitator who has been in the trenches and understands real-world nonprofit challenges, Tom can help your board gain clarity, build alignment, and create an actionable plan that improves performance and impact. His sessions propel organizations to the next level of performance and impact . . . and they're fun!

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