EFA-logoEFA-logoEFA-logoEFA-logo
  • About us
    • Our board
    • What we do
    • How we work
    • Ethics
    • Our history
    • Privacy Policy
  • Membership
    • Member benefits
    • EFA members
    • EFA associates
    • Join EFA
  • EFA Certification
    • Certification news
    • Why EFA Certification?
    • Standard Competence Framework handbook
    • Advanced Competence Framework handbook
    • EFA qualifications
    • Applying for EFA Certification
    • Certification committee
  • Public Affairs
    • Public Affairs news
  • News
    • Fundraising Europe
    • Latest news
    • Latest features
    • EFA news
    • European Fundraising Podcast
    • Contributor guidelines
    • Advertise with EFA
  • Events
    • Events Calendar
    • 2022 Nonprofit Pulse survey webinar
    • 2022 EFA Skillshare and AGA
  • Resources
  • About us
    • Our board
    • What we do
    • How we work
    • Ethics
    • Our history
    • Privacy Policy
  • Membership
    • Member benefits
    • EFA members
    • EFA associates
    • Join EFA
  • EFA Certification
    • Certification news
    • Why EFA Certification?
    • Standard Competence Framework handbook
    • Advanced Competence Framework handbook
    • EFA qualifications
    • Applying for EFA Certification
    • Certification committee
  • Public Affairs
    • Public Affairs news
  • News
    • Fundraising Europe
    • Latest news
    • Latest features
    • EFA news
    • European Fundraising Podcast
    • Contributor guidelines
    • Advertise with EFA
  • Events
    • Events Calendar
    • 2022 Nonprofit Pulse survey webinar
    • 2022 EFA Skillshare and AGA
  • Resources
✕
Sunlight through trees
A new dawn: What will 2022 bring for fundraising?
January 12, 2022
Katie Docherty
Interview with Katie Docherty: Returning to my fundraising roots
February 9, 2022

Rebecca Allaigre: For transformational change, move from budget-based to mission-based fundraising

February 9, 2022
Categories
  • Blog
  • Features
Tags
  • Donor experience
  • Strategy
a white arrow points right on a dark blue background

The key to attracting and retaining donors long-term is fostering a sense of partnership between them and your organisation, which can mean a change of approach. Rebecca Allaigre at the Fondation Les Arts Florissants in Paris examines how moving from budget-based to mission-centred fundraising can help nonprofits build these partnerships and achieve transformational change.

Many years ago, I accompanied an administrative leader of a nonprofit organisation to a prospect meeting. Rather than discuss the important work the organisation was doing, and the positive impact it was making, he only talked about how the organisation needed money. For nearly an hour, he presented the budgetary gaps, the projects that were in the red, along with all the projects that would not be possible without support. This administrator viewed fundraising as a means to meet the organisation’s budgetary needs and not as a tool of empowerment.

That meeting has stayed with me over the years, and as I have gained more experience in raising money, from annual gifts to major gifts to legacies, I have learned that to attract and retain donors over the long term, a nonprofit must view its relationship to fundraising through the lens of its mission and not through the lens of its budget. A fundraising coach once said, “Money is not why donors help, it is how they help.” And I believe that donors must become partners with an organisation, not only seen as a source of funds.

 

Taking a different view

But first, what does this mean? When we as fundraisers present our organisation – whether through a project, a campaign, or communications materials – the message should always be that donors can help further our mission. Fundraisers must move beyond focusing only on money and move towards creating a relationship between the organisation and the donor.

I came across the statement that when a nonprofit starts out, it is truly focused on meeting its mission, and with time, this message becomes diluted through an overabundance of projects and seeking support for those projects. I would counter that the opposite is true, at least in my experience. I began my career in fundraising at a veritable institution that, like most organisations, began as a project, which was to raise money to build a hospital for Americans in Paris. This meant a one-time gift from donors to make the project a reality.

By the time I joined, the organisation’s mission evolved to “provide medical excellence.” In every project, every mailing, every newsletter, the capital campaign – the message always came back to its mission: providing medical excellence.

  • By contributing to the annual fund, donors help acquire the latest medical equipment, thus contributing to the best medical care available.
  • By giving to help build a new building, donors help provide the best environment of care, a key factor in improved medical outcomes.
  • By supporting medical exchanges with doctors and nurses in the U.S., donors ensure that the team has the best medical training, impacting the quality-of-care donors and their families receive.

One reason for the hospital’s success is that donors believe that it is THEIR hospital— any investment would be returned to them in the form of excellent medical care. They were partners, resulting in the organisation’s extraordinary fundraising success, over the long-term. Its annual renewal rate is around 85%, with more than 4000 individual donors, mostly local.

Later, I joined a much younger organisation which began as musical ensemble and has since evolved to a foundation dedicated to protecting and promoting French cultural heritage, whether tangible (restoration & gardens) or intangible (music). When the project began over 40 years ago, like the hospital, its fundraising goal was very simple: raise money to cover the costs of concerts and tours.

Les Arts Florissants rehearsing st the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris

Les Arts Florissants rehearsing at the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris

 

The transition to mission-based fundraising

When transitioning to mission-based fundraising, we first developed a phrase for our annual fund brochure that encapsulated our mission: ‘Cultivate the spirit of baroque’, which touched upon music, gardens, education and visionary projects. We then implemented the broader goal of having ‘unrestricted donations’, especially for minor gifts.

Doing this not only helps an organisation remain agile, it also psychologically nudges donors to invest in the mission. Donor fatigue can result when a donor is asked to contribute, each year, to the same project, due to financial needs. Donors can think that the organisation is 1) not working to expand the number of donors and 2) that it is taking their support for granted. When donors begin to invest in the mission, however, rather than a specific project, it is much easier to ask them to give again next year. Because we can show them ALL that we have done, thanks to them.

I see in many organisations, even today, that any amount, even for the annual fund (unrestricted support by definition!) can be dedicated to a specific project, creating accounting difficulties and a lack of flexibility. To encourage unrestricted giving, we have set a minimum gift amount of €3000 that can be dedicated to one of four priority projects. Thanks to the implementation of online giving and several new campaigns, our number of donors has more than quadrupled in less than two years. Not a single gift received via our online platform has been restricted, and there have been no complaints.

Last year, we created our first publicly accessible annual report, presenting our mission on the very first page, followed by testimonies which introduced each section. The words and images of a musician, a craftsman, a teacher and a donor gave a human face to our various projects and reinforced donor connection to our organisation. The annual report was then used as a fundraising tool to request an additional (and unrestricted) donation from current donors. And it worked.

Donors already seem themselves as partners with our organisations. As we move from budget-based to mission-based fundraising, we will also begin seeing them as partners. Several weeks ago, I invited some of our donors to a concert rehearsal. One of them said to me “I feel like this organisation is my friend”. That sums up our goal: partnerships that lead to long-term, recurring support.

 

About Rebecca Allaigre

Rebecca Allaigre

Rebecca Allaigre

 

Rebecca Allaigre, CFRE, is a senior fundraising executive with more than 20 years of experience across sectors, including education, health and culture. An American in Paris, Rebecca is committed to advancing philanthropy and to the continued professionalisation of fundraising. Rebecca is head of philanthropy at the Fondation Les Arts Florissants – William Christie, in France.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

Share

Related posts

January 18, 2023

Special focus: What can nonprofits expect from 2023?


Read more
A heart drawn in the sand on a beach. Photo by Khadeeja Yasser on Unsplash
January 18, 2023

Harriet Jones-Day: Philanthropic psychology – what is it & what can it offer?


Read more
Sand runs through a timer. Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash
December 7, 2022

Patrick Gibbels: Crunch time for e-Privacy


Read more

Most popular posts

Search news by country or category

Search news by date

Popular topics

  • Research
  • Individual giving
  • Coronavirus
  • Professional development
  • Digital
  • Legacies
  • Philanthropic trends
  • Events
  • Collaboration
  • Tax incentives

Registered Office

James Wattstraat 100
NL-1097 DM Amsterdam
Netherlands

EFA is registered at the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce
Reg. No. 34212817

Contact

Executive Officer, Denise Dawes
denise.dawes@efa-net.eu

Media enquiries:
news@efa-net.eu

Follow us

Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn

Search

✕
© 2021 EFA | European Fundraising Association. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Read More
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT